Recently I had a physical. Outside of being a little overweight and growing older, I don’t have any obvious health issues. I did, however, describe some minor symptoms to my doctor, which prompted him to order some...

You did it! You paid off your debt. Perhaps you used debt consolidation or debt settlementcompany. You may have used a debt management or a do-it-yourself program. No matter the route, the success is equally noteworthy. Now...

Companies are advertising at-home DNA test kits that promise intriguing insights into your past (“Where did my forebears come from?”) – and your future (“Do I have the genetic markers for certain medical conditions?”). If you’re thinking...

MoneyTips If you dabble in online investing, you have certainly been deluged by emailed offers of investing advice and “hot stock tips”. Undoubtedly, some good stock tips are out there, as well as a whole host of...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently took action against Citibank, N.A. for student loan servicing failures that harmed borrowers. Citibank misled borrowers into believing that they were not eligible for a valuable tax deduction on interest...

It’s that time of year again. A brand new year and time when we talk about our resolutions to better ourselves at work, home, and in many other ways. This year, why not add a financial goal...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently took action against Citibank, N.A. for student loan servicing failures that harmed borrowers. Citibank misled borrowers into believing that they were not eligible for a valuable tax deduction on interest...

MoneyTips If you dabble in online investing, you have certainly been deluged by emailed offers of investing advice and “hot stock tips”. Undoubtedly, some good stock tips are out there, as well as a whole host of...

Companies are advertising at-home DNA test kits that promise intriguing insights into your past (“Where did my forebears come from?”) – and your future (“Do I have the genetic markers for certain medical conditions?”). If you’re thinking...

You did it! You paid off your debt. Perhaps you used debt consolidation or debt settlementcompany. You may have used a debt management or a do-it-yourself program. No matter the route, the success is equally noteworthy. Now...

Recently I had a physical. Outside of being a little overweight and growing older, I don’t have any obvious health issues. I did, however, describe some minor symptoms to my doctor, which prompted him to order some...

The holiday season provides plenty of opportunities to talk with kids about money, like when you go shopping or when your children receive gifts. No matter what age, kids learn from watching their parents and absorb what...

I remodeled my house a few years ago, replacing old single-pane windows and beefing up the attic insulation. This cut my heating bill by almost 50%! That was so inspiring, I challenged myself to see how much...

United States Marshals protect the federal courts, track down dangerous fugitives, and transport thousands of prisoners. They don’t make calls and threaten to arrest people or fine them for missing jury duty. But scammers posing as Marshals...

Melanie is tired of celebrating Fridays and dreading Monday mornings. At work, she is spending large chunks of time checking online job boards and calculating how many years left before retirement. She is toying with the idea...

As Benjamin Franklin said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Every April, federal taxes bring a sense of dread and anxiety, especially if you are facing an audit or...

Using your social media account to log into an app or website can be easier than creating a new user name and password. But, after a while, you can collect more apps and become registered on more...

It’s a subject that none of us want to think about. Whether we’re young and just starting life or older and approaching the end, we don’t want to think about our own death. And, adding money to...

How often do you look at your credit report? Not often enough, according to an exclusive MoneyTips survey. While 3 out of 10 Americans said they had looked at their credit history within the last month, nearly...

The final defendant in a debt collection scheme that illegally threatened to arrest or sue consumers and harassed their friends, family members and employers is banned from debt collection activities under a settlement with the Federal Trade...

Nationally representative studies conclude that nearly 10 percent of older Americans have experienced some form of financial exploitation or fraud in the past year, with some experts asserting that financial exploitation is the most common form of...

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey was first published in 1989 and has sold over fifteen 15 millions books since then, in 38 languages. Covey has since co-authored similar books targeted to...

Buying a car can be overwhelming. There are many things to consider, including your budget, your needs and preferences, and the inventory available at the time. And you see car ads when searching online, when watching TV,...

Defendants allegedly started the scheme weeks after FTC closed a similar robocall operation The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint in federal district court in Orlando to halt an alleged credit card interest-rate reduction scam that,...

Following a trial, a federal court has found Terrason Spinks and his company, Jet Processing Inc., liable for more than $280 million in consumer harm caused by the IWorks scheme. IWorks’ online marketing campaigns falsely claimed that...

David Winfrey was one of the excellent panelists at our recent military financial workshop in San Antonio.David is a financial counselor at Fort Sam Houston. He has a passion to help wounded warriors with the challenges they...

More than one out of every 12 people over the age of five in the U.S. are limited English proficient (LEP), meaning that they speak English less than very well, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016...

The holidays can put a financial burden even on the savviest of shoppers and savers. But like most things, taking time to plan can help you avoid the stress that comes with overspending. Before you hit the...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently released a report on auto loan trends that found a sharp increase in riskier longer-term auto loans. According to the report, 42 percent of auto loans made in the last...

When military borrowers are not able to get on track for programs like PSLF, they can end up paying tens of thousands of dollars they would otherwise not owe. Servicemembers report that instead of getting into an...

An online lingerie marketer has agreed to return more than $1.3 million to customers to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived shoppers who enrolled in a negative-option membership program offering discounts and other benefits, and...

This is a new one on me — maybe you, too. Pet leasing: apparently, it’s a thing. And there are many people who paid money not knowing they were actually renting their new pets instead of owning...

We’re releasing a report on consumer experiences with overdraft programs. An overdraft happens when you don’t have enough money in your checking account to cover a purchase or payment and your bank or credit union pays it...

Have you been contacted by someone claiming to be from a government agency who says you’ve won a cash prize? Has someone claiming to be a federal government employee called and threatened you with jail time or...

If you’re planning a business trip or vacation, you may have to make a decision about how to pay tolls when you rent a car. Most rental car companies offer ways to pay tolls automatically, but that...

If you find yourself unable to keep up with bills, and you get to the point where your payments with Credit One Bank are going to be late, it may be time to look into your options....

The National Center for Disaster Fraud reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Unfortunately, criminals can exploit disasters, such as Hurricane...

Defendants claimed affiliation with Amazon.com and the government The operators of a telemarketing scheme that pitched phony business and grant opportunities have agreed to be banned from those lines of business under a settlement with the Federal...

This month I’m celebrating three years of being self-employed and, to be honest, that’s actually shocking to type considering how fast time has gone by. These days I can’t imagine driving an hour to work, dealing with...

A Utah-based operation that helped allegedly deceptive telemarketers take millions of dollars from consumers’ credit card accounts will be banned from the payment processing business under a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. According to the FTC,...

We are sending compensation to many people harmed by Morgan Drexen, a debt settlement company. Morgan Drexen violated a federal regulation that prohibits debt settlement companies from charging people upfront fees before settling any of their debts....

If you have received a check from the CFPB, it is because we have taken an enforcement action against a person or company for violating a consumer financial protection law, and you are eligible for compensation as...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently filed a proposed final judgment in federal court that would resolve a lawsuit against Prime Marketing Holdings, LLC for illegal credit repair practices. The lawsuit alleged that the company charged...

The Department of Justice today announced that on Nov. 9, the Madoff Victim Fund (MVF) began its initial distribution of $772.5 million in funds forfeited to the U.S. Government in connection with the Bernard L. Madoff Investment...

The Federal Trade Commission charged a Georgia-based debt collection business with tricking people into paying money for debts they did not owe. A federal court temporarily halted the scheme and froze its assets at the FTC’s request. According...

Ads promised to fix everything from the common cold to HIV Three Venice, Florida-based companies and their owners have settled Federal Trade Commission charges that they deceptively marketed and sold dietary supplements to prevent or treat everything...

Have you ever filed your taxes using an online tax prep account? If so, you’ll want to know about the FTC’s recent settlement with TaxSlayer, LLC. What happened? From October until December 2015, hackers used user names...

Over the past five years, student loan borrowers across the country have turned to us to submit complaints about the struggles they face when repaying their student loans. We have handled more than 50,000 student loan related...

The Federal Trade Commission has charged a North Carolina debt collection operation with using intimidation and deception to take money from consumers for debts they did not owe, or that the defendants had no right to collect....

In January 2017, we released a snapshot on older Americans and student loan debt. We are now providing additional data regarding the scope and growth of student debt among older borrowers (ages 60 and older) in each...