Happy National Consumer Protection Week! – National Consumers League

National Consumer Protection Week 2010 has begun, running from March 7 to the 13^th. NCL is an NCPW Steering Committee member, working with our consumer protection colleagues to provide free resources to help people protect their privacy, manage money and debt, avoid identity theft, understand credit and mortgages, and steer clear of frauds and scams. This year, NCPW partners—which includes AARP, Better Business Bureau, Consumer Federation of America, and a handful of federal government agencies and others—are focusing Dollars and Sense: Rated “A” for All Ages on highlighting consumer education for every stage of life – from grade school to retirement.

At NCPW’s official Web site and blog, readers can view President Obama’s NCPW Proclamation and visit the NCPW Events Page to find local NCPW events across the country. Bloggers are examining issues of utmost importance to consumers these days: understanding the new credit card rules; personal privacy; seeing through the deception of fraudulent “miracle cures” and more.

NCL has long sought to educate our youngest consumers on a variety of issues, and our 16-year-old LifeSmarts program captures the nuts and bolts of growing up consumer savvy. NCL runs LifeSmarts at the national level and is grateful for the support from volunteer state coordinators across the country facilitating the program in their states. LifeSmarts is a national program for high school and middle school youth, testing students in grades 7-12 with questions about real-life marketplace issues ranging from personal finance, health and safety, the environment, technology, and consumer rights and responsibilities. So far in this 2009-2010 season, the program has recorded the highest numbers ever in its 16-year history.

State competitions are heating up across the country, and as winners are determined, champion teams are prepping for their trip to Miami, Florida for the 2010 National LifeSmarts Championship. Follow the excitement of the coming weeks at NCL’s LifeSmarts blog.