February 1 - 7, 2004, has been designated National Consumer Protection Week to highlight consumer protection and education efforts around the country. The subject of this year’s NCPW is financial literacy. You can find the NCPW web site at www.consumer.gov/ncpw/

Every day, consumers conduct some type of financial transaction requiring an educated decision: shopping for a mortgage or auto loan; understanding and reconciling credit card statements and telephone bills; choosing a retirement plan; comparing health insurance policies; understanding what’s on their credit report and how it affects the ability to get credit; simply deciding how to pay for a purchase... The list goes on and on.