Consumer Rights

Your credit score has more to do with your daily life than just whether or not you get approved for a credit card. In fact, a great credit score can actually save you a LOT of money. Mortgage...

You have the right to keep the information on your credit report private. Companies that wish to review your credit history may only do so if they legitimately need your information to make a...

Buying a time-share might have seemed like a good idea when you were being dazzled at a presentation. Then you signed the paperwork and discovered that the salesperson's verbal promises were all...

"Red flag" alert guidelines for credit are an effort of the Federal Trade Commission to help reduce identity theft. The Red Flags Rule require financial institutions to establish written practices...

Storage auctions are great places to find hidden treasures. Storage facilities often auction off the contents of units when people renting the space fall behind on their bills. After several...

Have you been getting collection agency calls or letters for debt that you do not believe is your debt? If so, you can challenge those debt claims instead of paying. Some debt collectors may...

Imagine how it would feel to attempt to withdraw money from your bank account only to discover that there is no money there, or to accrue bounced-check fees because your checking account has been...

Craigslist is the largest classified site from the United States. Posting ads on Craigslist is free, and for that reason, more and more fraud ads are placed every day. Thousands of fake and...

Purchasing a used car is a major purchase for most of us. Never buy a car from a used car seller without doing your homework. Inquire about the reputation of the used car business from several...

Debt collectors can not only be annoying, but also abusive. Many people who have had contact with debt collectors over the phone find the experience to be frustrating. Debt collectors will often...

Fake companies perpetrate all kinds of frauds, including but not limited to investment scams, insurance scams, identity theft, lottery scams, and fraudulent offers of goods and services that never...

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) protects consumers from any damages caused by identity theft. In an effort to prevent identity theft before it occurs, the FTC also outlines ways to safeguard...

If you are getting notices in the mail or phone calls about debt that you do not recognize, you can do something about it. It is possible for a collection agency or creditor to mix up people who...

If you owe a debt that you have failed to pay, you are likely to receive numerous phone calls from debt collectors reminding you to pay the debt. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prohibits...

Putting a lock on one's Social Security number involves placing a security freeze on one's credit file with each of the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. One of the...

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you the right to dispute certain credit issues that affect your credit bureau reports. Negative information can be seen by lenders and is taken into...

Consumers enter into contracts for services every day. Many services, such as utilities, cell phone and security, require you to sign contracts before providing service. Service contracts spell...

Calls from a collection company can be annoying and embarrassing, but in some cases they can even be abusive. If someone from the collection company threatens you, lies to you or the credit...

Identity Theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world today. The worse the economic condition the more people are driven into criminal activities. Identity theft can ruin your credit...

The information on your credit report is provided by your creditors. Creditors who wish to provide the credit bureaus with consumer reports must follow credit bureau regulations and the laws set...

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) passed the U.S. Congress in 2003. This Act gives American consumers a broad range of rights concerning financial privacy and transparency with credit reports....

Negotiations with your creditors can lead to significant cost savings, though you must prepare by researching adequately. You may persuade your home loan lender to reduce the mortgage interest...

Sell gold for the most money possible by using some of the same techniques you use for buying at the store--shopping, knowing the product, and avoiding the pitfalls. Selling gold can be...

More and more people have fallen behind with credit card and other unsecured debt payments. This is partly because of the credit card companies reducing credit and raising rates. If your on the...

Your debit card is a very valuable tool for managing your finances. It can, however, become a nightmare if either the number or the actual card falls into the wrong hands. Read on how you can...

Selling your annuity involves a lot of planning. You will need to devise a plan that will not only help you sell an annuity, but to create a lasting relationship between you and your prospects....

The simplest way for fraud to get access to your bank statement is by the use of your own checks. Well, how could other people get your checks? It is so simple! They just snatch your checkbook...

When you're dealing with a new company, you may want to check its reputation. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) offers an easy and free way to do this. The BBB is an organization that mediates...

Routine credit card charges should be easily identifiable by company name on your monthly credit card statement. Occasionally, a charge may appear that you do not recognize, or believe you did not...

Do it yourself debt negotiation is preferable to debt settlement companies. Such companies are risky. They place your payments into an account you can't control. They take their fees before they...

If your credit card statement shows duplicate charges or charges for purchases you never made, you can dispute it with the credit card company. The Fair Credit Billing Act outlines consumer's...

If you fall behind on bills and are unable to pay in a timely manner, your debt will likely head to a collection agency. Collection calls are stressful and sometimes embarrassing, but avoiding the...

According to a 2006 study commissioned by the Federal Trade Commission and performed by the research company Synovate, over 8 million Americans were the victims of identity theft in 2005....

Perhaps you have all the credit you desire or need. Maybe you prefer to avoid using credit cards altogether. Or maybe you don't want credit report inquiries appearing on your credit report....

Unfortunately, many couples are not as open with one another about financial issues as they should be. This often results in one spouse accruing debt that the other spouse is not aware of. In many...

President Barack Obama in May of 2009 signed the new Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, better known as the Credit CARD Act, into law. It's designed to offer more...

Any time you owe a debt, you may be at risk of being sued. If a debt collector wins the lawsuit and is awarded a judgment, it can request that your wages be garnished. Your line of work has little...

If you are living on the income provided by Social Security or a retirement pension, you may have concerns about a debt collector's ability to garnish your income to recover a debt. Generally, a...

Your credit report is a record of how you have managed your debt in the past. Lenders and potential employers may check your credit when you apply for a loan or a job. When you apply for a loan,...

If your pet has recently fallen ill or become injured, you may need help to pay your veterinarian's fees. There are many ways to make your veterinary bills more affordable, but the Humane Society...

With the array of payment methods accepted by merchants today, Paypal has become a popular payment tool. Paypal has various products with different features that you can choose from to meet your...

If you dispute an item on your credit report, the credit bureau with which you dispute the entry is legally obligated to investigate the validity of the item. If the credit bureau deems that the...

Criminals have found ways to obtain consumer's private bank information by installing skimmers and small hidden cameras at ATMs worldwide. The skimmer is a small electronic device that is used to...

Every year each business functioning in Chicago and the State of Illinois is required to report unclaimed property to the state. This unclaimed property may take many forms including forgotten...

Unclaimed money, property and assets are sent to the Kansas Treasury Department every year. Separated from its owners for a variety of reasons these unclaimed assets sit waiting for their rightful...

Between 2000 and 2009, Congress improved consumer access to credit information. Individuals now can get copies of their credit report more easily.

The problem of identity theft has grown in the U.S. and, as a result, the federal government has enacted new laws to protect individuals from this crime. One of those is the Fair and Accurate...

"Bottom Line/Personal" is a print magazine published by Bottom Line Publications. The magazine publishes 24 issues per year with topics focusing on personal finance, health and relationships. The...

Wage garnishment is a court-ordered deduction from your paycheck. This is a result of a seriously delinquent debt remaining unpaid. A creditor has a right to garnish wages and sometimes place a...