Blog

We’re announcing an enforcement action against Alabama-based Regions Bank for charging overdraft fees to consumers who had not opted-in for overdraft coverage. We’re requiring Regions Bank to fully refund all affected consumers – hundreds of thousands of consumers have already been refunded $49 million in fees. Learn more about your choices when it comes to overdraft protection programs, as these programs can be costly.

What could be better than zero percent interest for one year? Nothing, nada, free…right? Not exactly. Credit card companies market these promotions as a way for you to save money. But, what some credit card companies may not have been telling you is that new purchases could cost you more than you expect. Learn more about credit card promotion offers and see why they could cost you more than you think.

We want to make libraries the go-to place for financial information in every community. That’s why we’ve put together resources and materials for libraries to use in making a safe place to research financial options, decisions, or solutions to problems. Read more to learn about our resources for libraries.

Our quick and easy-to-use My New Money Goal financial planning worksheet can help you set a goal and make a plan.

If you send money to other countries, you can now get more information about exchange rates and costs before you pay for the transfers. That’s because of a new federal rule that went into effect at the end of October. Here’s a closer look at the information you’ll receive before and after you send money, […]

Today, you have new rights if you send money to family or others outside the United States. These protections come from a new rule that applies to electronic money transfers sent by consumers in the United States to people or businesses in other countries. In general, the rule covers transfers sent by companies – such […]

We all share the same basic values we want our kids to succeed and we want to ensure that our aging parents are safe. But, we may not always be sure how to do that. This Father’s Day, give your dad (or mom) a call. If you don’t feel right bringing up the topic of money, ask for advice about your own money question to break the ice. The more you talk about money with your parents – or your children, the easier it will become and the more prepared they can be.

School’s behind you. Now it’s time to put everything you’ve learned to work. Your first couple of days on the job will likely include filling out forms that will require you to make a flurry of key financial decisions. Use this guide to be ready, so you can focus on making a good impression.

As we take the day to celebrate all that our moms do for us, let’s not forget the little things our moms taught us — the life lessons that are now habits that run on autopilot, or the routines we watched and later modeled ourselves, and now pass on to our children. If you haven’t passed on any lessons yet, we have some ideas for you.

I’m a dad, so I know how it is. You keep meaning to talk to your kids, but you don’t know what to say. It’s complicated and you’re not sure how to put it in words they’d understand. There’s also the emotion, anxiety, frustration and, yes, guilt. I’m talking about money. And, so should you. […]

Before writing this post, I did a brief survey of my colleagues to ask for their thoughts about what financial literacy means and why it is important. Here are some of the responses I got: “A fair financial marketplace requires that consumers be informed about the products and services they are buying.” “What are you […]

My family and I just moved into a new house. With all the packing and unpacking, my kids and I found three gift cards we had forgotten about. Mine was from my birthday, almost a year ago. Theirs were from last Christmas. So while most consumers are shopping for this year’s holiday season, we’re putting […]

No, really. Just because something has a government logo on it doesn’t mean that it’s legitimate. Just today, we announced that we’re cracking down on two mortgage loan modification operations that allegedly ripped-off struggling homeowners across the country using websites, emails, and other advertising materials with government logos, letterhead, or other marks to trick consumers […]

Hurricane Sandy reminded us that disasters – storms, fires, floods, earthquakes – can happen to anyone, and when they do you have little time to react. If you had to leave your home in an emergency, you would only have minutes to choose what stays and what goes, and your financial records may be one […]

You have the right to know what nationwide specialty consumer reporting companies are saying about you. And you’re entitled to one free report each year, just like with the traditional nationwide consumer reporting companies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. What’s more, nationwide specialty consumer reporting companies have to make it easy for you to get […]

After the shock of a disaster, it’s time to rebuild. Starting over requires a lot of complex choices, uncertainty and expense. Being prepared and knowing how to protect yourself can help you avoid scams, save money and get back on your feet faster. Relief organizations like the Red Cross can help you with your immediate […]

We all make mistakes. That’s part of what makes us human. When we can, we learn from our mistakes. That’s why we at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau want to understand more about the most common errors consumers make about money. We want to find better ways to help others avoid these mistakes in the […]

My kids were so excited when I asked them if they wanted to come to work with me today. At ages 6 and 9, this will be their first Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. The CFPB is focused on consumer financial products and services, so we are using today to teach our children about personal finances – our theme is Spend Save Share.

This is also a good opportunity for all parents to teach their children a little something about money. It’s a chance to talk about how parents work for money, and how our salaries give us a limited amount of money to spend every month. Parents can also talk about how they have to use some of that money to pay for the family’s needs, like food, clothing and shelter, and how we might have to save for other things we want.

April is Financial Literacy Month, and we are teaming up with other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to promote financial education.

We recently launched Ask CFPB, a search tool to help you find plain-language answers to your questions about credit cards, mortgages, credit scores, and more.

We’ll also be on the road a lot this month. Check out our blog to learn more.

About 75 percent of taxpayers are expected to receive a federal income tax refund this year. If you’re one of them, here are five ways to help you keep more of the money you’re getting back from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

For shoppers, seeing “November” on the calendar means Black Friday – the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season – is just around the corner. Taking a few minutes now to plan your holiday spending could help you avoid taking on debt that stretches well beyond the New Year. Start by creating a holiday spending […]