The eight news organizations did a similarly poor job identifying the Heritage Foundation, the multi-issue, anti-regulation behemoth founded in 1973 to counter the raft of environmental, consumer and workplace protections signed into law during the Nixon administration.
But the raft of mildly encouraging consumer data suggests the economy has not entered a free fall.
All of them start their assessment of potential borrowers by looking at a raft of readily available consumer data from credit bureaus such as FICO and Experian, which track who has welched on past bills or car payments (banks use these too).
Instead, thanks to a raft of new smart consumer products, users are increasingly taking a small pieces, loosely joined approach.
Crowe: There is a raft of direct-to-consumer Web sites that are destined to be small, $20 million acquisitions.
You needn't look far for casualties: A raft of technology, energy and consumer companies fell off the list.
Alex Burrows, head of strategy for Centro, is anticipating gathering a raft of new data as consumers in the West Midlands take up his company's new Swift public transport smartcards.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said the £11bn programme to install smart meters in homes and commercial properties across the UK would deliver a raft of benefits to both consumers and the wider economy.
The Bush administration and nine states urged a federal judge today to approve their settlement of the Microsoft antitrust case swiftly and reject a raft of complaints by rivals and consumer groups.
