Customers of a telecommunications firm received an e-mail recently explaining a problem with their latest order. They were asked to go to the company website, via a link in the e-mail, to provide personal information-like their birthdates and Social Security numbers. But both the e-mail and the website were bogus.
Announcements The Cousins Are Back and They're Filing Online for Social Security Benefits Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, and Patty Duke, Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy winning actress, today unveiled Social Security’s new online retirement application and launched the agency’s Retire Online campaign. Jan 8, 2009 - 11:58:36 AM
Announcements 2008 Direct Loan School Guide The Direct Loan School Guide is being reorganized and updated to reflect the regulatory requirements and electronic processes for the 2008-2009 award year. May 22, 2008 - 9:45:46 PM
Credit Cards | Credit Reports | Credit Ratings Credit Repair: FTC Charges Credit Repair Business with Violations A home-buying consulting business that offers credit repair and home-buying consulting services has agreed to settle with the Federal Trade Commission for alleged federal law violations, including illegally charging an advance fee for credit repair and falsely claiming that they can remove negative information from consumers’ credit reports, even if the information is accurate and timely. At the Commission’s request, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the FTC’s complaint and proposed settlement in federal court May 22, 2008 - 8:33:51 AM
Credit and Money Management Money Smart for Young Adults The FDIC’s Money Smart for Young Adults curriculum helps youth ages 12-20 learn the basics of handling their money and finances, including how to create positive relationships with financial institutions. Equipping young people in their formative years with the basics of financial education can give them the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to manage their finances once they enter the real world. Apr 15, 2008 - 8:11:51 AM
Announcements Standard & Poor’s Boycott: Chiang Calls for State and Local Governments to Consider Standard & Poor's Boycott As an option, we ought to consider boycotting Standard & Poor's until they constructively engage California and national municipal issuers on credit rating reform. The costs passed on from the current rating system to states, local governments and, ultimately, taxpayers across thecountry, are serious enough to consider not paying for the ratings unless municipal bonds are judged on an even playing field Apr 8, 2008 - 6:54:11 AM
Announcements Federal Government Announces Stimulus Tax Payments for 2008 The U.S. Federal Government has announced economic stimulus payments for 2008. Even if you are not otherwise required to file a U.S. Income Tax Return, you may still be entitled to an economic stimulus payment from the U.S. Federal Government. Mar 10, 2008 - 12:07:46 PM
Credit Cards | Credit Reports | Credit Ratings Online Marketers of Prepaid Debit Cards to Subprime Consumers Will Pay More Than $2.2 Million to Settle FTC Charges An operation marketing Visa- and MasterCard-branded prepaid debit cards to subprime consumers has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it made unauthorized debits from consumers’ bank accounts and engaged in deceptive marketing practices. The settlement requires the defendants to pay $2,258,258 for consumer redress, plus the proceeds from the sale of an automobile. In addition, one of the defendants, Dale Paul Cleveland, must pay taxing authorities an additional $667,288 Jan 25, 2008 - 11:21:17 AM
Credit Cards | Credit Reports | Credit Ratings California Settles Annuity Sales Scam Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Insurance Commission Steve Poizner today announced a $7.2 million settlement with American Investors Life Insurance Company, Family First Insurance Services, and Family First Advanced Estate Planning, resolving allegations that the companies sold thousands of annuities with exorbitant fees to vulnerable senior citizens Dec 26, 2007 - 11:21:49 AM
Credit and Money Management FTC Creates Consumer Hotline for Consumers Who Paid for Debt Reduction Services The Federal Trade Commission has created a consumer hotline for consumers who purchased "debt reduction services" from Edge Solutions, Money Cares, the Debt Settlement Company, the Debt Elimination Center, and Pay Help Inc. The hotline is in addition to a letter that was recently sent to the customers of Edge Solutions and the other companies, notifying them that the companies were shutdown. Nov 6, 2007 - 7:38:02 AM
Credit and Money Management 5 Tips for Protecting Your Checking Account Make sure all the checks, debits, automatic payments, and other withdrawals are ones you authorized. If you see a transaction you did not authorize, notify your bank immediately. If your bank has online banking, you don’t have to wait until your bank statement comes--you can check your transactions at any time. Nov 5, 2007 - 6:10:45 AM
Credit and Money Management Feds Urges Improved Underwriting Standards on Third Party Loans When a bank makes a loan that it plans to hold, the fundamental standard it uses to underwrite the loan is that most basic of credit standards that I’ve already talked about: the underwriting must be strong enough to create a reasonable expectation that the loan will be repaid. Oct 8, 2007 - 10:56:26 AM
Having a solid credit history can affect consumers in a surprising number of ways. Credit histories influence everything from renting an apartment and getting a mortgage to applying for a job or qualifying for a lower rate on auto or home insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).
