Resources for Consumers

NCLC has developed a number of guides, brochures, and fact sheets to help consumers understand their rights and make the best choices possible despite difficult financial circumstances.

How to Get Legal Assistance

While our resources do not permit us to respond to most individual consumer complaints, we do have some materials to help consumers get legal assistance.

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Resources by Issue

Auto Finance & Sales

View All for Auto Finance & Sales
Motor Vehicle Repossessions

June 4, 2018

Consumer Reporting & Data Fairness

View All for Consumer Reporting & Data Fairness
Essentials About Credit Reporting

September 6, 2018

Understanding Credit Scores

December 17, 2014

Disasters & Pandemics

View All for Disasters & Pandemics
Letter Urging Federal Regulators to Protect Credit Scores of Hurricane Fiona and Ian Survivors

October 26, 2022

Free Chapter: Homeowner Rights During Natural Disasters

September 30, 2022

Comments filed with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities re: Docket No. 20-80

May 6, 2022

2022 Consumer Protection Federal Priorities

February 18, 2022

Letter to HUD Addressing COVID-Related Issues for HECM Borrowers and Spouses

October 13, 2021

Frauds, Scams and COVID-19: How Con Artists Have Targeted Older Americans During the Pandemic

September 23, 2021

Group Letter Urging HUD, VA, and USDA to Extend the Extend the Deadline for Borrowers to Start COVID-Relief

September 23, 2021

Group Letter Supporting H.R. 4791, the Protecting Renters from Evictions Act of 2021

July 30, 2021

Group Letter to the Biden Administration Urging Quick Nomination of a 5th FCC Commissioner

June 11, 2021

Debt & Bankruptcy

View All for Debt & Bankruptcy
Consumer Advice: Dealing with Debt Collectors After New Reg. F

February 1, 2022

Consumer Advice: Dealing with Debt Collectors—Including the New Federal Rules

January 31, 2022

Guide to Reducing Hospital Bills for Lower-Income Patients

February 11, 2020

Deciding Whether to File Bankruptcy

September 18, 2018

Criminal Justice Debt: Consumer Debt Advice from NCLC

June 29, 2018

Wage Garnishment and Bank Account Seizures

June 18, 2018

Unpaid Taxes Owed to the IRS

June 11, 2018

Dealing With Medical Debt

May 17, 2018

Homeownership & Foreclosure

View All for Homeownership & Foreclosure
Are You a Reverse Mortgage Non-Borrowing Spouse? Tips to Help You Remain in Your Home

February 5, 2020

Defending a Home from Foreclosure

July 26, 2018

Current Options to Lower Mortgage Payments

July 19, 2018

What Every Homeowner Should Know About Mortgage Payments

July 9, 2018

A Reverse Mortgage Primer

May 24, 2018

Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications

View All for Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications
Massachusetts Cold Relief Brochure

Robocalls & Fraud

View All for Robocalls & Fraud
Six Top Tips for Consumers to Stop Illegal Robocalls

May 23, 2018

Hanging Up on Robocall Scams

Hanging Up on Telemarketers

Student Loans

View All for Student Loans
Top 10 Ways the New Borrower Defense Rule Is Worse for Borrowers

September 22, 2019

Student Loan Repayment Rights

August 2, 2018

From the NCLC Digital Library

Surviving Debt

A leading resource for over 25 years, this fully updated, 50th NCLC Anniversary commemorative edition of Surviving Debt provides precise, practical, and hard-hitting advice from the nation’s consumer law experts on how to deal with crushing debt affecting millions of Americans.

Read Chapter One