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Auto Loans - Q&A

Consumer Action has written this guide with funding from the Bank of America Consumer Education Fund (BACEF) to help community-based organizations communicate with their clients. A free companion brochure for consumers titled “Get a Car Loan That’s In Your Best Interest” is available free and in bulk in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese. Visit the Consumer Action web site (www.consumer-action.org) or call 800-999- 7981 for free publications, order forms or more information about Consumer Action’s services. Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Banking Basics

Banks - including commercial banks, savings and loan associations and savings banks - and credit unions are companies that keep your money safe and provide you with easy ways to access it. A bank account can also help you keep track of how you spend your money... Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Building and Keeping Good Credit

When you ask for a loan or apply for a credit card, lenders look at your "credit history" to see how reliable you have been in repaying loans or credit... Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Building or Reparing Your Credit

Credit cards can be more than a convenient way to make purchases and pay for them over time. Having a credit card and using it wisely helps you build a record that can make it easier for you to apply for other types of credit - car loans, home mortgages, home equity lines of credit and personal loans... Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Fair Credit Reporting

If you’ve ever applied for a charge account, a personal loan, insurance, or a job, there’s a file about you. This file contains information on where you work and live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Fair Debt Collection

If you use credit cards, owe money on a personal loan, or are paying on a home mortgage, you are a “debtor.” If you fall behind in repaying your creditors, or an error is made on your accounts, you may be contacted by a “debt collector.” Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Get a Car Loan

If you are seeking financing for a new or used car, you have many options for financing even if you have a poor financial history. However, late payments and other credit problems signal lenders that you are a risky customer, which will increase the interest rates on loans available to you. There are differences between lenders—so find the best deal by shopping around. Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Good Credit - Leader's Guide

This free guide can help you become a "good credit" mentor. Once you understand how important it is to build and keep a good credit history, you'll be ready to spread the word about the fundamentals of good credit. Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

ID Theft

The Federal Trade Commission has published this booklet to help raise consumer awareness of identity theft. Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Manage Your Money Wisely

Knowing what you spend now is the first step in creating a budget. A budget is a spending plan to help you forecast and control your expenses. Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Put Bad Credit Behind You

Many people first realize the impact credit can have when they are turned down for a loan, a job or a rental dwelling. Landlords, utility companies, employers and insurers, as well as lenders, all have the right to check your credit history and use your credit status as a reason to turn you down. If this happens, you have the right to know why. Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.

Talking to Teens About Money (2002)

From a parent’s perspective, it’s just a few short years from lemonade stands to college credit card come-ons. But these transitional years are a perfect time to help your children build sound money management skills. Click the image to the right in order to access the pdf document.