October 2020 • Issue 4, Volume 11 • www.consumer-action.org
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What people are saying
Some pretty cool stuff [happening]...Helping to lead a webinar on the connection between COVID-19 and domestic violence for Consumer Action, a national org doing some great work.
-Maclen Stanley, Maclen Stanley Law
Did you know?
If you are a homeowner experiencing financial hardship during the pandemic, you may be eligible to defer your mortgage payments for a time. A federal law provides protections for homeowners with federally or government-sponsored enterprise (GSE)-backed mortgages (i.e., those issued by agencies like the Federal Housing Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac). Your options depend on the specific agency that owns or backs your mortgage. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains mortgage relief opportunities here.
Lost your job in the pandemic? You're not alone
Millions have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, which has hit low-income people, people of color, those without bachelor's degrees and--unlike prior recessions--women (particularly those with children) the hardest. Consumer Action hosted a free webinar to explain who's been impacted and to help those who've been laid off get back in the game. Read more...
Financial health measurement: A barometer of consumer finances
As many people struggle financially through the pandemic, it's become more important than ever for organizations to be able to effectively gauge clients' financial health using tried-and-true approaches. Consumer Action's adoption and use of the Financial Health Network's FinHealth Score® Toolkit is a valuable case study in effective financial health measurement. Read more...
Hotline Chronicles: Knowledge is power
A chance remark to an old friend, who just happened to be a Consumer Action hotline counselor, solved one man's dilemma when his TV stopped working after only a couple of years. Do you know what your options are if you're sold a shoddy product? Read more...
Coalition Efforts: Protecting students, genetic data privacy and generic drug access
Consumer Action often joins its allies in letters, comments and complaints calling for change, standing up for consumer rights, supporting or opposing proposed laws and objecting to corporate misbehavior, among other activities. We collect these in the Coalition Efforts section of our website. Each month in the INSIDER, we highlight some recent activities. Read more...
CFPB Watch: Relief for remittances, ITT Tech debt, and future college costs
In this regular feature, we detail recent actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This month, we report on remittance (money transfer) providers who must pay up after misleading customers; student loan borrowers who are finally off the hook for predatory debt; and the Bureau's new podcast, "Financial inTuition." Read more...
Class Action Database: Predatory lender gets caught in its own scheme
Consumer Action maintains a database of class actions so that interested consumers can learn more, join a pending action or make a claim. Class action lawsuits are an important element of consumer protection and can force changes to anti-consumer business practices and make bad actors return ill-gotten gains to consumers. Read more...
About Consumer Action
Consumer Action has been a champion of underrepresented consumers nationwide since 1971. A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Consumer Action focuses on consumer education that empowers low- and moderate-income and limited-English-speaking consumers to financially prosper. It also advocates for consumers in the media and before lawmakers to advance consumer rights and promote industry-wide change.
By providing consumer education materials in multiple languages, a free national hotline, a comprehensive website (www.consumer-action.org) and annual surveys of financial and consumer services, Consumer Action helps consumers assert their rights in the marketplace and make financially savvy choices. More than 6,000 community and grassroots organizations benefit annually from its extensive outreach programs, training materials and support. Read more...
Consumer Action ©2020
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