The enormous and rapidly-increasing number of goods on the market makes it difficult to ensure that all consumer products are safe to use. Public concern about product safety has caused the enactment of a wide range of consumer protection laws. The result of this legislation has been that many agencies have been established to protect the public.…

The average home has chemical products to clean floors, kill insects, clean ovens, thin paint, remove grease, and perform countless other chores. Many consumers remain unaware of the dangers these products bring into the home. This booklet provides information on the safe use, storage, and disposal of these products. The compounds found in…

This handbook is intended to help consumers exercise their rights in the marketplace in three ways: (1) it shows how to communicate more effectively with manufacturers, retailers, and service providers; (2) it is a self-help manual for resolving in dividual consumer complaints; and (3) it lists helpful sources of assistance. The handbook has two…

Intended for teachers of secondary school students, five lessons on consumer credit are presented. In the first lesson students identify and evaluate sources of credit, compare some of the costs and benefits of credit, and learn to apply criteria used in evaluating applications for credit. In the second lesson, students learn about two basic types…

Designed for individuals and groups seeking to organize consumer activities, this guide focuses on how to build consumer competence, how to organize others, where to get training, and how to influence policy makers. Chapter I discusses how to educate oneself for consumerism by using product-rating periodicals, libraries, public consumer agencies,…

This instructional guide was designed to assist educators in teaching the topics of consumer credit and consumer credit protection to secondary and postsecondary students in various economics and business courses, as well as for use in adult and community education courses. The guide contains four sections, which can be used singly or in…

The Office of Education convened the National Invitational Conference on Institutional Eligibility for the purpose of reviewing and analysing the issues surrounding eligibility for postsecondary educational institutions and programs. Some of the specific goals and purposes of the conference were to review and make recommendations concerning: (1)…

This summary report of the First Regional Conference brings together comments and discussions of a wide cross-section of interests in consumer education, and will be useful to teachers, curriculum developers, and school administrators alike. Contents include: (1) Consumer Education, A Step in Revitalizing the Curriculum by Gordon Van Hooft; (2) An…

Suggestions on when to seek professional counseling are detailed in this book. The question "What is therapy?" is posed at the beginning. Several anecdotes illustrating crisis situations are offered, followed by a definition of therapy: the process of treating a problem that gets in the way of effective living. This treatment can include…

This document contains 29 two-page reports on credit, business credit, direct marketing, and real estate data prepared by the credit reporting company, TRW, for consumers. Topics covered are the following: consumer credit reports, how to obtain a copy of a consumer credit report, how credit bureaus compile consumer credit reports, the role of…

This report of the second hearing on the Smoking Prevention Education Act focuses on advertising practices of the tobacco industry; the first hearing dealt with health related issues. The report includes testimony of three panels of witnesses who discussed the effectiveness of European programs in cigarette labeling and consumer education, the…

This booklet was published to help people better understand how to use it, how to determine if they are reaching or have reached their credit-debt limit, and what to do if they have exceeded that limit. It also explains federal rules, regulations, and laws pertaining to consumer installment credit that are designed to protect the consumer.…

Designed for intermediate and junior high level students, the handbook gives 11 lessons using newspaper activities for teaching consumer education. The activities help students (1) define consumer education terms and distinguish between wants and needs; (2) define the term "caveat emptor" and understand the concept of consumer…

An analysis was made of the extent to which the safety characteristics of new vehicles affect consumer purchase decisions. Using an extensive data set that combines vehicle data collected by the Automobile Club of Southern California Target Car Program with the responses from a national household survey of new car buyers, a statistical model of…

This booklet was developed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to acquaint adults with products which research has shown to be hazardous to children. The booklet includes discussions of bicycles, toys, playground equipment, flammable fabrics, poisons, swimming pools, fireworks, and household products. Each discussion includes a…