Outreach & Training

Consumer Action’s multilingual and multicultural community outreach managers work to empower individual consumers and community educators nationwide through free, unbiased, rights-focused consumer literacy information and training. The team works with a nationwide network of community-based organizations (CBOs). Many of these CBOs become our network Affiliate members and receive membership benefits that include multiple free publication orders per year and the opportunity to participate in special in-person events. Visit our Affiliate webpage to learn more about becoming a Consumer Action Affiliate member.

Our Events

• Protecting yourself from cons in the age of COVID
  Consumer Action trainers Nelson Santiago and Linda Williams brought together frontline consumer advocates for a timely webinar on “COVID-19 Scams and Healthcare Fraud.”
• Consumer Action to host financial technology (FinTech) trainings
  
• National Consumer Empowerment Conference tackles the tough issues
  More than 120 financial education coaches from community-based organizations, advocates, policymakers and financial industry reps gathered for the 10th annual National Consumer Empowerment Conference. Top community educators and subject matter experts spoke on timely topics ranging from the life-threateningly high cost of prescription drugs to data privacy challenges (including those introduced by largely unregulated new technologies) to the harmful long-term impact arrest records can have on individuals’ ability to secure jobs or housing.

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Training Tools

• JPMorgan Chase funds Consumer Action’s innovative new FinTech initiative
  Consumer Action has received a $100,000 commitment from JPMorgan Chase to support the scale of its financial technology innovation and education initiatives to directly address America’s savings crisis and improve financial health for low- and moderate-income (LMI) and underrepresented consumers.
• Money Management 1-2-3: How financially savvy are you?
  Community educators presenting one or more parts of the Money Management 1-2-3 module can use this game as an ice-breaker and a training tool. Change the questions as needed to match your lesson plan and audience.
• Pop Quiz! What are your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act?
  Take this quiz on knowing your rights as a debtor

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Our Network

• A webinar on financial health and technology
  Consumer Action’s director of strategic partnerships, facilitated a webinar and served as a virtual mentor to educate the current First Founder’s Accelerator cohort about financial health, financial technology and privacy rights.
• Out and About: Consumer Action equipped with New Strategies
  Audrey Perrott of Consumer Action attended Georgetown University’s New Strategies Program for Nonprofit Executives.
• Wells Fargo funds Consumer Action’s new FinTech innovation work
  Consumer Action received a $275,000 commitment from Wells Fargo to support the scale of its financial technology innovation and education initiatives to directly address America’s savings crisis and improve financial health for low- and moderate-income (LMI) and underrepresented consumers.

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Best Practices

• Out & About: Black women talk finances
  Audrey Perrott attended the Currency Conversations campaign with our network of community-based organizations.
• PACE home improvement loans: Borrowers beware!
  Things your clients should know before pursuing a PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program loan. While they sound like a dream come true for cash-strapped homeowners, the dream has turned into a nightmare for many, since PACE loans have minimal underwriting guidelines and limited consumer protections.
• Updated EITC guide helps taxpayers claim hundreds, even thousands!
  Updated EITC publications for 2018 is available

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Recommended Training Tools

• Living Life Online (FTC resource)
  The nation's consumer watchdog offers great guidance for staying safe and avoiding scams online.
• CTIA’s Your Wireless Service
  CTIA - The Wireless Association has many solid resources to add to your wireless education efforts.
• Avoid ID Theft Training Kit
  The Federal Trade Commission offers a training package on ID Theft.

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Videos & Webinars

• Albert host financial technology webinars
  Consumer Action and Albert co-hosted two webinars on March 29 to educate our community partners about the Albert Genius service.
• Webinars teach CBO partners how to help clients deal with debt collectors
  Consumer Action and the Consumer Relations Consortium (CRC) partnered webinars in June
• Consumer Action YouTube Channel
  The Consumer Action YouTube Channel features short educational videos and webinars.

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