1. You the Consumer

2. Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
Consumers have rights and responsibilities in our free enterprise system.
Consumerism is a movement to educate buyers about the purchases they make and to demand better and safer products from manufacturers.

3. Laws Protecting the Consumer
Many laws protect consumer rights.
The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act requires every package to have a label identifying its contents and how much it weighs.
The Pure Food and Drug Act requires manufacturers of foods, cosmetics, and drugs to prove their products are safe.

4. The Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau is one of many groups formed to protect consumers.
Businesspeople run the local bureaus.
They provide information about local businesses, warn of dishonest practices, and investigate consumer complaints.

5. The Consumer Bill of Rights
President John F. Kennedy, and later President Richard Nixon, emphasized five rights known as The Consumer Bill of Rights.
Consumers have the right:
To a Safe Product
To be Informed
To Choose
To be Heard
To Redress

6. Consumer Responsibilities
With consumer rights come responsibilities.
If a product or service is faulty, you are responsible for starting the problem-solving process.
State the problem and suggest a fair solution.
Keep an accurate record of your efforts to solve the problem.
If necessary, contact the manufacturer in writing and keep a copy.

7. Warranty
A warranty is a promise made by a manufacturer or seller to repair or replace a product within a certain time if it is faulty.

8. Your Role as a Consumer
Disposable income is money a person has left after all the taxes on it have been paid. People generally use it first to buy necessities, such as food and housing.
Discretionary income is money left over after paying for necessities that can be used for satisfying wants, including luxury items and savings accounts.

9. Saving
Saving is setting aside income for use later. It is the part of your income that you don’t spend.
Saving enables people to make major purchases, such as a car or a house. Saving also comes in handy in emergencies.
Saving by individuals benefits the economy as a whole. Saving provides money for others to invest or spend. Saving also allows businesses to expand.

10. The Perks of Saving
Interest is the payment people receive when they lend money, or allow someone else to use their money.
Money saved in a bank earns interest at periodic intervals for as long as funds are in the account.
To decide how much to save, you need a plan.
Your plan would consider your everyday expenses, reasons for saving, interest you could earn, and your potential to earn a higher income in the future.