Front and center for military consumers
By: Lesley Fair | Feb 2, 2018 12:59PM
Military families face all the consumer protection issues other Americans face – and then some. Frequent moves and deployments can pose additional financial challenges for servicemembers. And some of these concerns continue even after they’ve settled into civilian life.
The lesson of the MARS Rule: Not one penny up front
By: Lesley Fair | Jan 26, 2018 12:51PM
Like calling an NFL lineman “Tiny,” we appreciate an ironic name as much as the next person. But it’s different when a company calls itself – among other things – Consumer Defense, Preferred Law, and Modification Review Board and then makes allegedly deceptive claims regarding loan modification services to consumers struggling to hold onto their homes.
Continue Reading The lesson of the MARS Rule: Not one penny up front
So You Received a CID: FAQs for Small Businesses
By: Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director, FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection | Jan 19, 2018 6:34PM
So you’ve received a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) from the Federal Trade Commission related to a consumer protection matter. Now what? We appreciate that it can be daunting for any company – especially a small business – and we want to be as transparent as possible about the process.
Continue Reading So You Received a CID: FAQs for Small Businesses
By: Carol Kando-Pineda | Nov 15, 2016 11:04AM
The military community makes many of the same consumer decisions as their civilian counterparts. We all need to manage our money – and avoid rip-offs. But servicemembers and their families also face unique challenges, like frequent relocations and deployment. When a permanent change of station is on the horizon, a military family needs to rent or buy a new place to live, manage money while on the move, and be vigilant about dealing with businesses in an unfamiliar locale. A servicemember’s regular paycheck from Uncle Sam can make them a target for scammers.
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 17, 2016 12:22PM
For swimmers struggling to stay afloat, imagine this good news/bad news scenario. The good news: Someone throws a life preserver in your direction. The bad news: It’s made of concrete. According to an FTC lawsuit, that’s a rough analogy to the services that Damian Kutzner, Brookstone Law, Advantis Law, attorney Vito Torchia, Jr., and others offered to consumers caught in the undertow of foreclosure.
By: Leah Frazier and Michelle Grajales | May 26, 2016 11:58AM
The FTC just posted a new list and you’ll want to make sure you don’t land on it.
It’s a list of hundreds of companies and individuals banned from the debt relief business.
By: Lesley Fair | May 25, 2016 1:07PM
For companies that peddle phony student loan debt relief, we have a message for you: Winter is coming.
Will a $63 million FTC-CFPB settlement encourage Green Tree to turn over a new leaf?
By: Lesley Fair | Apr 21, 2015 1:07PM
As the name suggests, Green Tree Servicing was supposed to service homeowners’ mortgages by collecting and crediting monthly payments. But according to a $63 million settlement announced by the FTC and CFPB, rather than service, Green Tree gave many homeowners the business.
Peace, love, and understanding
By: Lesley Fair | Mar 12, 2015 10:57AM
“What’s so funny ‘bout peace, love, and understanding?” Elvis Costello asked that musical question back in the day. The Memorandum of Understanding between the FTC and CFPB – which the two agencies just reauthorized for a three-year period – shows that when it comes to protecting consumers, ensuring a vibrant marketplace for financial products and services, and using resources efficiently, we're in harmony.
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 23, 2014 12:40PM
Sci-fi fans will remember the 1996 movie "Mars Attacks!" where Americans banded together to fight off Martian invaders.
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 16, 2014 10:42AM
Ask most people to name the streets in the neighborhood where they grew up and they’ll tell you Maple Lane or Sycamore Drive. Ask a military kid – ask this military kid – and she’ll mention Tank Destroyer Boulevard and Hell on Wheels Avenue. Years ago, if you drove down Tank Destroyer and exited the East Gate of Fort Hood, the neon signs advertising “zero down,” “E-Z credit,” or “low monthly payments” lit up the Central Texas sky like a discount aurora borealis.
Deceptive mortgage ads hit close to home
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 12, 2014 2:50PM
The headline read ZIP. ZERO. NADA. In big print, the ads also said 0 money down* and 0 for paid closing costs*. Heritage Homes didn’t include ZILCH, BUPKES, or (for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” fans) THE BIG GOOSE EGG, but the FTC says the meaning to prospective buyers was clear. So how much truth was in that across-the-board “zero” claim? According to the FTC’s complaint: Zip. Zero. Nada.
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 11, 2013 5:45PM
Earlier this week was the 66th anniversary of the so-called Roswell UFO incident. No, Mulder and Scully aren't on temporary assignment to the FTC and we don’t have any “now it can be told” government news on the subject. But we can offer insights into what happening on MARS: the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule. As X Files fans would say, "The truth is out there," but one place it appears to be lacking is in promotions making overhyped promises to homeowners in financial trouble.
FTC's record-setting Do Not Call settlement: 4 tips for business and one candid suggestion
By: Lesley Fair | Jun 28, 2013 11:12AM
Yesterday’s 10th anniversary of the National Do Not Call Registry was a good time to reflect on a decade of progress. But to paraphrase Thomas Jefferson (or Patrick Henry, Irish statesman John Philpot Curran, or whoever else said it), eternal vigilance is the price of an uninterrupted dinner hour. A record-setting $7.5 million settlement with a national mortgage broker demonstrates the FTC’s commitment to the fight against
Are your ad claims on the MAP?
By: Lesley Fair | Nov 19, 2012 11:58AM
Here’s a first for you: The FTC has released a series of ads created by its own staff and boy, are they bad. No, we’re not channeling our inner Sterling Cooper Mad Men. The goal is to help companies comply with their legal obligations by showing some of the questionable mortgage-related claims likely to cause law enforcement — and consumer — heartburn.
Debt-icated to protecting consumers
By: Lesley Fair | Jul 5, 2012 1:36PM
Never underestimate the creativity of marketers attempting to separate cash-strapped consumers from their last dollar. And never underestimate the FTC’s resolve to protect people from deception in tough economic times. Those are just two points to take from recent FTC law enforcement actions.
By: Lesley Fair | Apr 18, 2012 11:50AM
If you haven’t already, hover up to your toolbar and bookmark the FTC’s Regulatory Review page. It’s your one-stop resource for what's coming up and what’s going down with Commission rules and guides of interest to your business and your clients. Recent announcements about the FTC's regulatory review schedule make it a must-read.
By: Lesley Fair | Apr 11, 2012 10:23AM
Last week saw FTC announcements involving allegations of foreclosure rescue fraud, deception aimed at people trying to resell their timeshares, complaints against payday lenders, and lawsuits against outfits claiming to help consumers behind on their car payments. Is there a theme here? You bet. But the message isn't just for companies engaged in practices targeting consumers struggling to stay afloat. There are words to the wise for businesses of any size and every stripe.
By: Lesley Fair | Apr 2, 2012 11:16AM
The FTC has filed another action against defendants who allegedly attempted to squeeze the last drop from homeowners already under water. This case, however, involves a disturbing new variation on foreclosure "rescue" operations.
Let’s hope it doesn’t get to this, but . . .
By: Lesley Fair | Feb 13, 2012 3:59PM
When the FTC conducts an investigation to see if a company has violated the law, it’s important that the process is efficient and not unduly burdensome on those involved. The FTC’s Rules of Practice lay out the procedures the Commission follows.
Continue Reading Let’s hope it doesn’t get to this, but . . .
