Consumer Resources Links

The Consumer Resources Link page has been designed to give our visitors access to other organizations, webpages, and campaigns that our staff has found worthy of note. All items have been chosen by Consumer Action staff members. To search for direct assistance from local agencies, check out our Consumer Services Guide. 

• Advocacy Campaigns

  • ABLE National Resource Center
  • Accountable.US
  • AccountableTech
  • Americans for Fairness in Lending (AFFIL)
  • Americans for Financial Reform
  • Autistic Self Advocacy Network
  • Better Medicare Alliance
  • Consumers for Paper Options
  • Everytown for Gun Safety
  • Higher Ed, Not Debt
  • Immigrant Info (Santa Clara County, California)
  • Keep Me Posted
  • Kids and Cars
  • Medicare My Way (Better Medicare Alliance)
  • Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center
  • Repair.org
  • Save the Post Office
  • Single Payer Action
  • Student Borrower Protection Center

• Air travel

  • Your Guide to Airport Security Clearance

• Arbitration

  • Fair Arbitration Now (FAN)

• Automobile

  • Auto Issues
  • California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA)
  • Car Talk
  • Carfax
  • Consumers For Auto Reliability And Safety (CARS)
  • Edmund's
  • FuelEconomy.gov
  • Gas Buddy
  • Gas Price Watch
  • Kelley Blue Book
  • Motorist Assurance Program (MAP)
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
  • National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS)
  • Personal Data In Your Car: Consumer Privacy Guide
  • SaferCar.gov
  • The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Database
  • The National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program (NSVRP)

• Banking

  • Bank Deals
  • Bankrate.com
  • California DBO Division of Financial Institutions
  • California Department of Business Oversight
  • Consumer Action's student education resource list
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Students
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
  • Federal Reserve
  • Income Based Repayment (IBR) Info
  • Money-Rates.com
  • The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
  • The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Federal Student Aid website

• Bankruptcy

  • Income Based Repayment (IBR) Info
  • Lawyers.com - Consumer Bankruptcy
  • National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
  • United States Trustee Program

• Blogs

  • BankTalk
  • Citizen Vox
  • Consumer Law and Policy Blog
  • Credit Slips
  • Digital Beat Blog (Benton Foundation)
  • Get Rich Slowly
  • James Surowiecki The Financial Page (The New Yorker)
  • Popcorn Finance
  • The Consumerist
  • US PIRG Consumer Blog
  • Wonder Moms

• California Agencies

  • California Attorney General
  • California Board of Accountancy
  • California Contractors State License Board
  • California DBO Division of Financial Institutions
  • California Department of Business Oversight
  • California Department of Consumer Affairs Complaint Resolution Program
  • California Department of Insurance
  • California Department of Managed Health Care
  • California Department of Real Estate
  • California Housing Finance Agency (CHFA)
  • California Legislative Information
  • California Office of Privacy Enforcement and Protection
  • California Office of Real Estate Appraisers
  • California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
  • California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA)
  • California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB)
  • CALPIRG (California Public Interest Research Group)
  • Immigrant Info (Santa Clara County, California)
  • State of California Home Page

• Cell Phones / Wireless Phones

  • CNET Cell Phone Reviews
  • CTIA - Everything Wireless
  • Digital Beat Blog (Benton Foundation)
  • Federal Communications Commission - Wireless
  • Lower My Bills
  • My Rate Plan/Wireless
  • Phone Arena
  • Prepaid Reviews
  • Universal Service Administrative Companies

• Charity

  • Charity Navigator
  • CharityWatch
  • FTC's Guide to Giving Wisely
  • Give.org
  • GuideStar

• Children/Families

  • College Scorecard
  • Consumer Action's student education resource list
  • Healthy Child, Healthy World
  • The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
  • The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Federal Student Aid website

• Children/Kids Privacy

  • Family Online Safety Institute
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • OnGuardOnline.gov

• Class Action Lawsuits

  • Class Action Defense
  • ClassAction.com
  • FindLaw Class Action and Mass Tort Center
  • Securities Class Action Clearinghouse

• Community Mediation

  • National Association for Community Mediation

• Comparison Resources

  • College Factual veteran resources
  • College InSight
  • College Scorecard
  • Consumer Action's student education resource list
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Students
  • Consumer Reports
  • Consumer World
  • ConsumerAffairs Antivirus Software Guide
  • Energy Sage
  • Income Based Repayment (IBR) Info
  • Lower My Bills
  • MoneySavingPro
  • NerdWallet
  • Paribus (mobile app)
  • Simplifying the FAFSA
  • The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
  • The Diamond Pro
  • The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Federal Student Aid website
  • Your Best Digs

• Complaint Resources

  • Better Business Bureau
  • Call for Action
  • Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
  • Elliott: A site that advocates for you
  • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
  • Problem Solved (podcast)
  • What are consumer rights? (Pissed Consumer)

• Consumer Organizations

  • American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
  • Appleseed
  • Consumer Federation of America Foundation
  • Immigrant Info (Santa Clara County, California)
  • Income Based Repayment (IBR) Info
  • National Consumers League
  • The Community Investment Network

• Credit Cards

  • BankRate.com Credit Card Finder
  • CFPB - Consumer Information About Credit Cards
  • Consumer Reports' Credit Card Adviser Comparison Tool
  • Credit Card Insider
  • Credit Card Insider: Business Credit Cards
  • Credit Karma's Credit Card Comparison Tool
  • CreditCards.com
  • Know Your Card
  • My3Cents' 2018’s Best Credit Cards For Bad Credit
  • NerdWallet

• Credit Counseling

  • Consumer Credit Counseling (CCCS) San Francisco
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Students
  • Debt.com
  • Income Based Repayment (IBR) Info
  • National Foundation for Credit Counseling

• Credit Scoring

  • Bay House
  • FICO Credit Score
  • The Credit Scoring Site

• Credit/Debt

  • Annual Credit Report
  • CFPB - Combat Harmful Debt Collection
  • Debt.com
  • Higher Ed, Not Debt
  • Student Borrower Protection Center

• Debt Collection

  • Ask Dr. Debt
  • CFPB - Combat Harmful Debt Collection
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
  • Creditboards
  • Taping Laws

• Disability Services

  • ABLE National Resource Center
  • Animated American Sign Language Dictionary
  • Autism Speaks
  • Autistic Self Advocacy Network
  • Disability.gov
  • HandSpeak: A Sign Language Dictionary Online
  • Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
  • National Center on Disability and Journalism
  • National Disability Institute
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
  • National Organization on Disability
  • RetailMeNot Inc - Reduce the 'Noise'
  • Sesame Street Autism Resources for Parents
  • The American Association of People with Disabilities
  • The Deaf Resource Library

• Do It Yourself

  • College Factual veteran resources
  • College InSight
  • College Scorecard
  • Consumer Action's student education resource list
  • Do It Yourself Network
  • Do It Yourself.com
  • How Stuff Works
  • iFixit
  • MonkeySee
  • Repair.org
  • Simplifying the FAFSA
  • The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
  • The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Federal Student Aid website
  • Viewpoints.com

• Entrepreneurs / Micro Business

  • ChooseWhat
  • Credit Card Insider: Business Credit Cards
  • Entrepreneur.com
  • National Business Incubation Association
  • SCORE
  • The Association for Enterprise Opportunity
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • U.S. Small Business Administration

• Environmental

  • Earth911
  • Freecycle

• Federal Agencies

  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Students
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Hotline
  • Department of Justice - Office for Victims of Crime
  • Elder Justice (DOJ)
  • Federal Communications Commission - Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
  • Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
  • Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Social Security Administration
  • Protect Your Move (U.S. Dept. of Transportation)
  • Simplifying the FAFSA
  • Social Security Administration
  • Stop Fraud.gov
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
  • U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
  • US PIRG Consumer Protection Pages

• Food and Product Safety

  • Casewatch
  • Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
  • Consumer Dangers
  • Consumers For Auto Reliability And Safety (CARS)
  • ConsumerSafety.org
  • Everytown for Gun Safety
  • Food and Drug Administration
  • FoodSafety.gov
  • Healthy Child, Healthy World
  • International Food Information Council
  • Kids and Cars
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
  • SaferCar.gov
  • Truth in Advertising, Inc. (TINA.org)
  • U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Fraud and Scams

  • Anti-Spam Resources from Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
  • Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
  • Consumer Action SCAM GRAM
  • Elder Justice (DOJ)
  • Factcheck.org
  • FBI Frauds Against Seniors
  • FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
  • FBI's "Common Fraud Schemes"
  • FBI's "Common Fraud Schemes"
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • Fraud.org from National Consumers League
  • FTC Scam Alerts
  • How to avoid and detect elder fraud
  • Internet Theft Resource Center
  • National Consumers League's Fraud Center
  • Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Social Security Administration
  • Quatloos Cyber Museum of Scams & Frauds
  • Scambusters.org
  • Snopes
  • Stop Fraud.gov
  • The Red Flags of Quackery (Sci-ənce)

• Global Advocacy

  • Idealist
  • Knowledge Ecology International (KEI)
  • Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue

• Healthcare

  • American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
  • American Medical Association
  • Association of State Medical Board Executive Directors DocFinder
  • Autism Speaks
  • California Department of Managed Health Care
  • California Office of the Patient Advocate
  • Casewatch
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Consumers for Quality Care (CQC)
  • Essential Guide to Traveling with a Medical Condition
  • Families USA
  • FDA MedWatch
  • Federation of State Medical Boards
  • Find and Compare Hospitals in California
  • Health Privacy: HIPAA Basics (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse)
  • HealthCare.gov
  • Healthfinder
  • HealthInsurance.org
  • Institute of Molecular Virology (at the University of Wisconsin at Madison)
  • Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
  • Medicare My Way (Better Medicare Alliance)
  • Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Organization for Rare Disorders
  • National Patient Safety Foundation/Institute for Healthcare Improvement
  • New Choice Health
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
  • Patient’s Guide to HIPAA
  • Patients For Affordable Drugs
  • Physicians for a National Health Program
  • The Association for Accessible Medicines 
  • US Health & Human Services Office of Civil Rights
  • Vision Action Center (Consumer Action)
  • World Health Organization

• Hearing Impaired

  • Animated American Sign Language Dictionary
  • HandSpeak: A Sign Language Dictionary Online
  • Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
  • The Deaf Resource Library

• Homeowners/housing

  • Buy or Rent?
  • California Department of Real Estate
  • California Housing Finance Agency (CHFA)
  • College InSight
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • Fannie Mae
  • iFixit
  • The Community Investment Network

• ID Theft

  • California Office of Privacy Enforcement and Protection
  • Debt.com for ID Theft
  • EPIC
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • FTC-Deter, Detect, Defend Against ID Theft
  • ID Theft dot GOV
  • ID Theft Info
  • Internet Theft Resource Center
  • Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

• IP (internet protocol) transition

  • AT&T Public Policy Views & News
  • FCC Guides: Tech Transition (IP Transition)
  • FCC Guides: Tech Transitions May Affect Your Service
  • Public Knowledge: IP Transition
  • The Benton Foundation: IP Transition
  • WTA Advocates for Rural Broadband

• Immigration

  • Immigrant Info (Santa Clara County, California)
  • National Immigration Law Center (NILC)
  • The National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR)
  • Unidos US

• Insurance

  • Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
  • eCoverage Insurance Library
  • HealthCare.gov
  • HealthInsurance.org
  • Insurance Information Institute
  • Insurance News Network
  • National Association of Insurance Commissioners
  • New Choice Health
  • Physicians for a National Health Program
  • The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Database
  • United Policyholders

• Insurance Quotes

  • Insure.com
  • QuickQuote

• Internet Security

  • AccountableTech
  • ConsumerAffairs Antivirus Software Guide
  • Digital Beat Blog (Benton Foundation)
  • Enough is Enough
  • Factcheck.org
  • Family Online Safety Institute
  • FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
  • Internet Keep Safe Coalition
  • OnGuardOnline.gov
  • Stopbadware

• Internet Security: Corporate Guides

  • AT&T Digital You
  • Facebook Safety Center
  • Google Safety Center
  • Microsoft Online Safety Information
  • Verizon Digital Security & Tech Hub

• Investing

  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission
  • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
  • Find a CFP® professional
  • Investor Protection Trust (IPT)
  • Money-Rates.com
  • Morningstar
  • Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board
  • SEC - Your Money
  • SEC Investor Education Bulletin on Robo-Advisers
  • Securities Investor Protection Corporation
  • Social Lending Network
  • The Investor's Clearinghouse
  • The Motley Fool
  • U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

• Legal

  • American Bar Association - Consumer's Guide to Legal Help on the Internet
  • American Bar Association - Lawyer Referral Services
  • California Legislative Information
  • Casewatch
  • How to Find a Lawyer in 3 Easy Steps
  • How to hire pro bono lawyers
  • Lawyers.com
  • Lawyers.com - Consumer Bankruptcy
  • Leiff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
  • Milberg Tadler Phillips Grossman LLP
  • National Association for Community Mediation
  • National Association of Attorneys General
  • National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA)
  • National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
  • Nolo
  • Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
  • SeniorLaw
  • Shepherd, Finkelman, Miller and Shah, LLP
  • Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse
  • United States Trustee Program

• Long Distance

  • 10-10PhoneRates.com
  • Lower My Bills
  • Save On Phone
  • SmartPrice.com

• Media Fairness

  • Digital Beat Blog (Benton Foundation)
  • FAIR - Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
  • Free Press
  • National Center on Disability and Journalism
  • PR (Public Relations) Watch
  • The Center for Digital Democracy

• Medical Privacy

  • Patient Privacy Rights
  • Patient’s Guide to HIPAA
  • US Health & Human Services Office of Civil Rights

• Mortgages

  • Appleseed
  • California Department of Real Estate
  • California Housing Finance Agency (CHFA)
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

• Moving

  • Protect Your Move (U.S. Dept. of Transportation)

• National Advocacy

  • Alliance for Justice
  • AlterNet.org
  • American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
  • Center for Democracy and Technology
  • Center for Responsible Lending
  • Center for Responsive Politics
  • Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
  • Center for Study of Responsive Law
  • Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
  • Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
  • Consumers Union
  • Electronic Frontier Foundation
  • EPIC
  • EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center)
  • Families USA
  • National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC)
  • National Consumer Law Center
  • National Consumers League's Fraud Center
  • Physicians for a National Health Program
  • Privacy International
  • Public Citizen
  • Public Justice Foundation
  • The Identity Theft Resource Center
  • The Institute for College Access and Success
  • The Utilities Reform Network (TURN)
  • Truth in Advertising, Inc. (TINA.org)
  • U.S. PIRG (U.S. Public Interest Research Group)
  • Unidos US
  • Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN)
  • World Privacy Forum

• National Privacy Organizations

  • Center for Democracy and Technology
  • Electronic Frontier Foundation
  • EPIC
  • EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center)
  • Families USA
  • Privacy International
  • Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
  • The Identity Theft Resource Center
  • World Privacy Forum

• National organizations

  • Alliance for Justice
  • Autism Speaks
  • Disability.gov
  • National Center on Disability and Journalism
  • National Consumer Law Center
  • National Disability Institute
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
  • National Organization on Disability
  • Public Justice Foundation
  • The American Association of People with Disabilities
  • Truth in Advertising, Inc. (TINA.org)

• Personal Finance

  • American Bankers Association
  • American Savings Education Council
  • California Department of Insurance
  • CardTrak.com
  • College Factual veteran resources
  • College InSight
  • College Scorecard
  • Consumer Action's student education resource list
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Students
  • eXtension
  • Federal Reserve Education Site
  • Feed the Pig
  • FinAid! The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid
  • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
  • Find a CFP® professional
  • Hello Wallet!
  • Mint.com
  • Money-Rates.com
  • Paribus (mobile app)
  • PayDay Loan Info
  • Practical Money Skills for Life
  • SEC - Your Money
  • Simplifying the FAFSA
  • The Beehive
  • The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
  • The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Federal Student Aid website
  • U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

• Podcasts

  • Feed the Pig
  • Problem Solved (podcast)
  • SEC - Your Money

• Postal

  • Consumer Postal Council
  • Postal Regulatory Commission
  • Save the Post Office
  • United States Postal Service Consumer Affairs Office Locator
  • US Mail: It's not for sale

• Predatory Lending

  • PayDay Loan Info

• Privacy/ID Theft

  • AccountableTech
  • American Library Association
  • California Office of Privacy Enforcement and Protection
  • Dark Patterns
  • EPIC
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • FTC-Deter, Detect, Defend Against ID Theft
  • Health Privacy: HIPAA Basics (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse)
  • ID Theft Info
  • OnGuardOnline.gov
  • Open Technology Institute (New America)
  • Personal Data In Your Car: Consumer Privacy Guide
  • Privacy International
  • Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
  • Privacy Shield
  • Stop Fraud.gov
  • StopDataMining.me
  • The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and the Privacy of Your Credit Report

• Private Complaint Sites

  • ConsumerAffairs.com
  • Measured Up
  • PlanetFeedback

• Refinancing

  • California Housing Finance Agency (CHFA)
  • RefinanceMortgageRates.org

• Reverse mortgages

  • FTC Facts for Consumers: Reverse Mortgages
  • Home Equity Conversion Mortgages Program [HUD]

• Seniors

  • AARP Medicare Resource Center
  • Administration on Aging
  • American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
  • Assisted Living Federation of America
  • AssistedLiving.org
  • Better Medicare Alliance
  • Consumer Consortium on Assisted Living
  • Elder Justice (DOJ)
  • How to avoid and detect elder fraud
  • Justice in Aging
  • Medicare
  • Medicare My Way (Better Medicare Alliance)
  • Medicare.gov
  • SeniorLaw
  • Seniors in Action: Congress of California Seniors
  • Social Security Administration
  • The National Center for Assisted Living
  • The National Council on the Aging

• Social Justice

  • Alliance for Justice
  • Elder Justice (DOJ)
  • National Center on Disability and Journalism
  • Veterans Education Success

• Spam E-Mail

  • Anti-Spam Resources from Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
  • CAUCE
  • Spamhaus Project

• Student Loans

  • College Factual veteran resources
  • College InSight
  • College Scorecard
  • Consumer Action's student education resource list
  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - Students
  • Debt.com for Student Loans
  • FinAid
  • Higher Ed, Not Debt
  • Income Based Repayment (IBR) Info
  • Saving for College
  • Simplifying the FAFSA
  • Student Borrower Protection Center
  • Student Loan Borrower Assistance
  • The Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs
  • The Institute for College Access and Success
  • The National Student Legal Defense Network
  • The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Federal Student Aid website
  • Veterans Education Success

• Telecommunications

  • Digital Beat Blog (Benton Foundation)
  • iFixit
  • SmartPrice.com

• Telephone

  • Federal Communications Commission - Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
  • iFixit
  • SmartPrice.com
  • Universal Service Administrative Companies

• Travel

  • Elliott: A site that advocates for you
  • Essential Guide to Traveling with a Medical Condition
  • Family seating together on airlines (U.S. DOT)
  • Fly-Rights: A Consumer Guide to Air Travel
  • Flyers Rights
  • Your Guide to Airport Security Clearance

• Utilities, power & solar power

  • Energy Sage
  • Find A Certified Solar Power Professional (NABCEP)
  • Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar (US Dept. of Energy)
  • Residential Consumer Guide to Solar Power
  • UpLift California

• Workers / Employment

  • America's Service Locator

• Medicare

  • AARP Medicare Resource Center
  • Better Medicare Alliance
  • Medicare.gov
  • Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Social Security Administration
  • Social Security Administration