Consumer Issues

Articles:

The Consumer Issues Conference - Each year a conference on a consumer issue brings together experts, legal professionals, educators, students, legislators and interested citizens to learn about issues and outline public policy action. This one-day event focuses on threats of fraud or misinformation, unfair advantage, or problems that cause some harm or risk to consumers. Speakers have included the Governor, the UW President and renowned topic area specialists, including speakers from the Federal Reserve Board, AARP, Consumers Union and Consumer Federation of America. Participants come from across Wyoming as well as Colorado and Nebraska. The theme this year will be a focus on energy and telecommunications issues as they affect consumers.

Financial Education by Federal Reserve System - The Federal Reserve System's resource center on personal financial education includes information on consumer banking, consumer protection, home mortgages, loans, credit, and much more. To visit this site, go to: http://www.federalreserveeducation.org/PFED/. Additional resources are available from the Consumer and Economic Development Research and Information Center (CEDRIC), managed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The financial education section has information on credit management, economic literacy, retirement planning, and investing plus a comprehensive list of national financial education programs.

Home Energy

Keeping Financial and Household Records Safe

Privacy Rights Fact Sheets - Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

Removing Your Name from Marketer Lists

Stored Value Cards: An Alternative for the Unbanked? - By Federal Reserve System of New York, July 2004.

"Who's Spamming Who? Could it be You?" - The Federal Trade Commission wants consumers to know that spammers could gain access to their computers and then control those computers from afar. Steps to protect personal computers can be found in the FTC's consumer alert site.

Wyoming Consumers Have a Choice about Telemarketing Calls

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Center for Responsible Lending - The Center for Responsible Lending is fighting to stop financial abuses in the form of predatory lending. Predatory lending includes abusive sub prime mortgage loans, payday loans, tax refund loans, and other lending scams.

Consumer Web Links - Links to the following national organizations: AARP, Administration on Aging, American Savings Education Council, National Association of Investors Corporation, Consumer Action, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Information Catalog, Federal Trade Commission, Firstgov, National Academy of Social Insurance, National Center on Women & Aging, National Foundation for Credit Counseling, National Funeral Directors Association, Securities & Exchange Commission, Social Security Administration, Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement

Consumer Sources and Protection Against Bad Business Practices

Hiring a lawyer -  Many consumers avoid lawyers because they don't know how to make an informed choice. This is a guide by the Federal Trade Commission for people who may want to hire a lawyer.

Identity Theft Risk Assessment Quiz - Identity theft: taking a person’s identifying information (e.g., Social Security number, driver's license number, or credit card and bank account numbers) for the purpose of committing crimes such as fraudulently withdrawing savings, buying a car or other merchandise, and opening credit accounts or a cell phone plan in a victim's name.

Although there is no way to guarantee that you won't become a victim of identity theft, there are precautions that you can take to limit identity theft opportunities. Rutgers University Cooperative Extension Service has developed a quiz to determine your risk of becoming an identity theft victim.

ONGUARD ONLINE CAMPAIGN - The federal government and the technology industry have teamed up to create OnGuardOnline.gov, a new site to help computer users guard against phishing and Internet fraud, secure their computers, and protect their personal information. The helpful content at OnGuardOnline.gov includes tips, articles, videos, and quizzes. It tells where to report spam or scam, and how to sign up for periodic computer security alerts. And OnGuard Online's phishing, spyware, and spam scams quizzes will help users figure out how savvy they are about computer safety. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is encouraging organizations to share the tips at OnGuardOnline.gov with their employees, customers, members, and constituents. 

Do-It-Yourself Credit File Correction Guide - This guide, published by the Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE), includes a listing of consumer credit rights, step-by-step instructions on how to correct mistakes, how to remove information belonging to another individual, how to obtain free credit reports year round, and a CD with sample letters for unauthorized credit inquiries, adding new credit references, and various opt-out letters from unwanted credit offers among others. To order, visit the ICFE.website.

The Consumer Action Web Site

Senior Investor Resource Center (North America Securities Administrators Association)

Wyoming Investors Resources

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