Consumer Alert Articles

Paying ahead of time may be risky venture

Prepaid funerals are today a lucrative business in the United States, as consumers seek peace of mind about the end of life. They come with risks, however.

Roughly 21 million Americans have prepaid at least a portion of their burial or funeral expenses, according the the American Association of Retired Persons. Such sales, known as "pre-need sales" total somewhere between $20 billion and $40 billion, according to AARP.

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YOU DO HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER WHO CALLS YOU—HOW TO REDUCE TELEMARKETING SALES TO YOUR HOME

Telemarketing calls ofter interrupt consumers' family time and personal lives. In addition to the hassle of these telephone solicitations, millions of consumers lose money through telemarketing scams. Two government agencies provide protection from abusive and deception telemarketing sales practices: (1) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to protect consumers from receiving unsolicited telephone marketing calls; and (2) the Federal Trade Commission issued the Telemarketing Sales Rule to protect consumers from telephone fraud.

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