Defend Your Dollars is the website of the Consumers Union Financial Services Campaign, where we support reforms to the financial marketplace to curb bad practices by banks and lenders.
Defend Your Dollars Tips
- How To Move Your Money: Video (October 31, 2011)
- Tips for checking account customers (March 23, 2011)
- Frequently Asked Questions About Checkholds (December 15, 2010)
- Get the Facts about Overdrafts and Fees (June 29, 2010)
- Steps to Safely Move Your Money to a New Bank Account (April 22, 2010)
- Credit Union Insurance Coverage (June 16, 2009)
- FDIC Insurance Calculator (June 16, 2009)
- FACT SHEET: FDIC Insurance and Bank Failure (July 22, 2008)
- Recovery information for consumers affected by Hurricane Katrina (September 17, 2005)
- Tips for checking account customers (March 23, 2011)
- Frequently Asked Questions About Checkholds (December 15, 2010)
- Get the Facts about Overdrafts and Fees (June 29, 2010)
- Steps to Safely Move Your Money to a New Bank Account (April 22, 2010)
- How long banks can make consumers wait to use deposited funds (February 8, 2005)
- “Check 21” banking law now in effect consumers urged caution (October 28, 2004)
- New law will mean more bounced checks and fees for consumers (October 21, 2004)
- Seven policies banks could adopt to improve Check 21 for consumers (August 11, 2004)
- Get the Facts about Overdrafts and Fees (June 29, 2010)
- Steps to Safely Move Your Money to a New Bank Account (April 22, 2010)
- Paper statement fees?! What to do about this latest trick (May 14, 2010)
- A Consumer's Guide to Using Credit Cards (February 19, 2010)
- What You Need to Know: New Credit Card Rules (January 25, 2010)
- Secured Credit Card Marketing Scams (June 16, 2009)
- Federal Trade Commission’s Credit & Loan Page (June 16, 2009)
- Choosing a Credit Card: the Deal is in the Disclosures (June 16, 2009)
- Credit Card Loss Protection Offers: They’re the Real Steal (June 16, 2009)
- California: How to Withhold Payment on a Credit Card (CR-7) (June 16, 2009)
- Credit Card Repayment Calculator (June 16, 2009)
- Minimum Payment Estimates (June 16, 2009)
- Top 10 Credit Card Traps (June 16, 2009)
- Credit Card Facts and Stats (June 16, 2009)
- Credit Card Tips (June 16, 2009)
- CU offers credit card tips for college students (September 19, 2007)
- Credit card tips for college students (September 18, 2007)
- Tsunami scams: Careful when giving to charities online (January 11, 2005)
- Credit Reports and Scoring (June 17, 2009)
- Credit and Your Consumer Rights (June 17, 2009)
- California: Credit Repair Services (June 17, 2009)
- What is Credit Monitoring? (June 17, 2009)
- What is a Credit Score? (June 17, 2009)
- Can I fix my credit with "credit repair" services? (June 17, 2009)
- How can I fix any errors I find on my consumer credit report? (June 17, 2009)
- How do I read my consumer credit report? (June 17, 2009)
- What are some other rights created by the FACT Act? (June 17, 2009)
- How long should it take and where to complain? (June 17, 2009)
- How do I order my free annual consumer credit reports? (June 17, 2009)
- How And When Can I Get My Free Consumer Credit Report? (June 17, 2009)
- CU's guide to security freeze protection (June 13, 2008)
- New year is a good time to order free credit reports (January 10, 2008)
- Costly credit-monitoring services offer limited fraud protection (October 26, 2007)
- No "free" lunch on some credit report sites (July 9, 2007)
- Free credit reports available to consumers nationwide (September 1, 2005)
- Consumers in most U.S. states can now get free credit reports (June 16, 2005)
- ¿Qué es la vigilancia del crédito? (December 3, 2004)
- ¿Qué es una calificación de crédito? (December 3, 2004)
- ¿Necesito comprar algo para poder obtener mis informes crediticios (December 3, 2004)
- ¿Qué debo hacer si soy víctima del robo de mi identidad? (December 3, 2004)
- ¿Puedo reparar mi crédito con servicios que “reparan el crédito”? (December 3, 2004)
- ¿Cómo puedo corregir los errores? (December 3, 2004)
- ¿Cómo se lee el informe crediticio? (December 2, 2004)
- ¿Qué otros derechos tengo debido a la Ley FACT? (December 2, 2004)
- ¿Cuánto tarda? (December 2, 2004)
- ¿Cómo lo solicito? (December 2, 2004)
- ¿Cómo y cuándo puede obtener de manera gratuita mi informe crediticio? (December 2, 2004)
- What is Credit Monitoring? (November 15, 2004)
- What is a Credit Score? (November 15, 2004)
- Do I need to buy anything in order to get my free consumer credit reports? (November 15, 2004)
- Can I fix my credit with "credit repair" services? (November 15, 2004)
- How can I fix errors? (November 15, 2004)
- How do I read my consumer credit report? (November 15, 2004)
- What are some other rights created by the FACT Act? (November 15, 2004)
- How long should it take and where to complain? (November 15, 2004)
- How do I order? (November 15, 2004)
- How And When Can I Get My Free Consumer Credit Report? (November 15, 2004)
- Get Real Debt Help, Not Empty Promises (May 18, 2011)
- What you need to Know about Debt Settlement Services (January 5, 2010)
- Fiscal Fitness: Choosing a Credit Counselor (June 16, 2009)
- Knee Deep in Debt (June 16, 2009)
- Debt Collection: A Guide for Consumers (June 16, 2009)
- Easy Credit? Not So Fast! The Truth About Advance-Fee Loans (June 16, 2009)
- Consumer Reports, Viewpoint: Gift Cards (December 15, 2008)
- Reviewing Your Credit Report (December 4, 2007)
- Credit card tips for college students (September 18, 2007)
- 39 states lets consumers freeze credit files (July 16, 2007)
- FAQs on SSNs and ID Theft (October 31, 2006)
- 8.3 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year (October 11, 2006)
- Recovery information for consumers affected by Hurricane Katrina (September 17, 2005)
- Tsunami scams: Careful when giving to charities online (January 11, 2005)
- New law will mean more bounced checks and fees for consumers (October 21, 2004)
- Debt Collection: A Guide for Consumers (June 16, 2009)
- What you need to Know about Debt Settlement Services (January 5, 2010)
- 6 Tips for Graduating with Less Student Debt (December 16, 2011)
- Low cost ways to fund your college education (February 28, 2009)
- How to choose a private student loan (August 9, 2007)
- Get Real Debt Help, Not Empty Promises (May 18, 2011)
- Reverse mortgage tips for consumers (December 7, 2010)
- New programs helping today’s homeowners (March 26, 2009)
- What to do if you are having mortgage difficulties (February 12, 2009)
- Federal Trade Commission’s Mortgage Page (January 16, 2009)
- Consumer Reports: A Rescue Plan for the Rest of Us (December 8, 2008)
- 8.3 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year (October 11, 2006)
- Recovery information for consumers affected by Hurricane Katrina (September 17, 2005)
- Gift Cards 2010: New consumer tips for the holiday season (November 9, 2010)
- Paper statement fees?! What to do about this latest trick (May 14, 2010)
- Consumer Reports highlights gift card pitfalls (November 13, 2007)
- Credit card tips for college students (September 18, 2007)
- Read our buying tips before you shop for the holidays (December 19, 2005)
- Recovery information for consumers affected by Hurricane Katrina (September 17, 2005)
- Consumer Reports, Viewpoint: Debit Holds (October 15, 2008)
- Consumer Reports offers tips to avoid debit cards gotchas (October 12, 2006)
- Gift Cards 2010: New consumer tips for the holiday season (November 9, 2010)
- Consumer Reports, Viewpoint: Gift Cards (December 15, 2008)
- Consumer Reports highlights gift card pitfalls (November 13, 2007)
- Consumer Reports highlights gift card pitfalls (November 13, 2007)
- California: FAQ Gift Certificates & Gift Cards (March 16, 2006)
- Tips for Consumers Using Unemployment Cards (March 18, 2009)
- Fact sheet for Direct Express cards (June 12, 2008)
- Questions for Employees to Ask About Payroll Cards (October 15, 2007)
- Payroll Cards: Issues for Employers (October 15, 2007)
- Mobile payments tip sheet: What can consumers do now (August 22, 2011)
- Consumers Union’s Tips for Mobile Payments Users (June 30, 2009)
- CU offers tips to shoppers for paying online (November 17, 2008)
- Consumer’s Guide to E-Payments (May 16, 2008)
- California: Consumer Rights In Electronic Fund Transfers (CR-6) (April 16, 2008)
- Tips for prepaid card customers (March 23, 2011)
- Opt out of many mailing lists (June 24, 2009)
- What should I do if I become a victim of identity theft? (June 17, 2009)
- Computer Security Tips from the Government (June 16, 2009)
- Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Page (June 16, 2009)
- Some states making ID theft protection easier (August 28, 2008)
- CU's guide to security freeze protection (June 13, 2008)
- Stop phishing (March 13, 2008)
- 39 states lets consumers freeze credit files (July 16, 2007)
- State Security Freeze Laws (December 4, 2006)
- Identity Theft: Tips for Consumers (November 1, 2006)
- 8.3 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year (October 11, 2006)
- Stop Thieves from Stealing You (August 28, 2002)
- CU's guide to security freeze protection (June 13, 2008)
- Stop phishing (March 13, 2008)
- Costly credit-monitoring services offer limited fraud protection (October 26, 2007)
- 39 states lets consumers freeze credit files (July 16, 2007)
- State Security Freeze Laws (December 4, 2006)
- Tips From Consumers Union (November 1, 2006)
- 26.5 million veterans at risk for identity theft (May 24, 2006)
- Consumer tips related to the ChoicePoint story (February 21, 2005)
- Things to Consider When Deciding Whether to Place a Security Freeze (April 14, 2009)
- Are you experiencing problems with your security freeze? (April 14, 2009)
- Frequently asked questions about security freeze (April 14, 2009)
- CU's guide to security freeze protection (June 13, 2008)
- ID theft freeze available nationwide on Nov. 1 (October 31, 2007)
- Powerful ID theft protection goes nationwide (October 4, 2007)
- 39 states lets consumers freeze credit files (July 16, 2007)
- State Security Freeze Laws (December 4, 2006)
- 8.3 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year (October 11, 2006)
- CU's guide to security freeze protection (June 13, 2008)
- Protect your Social Security Number (August 10, 2007)
- 39 states lets consumers freeze credit files (July 16, 2007)
- State Security Freeze Laws (December 4, 2006)
- FAQs on SSNs and ID Theft (October 31, 2006)