Press Release Archive

2023

March

01

• Advocates welcome collection of homebuyers' language preference. Advocates Welcome Mandatory Collection of Language Preference Data by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Required use of the Supplementary Consumer Information Form (SCIF) starts March 1

2022

November

17

• Stop digital-only coupon discrimination (Particularly during times of high inflation, supermarket shoppers should not be shut out of digital-only discounts). A coalition of national consumer groups is urging leading supermarket chains to stop discriminating against senior citizens and low-income shoppers who cannot take advantage of

June

07

• Consumer Action receives contract to help low- and moderate-income clients lower utility bills (The organization will conduct education, outreach and marketing on programs in PG&E service area). Consumer Action will provide targeted populations with information about the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE), Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) and Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) programs, as well as other programs that help make energy more affordable and efficient for qualifying households.

February

04

• Advocates to FDIC: Stop banks from fronting for predatory lenders (Under new leadership, the FDIC can prevent illegal loans with 100%+ APR that exploit financially vulnerable families). WASHINGTON, D.C. – With a new chairman taking the helm of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Consumer Action joins more than a dozen

2021

October

27

• What to know when it’s time to enroll in Medicare. Just like aging, enrolling in Medicare ain’t for sissies Whether you are enrolling in Medicare for the first time or changing your coverage

August

03

• Tenant screening reports can risk—even ruin—renters' chances. Consumer Action looks at tenant screening reports used by landlords to vet tenants. These reports have been found to contain inaccurate information about tenants' past rental and eviction history—-errors than can bar people from finding a new rental home.

July

28

• Consumer advocate and data network call for transparency and control in data sharing. By Linda Sherry and John Pitts Linda Sherry is director of national priorities for Consumer Action, a national consumer education and advocacy nonprofit organization celebrating

27

• Consumer groups urge Secretary Buttigieg to have U.S. DOT fulfill consumer protection responsibilities (Traveler advocates impressed with Secretary’s transformational vision to consider consumer needs in aviation oversight). Meeting with airline and travelers consumer advocates, U.S. Dept. of Transportation "Secretary Pete" Buttigieg listened carefully to the concerns of the flying public.

23

• Consumer groups call on FTC, CFPB to update credit reporting study. Washington, DC—Leading consumer groups are calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to update a

May

05

• All about liability insurance. The most valuable portion of your insurance policy may be the liability coverage, which can protect you from financial ruin. In our latest issue of

February

23

• Consumer Action’s ‘Share Financial Data with Care’ project to educate FinTech app users to be ‘security savvy’ (New campaign will provide resources for consumers to control access and safeguard their financial information on financial apps). Consumer Action launches a new project to expand consumer awareness about how financial services applications (“apps”) access, collect, store, use and share customers’ personal information.

11

• Credit report errors have gotten worse during Covid. Complaints about credit reports accounted for more than 50 percent of all consumer complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in 2020. Incorrect information on credit

January

21

• New debt collection rule is a mixed bag for consumer rights. Bad news: New debt collection rule permits unlimited electronic access to consumers. Good news: It may eliminate "debt parking" by forcing debt collectors

2020

November

09

• How the Biden administration and Congress should protect digital privacy. The Biden administration and the next Congress should make protecting digital privacy a top priority, and 10 leading privacy, civil rights and consumer organizations today released

03

• Consumer Action's 'Coping with COVID-19' series offers sixth fact sheet (Free multilingual guides help consumers cope with the financial fallout of the pandemic). Consumer Action's COVID-19 Educational Project offers resources to help consumers weather the crisis.

October

14

• Consumer groups file brief objecting to AbbVie's strategies to withhold generic drugs (Attempts to extend patent on best-selling drug Humira at issue). Consumer Action and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) filed an amicus brief arguing that AbbVie, maker of Humira, the world's best-selling drug, has employed strategies to delay entry to the market of biologically similar generic drugs (biosimilars), costing Americans billions of dollars.

September

01

• Consumers should have the right to pay retailers with cash (Broad spectrum of groups voice support for Payment Choice Act). Fifty-one consumer, privacy and civil rights groups joined a letter expressing support for the Payment Choice Act, legislation in the Senate and House that would prohibit brick-and-mortar retailers from refusing to accept cash or charging consumers more for paying with cash.

August

11

• Consumer Action launches COVID-19 Educational Project (Free resource guide, webinars and multilingual fact sheets help consumers cope with pandemic fallout). Consumer Action, a national consumer education and advocacy nonprofit, has launched a new project aimed at providing consumers—particularly low- and moderate-income workers, limited-English speakers and other hard-hit communities—with essential information and valuable resources that can help them cope with the financial fallout of the pandemic.

July

14

• Health and wealth: Dealing with medical debt and discovering innovative solutions. Medical debt is the reason cited by more than 6 in 10 people who file for bankruptcy. A growing number of consumers have been hit with lawsuits

09

• How to get help with your mortgage during COVID-19. During the COVID pandemic, most homeowners are eligible for help from their mortgage companies, but they have to ask for such help. This multilingual press release explains how.

• How to get help with your mortgage during COVID-19 (Spanish). Para muchos dueños de casa que están pasando dificultades financieras a causa de la pandemia de COVID-19 se les podrí

• How to get help with your mortgage during COVID-19 (Chinese). 目前有許多因COVID-19新冠肺炎疫情影響而遭受財務損失的房屋業主可能將難以支付房屋抵押貸款。大多數房屋業主都有資格從貸款公司獲得幫助，但是他們必需先提出求助要求。大多數房屋貸款人可以要求一般所謂的“寬限期”，而將房屋抵押貸款的還款時限最多延長至十二個月。因寬限期而推遲繳付的貸款可以在日後將其附加到整筆貸款之尾期，或可另外設定一項協議來逐步償還。在大多數情況下，所欠款項不必一次全部償還。而如果在寬限期截止後，貸款人若還是無法負擔其定期房屋抵押貸款還款額，則可以要求貸款公司進行覆查，而讓他們獲得比較能夠負擔的還款方式。 根據聯邦CARES (新冠病毒疫情援助救難經濟安全法案) 規定，當房屋業主提出要求時，就應得到這項緊急援助。此一法規適用於業主的房屋抵押貸款是由Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Veterans Administration, Rural Housing, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac（聯邦住屋行政管理局、退伍軍人行政管理局、鄉村住屋管理機構、房利美、房地美）等聯邦機構擔保或擁有的房屋抵押貸款。而選用私營房屋抵押貸款公司的貸款人也可以從他們的貸款公司獲得援助。 英語能力有限的貸款人如果需要協助，以便了解自己可選擇哪些援助，或希望與房屋抵押貸款公司進行溝通，應該聯繫由聯邦住屋和都市發展局(HUD)核准的住屋諮詢機構。這些機構的認證住屋諮詢顧問可為您提供免費服務。貸款人可以在此查找聯邦住屋和都市發展局(HUD)所批准的諮詢機構，他們用中文及其他多元語言提供諮詢服務：https://apps.hud.gov/offices/hsg

07

• Trump’s ‘Consumer’ Bureau gives predatory lenders green light to exploit consumers. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) under Trump-appointed leadership has gutted its 2017 payday loan rule, making today's rule ineffective. Consumers will be harmed.

June

25

• Four U.S. financial firms stand out by respecting customer communication preferences (Consumer Action aligns with Keep Me Posted to ensure paper bills remain as a free option ). Bank of America, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo continue to provide consumer choice, control and convenience without penalty for paper communications, finds a survey by the Keep Me Posted campaign.

May

07

• Coalition formed to protect right to pay with cash (Many U.S. consumers lack access to digital payment mechanisms). Consumer Action has joined a new coalition whose purpose is to advocate for the continued availability of cash as a payment option for consumers throughout the U.S. Availability of cash payments remains extremely important during times of natural disasters and other emergencies.