Press Release Archive

2018

October

16

• Consumer groups applaud expanded resources for LEP borrowers. WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today, consumer advocacy and civil rights groups, including Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund, the Center for Responsible Lending, Connecticut Fair

02

• Consumer Action explores frustrating travel fees and passenger rights (New report gives consumers a rundown of airline passenger rights). Consumer Action explains airline passengers’ rights when traveling domestically and abroad.

September

12

• Privatized air traffic control systems exhibit pain points (Evidence of good reasons not to privatize U.S. ATC system). Leading airline passenger advocates find that foreign air traffic control privatization schemes have made flying far more inconvenient for consumers, not necessarily safer. The groups oppose privatizing the U.S. air traffic control system.

August

15

• Consumer Action adds 'Ocular Innovation' video to its Vision Action Center (Ophthalmologist Dr. Darius Moshfeghi discusses benefits of online prescription renewal services). A new educational video titled “Ocular Innovation” features Dr. Darius Moshfeghi, a leading Stanford University ophthalmologist and eyecare innovator, and Consumer Action Director of National Priorities Linda Sherry, discussing how online prescription renewal technology works and how it can help patients and consumers save time and money.

10

• DeVos’ latest regulation rollback a blank check to scam schools written by taxpayers. The Department of Education has moved to repeal the gainful employment rule, a 2014 regulation that seeks to ensure that students who graduate from career education

09

• SEC faces lawsuit over forcing e-delivery of shareholder reports (Consumer groups and paper/print industry petition U.S. Court of Appeals for DC). WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Action in early August joined the American Forest & Paper Association, the Printing Industries Alliance, Twin Rivers Paper Company

July

26

• Consumer Action condemns the Education Department’s borrower defense rule. The new proposed rule tells defrauded students “You’re on your own” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s proposed borrower defense rule

16

• Protect the CFPB’s critical complaint process. Groups representing consumers, students, seniors, servicemembers, homeowners and underserved Americans joined forces today to tell the temporary leadership of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

June

25

• Threats to privatize the U.S. Postal Service jeopardize universal access (Selling the U.S Postal Service to the highest bidder is a horrible idea ). Washington, D.C.—While there’s no lack of horrible ideas in the White House’s recent proposal to restructure the federal

07

• SEC ignores investor sentiment about mutual fund disclosure delivery (Consumer organizations decry ‘mutual fund industry giveaway'). Consumer groups decry SEC action to allow mutual funds to switch delivery default for mutual fund reports from paper to electronic delivery.

04

• Groups tell temporary CFPB director: Hands off the public database!. Keep the public consumer complaint database open was the clear message sent by scores of groups to the temporary acting director of the Consumer Financial

May

24

• If companies can protect user data in Europe, they can protect it everywhere (Advocates release letter urging companies to adopt Europe’s new data protection rules worldwide). Washington, D.C. – U.S. companies should adopt essentially the same data protection rules that are poised to go into effect in the European

09

• Mick Mulvaney turns his back on student borrowers, closes Office of Students and Young Consumers. WASHINGTON, DC — Mick Mulvaney, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), announced Wednesday that the Office of Students and Young Consumers will

08

• New Vision Action Center educates consumers on their rights (New videos on online prescription renewal and the right to purchase eyewear where you want). Consumer Action has launched a new Vision Action Center to help ensure that hundreds of millions of glasses and contact lens wearers in America know their consumer rights.

April

30

• Consumer groups stand up to threats to take complaint database dark (Groups tell acting CFPB director to react after he collects all the facts). Consumer, privacy, civil rights and fair lending groups from across the nation called on temporary, Acting Director Mick Mulvaney today to retain availability of the

March

29

• CFP Board puts investors first in its new standards. Statement by Consumer Action on CFP Board’s new Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct This statement may be attributed to Linda Sherry,

27

• California eye doctors keeping patients in the dark (Required prescription rights signage nowhere in sight). Consumer Action finds barely a sign of required contact lens/glasses patients’ rights notice in California eye doctors’ shops. Mandated signage in optometrist offices is designed to inform patients of their right to an automatic copy of their eyewear prescriptions.

01

• New coalition advocates for access to online vision care (Consumer groups, taxpayer advocates, retailers and technology firms join forces). WASHINGTON, DC—Leading consumer and taxpayer advocates, retailers and technology companies have joined forces to launch Americans for Vision Care Innovation, a new coalition

February

27

• Data insecurity and data protection (Consumer Action examines whether U.S. consumers stand to benefit from new EU data protection laws). As consumers do and store more and more online, the threat of data breaches and privacy lapses is ever-present. Americans’ privacy rights are dictated

06

• Consumer advocates argue for a strong, independent CFPB (Agency’s independence is necessary to its mission, groups tell Appellate court). For Immediate Release: Feb. 6, 2018 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) independence from external political influence is crucial

01

• Transfer of CFPB consumer complaints unit offers no clear benefit. The following statement can be attributed jointly to Americans for Financial Reform, Consumer Action and U.S. PIRG: This week, Office of Management and Budget

January

31

• Consumers win appeal for CFPB independence. Consumers scored a big win today when an appeals court ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) structure as an independent agency

2017

December

19

• Options for affordable federal student loan repayment are shrinking (Consumer Action spells out what programs are available—for now). In the new issue of Consumer Action News, we put into plain English the array of repayment possibilities for federal and private student loan borrowers.

08

• Consumer advocates file in support of acting CFPB director (Agency’s independence is necessary to its mission). The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) independence from external political influence is crucial to the agency’s mission of protecting

01

• Attack on consumers continues as Congress targets payday rule (Common-sense rule would help consumers stay out of devastating debt traps). Washington, DC—Anti-consumer members of Congress are using the controversial Congressional Review Act (CRA)  in an attempt to kill yet another carefully crafted