CA News & Special Reports Archive

2020

October

28

• Impact of race on personal finances (Fall 2020).
  In the latest issue of Consumer Action News, on the "Impact of race on personal finances," we examine areas of personal finance affected by institutional racism, from car and student loans to mortgages and auto insurance, and we consider some proposals for dismantling the barriers to financial inclusion.

01

• Consumer Action INSIDER - October 2020.
  The October 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER highlights our webinar on job loss in the pandemic (part of our COVID-19 Educational Project, sponsored by Wells Fargo, with additional support from AT&T, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, and Square); our use of the Financial Health Network’s FinHealth Score® Toolkit to gauge consumers' financial health using apps and other digital services to save money, etc.; advice on what to do if you bought a "lemon" (with or without a factory warranty); our recent coalition efforts; the latest CFPB happenings; and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

August

31

• Consumer Action INSIDER - September 2020.
  The September 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER highlights our upcoming Health and Wealth virtual convening and annual awards ceremony (registration open now), and includes articles on “best practices” in issues-based online activism, Consumer Action's webinar on estate planning during the pandemic (part of our COVID-19 Educational Project, sponsored by Wells Fargo, with additional support from AT&T, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, and Square), the importance of registering your car with your state motor vehicle agency (rather than a third party), our recent coalition efforts, the latest CFPB happenings, and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

03

• Consumer Action INSIDER - August 2020.
  The August 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER features articles on an annual Federal Trade Commission (FTC) PrivacyCon event, which brought together academics, policymakers and advocates to consider the lack privacy rules around consumer health data (particularly relating to health and wellness apps); the many problems that come with purchasing and maintaining a timeshare--especially now during the coronavirus pandemic; Consumer Action's recent (and well-attended) webinar on COVID-19 scams and healthcare fraud; coverage of our coalition efforts; the latest CFPB happenings; and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

June

30

• Consumer Action INSIDER - July 2020.
  The July 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER features articles on how to "inoculate" yourself against COVID-19 disinformation and scams through our free monthly e-newsletter, SCAM GRAM; determining if you're being sold a fraudulent product or sold on a bogus payment method on websites like Craiglist; protecting your social media privacy by reading our two new fact sheets on how to change your privacy settings (one dedicated to Facebook); coverage of our coalition efforts; the latest CFPB happenings; and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

01

• Consumer Action INSIDER - June 2020.
  The June 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER features articles about the Consumer Federation of America's 54th Consumer Assembly (held virtually this year); our new publication on managing the privacy risks that come with smart homes (i.e., "Internet of Things" devices); what to do about prepaid cards that keep you from accessing the funds you deposited onto them; coverage of our Coalition Efforts; the latest CFPB happenings; and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

May

• Consumer Action INSIDER - May 2020.
  The May 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER features articles about our COVID-19 consumer financial resources guide; a health and technology webinar our staff participated in; how to stop recurring payments; coverage of our Coalition Efforts; and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

March

16

• Saving for retirement (Spring 2020).
  In this issue of Consumer Action News we address the issue of retirement savings, and feature the results of an online survey we conducted about how people are saving for, and poised for, retirement.

01

• Consumer Action INSIDER - March 2020.
  The March 2020 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER explains how taxpayers can avoid falling victim to tax-related identity theft; details how market-rigging by Big Pharma is making medications (including generics) less accessible and affordable for consumers; describes how users can avoid getting hit with cancellation fees when they schedule services through apps; updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's partnership with the U.S. Department of Education (to help student borrowers by resolving lending complaints); and more.

February

03

• Consumer Action INSIDER - February 2020.
  The February 2020 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER outlines our new "Get Covered" health insurance education and training module; invites readers to participate in our upcoming webinars on how FinTech can help consumers save money, budget, and more; explains how "spreading the word" can stop the spread of common scams; updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work and asks the question: "Why isn't it providing financial relief to wronged consumers?"; and more.

January

01

• Consumer Action INSIDER - January 2020.
  The January 2020 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER describes our updated Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) guide, Get Credit for Your Hard Work, which details how low-income workers are eligible for up to $6,557 with the EITC; advises readers of what to do if they're receiving loads of spam emails; describes the various coalition efforts we've recently joined (including one calling on Amtrak to end forced arbitration for passengers); updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and more.

2019

December

19

• The benefits of class actions (Winter 2019-2020).
  Class action cases are an important consumer protection tool. While they don’t often provide full compensation to harmed consumers, they play a vital role in promoting fair corporate behavior. In this issue of Consumer Action News we explore how class actions benefit consumers.

02

• Consumer Action INSIDER - December 2019.
  The December 2019 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER announces Wells Fargo's funding of Consumer Action's innovative new FinTech initiative to help underserved consumers reach their financial goals; gives an overview of our latest Consumer Action News edition on the prescription drug affordability crisis; informs readers of what action to take if their college has been closed and they still owe student loan debt (particularly if it was a predatory for-profit school); updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work; and more.

November

01

• Consumer Action INSIDER - November 2019.
  The November 2019 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER announces JPMorgan Chase's funding of Consumer Action's innovative new fintech initiative to help underserved consumers reach their financial goals; gives an overview of our National Consumer Empowerment Conference, held in September outside of Chicago (featuring a presentation from CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger); informs readers of what action to take when they believe they're being scammed by a contractor operating on "behalf of" the federal/state Weatherization Assistance Program; updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work; and more.

September

30

• Consumer Action INSIDER - October 2019.
  The October 2019 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER details a partnership between Verizon and Consumer Action to combat the onslaught of robocalls; outlines our involvement in the Insurance Consumer Protection Advisory Council (to identify new ways to reduce insurance fraud); informs readers of what action to take when a landlord will not return their security deposit; lists the newest class action settlements; updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work; and more.

June

03

• Consumer Action INSIDER - June 2019.
  The June 2019 edition of the INSIDER updates readers on the Currency Conversions campaign to expand economic inclusion for black women; a Facebook privacy roundtable for advocates; an elderly woman's disturbing encounter with TSA at the airport (and what you can do if you experience bad TSA customer service); and 2019 Consumer Lobby Day in Washington, D.C.

May

28

• The Robocall Scourge (Spring 2019).
  Robocalling is a huge and growing problem. In this issue of Consumer Action News, we report on why the problem is so pervasive and explain new ways companies, regulators and Congress are trying to address the problem. We also name some services and apps that might help you control the calls.

01

• Consumer Action INSIDER - May 2019.
  The May issue details how discrimination is still impacting communities of color across the U.S.; important changes to the California LifeLine program; how to cut costly "middlemen" out of vital records requests; and more.

April

• Consumer Action INSIDER - April 2019.
  The April issue updates readers on the latest in the campaign to end the unfair practice of forced arbitration; what to do when taking your pet to the vet ends up costing you WAY too much; our partnership with the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation; and more.

March

• Consumer Action INSIDER - March 2019.
  The March issue updates readers on the results of our survey on consumer preferences for paper vs. electronic billing; what to do when you've unsubscribed from an email list, but the emails just keep coming; the problems with PACE home improvement loans; and more!

February

• Consumer Action INSIDER - February 2019.
  The February issue tells readers what to expect when filing taxes this year under the new tax "cuts"; details how one patient dealt with bad dental care; updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new director; and more!

January

15

• Paper or digital? (Winter 2018-2019).
  Paper or digital, that is the question—and the focus of the Winter 2018-2019 issue of Consumer Action News. Companies and government agencies are (in some cases aggressively) switching consumers from paper to electronic communications, but is that what consumers want or need? Read the newsletter to learn about consumers’ rights regarding paper statements, what a Consumer Action survey on the topic revealed, and how groups are pushing back on paperless in support of consumer choice.

01

• Consumer Action INSIDER - January 2019.
  The January issue features a Hotline Chronicles article on how to best return unwanted holiday gifts; our updated Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) guide to help you get the biggest refund possible this tax season; our work fighting for immigrant rights; a campaign we've joined to protect consumer access to printed communications; our latest annual report; and more.

2018

November

• Consumer Action INSIDER - November 2018.
  The November issue features a Hotline Chronicles article about a homeowner incensed with his deceptive termite plan; Consumer Action's 47th anniversary/awards event in Washington, DC; the latest consumer research presented at the FDIC Consumer Research Symposium; and Consumer Action News' edition on airline flyers' rights.

September

30

• Consumer Action INSIDER - October 2018.
  The October issue features a Hotline Chronicles article about recurring credit/debit card charges; Consumer Action's work with the National Endowment for Financial Education to help financial educators evaluate their training programs; our outreach staff's financial and marketplace education efforts across the county; and CFPB Watch and new coalition efforts and class actions.