Deciphering the secret language of phone bills

All major phone companies, including Verizon, have websites intended to explain to customers what’s on their bills. Above, Verizon headquarters in New York City. (Andrew Burton / Getty Images)Your phone bill can't leave you scratching your head. So says Uncle Sam.

According to the Federal Communications Commission's truth-in-billing rules, all phone bills must feature "clear, non-misleading, plain language describing services for which you are being billed."

So how come phone customers often can't figure out what they're being charged for?

Covina resident Steven Barad, 68, shared a recent Verizon land-line bill with me. It was pretty straightforward, until you started kicking the tires and…