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Pyramid schemes are among the oldest and most common consumer scams. While pyramid schemes may be disguised as “gift” programs or “networking” plans, they have certain things in common. Pyramids are illegal. Pyramids will fail. People will lose money.
For information, click on the guides below in English and Spanish/Espanol.
Buying or refinancing your home may be one of the most important and complex financial decisions you'll ever make. Many lenders, appraisers, and real estate professionals stand ready to help you get a nice home and a great loan. However, you need to understand the home buying process to be a smart consumer. Every year, misinformed homebuyers, often first-time purchasers or seniors, become victims of predatory lending or loan fraud.
"Slamming" describes the practice of changing a consumer=s local or long distance company without the consumer's knowledge or consent.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules that require a consumer's approval before a long distance carrier can be changed.
Idaho is one of several states that have laws prohibiting slamming. Unfortunately, some telephone companies use deceptive and misleading telemarketing techniques designed to trick people into giving authorization to switch telephone companies.
For information, please see the attachment below.
A pension plan is an agreement between an employee, their employer and, for some jobs, the union. Sometimes, the employer contributes and sometimes the employee does as well. Employers are not required to have pension plans. A federal law, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), sets the standards for private pensions. It also provides guaranteed pensions in some cases.
The federal Railroad Retirement Board handles this benefit program for eligible workers and their families.
General Eligibility
Like Social Security, Railroad Retirement benefits are based on months of service and earnings credits. Employees of railroads engaged in interstate commerce, some related industries, railway associations, and national railway labor organizations qualify for Railroad Retirement after 10 years of credited work.
A predatory mortgage is a needlessly expensive home loan that provides no financial benefit to the gorrower in return fo the extra costs. In many cases, homeowners are deceived about the loan's true costs and terms or are pressured into signing loans they cannot afford. Many of these homeowners lose their homes to foreclosure.
Reverse mortgages are becoming popular in America. HUD's Federal Housing Administration (FHA) created one of the first. The Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) is FHA's reverse mortgage program which enables you to withdraw some of the equity in your home. The HECM is a safe plan that can give older Americans greater financial security. Many seniors use it to supplement social security, meet unexpected medical expenses, make home improvements and more. You can receive free information about reverse mortgages in general by calling AARP toll free at (800) 209-8085.
Idaho Department of Finance Frequesntly Asked Questions (FAQ) about Consumer Finance.
Your home is likely your most valuable asset, and you have an interest in maintaining ownership, protecting your equity and preserving your credit rating. This manual describes how you can better protect yourself from scams and deceptive business practices aimed at homeowners. Mortgage fraud, foreclosure rescue schemes and other deceptive practices have invaded our state, offering empty promises and stealing the dream of home ownership. Both Idaho and federal law offer some protections against mortgage fraud. Some of these laws are discussed in this manual.
The work that provided the basis for this page was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ILAS is solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this presentation. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the federal government.
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