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Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced her office will host a financial resource fair with the Illinois Joining Forces Financial Literacy Working Group to recognize Military Consumer Protection Day on Wednesday. Madigan's Military and Veterans Rights Bureau and other advocates who are members of the Illinois Joining Forces Financial Literacy Working Group will be available in the atrium of the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St., Chicago from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. today to provide information and answer questions for veterans, service members and their families. Read the full press release.

So you’ve just received orders, and you’re due to deploy. Before you go, there are a number of steps you should take to protect your family and financial future. Know your rights. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act provides protection for active military servicemembers. The law’s purpose is to postpone or suspend certain civil obligations so active duty members of the Armed Forces can focus their full attention on their military responsibilities without adverse consequences for them or their families.

In case you haven’t heard, Military Consumer Protection Day (MCPD) is on July 16th this year. If you’re not familiar with MCPD, this is a great chance to learn about the organizations and resources that can help you protect and grow your hard-earned military pay or veterans benefits.

To help celebrate the second annual MCPD, MilitarySaves, the Department of Defense, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission will host a town hall/Twitter chat at 2 p.m. EST, July 16. To join the conversation, which is focused on identity theft and credit-related issues, submit questions using the hashtag #MCPD2014.

The State of Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange will be hosting a consumer fair on Wednesday, July 16 from 10 am to 1 pm at the Pearl Harbor NEX at 4725 Bougainville Drive.

Military and civilian consumers with access to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are invited to attend an Informational Fair at the Wright-Patt Club (Daedalian Room) from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. During the Fair, consumer experts and advocates will be available to answer questions and distribute free resources. Following the Fair, between 12:45 PM and 2:30 PM, there will be three brief presentations about recognizing, avoiding and reporting identity theft, consumer scams, and investment fraud, followed by an open Q&A session.

Frequent relocation, separation from family and friends, the stresses of deployment and a steady paycheck from Uncle Sam can make military households an attractive target for scam artists. That’s why the Department of Defense, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Servicemember Affairs, and Military Saves have joined to sponsor Military Consumer — a campaign to empower military and veteran communities with tips and tools to be informed consumers.

Booking a hotel stay for a summer vacation? Before you check in, check out how scammers try to take advantage of travelers.

With the average price of a new car idling at over $31,000, you might be thinking about buying used. After all, the average price for a used car from a dealership is about $18,000. You can buy used cars through a variety of commercial outlets: franchise and independent dealers, rental car companies, leasing companies, used car superstores, and online. Of course, you can buy directly from an individual, too, but that route comes with limited consumer protections. Here are a few tips from the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency.

How does a fixed rate mortgage compare to a variable rate mortgage?What can you do about a store that doesn’t honor its refund policy? What if you have a complaint about an insurance company? The world can be a tricky place for consumers. It takes time and energy to research companies, compare products, and stay up-to-date on the latest scams. At times, it might feel like a full time job. The 2014 Consumer Action Handbook can help, and it’s now available to order or download for free.