March

08

• Consumer protections at risk (Consumer Action highlights recent consumer gains now in the cross hairs). Consumer Action News reviews many of the gains made in recent months to protect consumers’ personal safety, online privacy, dispute resolution rights and more. However, many of these critical consumer protections are in danger of disappearing under a new administration and GOP-controlled Congress.

February

03

• New regime plans to 'trump' consumer protections.

  Statement by Linda Sherry, Director, National Priorities, Consumer Action

  President Trump’s announcement today to dismantle the Dodd-Frank financial protection law and cripple the Consumer Financial…

January

10

• Filling the financial information gap in limited English communities.

  January 10, 2017—When you don’t speak or understand English well, applying for a car loan or mortgage can be hazardous to your financial health. For…

2016

September

30

• One million reasons why consumers need the CFPB.

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) hit the one million mark this week. The Bureau has received more than one million individual consumer complaints about…

28

• Consumer Action joins White House campaign to 'Lock Down Your Login' (Advice to help consumers enable the strongest authentication tools for online accounts). Consumer Action joins a new campaign, “Lock Down Your Login,” to urge Americans to limit their personal cybercrime risk and better protect their key social media, email and bank accounts by enabling strong authentication.

August

30

• Consumer Action takes a closer look at a most valuable consumer tool (Report examines CFPB complaints, public data and company responses). Consumer Action releases a study of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's complaint database and offers tips and advice on how to find information in, and make the best use of, the public complaints submitted by consumers.

July

29

• Consumers get the last word on complaints (Consumer Action applauds CFPB’s latest move to improve its complaint system).

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is adding a five star system ratings scale to its complaint process to give consumers an efficient way to…

28

• CFPB proposes to strengthen debt collection rules (Consumer Action says proposal is step in right direction).

  July 28, 2016—The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today released its proposed rules to limit debt collection abuses by third-party debt collectors and others covered by…

21

• CFPB celebrates its fifth anniversary. Consumer Action's statement on the CFPB after five years

June

03

• Payday, car title loan rule could save U.S. consumers millions (Rule proposes regulating predatory lending that traps consumers in a cycle of debt ). The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) unveils new proposed rule to rein in payday and car title lending.

May

26

• Fair treatment for homeowners with limited English proficiency.

  Consumer Action, Americans for Financial Reform and coalition partners urge regulators, in a newly released paper, to make it easier for limited English proficiency…

18

• Congress debates consumers' right to a fair trial (Congress asks: Should consumers be able to hold corporations accountable when they break the law?).

  WASHINGTON, DC—Today, the U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit will hold a hearing to consider whether the Consumer Financial Protection…

05

• Financial firms can’t stop you from joining class action lawsuits (Consumers will be able to join together to hold corporations accountable when they break the law). The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's rule would limit the financial industry’s use of forced arbitration—an abusive practice in which corporations bury “ripoff clauses” in the fine print of take- it-or-leave-it contracts to block consumers from challenging predatory practices such as hidden fees, fraud and other illegal behavior.

April

07

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, we've got your back! (Advocates stand with the CFPB as Senate Banking Committee prepares to grill Bureau's director). Consumer advocates rally behind Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray as he delivers the Bureau's Semi-Annual Report to the Senate Banking Committee. Consumer Action and its allies fear a reprise of the March 16 House Financial Services Committee hearing, which turned ugly as CFPB foes grilled Cordray about the agency.

January

20

• Poll shows strong support for regulation of paid tax preparers. A coalition of consumer and community organizations and advocates draws attention to the findings of a national poll that demonstrates broad public support for new consumer protections to prevent errors and fraud during the tax preparation process.

• Groups call for safe data practices, enforcement by FCC.

  WASHINGTON, DC—Today, 59 U.S. consumer advocacy, privacy and digital rights organizations submitted a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler calling for strong…

07

• Consumer Action and CreditBridge Collaboration: Credit Scores in the U.S. (A guide for students, immigrants and savvy consumers). Consumer Action has partnered with CreditBridge, a New York-based financial technology company, to release a fact sheet about credit in the U.S. for the benefit of newcomers, visitors and students.

2015

December

16

• Correcting and protecting your credit record (Consumer Action’s newsletter releases credit reporting updates, tips for consumers). In its latest issue of Consumer Action News (bit.ly/credit_reports_issue), Consumer Action explains the only way to prevent new account fraud, and updates consumers on improvements in reporting medical debt and resolving credit report errors.

October

07

• CFPB sees value in protecting consumers’ right to collective redress. Consumer Action applauds the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFBP) for considering a prohibition on “class action bans” in consumer contracts.

September

22

• Consumer Action and Visa team up for Veterans Financial Coalition training programs. Consumer Action is joining the Veterans Financial Coalition in a new training series titled Economic survival guide for service members and veterans.

July

21

• CFPB goes to bat for consumers and hits a homerun (The consumer watchdog agency celebrates its 4th anniversary).

  In only four years, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has returned more $10 billion to more than 17 million consumers in the areas…

June

25

• Consumers gain access to the 'heart' of CFPB complaints.

  Consumers now have a critical tool with which to educate and empower themselves in the financial marketplace.

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB)…