For Millennials like myself, the past few weeks have brought some bad news. The latest round of eye-opening stats started with a MarketWatch piece that declared that individuals should have twice their salary stashed away by the time...

Sick of getting robocalls and other unwanted calls? You can learn more about how to block them at ftc.gov/calls. You also might know that the FTC continues to go after the people and companies behind these calls....

A North Carolina debt collection operation, Lombardo, Daniels & Moss, and its principals, Dion Barron and Charles R. Montgomery III, will be banned from the debt collection business under settlements resolving Federal Trade Commission charges that they...

Each year, millions of young adults enter the workforce and take the first steps toward building their financial futures. Since 2014, the Bureau has worked to help job training programs prepare young adults for the key financial...

  The New York state comptroller’s office just released information about credit card debt in the United States. The four states with the highest populations had the most overall credit card debt in 2017. California, the most...

You get a card, call, or email telling you that you won! Maybe it’s a lottery, sweepstakes, or some other prize. The person calling is excited and can’t wait for you to get your winnings. But here’s...

Imagine your grandmother calling you and saying she thinks your grandfather who passed away two months ago is still alive. She explains that she keeps getting credit card bills in his name and wants to know if...

A common phrase in the world of charities is that there are many ways to give. Making an online donation is one way, and using an “online giving portal” is becoming a popular option. Check out our...

Hey computer users, it’s time for a pop quiz. A) You get an urgent call or email from a tech support company, saying your computer has a problem. Should you give the company remote access to your...

Saving for a house can be a daunting task, but is one of adulthood’s most exciting milestones. You’re settling down into a new home, but you’re also giving up a large sum of your money in the...

Have you gotten a robocall at work, telling you that you have to take action or your Google business listing will be removed? Or maybe even marked as permanently closed? That kind of thing could be tough...

It’s common for couples to share their financial lives but not the responsibility for managing household finances. It might be time-consuming for both of you to review your bills, as well as spending and savings plans each...

These days it seems like just about everyone is talking about the need for a side hustle. As a result, you may be pondering what extra earning opportunities are out there for you. Unfortunately, when looking for...

Dear Dollar Stretcher, We’re going to buy a newer car. We’ll need to borrow about $12,000 to pay for it. Our friends have suggested that the best way to finance it is by ‘borrowing’ from our 401k...

The settlements stem from an FTC-led enforcement sweep announced last year The defendants in two student loan debt relief cases have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission claims that they charged consumers illegal upfront fees and falsely...

Has someone asked you to go get a gift card to pay for something? Lots of people have told us they’ve been asked to pay with gift cards – by a caller claiming to be with the...

> In our latest Complaint Snapshot, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection examines complaint trends, with a focused look at complaints about debt collection.  Since July 2011, the Bureau has received approximately 400,500 debt collection complaints, which...

Did you know that checking your credit scores and credit reports is one of the first steps toward learning more about your credit history? You can request your credit reports for free every 12 months from each...

Craigslist is by far the easiest (and cheapest) way to sell all that junk cluttering your house. It’s as simple as posting a listing for the item(s) you are trying to sell, and then waiting for the...

Some of the fondest moments memories in my life are of helping my Dad around the house and listening to him explain why he did and didn’t do things. Although I didn’t know it at the time,...

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that maintaining your health was more important than saving money. While retaining insurance is one example of that, the same concept can often apply to the foods we buy and...

In the business world, “leads” refer to the information of potential customers. In the scam world, it means the same thing. While scammers find their targets in all kinds of ways, one method is to go...

Please don’t tell me that if I had $1,000 and invested it for 10 years at 10% interest I’d have a big pile of money. I don’t have $1,000 and paying next month’s bills is my biggest...

Dear Dollar Stretcher, I want to make a grocery budget but I am not sure what to include on that list. Do you include your household items such as light bulbs and laundry needs? Regular household needs...

The Federal Trade Commission has charged a Florida-based scheme with deceiving small business owners by falsely claiming to represent Google, falsely threatening businesses with removal from Google search results, and falsely promising first-place or first-page placement in...

Complete Estate Planning Guide In The Digital Age An important note: This Estate Planning article highlights many legal elements and is not meant to offer advice. See disclosure. It is important to talk with a lawyer when...

The FTC recently sued the companies and individuals responsible for the Amazing Wealth System — also known as Amazon Wealth Systems, FBA Stores, AWS, Insider Online Secrets, Online Auction Learning Center, and Online Seller — which ran...

Many people are still suffering the consequences of natural disasters. For example, in 2017 there was Hurricane María in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Hurricane Irma in Florida, and the devastating wildfires in California. Even after...

I don’t remember what it was like to drive to new places before I had GPS on my phone — how did I get anywhere? Similarly, I don’t know how I survived road trips before I had...

Whoa! I’m not talking about planting skunkweed or doing a nude rain dance in your yard! I’m talking about those budget busting habits that can drain your wallet faster than a nest of termites can chew through...

These days, more and more issuers are positioning their credit cards as premium products, charging equally premium fees. The annual travel credits that come with these cards help to offset hefty annual fees by giving you a...

World Patent Marketing allegedly bilked millions from consumers and suppressed criticism Scott Cooper and his companies, World Patent Marketing Inc. and Desa Industries Inc., have agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission that bans them...

My family is from the south and I grew up eating seafood all the time. We ate all types of fish and shellfish. I love shrimp, lobster, scallops, and all types of fish, especially catfish. Seafood tastes...

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) has launched a process for federal student loan borrowers to be reconsidered for loan forgiveness under a temporary expansion of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. This limited opportunity— which...

You may think that a long commute is unavoidable. After all, the average American commutes for nearly an hour a day. Unfortunately, after giving the best 8-9 hours of the day to their employer, many people give...

Scammers need a good story to get to your wallet. Once they find one that works, they use it again and again. One of their old favorites brings together fake checks and secret shopping, and we’ve been...

Defendants charged up to $13,995 for coaching, and thousands more for other services The Federal Trade Commission has charged two Utah individuals and their telemarketing operation with deceptively claiming their business coaching services can help consumers start...

If you’re thinking about selling your timeshare through a resale company, research the company first. Read about this recent FTC case against Pro Timeshare Resales, and you’ll know why. Timeshare Resales is a Florida-based company that called...

The 6 Steps To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft Online Identity theft is a growing problem that everyone must take proactive action on. Here are easy to follow steps to protect you and your family from becoming...

Imagine what you could lose, tapping into your home equity only to hire a bad contractor for a home renovation. In this case, prevention is better than cure and the best way to do so is to...

Insurance is frustrating. While it can surely come in handy in a pinch, it’s hard not to look at the money you spend on a given policy and feel you’ve wasted it if you don’t need to...

Have you ever heard the expression “live below your means,” and wondered what it meant? According to the Huffington Post, living below your means is when “you live a lifestyle below your net income.” Basically, if you...

Defendants permanently banned from selling timeshare resale or rental services, telmarketing Along with being permanently banned from timeshare resale services and telemarketing, the Florida-based operators behind a deceptive timeshare resale scheme have agreed to surrender approximately $3.4...

Have you been diligently planning what a new kitchen would look like? You’ve probably saved dozens of images from Houzz and Pinterest and even been dreaming about how a new kitchen would bring value to your daily...

In the winter of 2011, I learned that the love of my life had over six figures of student loan debt. She was starting her MBA holding a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in engineering and entering...

Medicare ID fraud happens when someone uses your Medicare card to get your personal information, like your Social Security or Medicare ID number. A fraudster could steal your identity to open new credit cards or bank accounts...

You may have heard the recent news that Twitter discovered a bug that stored passwords “unmasked” in an internal log. What does this mean? If you are a Twitter user, your password could be exposed. Twitter says...

Agency alleges BLU misled consumers and put their personal data at risk Mobile phone manufacturer BLU Products, Inc. and its co-owner have reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that the company allowed a...

Defendants sought advance payments for services they never delivered The Federal Trade Commission has charged a mortgage relief operation with deceiving distressed homeowners by falsely promising to make their mortgages more affordable and prevent foreclosure. A federal...

Consumers were told they could earn income through online businesses Five deceptive marketers and the companies they ran are banned from selling business coaching programs and investment opportunities, and from credit card laundering and telemarketing, under a...