Beware of Dishonest Immigrant Consultants
(Separate Website)
Recent immigrants who don't speak English fluently are easy prey for dishonest people who pretend to help them. This brochure, by the National Consumer Law Center helps you protect yourself against dishonest immigrant consultants.
By: National Consumer Law Center
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Chinese / 中文
,
Korean / 한국어
,
Russian / Pусский
,
Spanish / Español
,
Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
Credit Card Catch
(Separate Website)
You might think that as long as you pay your credit card bill on time, your credit card company can’t raise your interest rates without giving you fair warning-guess again. Increasingly common among credit card companies is what’s known as a “universal default” policy. These policies are often hidden in the fine print of your credit card agreement or may be tucked away as a policy update in one of the many flyers or special offers you receive from the company throughout the year.
It's bad enough that credit card companies aren’t usually up front about their universal default policies, but what makes universal default even worse is that it may have nothing to do with your payment history on your credit card account or any of your other debts.
By: Barnes Law Group
FTC Website - Investments
(Separate Website)
This web site contains information about investments and investment scams to watch out for.
By: Federal Trade Commission
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Spanish / Español
National Do Not Call Registry
(Separate Website)
telemarketers cannot call your telephone number if it is in the National Do Not Call Registry. You can register your home and mobile phone numbers for free. Your registration will be effective for five years.
By: Nationall Do Not Call Registry
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Spanish / Español
Preventing Unwanted Telemarketing Calls
(Separate Website)
The 1998 Georgia General Assembly enacted the Georgia No Call Law in an effort to ease Georgians' burden of unwanted solicitation calls. The law, which became effective on January 1, 1999, prohibits telemarketers who are selling a product, service or good, from contacting those Georgians who have chosen to have their name and telephone number placed on the No Call List, with some exceptions.
By: Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Web Site
(Separate Website)
CPSC is an Independent Federal Regulatory Agency. CPSC works to save lives and keep families safe by reducing the risk of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products. We do this by: (1) developing voluntary standards with industry, (2) issuing and enforcing mandatory standards or banning consumer products if no feasible standard would adequately protect the public, (3) obtaining the recall of products or arranging for their repair, (4) conducting research on potential product hazards, (5) informing and educating consumers through the media, state and local governments, private organizations, and by responding to consumer inquiries.
By: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
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Spanish / Español
What To Do If You've Become The Victim Of Telemarketing Fraud
(Separate Website)
Americans lose an estimated $40 billion each year due to the fraudulent sales of goods and services over the telephone. The elderly are frequently targeted. Studies have shown that fraudulent telemarketers direct anywhere from 56% to nearly 80% of their calls at older consumers. It is often difficult to recover money lost to a telemarketing scam. Even so, there are several practical actions that you can take to minimize losses and avoid future scams.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Advertising - FTC Web Site on Consumer Rights and Business Obligations
(Separate Website)
This web site contains over 100 documents covering consumer rights in connection with product advertising, ways for businesses to stay in compliance with the requirements of the law, and guides and policy statements of the Federal Trade Commission on advertising. The documents may be read and printed from the screen or printed in PDF format.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Georgia Consumer's Guide to Deceptive Advertising
(Separate Website)
Consumers are greatly influenced by countless advertisements urging them to purchase products that they may or may not need or want. While many of these advertisements honestly inform and educate consumers, some are false, deceptive, and even illegal. The impression created by a total advertisement, including visual depictions and headlines, is as important as specific claims contained within the ad. The overall impression may have the capacity to deceive, even though each individual statement may be factually accurate. Advertisers must be able to substantiate all claims or offers made before such claims are advertised, and maintain sufficient records to verify those claims.
By: Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs
Learn about Personal Finances and Using Credit
(Separate Website)
This presentation was developed as part of the Law and Government Education Project in the Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. In partnership with the Law School and the Center for Teaching and Learning at UGA and the Law School at Mercer University, the Institute develops resources on basic areas of Georgia and federal law. These resources are then distributed across the state in a variety of ways including the State Bar of Georgia?s Pro Bono Project website. We hope you will find this presentation to be useful and informative. Please be advised, however, that this presentation is designed to provide general information only and does not substitute for legal advice. At the conclusion of the presentation you will find a list of organizations which may be able to provide assistance to those who have legal issues relevant to the topic of this presentation. We encourage viewers to contact these organizations for help. Also, please consult the Pro Bono Project website for a list of other presentations available for viewing.
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
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Spanish / Español
What You Should Know about Your Checks
(Separate Website)
An informative resource on checks.
By: The Federal Reserve Board
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Spanish / Español
When Is Your Check Not a Check? Electronic Check Conversion
(Separate Website)
Suppose you’re at a store making a purchase and decide to pay by check—at least, that’s what you believe you’re doing. The clerk asks you for a check that is completely filled out, partially filled out, or even blank. The clerk then runs the check through a machine and hands the voided check back to you with your receipt. What just happened? Did you pay by check? Why did the clerk return the check to you? The answer is, you just experienced electronic check conversion. The following questions and answers explain how electronic check conversion works and what your rights are as a consumer.
By: Federal Reserve Board
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Spanish / Español
Automatic Teller Machines and the Law
(Separate Website)
Downtown, at the mall, at the superstore—everywhere—an automatic teller machine (ATM) is there, ready to give you cash in exchange for a swipe of your plastic and a few magic numbers. That convenience, however, comes with a certain amount of expense and some exposure to risk as well.
By: American Bar Association
Community Reinvestment Act: Does Your Bank Measure Up?
(Separate Website)
Community Reinvestment: Does Your Bank Measure Up? Under the Community Reinvestment Act, the Federal Reserve Banks evaluate banks' records of meeting the credit needs of communities—including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. When banks apply for permission to expand, merge or acquire another institution, the government takes into account whether the bank has been meeting the credit needs of its community.
Learn about the Congressional Act enacted in 1997 to encourage insured banks and other depository institutions to help meet the credit needs of their communities.
By: Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Protecting Yourself from Overdraft and Bounced-Check Fees
(Separate Website)
This website explains the best ways to avoid overdraft and bounced-check fees
By: The Federal Reserve Board
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Spanish / Español
How to Open a Checking or Savings Account Basic information on setting up bank accounts
By: Georgia Appleseed
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Spanish / Español
What Identification Do I Need to Open A Bank Account? Find out what identification banks need in order to open an account for you.
By: Georgia Appleseed
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Spanish / Español
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OPENING DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS FOR FOREIGN CITIZENS There is no law that requires a customer to be a U.S. citizen when he or she opens a
deposit account at a bank chartered under U.S. state or federal law.2 In fact, citizens of
foreign countries have been opening deposit accounts with U.S. banks for decades.
Foreign nationals are attracted to U.S. banks, thrifts and credit unions for many of the
same reasons so many American are: U.S. depository institutions set the global standard
for their safety and soundness, reliability, management strength, government oversight
and deposit insurance
By: Georgia Appleseed
Don't Pay to Borrow Your Own Money: The Risks and Costs of Tax Refund Anticipation Loans
(Separate Website)
How would you like to pay a super-high price to borrow money that already belongs to you? Sounds ridiculous, right? But that's pretty much what happens to many folks at tax time. You may be tempted by tax-time advertisements for "Fast Cash Refunds," "Express Money" or "Instant Refunds." Beware! Many of these "fast refunds" are really LOANS, refund anticipation loans, with extremely high interest rates!
By: National Consumer Law Center
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
,
Korean / 한국어
,
Russian / Pусский
,
Spanish / Español
,
Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
Credit Card Catch
(Separate Website)
You might think that as long as you pay your credit card bill on time, your credit card company can’t raise your interest rates without giving you fair warning-guess again. Increasingly common among credit card companies is what’s known as a “universal default” policy. These policies are often hidden in the fine print of your credit card agreement or may be tucked away as a policy update in one of the many flyers or special offers you receive from the company throughout the year.
It's bad enough that credit card companies aren’t usually up front about their universal default policies, but what makes universal default even worse is that it may have nothing to do with your payment history on your credit card account or any of your other debts.
By: Barnes Law Group
Credit, Debit and ATM Cards
A consumer's guide to managing your credit products
By: Georgia Appleseed
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Spanish / Español
Using Credit Cards Information on using credit wisely
By: Georgia Appleseed
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Spanish / Español
Advance-fee Loan Scams
(Separate Website)
Advance-fee loan sharks are preying on unwary consumers, taking their money for the promise of a loan or credit, and leaving them in hot water. The scam artists often impersonate legitimate lenders to entice consumers into falling for their bogus offer.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Borrower Beware: The High Cost of Small Loans, Pawn Brokers and Rent-to-Own Stores
(Separate Website)
When you need cash, you should beware of some of the companies and people who make loans. This web page tells you what to watch for when you do business with small loan companies, pawn brokers and rent-to-own stores.
By: National Consumer Law Center
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Chinese / 中文
,
Korean / 한국어
,
Russian / Pусский
,
Spanish / Español
,
Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
The High Cost of Payday Loans
(Separate Website)
Payday loans go by a variety of names, including "deferred presentments", "cash advances", deferred deposits", or "check loans", but they all work in the same way. The difference between the amount of the check and the amount of cash the customer gets in return is interest or a loan fee that the lender is charging. These types of short-term loans are always very expensive.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Mortgage and Real Estate Loans Information from the Federal Trade Commission
(Separate Website)
This web site contains documents relating to: (1) home equity loans, home equity credit lines and common home equity scams, (2) high rate, high fee mortgages, (3) reverse mortgages, (4) payday loans, and (5) mortgage discrimination. You may view the documents on-line and print them out or print them in PDF format.
By: Federal Trade Commission
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Spanish / Español
Avoiding Dangerous Loans Simple precautions to be a smart borrower
By: Georgia Appleseed
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Spanish / Español
Basic Debt Collection and Consumer Protection in Georgia
This document describes the law relating to debt collection and basic consumer protection laws, answering the following questions: Why do you need to understand your contract before signing it? How can creditors collect debts? How can consumers protect themselves? The document is an excerpt from An Introduction to Law in Georgia,
Fourth Edition, published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 1998 (updated 2004).
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
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Spanish / Español
Basics of Borrowing and Credit in Georgia
This document discusses the basic law relating to borrowing and credit.
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
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Spanish / Español
Basics of Obtaining Credit in Georgia
This document discusses the basic law relating to borrowing and credit.
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
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Spanish / Español
Building Wealth: A Beginner's Guide to Your Financial Future
(Separate Website)
Building Wealth: A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Financial Future offers introductory guidance to individuals and families seeking help to develop a plan for building personal wealth. While a comprehensive discussion of accounting, finance and investment options is beyond the scope of this workbook, it presents an overview of personal wealth-building strategies.
By: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Credit
(Separate Website)
The use of credit is a way of life in the United States. At any one time, about three-fourths of American households have some form of debt, including credit purchases of cars, appliances, clothing, vacation trips and other goods and services. Just over two-fifths of households have loans secured by their homes—in other words, mortgages. This web site will help you understand the rules, regulations, and laws about consumer installment credit, designed to protect you, the consumer.
By: American Bar Association
EarnBenefits Online
(Separate Website)
How to get free checking accounts, homebuying resources, repairing your credit
By: Seedco
Fast Facts on Consumer Rights
(Separate Website)
This document provides some quick tips on your rights in certain consumer issues.
By: Barnes Law Group
Financing A Car
(Separate Website)
Buying a car, whether new or used, can be complicated and overwhelming. If you?re going through a dealer, it can be tempting to deal exclusively with the dealership on both the purchase and financing of the car. In fact, many dealers try to entice buyers with dealer financing specials, although these specials often have restrictions or conditions that make them unavailable to many consumers. Just because you buy a car from a particular dealer, doesn?t mean you have to finance it through that dealer as well.
By: Barnes Law Group
Georgia Department of Banking and Finance Website
(Separate Website)
The Georgia Department of Banking and Finance (Department) is the state agency that regulates and examines banks, credit unions and trust companies which are chartered by the State. The Department also has regulatory and/or licensing authority over mortgage brokers and lenders, check cashers, sale of check companies, money transmitters, international banking organizations, and bank holding companies conducting business in Georgia.
By: Georgia Department of Banking and Finance
Personal Financial Education
(Separate Website)
Over the years, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has developed and participated in many projects designed to build bridges between you and your financial goals. By working with consumer-interest groups, faith-based organizations, government agencies, nonprofits, and other companies, the Atlanta Fed helps provide the tools that people need to make informed financial decisions. This Web site provides fundamental information about the Atlanta Fed’s educational outreach efforts.
By: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
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Spanish / Español
Predatory Lending
(Separate Website)
Predatory lending is the practice of lenders targeting vulnerable individuals and convincing them to take loans with incredibly high interest rates and other abusive terms.
Sometimes, the victims of predatory lending may have less than perfect credit, so they can?t get a standard loan. In other cases, they may actually be able to get a standard loan but are misled by the lender or broker into believing they can?t. They are often hardworking people with limited incomes. An extra expense or setback, such as an unexpected medical bill or a car accident, may leave them unable to pay their bills. With their back against the wall, they become perfect targets for predatory lenders. Some of the most common forms of predatory lending include payday loans, car title loans, and predatory mortgage lending.
By: Barnes Law Group
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
(Separate Website)
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC) is a nonprofit consumer organization with a two-part mission -- consumer information and consumer advocacy. It was established in 1992 and is based in San Diego, California. It is primarily grant-supported and serves individuals nationwide.
The PRC's goals are to:
Raise consumers' awareness of how technology affects personal privacy.
Empower consumers to take action to control their own personal information by providing practical tips on privacy protection.
Respond to specific privacy-related complaints from consumers, intercede on their behalf, and, when appropriate, refer them to the proper organizations for further assistance.
Document the nature of consumers' complaints and questions about privacy in reports, testimony, and speeches and make them available to policy makers, industry representatives, consumer advocates, and the media.
Advocate for consumers' privacy rights in local, state, and federal public policy proceedings, including legislative testimony, regulatory agency hearings, task forces, and study commissions as well as conferences and workshops.
By: The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Learn about Personal Finances and Using Credit
(Separate Website)
This presentation was developed as part of the Law and Government Education Project in the Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. In partnership with the Law School and the Center for Teaching and Learning at UGA and the Law School at Mercer University, the Institute develops resources on basic areas of Georgia and federal law. These resources are then distributed across the state in a variety of ways including the State Bar of Georgia?s Pro Bono Project website. We hope you will find this presentation to be useful and informative. Please be advised, however, that this presentation is designed to provide general information only and does not substitute for legal advice. At the conclusion of the presentation you will find a list of organizations which may be able to provide assistance to those who have legal issues relevant to the topic of this presentation. We encourage viewers to contact these organizations for help. Also, please consult the Pro Bono Project website for a list of other presentations available for viewing.
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Consumer Law: Legal Issues on the Internet
(Separate Website)
The Internet has become ubiquitous in American life. It raises number of consumer-protection issues that can be addressed here.
By: American Bar Association
Consumer Privacy Issues - FTC Web Site
(Separate Website)
Advances in computer technology have made it possible for detailed information about people to be compiled and shared more easily and cheaply than ever. That's good for society as a whole and individual consumers. For example, it is easier for law enforcement to track down criminals, for banks to prevent fraud, and for consumers to learn about new products and services, allowing them to make better-informed purchasing decisions. At the same time, as personal information becomes more accessible, each of us - companies, associations, government agencies, and consumers - must take precautions to protect against the misuse of that information. The Federal Trade Commission is educating consumers and businesses about the importance of personal information privacy. Read more about our efforts, what we've learned, and what you can do to protect the privacy of your personal information.
By: Federal Trade Commission
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Spanish / Español
Fast Facts on Consumer Rights
(Separate Website)
This document provides some quick tips on your rights in certain consumer issues.
By: Barnes Law Group
Georgia Consumer's Guide to Identity Theft
(Separate Website)
We have become an information society. With the right information, a scam artist can access your credit card, your checking account, and even your savings account and use them as if the accounts were his own.
When a person steals information about you, whether he uses that information to take your money or not, he has committed a crime against you. Identity theft is the act of "stealing" or using another person’s personal and/or financial information for personal gain. Personal and financial information includes your driver's license number, social security number, credit card number, bank account information, personal identification number (PIN) for Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) and calling cards, date of birth and even your mother's maiden name.
By: Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs
Identity Theft
(Separate Website)
How can someone steal your identity? Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, are refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit.
By: Federal Trade Commission
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Spanish / Español
Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number
(Separate Website)
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. When a dishonest person has your Social Security number, the thief can use it to get other personal information about you. Most of the time identity thieves use your number and your good credit to apply for more credit in your name. Then, they use the credit cards and do not pay the bills. You do not find out that someone is using your number until you are turned down for credit, or you begin to get calls from unknown creditors demanding payment for items you never bought.
By: Social Security Administration
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
,
Russian / Pусский
,
Spanish / Español
Learn about Personal Finances and Using Credit
(Separate Website)
This presentation was developed as part of the Law and Government Education Project in the Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. In partnership with the Law School and the Center for Teaching and Learning at UGA and the Law School at Mercer University, the Institute develops resources on basic areas of Georgia and federal law. These resources are then distributed across the state in a variety of ways including the State Bar of Georgia?s Pro Bono Project website. We hope you will find this presentation to be useful and informative. Please be advised, however, that this presentation is designed to provide general information only and does not substitute for legal advice. At the conclusion of the presentation you will find a list of organizations which may be able to provide assistance to those who have legal issues relevant to the topic of this presentation. We encourage viewers to contact these organizations for help. Also, please consult the Pro Bono Project website for a list of other presentations available for viewing.
By: Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Privacy: Tips for Protecting Your Personal Information
(Separate Website)
Every day you share personal information about yourself with others. It's so routine that you may not even realize you're doing it. You may write a check at the grocery store, charge tickets to a ball game, rent a car, mail your tax returns, buy a gift online, call home on your cell phone, schedule a doctor's appointment or apply for a credit card. Each transaction requires you to share personal information: your bank and credit card account numbers; your income; your Social Security number (SSN); or your name, address and phone numbers.
By: The Federal Trade Commission
Steps YOU can take to protect yourself as a consumer!
(Separate Website)
10 steps you can take to avoid getting ripped off.
By: Barnes Law Group
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