Consumer Assistance - Information

Consumer Alerts

• April 2, 2012 - Credit Card Data Breach
  Global Payments, Inc., a third party processor of debit and credit card transactions, has reported that, due to a security breach, confidential personal and financial information regarding certain credit and debit card holders has been compromised. Consumers should monitor their credit and debit card use and contact their card issuer if they notice any unauthorized purchases.
• National Mortgage Licensing Website Now Available to Consumers
  In order to provide homebuyers and the general public with greater information concerning the companies and professionals in the mortgage industry and in fulfillment of the federal S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008, the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) has launched a website called NMLS Consumer Access. NMLS Consumer Access is a fully searchable website that allows the public to view information concerning state-licensed companies, branches, and individuals licensed and registered through NMLS. No personal identifying information concerning individuals (such as social security number, date of birth, etc.) will be made available on NMLS Consumer Access.

Banking and Checking Issues

• Checks and Balances: New Rules, New Strategies for Bank Customers in the 21st Century. How will “Check 21” affect you? From the FDIC
• Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act: Frequently Asked Questions, from the Federal Reserve Board
• Don’t Cash that Check! (Check and Lottery Scams) from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office
• What’s Insured and What’s Not, from the Federal Reserve Board
• Writing a Check – Understanding your Rights, from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency 

Credit Cards, Repair, Reports and Scores

• General Information from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Consumer Sourcebook
• Please visit the Federal Reserve Board’s new website that was created in February 2010
• Five tips to improve your Credit Score, from the Federal Reserve Board
• Consumer Beware: Using Easy "Credit Repair" Companies Could Be Fraud 
• Credit Repair – How to help Yourself, from the Federal Trade Commission
• Managing Your Credit, from the UNH Cooperative Extension

Debit and ATM Cards

• New Overdraft Rules on Debit and ATM Cards, from the Federal Reserve Board

Debt Management/Budget Counseling

• “Fiscal Fitness: Choosing a Credit Counselor” by the Federal Trade Commission
• “When your Bills Pile Up” from the UNH Cooperative Extension 

Housing and Foreclosure Questions?

• Governor Lynch Expands the NH Foreclosure Prevention Initiative New Hampshire consumers with potential mortgage problems are encouraged to visit a new, comprehensive website that contains key tips for preventing foreclosure.
• New Hampshire Homeowner Hotline: 1-800-437-5991. Residents with concerns or questions about their mortgage are encouraged to call the Banking Department at 1-800-437-5991. Trained, knowledgeable staff will be available from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Messages received after business hours will be responded to on the next business day. Additional resources are listed below.
• Mortgage Workout Contacts If you are having trouble reaching your mortgage holder please contact the Banking Department at 1-800-437-5991 for assistance.

Housing Counselors/Programs

APR, GFE, and LIBOR are just a few of the many mortgage terms to know and understand before you agree to buy a home. Please ask questions and consider getting help from a local housing counselor (See list below). Links to several helpful documents are also provided below.

• Housing Counselors
  • NH Housing Finance Authority: (603) 472-8623
  • NH Office, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Manchester, NH (603) 666-7510
  • Affordable Housing Education And Development Program (AHEAD), Littleton, NH (603) 444-1377
  • Cheshire Housing Trust, Keene, NH (603) 357-7603
  • Community Home Solutions, Seabrook, NH (603) 474-7449
  • Concord Area Trust for Community Housing (CATCH), Concord, NH (603) 225-8835
  • Laconia Area Community Land Trust, Laconia, NH (603) 524-0747
  • NeighborWorks Greater Manchester, Manchester, NH (603) 626-4663
  • Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Nashua, Nashua, NH (603) 882-2077
  • The Way Home, Manchester, NH, (603) 644-0180
  • Tri County CAP, Berlin, NH (603) 752-7001

• Additional Federal Links
  • HUD’s Help for Homeowners Facing the Loss of Their Homes
  • FTC’s Mortgage Payments Sending You Reeling? Here’s What to Do
  • FTC Alert – Shopping For a Mortgage? Your Application May Trigger Competing Offers, How to Opt Out
  • A Consumer's Guide to Mortgage Refinancing from the Federal Reserve Board
  • A Consumer's Guide to Settlement Costs from the Federal Reserve Board

Home Equity Loans and Second Mortgages

• Looking for the Best Mortgage, from the FDIC, December 2008
• Mortgages: Different Products for Different Needs, from the FDIC, May 2011
• Escrow Accounts: What Mortgage Borrowers Need to Know, from the FDIC, May 2011

Reverse Mortgages

• About Reverse Mortgages for Seniors – From the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• Reverse Mortgage Information from AARP

Identity Theft

• The Identity Theft Tool Kit, from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office

Legal Resources

• Legal Advice and Referral Center (LARC) 1-800-639-5290
• Lawyer Referral Service of the NH Bar Association: (603) 229-0002
• Pro Bono Referral Program (NH Bar) (603) 224-5387
• Disabilities Rights Center, Inc: 1-800-834-1721

Payday and Title Loans

• Frequently Asked Questions about Payday Loans in New Hampshire from the NH Banking Department
• General Information from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Consumer Sourcebook
• Department of Defense publishes final rules – August 31, 2007
  Department of Defense publishes final rules regarding payday, title and other loans extended to Service Members and their dependents 
  Cite "Limitations on Terms of Consumer Credit Extended to Service Members and Dependents, Final Rule, 72 Fed. Reg. 50579-50594 (August 31, 2007) (to be codified at 32 C.F.R. part 232)".

Schemes, Swindles and Scams

• General Information from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Consumer Sourcebook

Student Loans

• General Information from the US Department of Education