Table of Contents

Examining the prepaid card market
Testimony of Lauren K. Saunders before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Recommendations to the CFPB on streamlining regulations
In coalition with Americans for Financial Reform and others, Consumer Action signed onto comments submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with ideas on how to streamline certain financial regulations.

Real debt help
Consumer Action partnered with other national consumer groups to provide tips on how to avoid debt relief scams and bogus mortgage relief assistance. The Get Real Debt Help fact sheet explains debt relief danger signs, rules on upfront fees, and where to turn for real debt help. (Available in Spanish and English).

Old exceptions to risk-based pricing rule must be removed before Dodd-Frank can work
Consumer Action signed onto comments that point out problems with provisions proposed by the Federal Reserve and the FTC that would fail to remove currently-existing exceptions to the risk-based pricing rule (if the creditor makes a credit scoring disclosure) in the Dodd-Frank bill.

Consumers deserve free access to credit scores with credit reports
Consumer Action joined its coalition partners in sending a letter to Senator Mark Udall asking him to support an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act which would require credit reporting agencies to give consumers free access to their credit scores when they obtain their free annual credit report.

Give prepaid cards the same protections as debit cards
In coalition with other consumer organizations, Consumer Action asked Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to apply the consumer protections that debit cards have to prepaid cards as well.

Financial reform coalition tackles big issues
A new financial reform coalition, Americans for Financial Reform, has been launched. Consumer Action is a part of this coalition.

Shareholders target predatory credit card practices
Consumer Action and the Center for Responsible Lending joined socially responsible MMA Praxis Mutual Funds and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility to discuss anti-consumer credit card practices that could have a negative impact on shareholders of major card issuers, and the larger economy.

“Opt-in” fundamental to consumer overdraft protection
The Federal Reserve's move to curb abuses in bank overdraft practices prompted Consumer Action and its coalition partners to write a letter demanding that the Fed ask institutions to first obtain consumer "opt-in" or agreement before imposing any fees for the service.

Wolf in sheep’s clothing: payday lending bill harms consumers
In a letter to the House Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee, Consumer Action joined its coalition members in strongly opposing H.R. 1214, which would condone predatory terms in payday loan products.