Consumer Protectors: Help for Credit, Identity Theft and Privacy Issues

Consumer Protectors

When we want to find out the latest on issues, scams, and legislation, we turn to these great nonprofits and the folks who lead them:

Consumer Action 
Visit CA's Help Desk when you're having a problem with a merchant. If that doesn't work, call CA's free hotline: (415) 777-9635. The site has solid information on credit cards, banking, phone service, housing, and scams – in up to eight languages.

Linda Sherry, CA's director of national priorities, educates legislators and the press on key consumer issues, including credit, bankruptcy, and insurance fraud.

Consumer Federation of America
CFA, the nation's largest consumer advocacy group, brings together some 300 nonprofits, with a combined membership of over 50 million people. Led by Stephen Brobeck, CFA investigates and represents consumer  interests on subjects ranging from managing debts and resolving consumer complaints to safeguarding playgrounds and analyzing insurance policies.

USPIRG
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group's mission is "to deliver persistent, result-oriented public interest activism that protects our environment, encourages a fair, sustainable economy ... ." This Washington watchdog is backed up by state PIRGs, which add grassroots muscle and research to national policy debates.

Ed Mierzwinski, U.S. PIRG's consumer program director, testifies before Congress, speaks to the media, and writes about PIRG research on credit bureau errors, bank fees, playgrounds, tobacco, and other dangerous products.

Other great nonprofit consumer protectors include:

American Council on Consumer Interests is where to turn for academia's research findings on family economics.

Call for Action is who to call with a consumer problem. CFA is an international, nonprofit network of consumer hotlines affiliated with local broadcast partners. Services are free, confidential, and available to individuals as well as small businesses.

Center for Economic Justice works to make insurance, credit and utilities more available and affordable for low-income and minority consumers. Kudos for their work on insurance scoring.

Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, tests products, advocates for pro-consumer policies, and analyzes services for people of all ages – from child safety in cars to seniors and prescription drug plans.

Institute of Consumer Financial Education offers great tips on "mending spending," repairing credit, and protecting your identity.

Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy promotes the teaching of basic personal financial skills in the schools – saving, spending, investing, borrowing.

National Consumers League offers info and advocacy on everything from health and nutrition to workers rights. Visit its Fraud.org website or call 1-800-876-7060 to report suspected telemarketing or internet fraud, as well as for good consumer protection info.

Protecting our privacy and electronic rights are the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Privacy Rights ClearingHouse and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

When it's a legal issue, visit the National Consumer Law Center which publishes helpful legal manuals for consumer law attorneys, and also speaks out on issues affecting low-income and everyday consumers.