Upcoming and Recent Conferences

March 25, 2008
National Consumer Protection Week Conference
What Every Consumer Should Know in 2008

Prior Conferences

2007

March 27, 2007
National Consumer Protection Week Conference
Topics include fraud prevention, dealing with difficult consumers and businesses, and consumer scams.

2006

July 25-27, 2006
Consumer Behavior and Payment Choice
Second Annual Research Conference
Building on the Bank’s inaugural effort to understand the demand or consumer side of the retail payments market,  this two-day conference brought together academic and private sector researchers, and payments system participants to further explore consumer payment issues such as data developments and analysis, emerging payment technologies, public policies, and other topics. 

March 29, 2006
National Consumer Protection Week 2006
The Art of Consumer Persuasion: Why we sometimes make costly choices
The program focuses on the influence of marketing on financial decisions, the influence of marketing on children, alternative vs. conventional mortgages, and ensuring informed decisions.

2005

October 27-28, 2005
Consumer Behavior and Payment Choice:
How and Why Do Consumers Choose Their Payment Methods?
This conference will bring together economic researchers and payments system participants to explore what we know and don’t know about how consumers choose among payment methods and about the implications of their decisions for saving, consumption, and portfolio allocation.

April 26, 2005
National Consumer Protection Week 2005
The program focused on three topics: Check 21 vs. electronic check conversion, stored value cards, and phishing and fraud.

2004

February 24, 2004
National Consumer Protection Week 2004
Your Personal Information: Who Has It & How Safe Is It?

January 15, 2004
Rhode Island Financial Literacy Conference
Financial literacy can help low income families avoid high cost predatory business practices, prepare for emergencies, and save for major assets including housing, education, a car, or starting a business. Many organizations in Rhode Island and elsewhere are expanding programs and trying new approaches.

2003

February 25, 2003
National Consumer Protection Week 2003
New Ways to Pay (But At What Price?
Topics included The Debit vs Credit Controversy, Check Truncation: New Check Processing Systems, and Innovative & Future Payment Systems

2002

February 13, 2002
National Consumer Protection Week 2002
Consumer Survival Kit: Good Practices for Challenging Times
This one-day program focused on strategies and solutions for consumers who might face tough times in this economic recession. The conference addressed a broad spectrum of issues ranging from mortgage refinancing and credit counseling to debt collection practices and credit card issues. A panel of experts shared perspectives and offered advice for survival in this economy.

The conference was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and Consumer World

Prior to 2002

February 20, 2001
National Consumer Protection Week 2001
Privacy of Consumer Information
With the explosion of information technology, personal identifying information is becoming more and more accessible and consumer information has turned into a valuable commodity.  Although consumers may benefit from improved customization of products and services, the expanded use of customer information has also heightened consumer concerns about personal information.

This one-day conference focused primarily on regulatory protections, industry standards, and other issues relating to the privacy of consumer information.

The conference was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and Consumer World.

 

February 24, 2000
National Consumer Protection Week 2000
Electronic Banking & Commerce
The explosion of Internet services over recent years has triggered concerns about regulatory protections, industry standards, and personal security when conducting business online. The conference focused on issues concerning electronic banking, brokerage, and retail activity.

The conference was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and Consumer World.

 

September 22, 1999
Y2K and You
This program was designed to provide current information on the year 2000 and how the century date change could impact consumers.

The conference was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, and the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition.

 

February 5, 1999
Consumer Update' 99: Focus on Identity Theft
A symposium for consumer and credit professionals and advocates. This program focused on the incidence of identity theft, what the industry is doing to protect consumers and how the problem is being addressed by government agencies.

The conference was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, and the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

 

August 19, 1998
Consumer Update '98: Focus on Credit Cards
A symposium for consumer professionals and advocates. This program focused on the rights and protections of consumers with credit cards. Participants explored a broad spectrum of issues from evaluating credit card solicitations to resolving billing error disputes.

The conference was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Massachusetts Consumers Coalition, and the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General.