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Category: News

Washington, DC - Military families face all the consumer protection issues other Americans face – and then some. Frequent moves and deployments can pose additional financial challenges for servicemembers. And some of these concerns continue even after they’ve settled into civilian life. That’s why the interests of military consumers – servicemembers, veterans, and their families – are front and center at the FTC and should be an important priority for companies doing business with them.

As part of that effort, last summer the FTC sponsored the Military Consumer Financial Workshop: Protecting Those Who Protect Our Nation, an event in San Antonio focused on a broad range of dollars-and-cents issues on the minds of military families. We’ve summarized the discussion in an FTC Staff Perspective that accompanies a statement from Acting Chairman Ohlhausen. You’ll want to read them both for more information, but here are some of the topics that were on the table:

The Staff Perspective outlines other initiatives that are part of the FTC’s efforts. For example, the agency’s Economic Liberty Task Force continues to address unnecessary or overbroad occupational licensing requirements that hit military families particularly hard. The Staff Perspective also discusses law enforcement actions the FTC has taken to challenge deceptive practices that have injured servicemembers and other consumers. Finally, for just about every consumer protection challenge raised by the panelists, the FTC has resources available at www.militaryconsumer.gov.

Why should this matter to your company? That “We Support Our Troops” sticker on the front door of your establishment should be backed up by honest business practices inside. Can military consumers, including servicemembers, veterans, and their families, count on getting a fair shake from your company?