Press Release Archive

2020

July

14

• Health and wealth: Dealing with medical debt and discovering innovative solutions. Medical debt is the reason cited by more than 6 in 10 people who file for bankruptcy. A growing number of consumers have been hit with lawsuits

2019

October

09

• Consumer Action takes a look at the crisis in drug prices. Consumer Action releases a new issue of Consumer Action News (Fall 2019) looking at the crisis in prescription drug prices. The group surveyed community organizations about the impact of rising drug costs on consumers and examined some of the bills pending in Congress to address the crisis.

September

20

• House approves bill to allow you to sue companies (An uphill battle still awaits the FAIR Act in the Senate). Today, in a 225-186 vote, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill that would end forced arbitration requirements in consumer contracts. However, the Forced

January

15

• Consumers prefer a paper trail (Survey says consumers choose paper statements over electronic notices). The message is clear: Consumers overwhelmingly prefer to receive bills and statements on paper rather than electronically, according to a new survey of more than 2,600

2018

December

03

• Paper or digital? Consumer Action joins new campaign to protect consumers’ right to choose (Keep Me Posted North America launches today). Consumer Action joins new global advocacy campaign working for the right of every consumer to choose, free of charge, how they receive important information from their service providers—on paper or electronically.

November

13

• 34 civil rights, consumer and privacy groups release privacy principles (Call for comprehensive federal legislation to protect consumer privacy). Public interest privacy groups urge Congress to pass legislation that ensures fairness, prevents discrimination, advances equal opportunity, protects free expression and facilitates trust between the public and companies that collect their personal data.

October

02

• Consumer Action explores frustrating travel fees and passenger rights (New report gives consumers a rundown of airline passenger rights). Consumer Action explains airline passengers’ rights when traveling domestically and abroad.

July

16

• Protect the CFPB’s critical complaint process. Groups representing consumers, students, seniors, servicemembers, homeowners and underserved Americans joined forces today to tell the temporary leadership of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

June

04

• Groups tell temporary CFPB director: Hands off the public database!. Keep the public consumer complaint database open was the clear message sent by scores of groups to the temporary acting director of the Consumer Financial

May

24

• If companies can protect user data in Europe, they can protect it everywhere (Advocates release letter urging companies to adopt Europe’s new data protection rules worldwide). Washington, D.C. – U.S. companies should adopt essentially the same data protection rules that are poised to go into effect in the European

08

• New Vision Action Center educates consumers on their rights (New videos on online prescription renewal and the right to purchase eyewear where you want). Consumer Action has launched a new Vision Action Center to help ensure that hundreds of millions of glasses and contact lens wearers in America know their consumer rights.

February

27

• Data insecurity and data protection (Consumer Action examines whether U.S. consumers stand to benefit from new EU data protection laws). As consumers do and store more and more online, the threat of data breaches and privacy lapses is ever-present. Americans’ privacy rights are dictated

06

• Consumer advocates argue for a strong, independent CFPB (Agency’s independence is necessary to its mission, groups tell Appellate court). For Immediate Release: Feb. 6, 2018 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) independence from external political influence is crucial

01

• Transfer of CFPB consumer complaints unit offers no clear benefit. The following statement can be attributed jointly to Americans for Financial Reform, Consumer Action and U.S. PIRG: This week, Office of Management and Budget

January

31

• Consumers win appeal for CFPB independence. Consumers scored a big win today when an appeals court ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) structure as an independent agency

2017

December

08

• Consumer advocates file in support of acting CFPB director (Agency’s independence is necessary to its mission). The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) independence from external political influence is crucial to the agency’s mission of protecting

July

25

• Consumer Action condemns the House's vote to repeal class actions. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 111) today to repeal the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule to restore

20

• Consumer Action opposes Congress's attack on class actions. Members of both the U.S. House and Senate took a hatchet to consumer protection today by introducing Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to

March

08

• Consumer protections at risk (Consumer Action highlights recent consumer gains now in the cross hairs). Consumer Action News reviews many of the gains made in recent months to protect consumers’ personal safety, online privacy, dispute resolution rights and more. However, many of these critical consumer protections are in danger of disappearing under a new administration and GOP-controlled Congress.

February

03

• New regime plans to 'trump' consumer protections. Statement by Linda Sherry, Director, National Priorities, Consumer Action President Trump’s announcement today to dismantle the Dodd-Frank financial protection law and cripple the

January

10

• Filling the financial information gap in limited English communities. January 10, 2017—When you don’t speak or understand English well, applying for a car loan or mortgage can be hazardous to your financial

2016

September

30

• One million reasons why consumers need the CFPB. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) hit the one million mark this week. The Bureau has received more than one million individual consumer complaints about

28

• Consumer Action joins White House campaign to 'Lock Down Your Login' (Advice to help consumers enable the strongest authentication tools for online accounts). Consumer Action joins a new campaign, “Lock Down Your Login,” to urge Americans to limit their personal cybercrime risk and better protect their key social media, email and bank accounts by enabling strong authentication.

August

30

• Consumer Action takes a closer look at a most valuable consumer tool (Report examines CFPB complaints, public data and company responses). Consumer Action releases a study of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's complaint database and offers tips and advice on how to find information in, and make the best use of, the public complaints submitted by consumers.

23

• Consumer Action joins 280 groups in supporting rule that would restore your right to sue. WASHINGTON, DC—Consumer Action joined together with 280 consumer, civil rights, labor, community and non-profit organizations to emphasize strong and broad-based support for the Consumer