Helpful Links
Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion are the three major credit reporting bureaus used in the USA. When a consumer applies for credit whether it is for a Mortgage, auto or personal loan, credit cards etc. financial lending institutions will pull the consumers credit report from one or all three of these credit bureaus. It is very important to know what your credit report says about you! Consumers are entitled to receive their free credit report once yearly directly from the credit bureaus or consumers could also join a credit monitoring program.
Consumer
- Consumer Action
Consumer Action, founded in 1971, is a national non-profit education and advocacy organization offering many free services to consumers.
Copyright © Consumer Action All Rights Reserved - Consumers Checkbook
A Nonprofit consumer information and service resource center whose purpose is to provide consumers information to help them get high quality services and products at the best possible prices.
Copyright © Consumers Checkbook All Rights Reserved - Credit Card Payment Calculator
Link to the financial calculator that will show you exactly how much you will end up paying your high interest credit cards and how many years it will take you to pay it off if you just pay the minimum amount required. There are also other helpful calculators on this site.
- Federal Citizens Information Center
Federal Citizens Information Center (FCIC) provides the answers to questions about the Federal Government and everyday consumer issues whether citizens write, call or log on.
Copyright © FCIC All Rights Reserved
Government
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Consumer Credit Protection Act to prohibit abusive practices by debt collectors. It is the purpose of this title to eliminate abusive debt collection practices by debt collectors.
Copyright © Fair Debt Collection Practices Act All Rights Reserved - The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is designed to require that Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRA’s) adopt reasonable procedures for meeting the needs of commerce for consumer credit, personnel, insurance, and other information in a manner which is fair and equitable to the consumer, with regard to the confidentiality, accuracy, relevancy, and proper utilization of such information.
Copyright © FCRA All Rights Reserved - Federal Trade Commission
The FTC deals with issues that touch the economic lives of most Americans. In fact, the agency has a long tradition of maintaining a competitive marketplace for both consumers and businesses. When the FTC was created in 1914, its purpose was to prevent unfair methods of competition in commerce. Over the years, Congress passed additional laws giving the agency greater authority to police anticompetitive practices. In 1938, Congress passed a broad prohibition against “unfair and deceptive acts or practices.” Since then, the Commission also has been directed to administer a wide variety of other consumer protection laws, including the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Pay-Per-Call Rule and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. In 1975, Congress gave the FTC the authority to adopt industry-wide trade regulation rules.
Copyright © FTC All Rights Reserved - FirstGov
FirstGov.gov is an easy-to-search, free-access website designed to give you a centralized place to find online information, services, and resources from U.S. local, state and federal government agency websites.
Copyright © USA.Gov All Rights Reserved - FirstGov En Español
FirstGov En Español
- Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration is the Nation’s primary income security Agency. It administers the Federal retirement, survivors and disability insurance programs, as well as the program of supplemental security income (SSI) for the aged, blind and disabled.
- State and Local Contacts
The State and Local Government Internet directory provides convenient one-stop access to the websites of thousands of state agencies and city and county governments.
Copyright © State and Local Government on the Net All Rights Reserved - U.S. Tax Court
Congress created the Tax Court to provide a judicial forum in which affected persons could dispute tax deficiencies determined by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue prior to payment of the disputed amounts. The jurisdiction of the Tax Court includes the authority to hear tax disputes concerning notices of deficiency, notices of transferee liability, certain types of declaratory judgment, readjustment and adjustment of partnership items, review of the failure to abate interest, administrative costs, worker classification, relief from joint and several liabilities on a joint return, and review of certain collection actions.
Copyright © U.S. Tax Court All Rights Reserved
Industry
- TASC (The Association of Settlement Companies)
TASCTM established in September 2005 goals are to promote good practice in the debt settlement industry, protect the interests of consumer debtors, and lobby on behalf of debt settlement companies on the federal and state level. Debt settlement companies act on behalf of the consumer to help them clear their debts.
Copyright © TASC All Rights Reserved - United States Organizations for Bankruptcy Alternatives (USOBA)
The United States Organizations for Bankruptcy Alternatives (USOBA) was founded by members of the industry seeking representation specifically for debt negotiation outside of credit counseling and bankruptcy law. The mission of USOBA is to create and advocate an agenda only for the debt negotiation industry.
Copyright © USOBA All Rights Reserved