Consumer Resources

Check out Nolo’s Consumer Protection section to learn about buying, selling, and leasing cars, consumer warranties, identify fraud, travel scams and tips, banking and credit cards, canceling contracts, and more. The articles and FAQs contain useful information, tips, and links to help you become a savvy consumer, avoid fraud, and take appropriate action when you do encounter trouble.

Visit this site to order your annual free credit report from all three credit bureaus. This website also has FAQs about reporting credit fraud, placing a fraud alert on your account, disputing information on your credit report, ordering reports more than once per year, and how to take appropriate action when you do encounter trouble.

Consumer Reports has been a leader in product reviews for many years, providing information about the quality and reliability of large and small electronics, appliances, home and garden products, baby and toddler equipment, and more. Its annual Car Buying issue has been a consumer favorite for many years. Its money section provides information about banking and credit, personal investing, travel, and retirement products.

Find the value of your used car by checking the Kelly Blue Book online. Or find out what your dealer paid for the new car you plan to buy. Read car reviews, compare cars using the KBB online tool, or order the CARFAX vehicle history of a particular car.

Lots of online information about buying and selling cars, spotting car sales scams, how to get a good deal on car insurance, financing a vehicle purchase, and more. Also, check out Edmunds new car buying guides and car reviews.

For a small fee, you can obtain your FICO score, understand the factors affecting it, and learn how to improve and protect it. MyFICO’s financial help center has lots of information on auto loans, credit cards, student loans, mortgages, and avoiding credit and identity fraud.

On the BBB’s website, you can file a complaint against a local business, view national complaint statistics, and find out the complaint history and BBB standing of a certain business. The BBB also mediates some disputes between consumers and member businesses, and runs the BBB AutoLine program, a mediation and arbitration program for car warranty disputes.

Learn about automobile manufacturer secret warranty programs, discover typical defects for various car makes and models, and file and view complaints about car warranty issues. This website also provides links to each state’s auto lemon laws.

This government website has information about the latest vehicle and equipment recalls, as well as consumer guides on safe driving and vehicle safety.

This website has loads of online calculators for mortgages, auto loans, credit card payments and interest, investment, retirement savings, college financing, and more. You can also shop for credit cards, mortgages, and other financial products, while comparing rates and terms.

Access downloadable pamphlets in many languages on consumer topics such as banking basics, buying cars and car insurance, credit issues, and more. It also has links to consumer resources and an online complaint form.

The FTC’s consumer protection center has information about identity theft, buying a car, consumer credit and loans, and telemarketing. You can also report identify theft and file an identity theft complaint with the FTC.

Information about obtaining passports and visas, what to do if your passport is stolen, travel warnings in foreign countries, and tips for traveling abroad.

NCLC’s “For Consumers” section has consumer education brochures, links to consumer information and resources, and a center devoted to student loans.

Click on the links in these fake advertisements, and the FTC will give you the truth about lending schemes, diet and diabetes product claims, over-the-counter impotency drugs, and work-at-home rip-offs. The FTC also provides tips on how to spot and avoid these frauds.