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Web Links Federal Trade Commission (FTC) The FTC protects consumers against unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices and enforces a variety of consumer protection laws enacted by Congress, as well as trade regulation rules issued by the Commission. The FTC enforces credit laws that protect your rights
to get, use, and maintain credit. These laws do not
guarantee that everyone will receive credit. Instead, the
credit laws protect your rights by requiring businesses
to give all consumers a fair and equal opportunity to
receive credit and to resolve disputes over credit
errors. These laws also protect you when you are dealing
with collection agencies, credit card companies, and
credit repair companies. AARP AARP, celebrating 40 years of service to Americans of all ages, is the nation's leading organization for people age 50 and older. It serves their needs and interests through information and education, advocacy and community services which are provided by a network of local chapters and experienced volunteers throughout the country. The organization also offers members a wide range of special benefits and services, including Modern Maturity magazine and the monthly Bulletin.National Association of Attorney's General (NAAG) The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) counts among its members the Attorneys General of the 50 states and the chief legal officers of the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Attorneys General are the chief legal officers in their respective states and serve as counselors for state government agencies and the legislature and as representatives of the public interest. It is often said that Attorneys General occupy the intersection of law and public policy, dealing in areas as diverse consumer protection, drug policy, and environmental protection. Through NAAG, Attorneys General are drawn together to work collectively on legal and public policy issues of common concern. National Assocation of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA) NACAA, the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators is a non-profit association for government consumer protection agencies. NACAA works to support and promote the role of government agencies in ensuring an honest, safe, informed marketplace, and promoting consumer and business responsibility in a competitive economy. National Consumers League The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America's oldest nonprofit consumer organization. Dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace and the marketplace, NCL's three-pronged approach of research, education and advocacy has made it an effective representative and source of information for consumers and workers. NCL has several resources to help educate consumers about credit fraud and using credit wisely. Visit NCL's National Fraud Information Center for tips on telemarketing and Internet credit fraud. To find out about free educational materials about credit available from NCL, visit our website or call (202) 835-3323.
Associated Credit Bureaus (ACB) Associated Credit Bureaus (ACB) is a national trade association that represents 650 credit reporting agencies nationwide. Its membership includes the three main credit reporting systems Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union.College Parents of America (CPA) College Parents of America (CPA) is a national membership association dedicated to helping parents prepare for and put their children through college easily, economically and safely. The organization offers information and advice to parents and has established several partnerships with public and private institutions to provide parents with consumer information related to the college parent experience. Several of these include: Consumer Action Consumer Action (CA) is a non-profit consumer advocacy and education organization founded in 1971. CA publishes surveys and distributes multiligual educational materials, both in printed form and on our web site. The CA web site library houses hundreds of multiligual publications on topics such as banking/financial services, credit, credit cards, fraud & scams, health, housing, insurance, investment, money management, privacy, telephone and more. For more information please contact info@consumer-action.org. CA also provides nonlegal advice and referrals on consumer problems over the phone and via e-mail at hotline@consumer-action.org.Consumer Information Center The Consumer Information Center (CIC) is a one-stop shopping center for both print and electronic federal consumer information such as the tremendously popular Consumer's Resource Handbook. The free Consumer Information Center Catalog lists more than 200 free and low-cost federal booklets on topics such as careers and education, cars, child care, the environment, federal benefits, financial planning, food and nutrition, health, housing, small business and more. For a free Catalog, call toll free 1-888-878-3256. You can also visit our website to view or download publications. And, if you want a hardcopy of any publication, you can now order online.Debt Counselors of America® Debt Counselors of America ® (DCA) is a national, non-profit, Internet-based organization that aids consumers in financial crisis. Through education programming and counseling, DCA provides consumers the latest information on bankruptcy alternatives. DCA's extensive web site contains publications for consumers on a variety of financial issues. In addition, DCA runs a live call-in radio show, via the Internet, which can be heard nationwide and on ham radio overseas. If you would like more information please contact us at 1-800-680-3328 or visit our web site. Experian Experian provides a number of resources on its Internet site to help consumers better understand credit reporting, manage their credit, and prevent identity fraud. While not all the materials address fraud directly, the greater a consumer’s knowledge about their credit and credit reporting, the greater their chances of preventing themselves from becoming a fraud victim. Better understanding of credit and credit reporting helps consumers who have been victimized by identity fraud work effectively with their creditors and credit bureaus to recover more quickly.
Revised: 12/09/99 |
