The Consumer Toolbox
Stay informed, and empowered! This podcast gives YOU the tools you need.
With so much misinformation online and on social media, Milagros dedicates this platform to bring awareness with her soft, honest voice, and candidness. There is no sugar-coating here!
Remember that “Education is the best prevention” when it comes to your personal information and finances.
Episodes
22 episodes
The Growing Trend of Buy Now Pay Later
Because the original episode recorded in 2022 has been the most listened to episode of The Consumer Toolbox podcast, and considering the growing trend of the Buy Now Pay Later plans, I thought to bring it back alive with some new comments for y...
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Season 9
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Episode 1
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15:26
NCPW 2024: Consumers Lost $10B to Fraud in 2023!
National Consumer Protection Week 2024 (March 3 to March 9) is a annual event dedicated to consumers by advocates and government entities. With the Federal Trade Commission recent report of fraud in 2023, you will want to listen to ...
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Season 8
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Episode 2
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9:39
When Debt Relief Becomes Yet Another Debt
Advertisements for Debt Relief are coming to us from every angle. We hear them on the radio, see them on television, and on posters and newspaper ads. In fact, they are becoming just as overwhelming as the debt ratio most consumers are now faci...
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Season 7
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Episode 1
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11:16
Smart Devices Pry on Your Privacy
Smart devices are good but your privacy is better. Why does this matter? Because smart devices pry on your privacy. However you have options, if you take the time to take action to protect it. It's all in the settings. So before...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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6:41
Medical Data Breaches Can Be Dangerous to Your Health
Medical data breaches are on the rise. This is a major concern because it impacts our medical records and could potentially put our health, not just our personal and financial information at risk. What most consumers don't know is that medical ...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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10:00
Identity Theft Awareness Week
This week I will join the Federal Trade Commission to help promote Identity Theft Awareness Week. I invite you to participate!With identity theft continui...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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8:41
Data Privacy Week: Take Control of Your Data and Own Your Privacy!
This week is Data Privacy Week. It's a new year and it's time for consumers to take control of their data and own their privacy!As consumers, our lives are intertwined each and every day from online shopping to using social media to eng...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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11:29
When I Become the Consumer
Hi Listeners!I'm back. Sorry for the long hiatus. Listen to this episode to hear of the "not-so-welcomed" issues I was dealing with these past few months. You will soon discover that I, although a well-versed consumer advoc...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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8:50
The Nuts and Bolts of Auto Repair
If you own a car, you're probably familiar with the expenses and headaches associated with auto repair. Too often consumers either pay too much for a repair, or are dissatisfied with the quality of the work performed. In this epis...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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13:09
Vacation Scams are Heating Up!
Don't get duped by a scam when booking your next vacation or family trip!If you're anything like me, you're ready for a vacation or getaway! But with scams on the rise during the pandemic, you want to hear of the different ones taking c...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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10:18
National Consumer Protection Week: Highlights and consumer news!
This was a National Consumer Protection (NCPW) like no other. Why? Because we had to adapt to doing it virtually...and via The Consumer Toolbox podcast. Surprisingly enough, my colleague, Camille and I were just as productive, if not more than ...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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5:41
National Consumer Protection Week: Online "Social" Security Awareness
I could not let National Consumer Protection Week come close to an end without my dedicating an episode to Older Americans who are learning to navigate the cyber world. To many of them, this is a new era and way of communicating with the outsid...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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8:59
National Consumer Protection Week: Evictions & Foreclosure and the Moratorium
First and foremost, I want to thank my colleague, Camille Christian, a Case Specialist at the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Information for offering to host Episode 4 of the Nation...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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6:10
National Consumer Protection Week: Credit Despair and Repair
With the pandemic affecting our finances, it seems that credit is a concern for many consumers. And there's nothing wrong with that! What is wrong though is the misconception on how to handle negative credit reporting, or when our credit scores...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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8:16
National Consumer Protection Week: Home Improvement
Spring is around the corner and so are home improvement scams!There is homework for you to do before you hire a home improvement contractor. Learn the steps you must take to avoid falling to a home improvement scam or you hire a ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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10:12
National Consumer Protection Week: February 28 - March 6, 2021
It's my favorite week of the year! Today kicks off National Consumer Protection Week and I couldn't think of anything better to do than to bring to you...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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2:56
Ways to Complain Effectively
If you want your complaint to be heard and resolved, there's a right way to address your concerns to a business or merchant. Whether you do it by phone, email or letter, using the right tone, choosing the right words and addressing your complai...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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10:43
Your Car Buying Power!
Due to a large number of requests from its listeners, this episode is a sequel to Episode 1: Wait! Don't Buy a Lemon! Thank you all for your positive feedback, and of course, for listening to The Consumer Toolbox podcast!
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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14:57
Episode 3: The Many Scams of Christmas
With the pandemic at its highest peak this holiday season, most of us have turned to online shopping over brick-and-mortar. However this is creating a perfect storm for cybercriminals to access and steal our financial and personal information, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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14:17
Scams, Fraud & Identity Theft: The Past, Present & Future
It goes without saying that scams, fraud and identity theft are part of our past, present and future. This is why we must learn to, "stop, breath, and take a step back to think" when we suspect it to be a scam when we get a tele...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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13:32
