Warning: Self-Help Resources are NOT legal advice and may not apply to your case. Please talk to a lawyer about the facts of your case.
There are 62 resources
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2011 Consumer Action Handbook
(Separate Website)
Includes how to be a savvy consumer, how to file a complaint, and the consumer assistance directory.
By: United States General Services Administration
5 Tips for Shopping for a Mortgage
(Separate Website)
A Consumer's Guide on Mortgage Settlement Costs
(Separate Website)
Mortgage settlement--sometimes called mortgage closing--can be confusing. A settlement may involve several people and many documents and fees. This information will help you understand all that is involved.
By: Federal Reserve Board
A Consumer's Guide to Mortgage Lock-Ins
(Separate Website)
An explanation of lock-ins on mortgage rates.
By: The Federal Reserve Board
A Note to Homeowners - Foreclosure Rescue Scams and Loan Modification Scams
(Separate Website)
A message from the Federal Trade Commission to help homeowners avoid scams that claim to be able to "rescue" homeowners from foreclosure.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Advance-Fee Loan Scams: "Easy" Cash Offers Teach Hard Lessons
(Separate Website)
If you're asked to pay a fee for the promise of a loan or credit card, you can count on the fact that you're dealing with a scam artist.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Advance-Fee Loan Scams: ?Easy? Cash Offers Teach Hard Lessons
(Separate Website)
Signs of advance-fee loan scams and finding low-cost help for credit problems.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Borrower Beware: The High Cost of Small Loans, Pawnbrokers, and Rent-To-Own Stores
(Separate Website)
Cancellation of Private Mortgage Insurance: Federal Law May Save You Hundreds of Dollars Each Year
(Separate Website)
Consumer Alert
By: Federal Trade Commission
Check Cashing and Payday Lending
(Separate Website)
How to save money and protect your rights.
By: Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center
Consumer Financial Rights
(Separate Website)
Glossary of Federal and State laws regulations covering many services offered by financial institutions.
By: FDIC
Consumer Handbook on Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
(Separate Website)
This handbook explains how Adjustable-Rate Mortgages work and discusses some of the issues that borrowers may face.
By: Federal Reserve Board
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Spanish / Español
Contracts, Agreements and Documents
(Separate Website)
By: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Deceptive Mortgage Ads: What They Say; What They Leave Out
(Separate Website)
Deceptive Mortgage Ads: What They Say; What They Leave Out
By: Federal Trade Commission
Deceptive Mortgage Ads: What They Say; What They Leave Out
(Separate Website)
Don't Be a Victim of Loan Fraud
(Separate Website)
Tips to protect yourself from predatory lending.
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Don't Lose Your Home: How to Avoid Home Equity Loan Fraud
(Separate Website)
This fact sheet explains the need for caution when agreeing to such loans.
By: Consumer Action
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Fair Housing: You Are Protected Under California Law!
(Separate Website)
Includes common violations and how to file a complaint
By: California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Financing Home Repairs
(Separate Website)
A fact sheet that lists several different ways to finance repairs and improvements to your home, such as "FHA Title I Home Improvement Loans" and "Lien Contracts."
By: Consumer Action
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Financing Home Repairs
(Separate Website)
By: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Get a Car Loan that Is in Your Best Interest
(Separate Website)
Glossary of Legal Terms
(Separate Website)
A Glossary of terms from the California Courts Self-Help Center
By: Administrative Office of the Courts
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Going to Court Without a Lawyer - Representing Yourself in Court
(Separate Website)
Whatever the reason, you have the right to represent yourself, to be your own lawyer in all cases in California. It is very important that you learn about what is at stake in your case.
By: Administrative Office of the Courts
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Guide for Complainants and Respondents
(Separate Website)
The following information is designed to assist persons who believe that they have been
discriminated against in violation of California law, and persons or organizations charged with discrimination under California law, in understanding their rights and responsibilities.
By: California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
High Cost Home Loans: Don't Be a Target
(Separate Website)
You may be a target for abusive lenders trying to sell you a loan you can't afford. If this happens, you may be unable to make the high payments and lose your home at a foreclosure sale or spend all of your spare cash paying off a loan you didn't need or want.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
,
Korean / 한국어
,
Russian / Pусский
,
Spanish / Español
,
Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
Home Mortgages: Understanding the Process and Your Right to Fair Lending
(Separate Website)
This brochure explains about dealing with mortgage lenders. It tells you where to look, what to look for, and what takes place when you apply for a mortgage. You'll also learn about your legal rights to fair lending and what you have a right to expect in fair treatment.
By: The Federal Reserve Board
Home Mortgages: Understanding the Process and Your Right to Fair Lending
(Separate Website)
By: The Federal Reserve Board
Housing Discrimination: Pre-Complaint Questionnaire
(Separate Website)
The information requested on this form will help the Department of Fair Employment and Housing to help you.
By: California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
How to Manage Your Mortgage If Your Lender Closes or Files for Bankrputcy
(Separate Website)
Tips for Consumers
By: Federal Trade Commission
How to Manage Your Mortgage If Your Lender Closes or Files for Bankruptcy
(Separate Website)
Tips for consumers.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Information on Reverse Mortgages from AARP
(Separate Website)
Includes a loan calculator
By: American Association of Retired Persons
Interest-Only Mortgage Payments and Payment-Option Adjustable-Rate Mortgages: Are They For You?
(Separate Website)
By: United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
Mortgage Scams
(Separate Website)
The following items should be carefully considered whenchoosing a home loan.
By: California Department of Real Estate
Mortgage Servicing: Making Sure Your Payments Count
(Separate Website)
Information about what a mortgage servicer does and their responsibilities to you.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Need a Loan? Think Twice About Using Your Home as Collateral
(Separate Website)
Tips to protect your home and the equity you have built up in it.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Pawn Shops in California
(Separate Website)
What is the law? And what are your rights?
By: Inland Counties Legal Services - Riverside office
Read this in:
Korean / 한국어
,
Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
Payday Loans in California: Your Rights and How to Defend Them
(Separate Website)
Poor Credit Means High Interest Rates: How to Avoid Bad Loans
(Separate Website)
This brochure covers illegal lending practices, warning signs of bad loans, how to avoid becoming a victim, filing a complaint and resources for advice and assistance.
By: Consumer Action
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
,
Korean / 한국어
,
Spanish / Español
,
Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
Public Law Library of Alameda County
(Separate Website)
Open to the public, the county law library provides legal information material and resources held in its collection for your research.
By: Council of California County Law Librarians
Questions and Answers about Subprime Lending
(Separate Website)
The guide covers risk-based pricing of loans, subprime loans, credit scoring, predatory lending, illegal practices, and how consumers can protect themselves and fight back if they become victims.
By: Consumer Action
Questions and Answers on Home Foreclosure and Debt Cancellation
(Separate Website)
By: United States Internal Revenue Service
Reverse Mortgage Alert
(Separate Website)
If you are 65 or over and you have a house, you are probably a target of a reverse mortgage sales campaign!
By: California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform
Reverse Mortgages: Get the Facts Before Cashing in on Your Home?s Equity
(Separate Website)
Information about how reverse mortgages work, types of reverse mortgages available, and how to get the best deal.
By: Federal Trade Commission
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