By Barry Coleman, National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) Published: July 17, 2026 (Originally published March 2022) Main Facts Millions of student loan borrowers across the United States continue to grapple with complex repayment options, mounting financial stress, and the daily anxiety of debt management. Recent data highlights the severity of this ongoing economic challenge:…
In an era where artificial intelligence promises to streamline our information retrieval, it is also creating new, sophisticated avenues for cybercriminals. Even the most seasoned travelers—those who document the intricacies of airline loyalty programs and global travel logistics—are not immune to the growing epidemic of "fake airline customer service" scams. Recent events serve as a…
Author: Barry Coleman, National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) Published: July 17, 2026 (Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in March 2022 and has been fully updated for the current economic and regulatory landscape of 2026.) Main Facts The student loan crisis in the United States continues to exert intense financial pressure on millions…
By Financial Markets and Consumer Protection Desk Published: October 24, 2023 Main Facts The traditional archetype of the investment fraud victim—frequently envisioned as a retiree vulnerable to high-pressure boiler-room tactics—is undergoing a profound demographic shift. While older generations remain primary targets for aggressive financial malfeasance, a new and digitally native cohort is increasingly in the…
By Barry Coleman, National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) Published: July 17, 2026 (Originally published March 2022) Main Facts Millions of student loan borrowers across the United States continue to face significant hurdles when attempting to navigate complex repayment structures, changing federal guidelines, and mounting financial pressure. According to recent economic indicators from the Federal…
By Financial Markets and Consumer Protection Desk Published: October 24, 2023 Main Facts: The Evolution of Financial Fraud in the Digital Age For decades, the public consciousness has associated investment fraud with a specific demographic: older adults nearing retirement, often perceived as having accumulated significant wealth and potentially possessing less familiarity with digital platforms. However,…
The financial services landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation. For years, the primary objective for banking institutions was the mitigation of "fraud"—unauthorized transactions where a third party gains access to a customer’s credentials. Today, however, the battlefield has shifted. As financial institutions bolster their digital fortresses, criminals are increasingly abandoning the technical hurdles of hacking…
Author: Barry Coleman, National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) Published: July 17, 2026 (Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2022 and has been comprehensively updated to reflect the evolving student loan landscape in 2026.) Main Facts Millions of borrowers across the United States continue to wrestle with the complexities of student loan…
By Consumers’ Checkbook Updated: August 20, 2026 Main Facts The landscape of financial crime has undergone a seismic shift. No longer dominated solely by crude phishing emails with blatant spelling errors or unconvincing foreign lottery windfalls, modern fraud is an industrial-scale, technologically sophisticated enterprise. Armed with generative artificial intelligence (AI), con artists are now capable…
For many retirees, the financial planning process is focused on the "big picture": maximizing Social Security benefits, navigating tax-efficient withdrawals, and ensuring a portfolio survives the volatility of market cycles. However, there is a dangerous, often overlooked blind spot that can dismantle years of disciplined saving in a matter of minutes: the sophisticated, rapidly evolving…
