Thirty years ago a cashless society was predicted for the near future; paper currency and checks would be an antiquated symbol of the past. Consumers would embrace a new alternative for making payments: electronic money. But currency is still used for 87% of payments, mainly for "nickel and dime" purchases. And checks are the payment…

From the earliest times when commodities such as tobacco and beaver pelts were used as money, to the present when credit and debit cards are commonplace, money has played a central role in the U.S. experience. This booklet provides an historical overview of the concept of money as it has evolved in the United States. The booklet is divided into…

Many generalizations sound simple enough--for example, "strong is good, weak is bad"--but they can be confusing when talking about money. This booklet explores how the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies affect each other and how their interaction affects the individual and the economy. The booklet contains the following sections:…

Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school economics students, this pamphlet explains how to resolve a billing dispute in a way that protects the customer's credit rating and legal rights. The pamphlet focuses on specific requirements of the Fair Credit Billing law and presents the following: (1) six legal criteria…

Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school economics students, this pamphlet discusses the Consumer Leasing Act. The act requires leasing companies to inform consumers of the costs and terms of their contracts, limits any extra payments at the end of a lease, and regulates lease advertising. The pamphlet focuses on…

Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school economics students, this pamphlet describes the provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The act prevents age from being used as the basis to deny or decrease credit to those who otherwise qualify. The pamphlet presents general rules for rating an applicant: (1) a…

Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school economics students, this booklet examines the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFT), which protects consumers who use debit cards for the electronic transfer of funds. This commercially adapted version of the character in "Alice in Wonderland," uses a story-teller…

Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school economics students, this pamphlet explains how a complaint against a Federal Reserve bank concerning a possible violation of any of the federal consumer credit laws can be filed. Seven consumer credit laws are listed with a brief statement about the major protections of…

Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school economics students, this pamphlet discusses the provisions of the Truth in Lending Law. The act requires that creditors state credit charges in a uniform way. The pamphlet provides a brief description of finance charges and annual percentage rates. It also focuses on…

Designed for the general public and possibly suitable also for high school economics students, this pamphlet describes the provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, and age when applying for a mortgage or home improvement loan. The…

This manual is designed to help teachers, businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and students start their own economic development activities and youth ventures. It describes a two-step plan to economic development through youth: development of an in-school student chamber of commerce program and development of a youth-owned venture. The first part of…