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Consumer Highlighted Resources

  • Fall 2012 FDIC Money Smart News – Money Smart Success Stories, Unbanked, “Safe Accounts”.

  • Debit, Credit and Prepaid Cards: There Are Differences, FDIC Consumer News.

  • What is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)?  Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. Search for a VITA/TCE location near you.

  • May is Direct Deposit Month

    Consider helping consumers learn about direct deposit for safety and convenience and to help them save. Also, by March 1, 2013 — 297 days left — everyone getting federal benefits by paper check will need to switch to electronic payments. This will save taxpayers $1 billion. Below are questions and answers about the U.S. Treasury’s Go Direct Campaign to help recipients of federal benefits to switch to direct deposit. Learn more about Go Direct.

  • FDIC Money Smart News – News and Information about Financial Education from the FDIC –Spring 2012

    In This Issue: Message from the FDIC; Our Latest Success Stories: Money Smart Educators Who Use the Curriculum to Promote Financial Inclusion; FDIC, SBA Launch Small Business Financial Education Curriculum; FDIC Issues Tips on Payment Cards, Highlights Other Consumer Services During National Consumer Protection Week; FDIC Consumer Newsletter Features Banking Tips for Small Businesses; Advisory Committee Discusses "Safe Accounts," Mobile Banking and Prepaid Cards; How to Join, Benefit from the Money Smart Alliance Program; The FDIC's Consumer Response Center: Another Option for Assistance ;Application Deadlines Announced for Federal "Assets for Independence" Grants. Read the new issue now.

  • April is the 12th Annual California Financial Literacy Month - “Helping Californians Make Informed Financial Decisions”

    This coordinated consumer education campaign encourages individuals throughout the state to take full advantage of free resources designed to improve financial literacy and increase decision making power. This year’s theme – “Helping Californians Make Informed Financial Decisions” -- highlights the importance of making well-informed financial decisions to achieve financial goals.

  • FDIC Consumer News - Winter 2012

    FDIC Consumer Newsletter features banking tips for small businesses and information on preventing elder fraud and overcoming problems managing a checking account. The latest issue can be read or printed online at www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnwin1112

  • Franchise Tax Board's Free VITA/TCE Site Search

    The Franchise Tax Board Web site provides a site search for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) locations. VITA volunteer sites provides assistance to taxpayers regardless of age. TCE volunteer sites devote special attention to those taxpayers 60 years of age or older. You will be able to search for the addresses of sites where IRS and FTB trained volunteers prepare basic personal income tax returns for low to moderate income taxpayers free of charge. Most VITA/TCE sites open after February 1, 2012. Search for a VITA/TCE location near you.

  • Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Questions and Answers

    What is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)? Who can claim the credit? Where can I get more information?

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

    The CFPB is still in the construction phase, but launched a website to kick off their virtual listening tour. They want to hear from you, see Open for Suggestions. The CFPB plans to make consumer financial products and services clearer—putting in place building blocks that will enable us to improve disclosures, enforce new consumer protections established by Congress, protect consumers from deceptive, unfair, and abusive practices, and allow financial services providers to compete on a level playing field. You can follow the CFPB on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr, and provide an email address when you visit their site to receive important updates.

  • National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW)

    DFI is joining other government agencies and organizations to promote consumer education during National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 6-12, 2011.  Visit ncpw.gov for consumer tips, materials and free resources from government agencies and nonprofit organizations.  And be sure to read the NCPW blog while you’re there for expert analysis of the latest consumer issues.

  • America Saves Week

    America Saves Week set for February 20-27, is an annual opportunity to encourage saving, debt reduction, and wealth building among adults, particularly those in low-to-moderate income areas. Consider getting involved locally in the upcoming America Saves campaign by hosting motivational workshops or featuring savings related posters, brochures, and other information in your branches. For more information on how your financial institution can get involved, visit America Saves Week online at www.AmericaSavesWeek.org.

  • Military Saves Campaign

    Military Saves is a campaign to encourage military families to save money every month, and to convince leaders and organizations to be aggressive in promoting automatic savings. The campaign is a growing network of organizations and individuals committed to helping and supporting military members and their loved ones build personal savings arsenals to provide for their immediate and long term financial needs. For information on how your financial institution can support the Military Saves Campaign, visit  www.militarysaves.org or send an email to info@militarysaves.org.

  • Federal Agencies Form Financial Education Partnership

    Earlier this week the Department of Education, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and National Credit Union Administration announced a new partnership to encourage schools, financial institutions, federal grantees and other stakeholders to work together to increase financial literacy and access to deposit accounts. Financial Education Partnership Press Release and Fact Sheet.

  • Mortgage Modification Program

    The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) kicked off a nationwide campaign to help borrowers who are currently in the trial phase of their modified mortgages under the Obama Administration’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) convert to permanent modifications. The modification program, which has helped over 650,000 borrowers, is part of the Administration’s broader commitment to stabilize housing markets and to provide relief to struggling homeowners and is a primary focus of financial stability efforts moving forward. Roughly 375,000 of the borrowers who have begun trial modifications since the start of the program are scheduled to convert to permanent modifications by the end of the year. Through the efforts being announced today, Treasury and HUD will implement new outreach tools and borrower resources to help convert as many trial modifications as possible to permanent ones.

  • Foreclosure Prevention Toolkit

    FDIC and other bank regulators are offereing a free tool kit of information that will help borrowers, community stakeholders and the banking industry avoid unnecessary foreclosures and stop foreclosure "rescue" scams that promise false hope to consumers at risk of losing their homes. The tool kit includes critical information to help borrowers know who to contact and what documents they need to have available to apply for a loan modification that could save their home from foreclosure. This tool kit also describes the warning signs of potential foreclosure "rescue" scams and how consumers, community stakeholders, and bankers can report scammers and prevent fraud.

  • California Foreclosure Prevention Act

    The California Foreclosure Prevention Act modifies the foreclosure process to provide additional time for borrowers to work out loan modifications while providing an exemption for mortgage loan servicers that have implemented a comprehensive loan modification program.