Parents: Talk to kids about money
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...
Blog archive
Savers vs. pirates: Teaching your kids to save
You might be surprised to learn that April 23rd is "Teach Children to Save" Day. Yes, there seems to be a special day dedicated to just about everything...
April is Financial Literacy Month. So what?
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...
Our progress on financial education
Financial education is an important component of our work. We help consumers understand the opportunities, risks, and consequences associated with financial...
Recognizing elder financial abuse
This post is part of a series for National Consumer Protection Week National Consumer Protection Week is an opportunity to talk about a particularly...
Tax time is the perfect time to save
This post is part of a series for National Consumer Protection Week Filing taxes doesn't have to be the worst. For some, tax time can offer an opportunity...
What can students do to protect themselves?
This post is part of a series for National Consumer Protection Week Americans owe more than a trillion dollars in student loan debt. That's more than we owe...
Overcoming the challenges of recognizing elder financial abuse
This post is part of a series for National Consumer Protection Week National Consumer Protection Week provides an opportunity to talk about a particularly...
Twitter: Let’s chat!
We're excited to co-host a twitter chat with the Federal Trade Commission and the General Services Administration as part of National Consumer Protection...
So, how do I submit a complaint?
This post is part of a series for National Consumer Protection Week We began taking credit card complaints in July 2011, and we now can help with complaints...
Protect yourself from buyer’s remorse
This blog post is part of a series for National Consumer Protection Week When you buy something it's hard to know if you're getting the best deal – and that...
Save like Mike
Mike's not that different from most consumers. Like so many of us he makes sacrifices to get the things he wants. And he knows that the only way to get...
Giving or receiving gift cards? Know the terms and avoid surprises
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...
Access, Data and Scale – Strategies to making the market work better for low-income and economically vulnerable consumers
Many of the low-income and economically vulnerable consumers we serve through the Office of Financial Empowerment face barriers to accessing affordable...
Prepare your finances for emergencies
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...
Avoiding loan scams after a natural disaster
UPDATE: As Hurricane Sandy continues to make its way up the East Coast, we wanted to highlight this blog post from last year's hurricane season. Frauds and...
More than 70 percent of people with 401(k)s don’t realize they’re paying fees
Last week, I got my 401(k) plan fee disclosure notice in the mail. I almost threw it away. At first, it looked like all of those form notices you get – you...
Falling behind on your student loans? Know your options.
At the Bureau, we are working to understand the impact of the recession on young consumers and to learn more about what increasing levels of student debt...
How to stop mystery credit card fees
When you're activating a new credit card, watch for "the pitch." When you call to activate a new credit card, you may be routed to representatives who try...
So how many consumer reporting companies are there?
You may know about the three biggest nationwide credit reporting companies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. But did you know that there are other...
Working together to empower consumers
In my first blog post I wrote that part of our work in the Office of Financial Empowerment is connecting with people and organizations around the country...
Notice about possible debt consolidation scam
Earlier this month we told you about sweepstakes scams. We now have learned of another scam that we are looking into. Consumers are now reporting that...
Protecting Older Americans from financial abuse
We took an important step today towards looking out for older American consumers. Director Richard Cordray announced a public inquiry to learn more about...
Thousands of voices on private student loans
This past winter, we issued a Request for Information to hear about people's experiences with private student loans. We have now published the nearly 2,000...
Help the CFPB solve the most common consumer mistakes
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 Bureau want to understand more about...
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