April 2021 • Issue 10, volume 11 • www.consumer-action.org
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What people are saying
Thank you guys so much for providing this ['COVID-19's impact on food insecurity' webinar] training. The presentation was GREAT and I am already thinking of ways to incorporate the new information into parent resources. I look forward to attending trainings in the future!
--Kambria Tolbert, MAdEd, Early Head Start family engagement advocate
Did you know?
If you are a homeowner with a mortgage who is experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, you may have the right to an initial COVID hardship forbearance (a temporary pause in mortgage payments) of up to 180 days. You also may have the right to one or more extensions of that forbearance. However, you must request these options--they're not automatic! If your loan is backed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development/Federal Housing Administration (HUD/FHA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the deadline for requesting an initial forbearance is June 30, 2021. If your loan is backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, there is currently no deadline for requesting an initial forbearance. Learn more at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau website.
New campaign shows FinTech users how to be 'security savvy'
FinTech (financial technology) usage continues to grow, with more consumers downloading apps that help them do things like transfer money, track expenses, pay off debt, save, and even invest. A new Consumer Action educational project pulls back the curtain on how these apps work and prepares FinTech users to protect their financial data. Read more...
Millions go hungry during COVID-19
By April of last year, household food insecurity (which was already alarmingly high) had dramatically increased--by one estimate, tripling to over 38% due to skyrocketing pandemic-induced unemployment rates. Last month, Consumer Action hosted a free webinar, as part of our COVID-19 Educational Project, to explore the topic of food insecurity and COVID-19 in depth. Read more...
Hotline Chronicles: Sneaky renewal 'service,' with poor customer service
The auto-renewal of a paid shopping plan offered by a national flower delivery service caught one woman off guard. Making the situation even thornier, she found that to cancel, she had to call a specific department with limited, inconvenient hours. Read more...
How FinTech has helped consumers save thousands during the pandemic
Consumer Action helped hundreds of people save, budget and improve credit through the use of FinTech apps. Read more...
Coalition Efforts: From deceptive student recruiting to retirement disclosures
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: Immigrant abuse, stimulus protection and housing help
In this regular feature, we detail recent actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This month, we report on a company that the CFPB sued for charging massive, incomprehensible fees for release from immigration detention. We also outline the CFPB help available for consumers who are still suffering financially from COVID ramifications. Read more...
Class Action Database: Epic Games loses to in-game loot boxes
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...
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