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10/12/2011

BBB Alerts Consumers To Potential New Bank Fees After Fed Orders Cut In Debit Card 'Swipe Fee'

The Better Business Bureau is advising consumers to be alert to potential new bank fees in the wake of a government-ordered cut in the fees banks charge merchants to process debit card transactions.

09/01/2011

BBB Advice on Student Security – What Every College Student Should Know

As college students get settled on campus, fighting fraud may not be at the top of their list of priorities. However, Better Business Bureau recommends that they take seven simple steps to protect themselves on campus.

12/06/2010

BBB Urges Consumers To Check Fine Print On Gift Cards

A gift card may sound like a good alternative to cash or an unwanted present. But many cards still come with fees and other restrictions that can erode their value, the BBB warns.

08/19/2010

New Credit Card Rules Limit Penalties, Rate Increases

New rules on credit card interest rate increases and penalty fees are mostly good news for consumers, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

08/17/2010

Scam Alert -- Websites Sell SSNs as Credit Score Fixers

An online ad offering a credit protection number (CPN) to clean up your credit score may sound like the perfect solution for bad credit. The problem is that the CPN is really a stolen Social Security Number (SSN), often belonging to a child.

07/30/2010

Seven Ways for College Students to Fight Identity Theft

College students are very susceptible to identity theft. But the Better Business Bureau recommends seven simple steps to protect themselves on campus.

07/30/2010

Beware of Deceptive Auto Loan Modification Offers

Better Business Bureau recommends that consumers try to work out a deal with the lender directly before paying out hundreds in upfront fees to a loan modification company.

07/22/2010

New Overdraft Rules for Debit and ATM Cards

On July 1st, new rules went into effect concerning overdrafts on debit or ATM cards. The change gives consumers the ability to choose what happens when you make a charge and don’t have enough money in the account.

06/01/2007

FTC - Mortgage Payments Sending You Reeling? Here's What to Do

The possibility of losing your home because you can't make the mortgage payments can be terrifying. Perhaps you are one of the many consumers who took out a mortgage that had a fixed rate for the first two or three years and then had an adjustable rate. Or maybe you're anticipating an adjustment, and want to know what your payments will be and whether you'll be able to make them. Or maybe you're having trouble making ends meet because of an unrelated financial crisis.

03/01/2007

FTC - Understanding Vehicle Financing

With prices averaging more than $28,000 for a new vehicle and $15,000 for a used vehicle, most consumers need financing or leasing to acquire a vehicle. In some cases, buyers use “direct lending:” they obtain a loan directly from a finance company, bank or credit union. In direct lending, a buyer agrees to pay the amount financed, plus an agreed-upon finance charge, over a period of time. Once a buyer and a vehicle dealership enter into a contract to purchase a vehicle, the buyer uses the loan proceeds from the direct lender to pay the dealership for the vehicle. Consumers also may arrange for a vehicle loan over the Internet.

02/01/2007

FTC - Home Equity Credit Lines

Using a credit line to borrow against the equity in your home has become a popular source of consumer credit. And lenders are offering these home equity credit lines in a variety of ways.

01/01/2007

FTC - Giving the Bounce to Counterfeit Check Scams

It’s your lucky day! You just won a foreign lottery! The letter says so. And the cashier’s check to cover the taxes and fees is included. All you have to do to get your winnings is deposit the check and wire the money to the sender to pay the taxes and fees. You’re guaranteed that when they get your payment, you’ll get your prize.

01/01/2007

FTC - High-Rate, High-Fee Loans (HOEPA/Section 32 Mortgages)

If you're refinancing your mortgage or applying for a home equity installment loan, you should know about the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994 (HOEPA).

12/01/2006

FTC - Electronic Banking

For many consumers, electronic banking means 24-hour access to cash through an automated teller machine (ATM) or Direct Deposit of paychecks into checking or savings accounts. But electronic banking now involves many different types of transactions.

11/01/2006

FTC - Electronic Check Conversion

The next time you write a check to your local merchant, the cashier may hand it back to you after the payment has been processed – electronically. Or maybe you’re mailing a check as payment to a company. That payment, too, may be processed electronically. Why? More merchants and companies are using electronic check conversion, which converts information from your paper check into an electronic payment from your bank account. In fact, NACHA – the Electronic Payments Association – estimates that more than 1.7 billion paper checks were converted through in-store and mail-in transactions in 2005.