CA News & Special Reports Archive

2022

July

27
  • How to appeal health insurance claim denials (Summer 2022).
    Consumers almost never appeal when their health insurance claims are denied. Yet, about 40% of ACA Marketplace claims were overturned on appeal. Consumer Action looks at the key reasons for denial and how to fight for the coverage you deserve.

January

03
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - January 2022.
    Start 2022 right with Consumer Action's INSIDER newsletter. Learn about what we are up to with the goal of improving consumer protections and consumer rights.

2021

October

27
  • Medicare Issue (Fall 2021).
    The Fall 2021 issue of Consumer Action News dives into the many choices that newly eligible Medicare recipients have to make. Not being prepared with those decisions by your 65th birthday could leave you without the best coverage or open you up to long-term penalties. Read on to learn about your plan options and what key deadlines to be aware of.
01
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - October 2021.
    In this month's edition, we report on our upcoming 50th anniversary events, warn rental car customers about the often unexpected cost of tolls, highlight recent coalition efforts and CFPB activities, and alert readers to a class action suit against Wells Fargo for unrefunded GAP fees.

August

02
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - August 2021.
    The August 2021 issue of Consumer Action's INSIDER newsletter includes our regular features highlighting our recent work with advocacy allies, the latest activities of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and another class action settlement you may be eligible to join. This month, we also announce publication of three new fact sheets, on the Emergency Broadband Benefit and on vaccine hesitancy; offer advice for anyone who ends up with a "lemon" RV; and link to numerous articles and videos we've contributed to Spanish-language media outlets.

May

31
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - June 2021.
    The June 2021 issue of INSIDER brings you stories about our recent activities and publications, including the most recent Consumer Action News issue, about liability insurance, and a new webinar explaining the rise of "contactless payment" methods due to the pandemic. Regular features include Hotline Chronicles, CFPB Watch and new additions to our Class Action Database.
05
  • Liability insurance (Spring 2021).
    Liability insurance is designed to protect you and your assets from accidental injury or damage to someone else or their property. We explain what liability protection covers and what to consider when filing a claim.

February

01
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - February 2021.
    The February 2021 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER introduces the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new debt collection rule and what it will mean for debtors; highlights our latest COVID-19 Educational Project webinar, on disaster preparedness and recovery; guides internet users on what they can do to delete their personal information from the web; details our recent coalition efforts; shares the latest happenings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and announces new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

January

04
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - January 2021.
    The January 2021 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER highlights our new guide to the Earned Income Tax Credit, titled Get Credit for Your Hard Work; outlines our work with funding partners (including Wells Fargo) to teach people how to best handle coronavirus-related challenges, including children's and teens' mental health and privacy in the age of remote learning; addresses the issue of free versus paid COVID-19 testing (and how you can find out if your insurance should cover tests); details our recent coalition efforts; shares the latest happenings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and announces new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

2020

November

03
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - November 2020.
    The November 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER highlights our anniversary awards ceremony and "virtual convening" centering on the theme of Health is Wealth; our COVID Educational Project fact sheets and webinars; advice on what to do if you are having trouble contacting customer service during the pandemic; our recent coalition efforts; the latest happenings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

October

28
  • Impact of race on personal finances (Fall 2020).
    In the latest issue of Consumer Action News, on the "Impact of race on personal finances," we examine areas of personal finance affected by institutional racism, from car and student loans to mortgages and auto insurance, and we consider some proposals for dismantling the barriers to financial inclusion.
01
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - October 2020.
    The October 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER highlights our webinar on job loss in the pandemic (part of our COVID-19 Educational Project, sponsored by Wells Fargo, with additional support from AT&T, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, and Square); our use of the Financial Health Network’s FinHealth Score® Toolkit to gauge consumers' financial health using apps and other digital services to save money, etc.; advice on what to do if you bought a "lemon" (with or without a factory warranty); our recent coalition efforts; the latest CFPB happenings; and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

August

31
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - September 2020.
    The September 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER highlights our upcoming Health and Wealth virtual convening and annual awards ceremony (registration open now), and includes articles on “best practices” in issues-based online activism, Consumer Action's webinar on estate planning during the pandemic (part of our COVID-19 Educational Project, sponsored by Wells Fargo, with additional support from AT&T, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, and Square), the importance of registering your car with your state motor vehicle agency (rather than a third party), our recent coalition efforts, the latest CFPB happenings, and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

July

13
  • Health and wealth: The connection (Summer 2020).
    From learning that you owe thousands of dollars in surprise medical bills, to being hit with a lawsuit for unpaid hospital bills, life can be hard for healthcare consumers who are burdened by medical debt. And debt tends to cause stress and despair that spills into all corners of individual and family life. In this issue, Consumer Action looks at some innovative ways to help relieve the heavy debt burden, and examines the prospect of efficient, effective virtual medical care.

May

01
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - May 2020.
    The May 2020 issue of Consumer Action INSIDER features articles about our COVID-19 consumer financial resources guide; a health and technology webinar our staff participated in; how to stop recurring payments; coverage of our Coalition Efforts; and new settlements posted in our Class Action Database.

April

  • Consumer Action INSIDER - April 2020.
    The April 2020 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER instructs older people on how they can report scams, especially as new ones are arising daily due to the coronavirus crisis; gives readers an overview of former CFPB director Richard Cordray's new book, “Watchdog: How Protecting Consumers Can Save Our Families, Our Economy, and Our Democracy”; exposes how the devil's in the details when it comes to "free filing" tax prep services offered by companies such as TurboTax and Tax Act; updates readers on our coalition efforts, including those to ensure that any COVID-19 vaccines developed are affordable for all consumers; and more.

March

16
  • Saving for retirement (Spring 2020).
    In this issue of Consumer Action News we address the issue of retirement savings, and feature the results of an online survey we conducted about how people are saving for, and poised for, retirement.
01
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - March 2020.
    The March 2020 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER explains how taxpayers can avoid falling victim to tax-related identity theft; details how market-rigging by Big Pharma is making medications (including generics) less accessible and affordable for consumers; describes how users can avoid getting hit with cancellation fees when they schedule services through apps; updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's partnership with the U.S. Department of Education (to help student borrowers by resolving lending complaints); and more.

February

03
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - February 2020.
    The February 2020 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER outlines our new "Get Covered" health insurance education and training module; invites readers to participate in our upcoming webinars on how FinTech can help consumers save money, budget, and more; explains how "spreading the word" can stop the spread of common scams; updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work and asks the question: "Why isn't it providing financial relief to wronged consumers?"; and more.

2019

December

19
  • The benefits of class actions (Winter 2019-2020).
    Class action cases are an important consumer protection tool. While they don’t often provide full compensation to harmed consumers, they play a vital role in promoting fair corporate behavior. In this issue of Consumer Action News we explore how class actions benefit consumers.

September

30
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - October 2019.
    The October 2019 issue of the Consumer Action INSIDER details a partnership between Verizon and Consumer Action to combat the onslaught of robocalls; outlines our involvement in the Insurance Consumer Protection Advisory Council (to identify new ways to reduce insurance fraud); informs readers of what action to take when a landlord will not return their security deposit; lists the newest class action settlements; updates readers on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work; and more.

April

01
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - April 2019.
    The April issue updates readers on the latest in the campaign to end the unfair practice of forced arbitration; what to do when taking your pet to the vet ends up costing you WAY too much; our partnership with the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation; and more.

January

15
  • Paper or digital? (Winter 2018-2019).
    Paper or digital, that is the question—and the focus of the Winter 2018-2019 issue of Consumer Action News. Companies and government agencies are (in some cases aggressively) switching consumers from paper to electronic communications, but is that what consumers want or need? Read the newsletter to learn about consumers’ rights regarding paper statements, what a Consumer Action survey on the topic revealed, and how groups are pushing back on paperless in support of consumer choice.
01
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - January 2019.
    The January issue features a Hotline Chronicles article on how to best return unwanted holiday gifts; our updated Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) guide to help you get the biggest refund possible this tax season; our work fighting for immigrant rights; a campaign we've joined to protect consumer access to printed communications; our latest annual report; and more.

2018

December

02
  • Consumer Action INSIDER - December 2018.
    The December issue features a Hotline Chronicles article about a driver who was the victim of predatory towing (and what you can do if this happens to you); Consumer Action's annual National Consumer Empowerment Conference; your rights when dealing with debt collectors (under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act); and more.
 

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