There it is: your new purchase, all bright and gleaming in its box. There’s a rush of excitement as you unwrap it and — wait! — do you really need to register it with the company?
Manufacturers ask you to fill out registration cards for three main reasons: to activate the product’s warranty, to be able to contact you in case of a recall, and to lure you into making future purchases through direct marketing, says Mary Levy of the Federal Citizen Information Center.
Information, Please
January 29, 2008
When you need to know about federally-backed college loans, who ya gonna call?
Or, what if you need information about filing your taxes?
There's one phone number you can call to get just about any kind of non-classified information about the federal government.
"1 (800) FED INFO is taking calls from all across the country, helping people get answers on any government program, benefit or service."
She says that 1-800-FED-INFO is part of a growing family of information sources -- some better known than others -- administered by the federal government.
Q: My daughter, who just received a master's degree in counseling, has a heavy college-debt load. She's been paying $100 a month on her student loans. One bank that gave her a private student loan, however, wants $700 a month and is threatening to turn her loan over to a collection agency, garnish her wages and take her old car. What should she do? -- E.K., Kirkland, Wash.
A: I can't offer legal advice specific to your daughter's situation. In general, private student loans lack certain borrower protections afforded by government-sponsored loans, such as flexible repayment, says Deanne Loonin, an attorney with the nonprofit National Consumer Law Center, Boston. Borrowers should carefully read loan agreements; some spell out specific relief, such as forbearance for as much as a year, Ms. Loonin says. Lenders collecting private student loans generally must get a court order before they can garnish wages, she adds. The center's Web site, www.studentloanborrowerassistance.org, has an abundance of information on borrowers' rights and finding legal help.
Federal law prohibits abusive and unfair practices by collection agencies; most states also have their own debt-collection laws. Borrowers can research their rights through state or county consumer-protection agencies, findable at www.consumeraction.gov/state.shtml. Many people in your daughter's position benefit by contacting a certified credit counselor; see www.nfcc.org, the Web site of the nonprofit National Foundation for Credit Counseling, to find an agency in her area. Meanwhile, she should keep written records of all her communications with the bank.
It's the homepage for the Land of the Free! But besides that, for U.S. citizens, businesses, government employees, and foreign visitors, USA.gov offers governmental information and services, from health-care info and U.S. history to tax guides and public safety notices. The Science & Technology section provides cyber-security tips, a do-not-call registry, and energy resources. Visit the Online Services section for quick links to finding the cheapest gas prices, calculating mortgages, and more.
Technology’s Untanglers: They Make It Really Work
July 8, 2007
When the federal government was creating its informational Web site (now known as usa.gov), it brought in usability experts to look for flaws. By watching users, the site’s creators found that people were having trouble finding an individual agency’s Web site because they did not know which department to look under.
“Even people in the Washington, D.C., area didn’t know that,” said Janice Redish, a usability consultant who worked on the project in February 2002. “It was an easy fix once we knew it.”
25 Sites We Can't Live Without
June 2007
USA.gov
The official Web portal for the U.S. government, with links to every branch, agency and organization involved in federal business, plus reports, guides, reference material and other resources to help you navigate the system, and, whenever possible, get things done online. Each Web page of links is more specific than the last, so you can quickly drill down to the matter at hand. It took three clicks (and three seconds) to find NASA's bank of images and animations of our home planet (select Science & Tech, then Physical Sciences, then Visible Earth), learn how to file for bankruptcy (Money and Taxes/Personal Finance) and read up on Medicare prescription drug coverage (Health).