Articles

Offers ways to spot and avoid scams when shopping for a home security system.

Scammers pressure you to wire money to them because it’s easy to take your money and disappear. Wiring money with services like MoneyGram, Ria, and Western Union is like sending cash — once you send it, you usually can’t get it back. Never wire money to anyone you haven’t met in person — no matter the reason they give.

When you decide to support a cause you care about, you want your donation to count. Here are tips to help you plan your donation – and avoid scams.

Here's a sample to help you write a complaint letter about a product or service.

Generic drugs work just as well as brand-name drugs, and they can save you money.

Comparing prices online can save you a bundle when you rent a car. Learn how to compare the total cost — not just the advertised price. Fees and options can increase the base price dramatically.

If you don’t make your car payments on time, your lender might have the right to take your car without going to court or telling you first. Here’s what to do if you can’t make car payments or if your car is repossessed.

Some car dealers advertise that, when you trade in your car to buy another one, they’ll pay off the balance of your loan. No matter how much you owe. But what if you owe more than the car is worth? That’s called “negative equity,” and the dealer’s promises to pay off your loan may be misleading. Learn how negative equity works and how to deal with it.

Explains auto warranties and auto service contracts and their differences. Also describes extended warranty scams and your rights.

Only scammers will tell you to buy a gift card, like a Google Play or Apple Card, and give them the numbers off the back of the card. No matter what they say, that’s a scam. No real business or government agency will ever tell you to buy a gift card to pay them. Always keep a copy of your gift card and store receipt. Use them to report gift card scams to the gift card company and ask for your money back.

A warranty is a manufacturer's promise to stand behind its product. Read the warranty to see what is and isn’t covered, and what to do in case of problems

Before you buy an extended warranty or service contract, compare it to the warranty that came with the product. Will buying the coverage add extra benefits?

“Buy now, pay later,” rent-to-own, lease-to-own, and layaway plans let you buy things without paying in full right away. Before you say yes to one of these plans, find out the details. Depending on the type of plan you choose, you could end up paying a lot more than you expected.

“Buy now, pay later,” rent-to-own, lease-to-own, and layaway plans let you buy things without paying in full right away. Before you say yes to one of these plans, find out the details. Depending on the type of plan you choose, you could end up paying a lot more than you expected.

Using a biologic medication and concerned about cost? You may want to talk with your doctor about switching to a biosimilar. Like generic drugs, biosimilars may save you money and are as safe and effective as the original biologic.

Online reviews might help you decide what to buy or what company to hire. You should be able to trust that these reviews reflect the honest opinions of people who actually used a product or service. Unfortunately, some reviews are fake, deceptive, or manipulated — and that hurts both people and honest companies.

How to report suspicious online reviews across some popular websites.

Scammers use rental listings to get you to pay in advance for a place to live or vacation.

Billed for products you never ordered, or for products you ordered but never got? Federal laws protect you. Here's what to do.