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|  January-June 2013 |  |
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 Top Ten Financial Resolutions for 2012 DCA issues important tips to help you protect your money and be a savvy consumer in the new year.  Read the press release with top 10 New Year’s financial resolutionsLearn about important tax creditsVisit the Protect Your Money Web site |
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Commissioner Mintz Announces Results of Holiday Gold Buying Sweep Undercover Investigations Reveal Deceptive Weighing Practices and Widely Variable Pricing Valuations; 3 out of 4 Gold Buyers in Violation of Local Laws To protect consumers, DCA proposed a package of new regulations requiring greater disclosures during the weighing and valuation of gold. DCA urges New Yorkers to check that a gold buyer is licensed and to shop around for the fairest price. Read the press release and get tipsWatch Good Morning America’s exclusive look at DCA’s investigationCheck if a gold buyer is licensed as a secondhand dealer or pawnbrokerFile a complaint |
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DCA and CUNY Celebrate First Full Semester of New Course in Financial Counseling Formal Training Program Required for Financial Empowerment Center Counselors Now Available For Social Service Providers Developed by DCA and CUNY, Consumer and Personal Finance is a three-credit course offered through CUNY's School of Professional Studies. The course is designed to give service providers across all fields the practical skills and knowledge to help their clients protect their money by focusing on the fundamentals of managing personal finances. Read the press releaseDownload the course flyerFind a Financial Empowerment Center near you |
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DCA Releases Municipal Financial Empowerment: A Supervitamin for Public Programs Initial Report of Series Details "Supervitamin Effect" of Improved Social Service Outcomes When Integrating Professional Financial Counseling This first report documents DCA's work embedding one-on-one professional financial counseling within several City services, including homeless prevention, workforce development, domestic violence interventions, and the promising results. The series builds the case that fully integrating financial empowerment and asset building strategies into public programs will lead to more effective service delivery, improving outcomes while potentially saving money. Read the press releaseDownload the reportLearn more about the City's Financial Empowerment CentersVisit Cities for Financial Empowerment Web site |
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DCA Held Open House for Sidewalk Café Licensees on December 6 More than 40 people attended DCA's Open House exclusively for sidewalk café licensees. DCA staff discussed rules and regulations governing the industry and answered questions. Representatives from the Buildings and Fire departments discussed how to obtain and install sidewalk café heaters. DCA's Open House series educates licensees about the Department's business-friendly services, and helps them do right by their customers. Visit DCA's Business Toolbox for important information and resourcesVisit DCA's Event Calendar |
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DCA Issues Savvy Shopping Tips for the Season Tips Kick Off Downtown Alliance’s Holiday Shopping Campaign Commissioner Mintz released the top tips residents and tourists should follow to be smart—and safe—shoppers this holiday season, covering gift cards, refund policies, receipts, layaway, ID theft prevention, false advertising, deliveries, and more. Read the press release and get tipsDownload free Consumer PublicationsWatch Shopping Tips, part of Protect Your Money video series |
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DCA Inspects All 766 Airline Scales and 138 Shops at NYC Airports to Protect Holiday Travelers 80 Stop-Use Orders Issued for Failing Scales DCA conducted a three-week enforcement sweep of JFK and LaGuardia airports to protect travelers from luggage overcharges and deceptive business practices during the holiday travel season. Inspectors issued 109 violations; top violations included failure to disclose refund policies, unlicensed activity, and labeling violations. Read the press releaseConsumers: File a complaintBusinesses: Submit a Scale Inspection Request Form online |
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City Announces Launch of “Know Before You Enroll” Newest “Protect Your Money” Ads Alert Adults to Predatory School Scams and Free and Low-Cost School Choices Using the stories of real New Yorkers, the City reminds everyone pursuing degrees and training: • Explore free and low-cost adult education and training options • Check the quality of a school before enrolling and paying tuition • Don’t enroll in unlicensed schools • Get free, professional financial counseling Read the press releaseVisit the Protect Your Money Web site to view ads and learn moreFind a Financial Empowerment Center near you |
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NYC Partners with Seven Financial Institutions to Offer Municipal Workers Free Checking Account as Part of NYC Direct Deposit Program Provides Thousands Safer, Easier, and Cheaper Way to Get Paid In two simple steps, municipal employees and individual vendors receiving payments from the City can open NYC’s free account and enroll in direct deposit. Additional account features include: no monthly or debit card fees; no overdraft option for debit card purchases or ATM withdrawals; no minimum balance requirements; free online banking and bill pay; free in-network ATM withdrawals. Read the press releaseLearn more about NYC Direct Deposit |
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DCA Shuts Down Deceptive Talent Agency and Orders Owner to Pay More Than $900,000 in Fines Responding to more than 80 consumer complaints, DCA charged WMT Model & Talent Network Development, Ltd. with false advertising, failure to deliver promised services, and unlicensed activity. In addition to the fines and penalties, the judge barred business owner Bradley Poster from holding any DCA license in the future. DCA urges job seekers to check an employment agency’s license status and complaint history, and follow other consumer protection tips. Read the press release and get tipsCheck if an employment agency is licensedGet Employment Agency Information and read about ScamsFile a complaint against an employment agency |
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DCA Expands Protect Your Money Campaign to Include Video Series DCA Expands Protect Your Money Campaign to Include Video Series To help New Yorkers protect their hard-earned dollars, DCA launched a video series that currently includes: • Introduction from Commissioner Mintz • Shopping Tips • File a Complaint with DCA Videos are available in English and Spanish. Launched in 2010, the Protect Your Money public awareness campaign encourages New Yorkers to take advantage of City services to take control of their own financial future. In June 2011, ads alerted New Yorkers to predatory services and scams and highlighted the successes of real people who got help from the City. Visit the Protect Your Money Web site |
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DCA Brings Advice—Not Violation Books—to 29 Retail Areas Citywide as Part of Business Education Day More Than 1,600 Businesses Visited During 9th Annual Event to Help Retailers Do Right by Their Customers Joined by elected officials and representatives from other City agencies and community and business associations, more than 100 DCA staff went door-to-door advising businesses about City laws, answering questions, and distributing publications in multiple languages. DCA’s business-friendly educational opportunities and enhancements include: • Industry-specific after-hours Open Houses to answer questions about regulations • Faster processing of license applications and Administrative Tribunal decisions • Expanded Business Toolbox to include online Scale Inspection Request Form Read the press releaseVisit DCA’s Business Toolbox to access online Licensing services Get free Business Publications |
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DCA Charges Lafnac Digital Computers with Deceptive Trade Practices Electronics Store Named in More Than 100 Consumer Complaints DCA issued violations to Lafnac for unlicensed activity and illegal sales tactics, including fake “inventory sales,” selling used merchandise as new, adding “extras” to customers’ orders without their knowledge, overcharging, and misrepresenting warranty coverage. As part of the announcement, DCA distributed quick tips for shopping at electronics stores. Read the press release and get quick tipsCheck if a business is licensedDownload DCA’s guide Buying and Selling ElectronicsFile a complaint against an electronics store |
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Number of City Smokers Has Hit an All-Time Low at 14 Percent DCA’s Youth Tobacco Enforcement and Prevention (YTEP) Program Key Part of City’s Multi-pronged Efforts Mayor Bloomberg announced that nearly half a million New Yorkers have quit smoking since 2002, with smoking among City teens drastically lower than national numbers. DCA licenses cigarette retail dealers. Through its YTEP program, which pairs DCA inspectors and undercover minors, DCA inspects essentially every cigarette retail dealer every year to ensure they do not sell tobacco products to underage kids. Stores’ compliance has improved to 90 percent from 52 percent when the program began in 1998. Read the press releaseLearn more about DCA's efforts to prevent cigarette sales to minors |
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DCA Held Open House for Employment Agencies on August 24 More than 65 employment agency representatives attended DCA's third Open House exclusively for licensees. DCA staff discussed a range of topics, including licensing requirements, fees agencies can and cannot charge, contracts and refund policies, and how to deal with customer complaints. DCA's Open House series educates licensees about the Department's business-friendly services, and helps them do right by their customers. Visit DCA's Business Toolbox for important information and resourcesVisit DCA's Event Calendar |
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Second Yearlong Crackdown on Supermarkets Reveals Even Lower Compliance In response to last year’s low compliance in the supermarket industry, and making good on Commissioner Mintz’s promise to double the number of inspections this year, DCA inspected almost 2,000 supermarkets and found that 59% failed. The Department issued approximately one million dollars in fines; top violations remain overcharges at the register, taxing items that are not taxable, failing to put price tags on individual items, and improperly weighing and packaging food products. DCA advocates new legislation, the Grocery S.H.O.P. Act, to give overcharged consumers ten times the amount of an overcharge and that product for free, as well as tripling City fines. DCA’s ongoing #nickeled&dimed outreach efforts on Facebook and Twitter, invite New Yorkers to share incidents of supermarket overcharges. Read the press releaseVisit DCA on TwitterVisit DCA on FacebookDownload DCA’s guide Saving at the SupermarketFile a complaint about a supermarket overcharging |
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DCA Launches Investigation Into Debt Settlement Companies for Predatory Practices DCA Launches Investigation Into Debt Settlement Companies for Predatory Practices After declaring debt settlement the top consumer fraud of the year, DCA issued subpoenas to 15 debt settlement companies, including five located in the City. Commissioner Mintz warns New Yorkers to beware of fee-based companies that claim to eliminate or lower debt but instead leave consumers in financial ruin. Residents struggling with debt are encouraged to get free help at the City's Financial Empowerment Centers.  Read the press releaseLearn your rights about debt settlement inEnglish Español 中文 Find a Financial Empowerment Center near you |
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