December, 2019 • Issue Six, Volume Ten • www.consumer-action.org
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Tomorrow is #GivingTuesday!
GivingTuesday is a global movement celebrating the generosity of people like you. Join the action tomorrow by supporting Consumer Action in transforming the life of someone like Angelique Weber. Angelique (pictured here) has benefited from our new financial technology (FinTech) program, learning how to use tech (e.g., apps) to manage her money and save. Angelique says she "loves" it and "would recommend it to anyone and everyone!" But we can only help people like Angelique make wise financial choices, get out of debt, save for retirement and get ahead with your support...
What people are saying
"Thank you for presenting such an informative [FinTech] webinar! We appreciate you spending the time to put this together and present it for us. We loved hearing about your FinTech work and pilot programs. We had some great questions at the end and the participants seemed very engaged."
- Laura D'Alessandro, Senior Program Officer, Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Did you know?
Depending on where Medicare beneficiaries live, an alternative to Original Medicare, called Medicare Advantage, may offer plans that cost less and cover more services--even dental and vision in certain cases. Some Medicare Advantage plans even have earned Medicare's highest rating (5 stars). Medicare's "open enrollment" period is ending Dec. 7; you have until then to research and change your current plan. Go to Medicare.gov to learn more.
How the prescription drug cost crisis is hurting consumers
Our latest issue of Consumer Action News explores how the prescription drug cost crisis is harming consumers (and not only financially); outlines the barriers to affordable meds; and proposes policy solutions that could help get us on the road to recovery. Read more...
Wells Fargo funds Consumer Action's new FinTech innovation work
Wells Fargo recently announced a $275,000 commitment to fund Consumer Action's innovative and timely FinTech education and outreach initiative. Our recently completed FinTech pilot program revealed the value FinTech has in helping low-to-moderate-income and limited-English-speaking consumers save thousands. We're now excited to scale things up and reach more vulnerable consumers! Read more...
Hotline Chronicles: Your college has closed, now what?
A mother called us about the closure of her son's for-profit technical college. She wanted to know whether he will have to pay back his student loans. We outlined the conditions that must be met for a parent and/or child to discharge a federal student loan and explained how she can advocate against predatory student lending in the future. Read more...
Consumer Action awards those "Moving the Needle for Consumers"
Consumer Action celebrated the theme "Moving the Needle for Consumers" at our 48th Annual Awards Reception in Washington, D.C., in October. The yearly event brings much-deserved attention to the efforts of dedicated and committed advocates who have helped advance or preserve important consumer protections. Read more...
Annual report considers past, present and future of consumer advocacy
Consumer Action's new annual report serves as a compilation of our recent work to champion the rights of underrepresented consumers through education, community outreach and advocacy. As we approach our 50th year, we reflect on the legacy of our late founder, Kay Pachtner, and provide a rundown of the issues we tackled in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019. Read more...
Coalition Efforts: Lecherous lenders and airplane evacuations
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: Deceptive debt relief; a good ol' grilling on Capitol Hill
In this regular feature, we detail recent actions taken by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This month, we examine the Bureau's charges against a "debt relief" company that brought more harm than good to thousands of student borrowers, and highlight the grilling that CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger received at the hands of angry legislators who are fed up with the Bureau's failure to regulate predatory financial industry players. Read more...
Class Action Database: Breaking a sweat over "sweatproof" headphones
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 non-profit 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. Nearly 7,000 community and grassroots organizations benefit annually from its extensive outreach programs, training materials and support.
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