Consumer Information Blog
A Middletown Thrall Library Blog
Consumer information, news, advisories,
and other information on the web and in the library.
Credit Card Accountability Act
June 12, 2009
On May 22, 2009, President Obama signed the
Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act
into law.
To find out what this means and what this legislation enacts,
please visit these links:
Consumer Action Handbook 2009
March 11, 2009
The 2009 edition of the
Consumer Action Handbook
is available online at
Consumer.gov.
Sections in the handbook include: Consumer Topics, Sample Complaint Letter, Consumer Assistance Directory, Corporate Consumer Offices, Car Manufacturers and Resolution Programs, State Offices, Banking, Insurance, Securities, Utilities, Federal Agencies, BBBs, Consumer Organizations, Trade Associations.
Click here to browse the handbook by section.
You can also click here to
download the complete Consumer Action Handbook (over 180 pages, 15 MB file).
The book and individually downloadable sections are made available in the PDF format: you can view these files if your computer has the
Adobe Reader.
DTV Delay Act
February 13, 2009
The U.S.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
has prepared a "DTV Delay Act Fact Sheet" at their
www.dtv.gov website
to help consumers understand and prepare for the transition to digital television:
Click here to download the FCC's factsheet from dtv.gov (Adobe PDF format - view with
Adobe Reader)
You can also visit the FCC's DTV websites for more information about the transition and delay:
An overview of the Act is available (along with House of Representative and Senate vote totals)
at
The White House website (in the "Briefing Room"): "The DTV Delay Act of 2009"
HelpWithMyBank.gov
January 31, 2009
The U.S.
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
maintains a website for consumers called
HelpWithMyBank.gov.
The OCC provides this service to help you "find answers to your National Banking questions."
Topics include: News and advisories, Credit Cards, Fees, Interest Rates, Late Payments,
Bank Accounts, Account Errors, Cashing Checks, Forgery and Fraud Funds Availability,
Overdrafts, Mortgages, Late Payments, Loans, Credit Bureaus, Debt Collection,
Debt Elimination and Fraudulent Schemes, Insurance, and more.
A compilation of
answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is also available.
Who Cares?
January 30, 2009
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has published a new resource guide for seniors:
"Who Cares: Sources of Information About Health Care Products and Services"
The FTC states it has established this web guide "to help you find reliable sources of information on health topics
important to you, whether you’re an older consumer or a family member, caregiver, or friend."
You can read more about "Who Cares" in the
FTC's press release.
Click here to jump to the FTC's "Who Cares" website.
Using Credit Wisely
December 18, 2008
The
National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)
offers a website of interest to consumers, especially those facing issues such as debt:
DebtAdvice.org
NFCC describes the site as follows:
"DebtAdvice.org is designed to help consumers understand the wise use of credit and
locate a trained, certified counselor if you are in need of assistance."
DebtAdvice is also
available in Spanish / en Español.
Thrall's
Global Economy / Economic Crisis guide
includes a link to DebtAdvice.org along with other topically related resources:
Credit & Debt Issues; Personal Budgeting & Finances.
See also the
"Debt, Credit, and Loans" post in our Consumer blog for more information on this topic.
Homeowner Crisis Resource Center
December 17, 2008
The
National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC)
has created a website for homeowners:
Homeowner Crisis Resource Center
Sections include: Contact a Certified Housing Counselor Today, Avoiding Foreclosure,
Mortgage Reality Check, Useful Homeowner Information and Tools,
Consumer Alert: Foreclosure Rescue Scams.
The site is also
available in Spanish / en Español.
Our
Global Economy / Economic Crisis guide
has a directory of housing crisis websites:
Housing, Housing Crisis, Mortgages, Subprime Mortgages, Foreclosures, Assistance, Affordable Housing.
The "Homeowner Crisis Resource Center" can also be found in that area of our Economy guide.
FDIC Coverage
December 11, 2008
The
FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
has published new information for consumers:
"FDIC Publication Helps Consumers Understand Their New, Higher Deposit Insurance Coverage; Latest Advice on How to Be Fully Protected is Available Free"
Included in the FDIC's announcement is a new publication:
"Your New, Higher FDIC Insurance Coverage; How You Can Be Fully Protected"
A new Spanish website is now available from the FDIC:
FDIC Seguro (www.fdicseguro.gov)
Their new site seeks to inform Spanish-speaking depositors about the FDIC's deposit insurance and related bank account coverage topics.
In yesterday's FDIC announcement (
"FDIC Reiterates the Guarantee of Federal Deposit Insurance",
there was mention of another website:
MyFDICinsurance.gov
Like the Spanish website, this site seeks to educate depositors about current coverage offered by the FDIC.
Heat Smart
November 5, 2008
New York State
Governor David A. Paterson
has announced a "new statewide, multi-agency public information education campaign called HeatSmartNY."
The goal of HeatSmartNY is said "to provide New Yorkers facing skyrocketing home heating costs with the tools and assistance they need to get through this coming winter."
Part of this public information campaign can be found online at
www.HeatSmartNY.org.
Topics at
the Heat Smart website include: "Heating Help and Low-Income Programs, Weatherization Programs," "Energy Efficiency - Reduce Your Energy Bills," and "About Home Heating."
For more information on this initiative, please read the full press release from the Governor's office:
"Governor Paterson Launches Statewide Campaign to Assist Vulnerable New Yorkers With Rising Heating Costs"
Investors & Recent Market Events
October 1, 2008
The U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
offers
Information for Individual Investors on Recent Market Events.
They describe this resource as follows: "The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy provides a variety of services to address the problems and questions you may face as an investor."
Topics include: Short Selling (Prohibition on Short Selling Financial Stocks), Naked Short Selling, Money Market Funds, Brokerage Accounts, and News.
The SEC also
offers a "Fast Answers" page
where you can click on key concepts and read brief definitions of financial / investment
terminology.
For more information about stocks, investment, and the economy, visit
our
Investment and
Economy / Global Economy Crisis web guides.
Recognizing and Reporting Phone Fraud
August 27, 2008
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) has published a consumer advisory concerning potential
telephone-based threats of fraud:
Click here to read the FTC's guide
called "Who’s Calling? Recognize & Report Phone Fraud."
The guide is also available in Spanish:
¿Quién Llama? Reconozca y Reporte el Fraude Telefónico
A number of books on this topic exist in the library catalog:
click here to see a list of those titles.
Voter Registration Scams
August 11, 2008
The
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has published a consumer advisory concerning the possibility
of voter registration scams people might encounter by e-mail
or telephone due to the 2008 Presidential Election:
Please click here to access the FTC's advisory: "FTC Cautions Consumers About Voter Registration Scams"
Debt, Credit, and Loans
July 31, 2008
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
offers a variety of consumer information documents on the topics
of credit, loans, and debt.
You can
visit the FTC's Debt website by clicking here.
You can also
click here to explore titles relating to "personal debt" in the library catalog or
here to locate items relating to personal credit issues.
Student Loans Consumer Guide
July 9, 2008
The
U.S. Department of Education
has published a guide for consumers on the topic of student loans.
Accompanying the publication is a press release
(
"New Guide Available to Help Consumers Recognize Deceptive Student Loan Practices") which describes the guide as follows:
"The U.S. Department of Education and Federal Trade Commission
have jointly released a consumer guide to help students and their
families navigate the maze of offers they may face when seeking
new student loans or consolidating existing student loans to pay
for higher education. Student Loans: Avoiding Deceptive Offers
provides advice to help consumers detect deceptive marketing
offers from private companies seeking their student loan business."
Click here to read the complete press release.
The student loan guide can be found at this link.
The guide is in the Adobe PDF format, which can be viewed using the
Adobe Reader.
The Department of Education also maintains
a Federal Student Aid website
offering "free information on grants, student loans, scholarships and financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid."
Part of their website is also
available in Spanish.
You can also
click here to explore "student aid" books available in our library system catalog.
After Disasters: Spam Scams
May 29, 2008
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has information
for anyone interested in donating to charities after
disaster has struck:
"After a Disaster: Spam May Scam"
It begins with a question and a warning:
"Have you received unsolicited email asking for a donation to help
victims of an emergency or with news about it? If so, you may have
been the target of a scam."
Additional information regarding charities and potential fraud
can be found at the
FTC's Charity Fraud website.
There you'll find a collection of documents designed to make you
more aware of potential issues. Titles include:
- Business: Facts for Business Donating to Public Safety Fund-Raisers
- Charitable Donation$: Give or Take
- Consumer Alert! Public Safety Fund-Raising Appeals: Make Your Donations Count
- Nonprofit: Facts for Nonprofits Raising Funds? What to Know About Hiring a Professional
Also included on that page is the latest
charity scam advisory from the FTC (dated May 2008).
Federal Reserve Education
March 26, 2008
The
Federal Reserve Education website
can help you understand what the
U.S. Federal Reserve
does and how its actions influence local and global economies.
Here is the description from the FRE website:
"Here you can find links to instructional materials and tools that can increase your understanding of the Federal Reserve, economics and financial education. All of the Fed web sites, curriculum, newsletters, booklets and other resources are free."
Information at their site is divided up into four categories:
Teacher Resources, Personal Financial Education, Fed101, and Quick Picks.
"Fed101" offers information about the Federal Reserve, including its history, structure, monetary policies, banking supervision, and financial services.
"Personal Financial Education" categories include: Consumer Banking, Consumer Protection, Economics, Home Ownership & Mortgages, Interest Rates, Loans & Credit, General Information, Non-Fed Web Sites.
Other areas include educational activities for teachers and students as well as "Fed FAQs" (Frequently Asked Questions) and a glossary of terms.
National Consumer Protection Week 2008: Financial Literacy
February 25, 2008
The week of March 2, 2008 has been designated as "National Consumer Protection Week"
by the U.S. Government in order to promote consumer education and protection.
This year's theme is "Financial Literacy: A Sound Investment." As stated at
Consumer.gov,
"Financially savvy consumers are likely to make smarter decisions about managing their money,
using credit wisely, and building a solid financial foundation for later."
The
NCPW website states it hosts a variety of
informative materials and links to relevant government agencies and other organizations:
"Consumers can find practical - and tactical - tips from NCPW partner organizations about how to make well-informed financial decisions, avoid credit scams, and protect their personal information on this site. This site has information from federal, state, and local government agencies, and national consumer advocacy organizations. Use it to promote NCPW in your community, or at your school, job, or club. The Outreach Toolkit has promotional materials you can download and use."
A Spanish version of the NCPW website is also available.
Homeowners & Tenants Insurance
January 4, 2008
The
New York State Insurance Department has just
announced a new
"Consumer Shopping Guide for Homeowners & Tenants Insurance"
which, they as they describe, "will help New Yorkers shopping for
homeowners or tenants insurance make the right choices for
themselves and their families. The Guide offers descriptions of the types of basic policies
that companies offer. Consumers will also find recommendations for how much coverage to purchase,
how to save money, and what additional products are offered on top of the basic policies."
(as quoted from announcement posted on the NYLINE list on January 3, 2008).
There are two editions available ("Upstate" and "Downstate," dated 2007).
Those documents are in the Adobe PDF format. You can view them using the free
Adobe Reader.
Holiday Hazards
November 29, 2007
The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
has published a holiday safety advisory for consumers:
"Avoid Hazards Related to Holiday Decorating"
Besides warnings, the CPSC offers advice for handling and installing holiday decorations,
including trees, lights, candles, and fireplaces.
FDIC: The New Climate
November 28, 2007
The
FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
has published a new consumer advisory:
"The New Climate for Mortgage Borrowers".
The guide addresses recent developments in housing markets and
provides information of interest to current and future mortgage borrowers.
For more information and websites on this topic, check out our earlier blog post: "
Foreclosures and Mortgages."
If you'd like to read more about mortgages,
click here to locate books and other related items in the library catalog.
Recalls, Recalls, Recalls
November 16, 2007
As more recalls in food, consumer, and other products continue
to be announced in the news, it can be confusing if not
exhaustive trying to keep up with all the announcements,
especially as they can come from many different sources
in and beyond the government and might not necessarily
be reported prominently, promptly, or completely by news
media in each and every case.
In hopes of making it easier and faster to find
many of these major announcements, our recently
expanded
Current Interests and Events guide
now has
a special category dedicated just to recall announcements
with direct links to websites featuring recall notices posted
by such U.S. Government agencies as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration),
the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), and the USDA/FSIS
(United States Department of Agriculture's Food and Safety Inspection Service),
among others.
We hope you find this information useful, and we encourage
you to consider bookmarking our Current Events page so you
always have easy and instant access to key news sites in
major subject areas. There's plenty of fun stuff there
as well, such as movie news, literary happenings, arts and
entertainment, game and music sites, and more, so please
check it out!
Foreclosures and Mortgages
November 5, 2007
The
U.S. Federal Reserve Board
has published a consumer information guide on the topic of foreclosures,
credit, and loans:
Foreclosure Resources for Consumers.
Their guide contains links to related government agencies that offer
information and guidance to consumers.
Other government websites offering information on this topic include:
GDP: Gross Domestic Product
November 5, 2007
The
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
of the
U.S. Department of Commerce
has published the following document explaining what GPD is and how it
works as an economic indicator to give us further insight into the
current state of the U.S. economy:
Measuring the Economy: A Primer on GDP and the National Income and Product Accounts
This document is in the Adobe PDF format. You can view it using the free
Adobe Reader.
Consumer Price Index
October 10, 2007
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is something that gets mentioned
in the news, but what does it mean? How does it work?
The U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
has a
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) web page
that explains the CPI economic indicator.
An
"Addendum to Frequently Asked Questions" is also available
from BLS to further explain certain aspects of the CPI.
Toy Recalls
August 3, 2007
The U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
has published
information regarding the recent nationwide recall
of toys that could be sources of lead poisoning.
For more information concerning other product recalls, visit
the CPSC home page.
Convenient links to the CPSC website as well as food recall news from the FDA can be found in
the Health, Safety, & Fitness section our
Current Interests guide.
Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy
August 2, 2007
The U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE)
has created a website of interest to any consumer interested in
efficient energy use and renewable energy resources:
A Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Their site includes news and information on many related topics including appliances, solar and wind power,
heating,
the Energy Star program, and building construction.
For more information on this topic, check out the many
related informational items available in the library system.
Win or Lose
July 23, 2007
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has information of interest to consumers who have been (or might in the
future be) informed that they have won something:
Decrease your odds of losing by becoming aware of potential scams and exploitative tactics!
Botnets, Hackers, Spam
July 11, 2007
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has a new Consumer Advisory out called
"It's nine o'clock... Do you know who is using your computer?".
Consumers are encouraged to raise their levels of technical awareness
and are provided by the FTC some tips to help reduce the risk of computers
being abused or attacked.
E-Scams
May 22, 2007
The U.S.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
publishes consumer advisories regarding new and known electronic scams ("e-scams")
occurring on and beyond the Internet:
- Internet Scams: Internet Auction Fraud, Non-Delivery of Merchandise, Credit Card Fraud, Investment Fraud, Business Fraud, Nigerian Letter Scam
- Common Fraud Schemes: Telemarketing Fraud, Fraud Alert, Nigerian Letter or 419 Fraud, Impersonation/Identity Fraud, Advance Fee Scheme, Health Insurance; Investment Related Scams: Letter of Credit Fraud, Prime Bank Note, Ponzi Scheme, Pyramid Scheme
- Fraud Target: Senior Citizens: Health Insurance Fraud, Counterfeit Prescription Drugs, Funeral and Cemetery Fraud, Fraudulent "Anti-Aging" Products, Telemarketing Fraud, Internet Fraud, Investment Schemes
- Headlines - Current and archived news and advisories from the FBI
- New E-Scams and Warnings: Ticket Scams, Threat and Extortion E-Mails, Computer Worms, Fraudulent FBI E-Mail Alert,
- RSS News Feed of FBI stories (RSS/new feed reader or RSS-enabled web browser required)
If you believe you might be the victim of potential Internet fraud, the FBI has a special website called
Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov)
which you can visit to file a report or view answers to frequently asked questions.
For more information on consumer scams, advisories, news, and more, be sure to check back at this blog as well as visit our
Consumer Information web guide, the
Consumers section of our Government Information guide, and our
Current Interests guide.
If you require any more information, please call our Reference Department at 341-5461 or use our
free Ask a Librarian service on the web.
Online Shopping
May 17, 2007
OnGuardOnline.gov, a website from the U.S. government,
has some helpful tips for anyone interested in purchasing items over the Internet:
Online Shopping
In addition to this page they provide links to related topics, including:
Electrical Safety Month
May 16, 2007
The U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
has issued a warning in May ("Electrical Safety Month"):
CPSC Warns of Dangerous Counterfeit Electrical Products
They also provide a link to the
Electrical Safety Foundation International website,
where you will find related news, information, and notices of recalls.
For more government websites related to consumer safety issues and product recalls, try these other web pages at Thrall.org:
Buying a Home
May 9, 2007
The U.S.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
has just published a new alert for consumers considering the purchase of a home:
"Buying a Home: It's a Big Deal"
For more information here is their press release.
For more information on this topic, try our library catalog for information on:
Publication of the Week
April 23, 2007
The U.S.
Federal Citizen Information Center
offers publications to consumers. Each week at their website they feature a free
Publication of the Week.
This week they are featuring
a guide to finding medical information.
Early on you will see a section called "Start With Your Community Library," and that's where we can help you.
At Thrall we have a wide selection of health resources
in print, in electronic form,
and
on the web to help you start learning more
about various topics in health, fitness, nutrition, and related areas.
Some books are located at Reference, such as encyclopedic sets and specialized dictionaries,
while others are located in our circulating collections.
Other books may be available through interlibrary loan.
We also subscribe to a variety of journals,
and you can access even more journal, magazine, and newspaper articles freely through
article databases, either at home or in the library.
You can also check out our
Health blog and
Health news
section of our
Current Interests guide for more links
to recent articles, studies, and web resources.
Public Knowledge of Current Affairs
April 16, 2007
The
Pew Research Center has published
their findings after studying what impacts the so-called "information revolution"
is estimated as having on the American public's awareness of current events.
Their report, called
"Public Knowledge of Current Affairs Little Changed by News and Information Revolutions - What Americans Know: 1989-2007" contains
statistics, charts, and a quiz.
Investing Online
April 12, 2007
OnGuardOnline.gov has published a guide
for consumers interested in learning more investing over the Internet.
Their guide is called
"Investing Wisely Online"
and includes some "quick facts" and tips.
For more information you can check out our recently revised
web guide for investors
as well as
books on investing and related topics in the library catalog.
Pet Food Recall Expanded AGAIN
April 1, 2007
Even more products have been included in the recent
Pet Food Recall Information
at
FDA.gov.
Be sure to click your web browser's RELOAD or REFRESH button once you get to that page
to make sure you see the latest information!
Fuel Economy Guide
March 30, 2007
FuelEconomy.gov has updated their
Fuel Economy guide
for car models through 2007.
At this site you can also search vehicles from 1985 through 2007 and see how they compare.
Mortgages
March 30, 2007
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a new consumer advisory:
"Applying for a Mortgage Can Trigger a Landslide of Competing Offers".
The FTC explains how they can beneficial and also how consumers can make the stop through opt-out and "Do Not Call" registries.
"Free Credit Report" Scams
March 29, 2007
If you used terms such as "free credit report" in web search engines,
the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
states, "you may have unintentionally
ended up on a site that charged a fee for its products or services."
Search engines match each word you type to web pages they have indexed.
Some search engines attempt to sort results according to what may
appear to be the most relevant websites being displayed first.
This is not always true.
Sometimes the first sites you see can be "sponsored results," where
website owners pay to be listed before other search results. Other
sites can exploit your lack of awareness, even your mispellings,
all while appearing quite convincing and professional.
Why should that matter? It can matter most of all if you wind up at
the wrong website and proceed according to your belief that the website
is legitimate and is what it appears to be. If it is not, you could
compromise details concerning your identity, financial information,
and other specifics you would normally not want others to have.
In such a situation you could make yourself a prime target for
identity theft.
There are many "free credit" websites out there promising you access to free
reports and scores.
At the FTC website
is the following reminder: "
annualcreditreport.com is the ONLY
authorized online source for you to get a free credit report under
federal law."
In another Consumer Alert, there is this document from the FTC
warning of imposter sites used to gather and exploit personal information:
Fake Credit Report Sites: Cashing in on Your Personal Information.
To learn more about credit reports you are entitled to annually,
the FTC has a web page called
"Your Access to Free Credit Reports".
To learn more about identity theft and how to protect yourself,
Consumer.gov has a dedicated website.
Thrall also has a
special coverage web guide on the topic
as well as
items in our Government Documents and regular circulating collections.
Pet Food Recall EXPANDED
March 26, 2007
More pet products have been included in the
recent
Pet Food Recall Information
at
Recalls.gov
at the same links
reported last week
in this same blog.
A toll free number for further inquiries has been included in the announcement at that website along with other FDA contact information.
Free Consumer Action Handbook
March 26, 2007
At
Firstgov.gov
there is an offer for a
free copy of the Consumer Action Handbook, 2007 edition.
As their site says, "If you feel like you've just been ripped off, take action." This book can help you get started!
Pet Food Recall Information from Recalls.gov
March 19, 2007
Recalls.gov has a link to
Pet Food Recall Information from The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
If you have a pet or know someone who does, be sure to check this out!
Recalls.gov is described as a "one stop shop" for U.S.
Government recalls for consumer products, motor vehicles, boats, food, medicine, cosmetics, and environmental
products.
If you have some free time, browse Recall.gov's regularly updated lists to see if any of the food or products
you own have been recalled.
For your convience, a link to this site is included in our
Current Events
page in the
Health and Safety section.
You can get there through our
home page by clicking "current interests" in the News line.
Potentially life-saving information is just a few clicks away!
World Consumer Rights Day
March 15, 2007
March 15 is "World Consumer Rights Day," and in support of this a consumer-oriented
organization called
Consumers International
has developed a presentation alerting consumers about "Unethical Drug Promotion."
Consumers International writes, "Consumers are largely unaware of how their drug consumption
choices are being shaped by corporate motives for gargantuan profits."
For more information on this topic, and to read their report, please visit their website.
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