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NASHVILLE – Before accepting any invitations about financial, retirement or estate planning, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) reminds consumers that many insurance and financial firms contact middle-aged and older adults or host free meal seminars with the goal of selling insurance or financial products or services. The invitations, written or verbal, may clearly state that nothing will be sold and only advice will be offered. However, there’s a chance the consumer will be encouraged to buy something either during or after the event or meeting. To protect themselves, TDCI encourages consumers to follow these suggestions:

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumers Affairs reminds Tennesseans that they must file claims before Feb. 12, 2018 to be reimbursed for money lost in scams using Western Union.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Regulatory Boards issued over 143,000 licenses to Tennessee professionals, received 3,801 complaints and assessed $1.4 million in civil penalties in 2017.

NASHVILLE – As Tennesseans gear up to spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen preparing holiday meals, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) reminds consumers to cook with care as Christmas and Christmas Eve are two of the top three most dangerous days for cooking fires in the country.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) finished 2017 by distributing nearly 25,000 free smoke alarms, earning national recognition for its progressive fire prevention efforts and securing federal funding to continue the “Get Alarmed” smoke alarm program into 2018.

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Consumer Insurance Services Section announces that $9.4 million was returned to Tennessee consumers through the Department’s restitution efforts and the recovery of life insurance benefits in 2017.

NASHVILLE – Over 80 newly certified law enforcement officers will graduate from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy (TLETA) at 11 a.m. Thursday, December 21, 2017 during a ceremony to be held at the Al Menah Shrine Temple (1354 Brick Church Pike, Nashville, TN).

Nearly $600,000 in fines and penalties were assessed on behalf of Tennessee consumers in 2017 as a result of disciplinary actions taken by the Tennessee of Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Securities division. A total of 19 disciplinary actions were taken which resulted in the issuance of $598,000 in civil penalties.

Nothing spreads cheer quite like holiday decorations, but care must be taken to ensure your festive winter décor is fire-safe. To decrease the risk of a home fire, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) reminds consumers that popular holiday decorations such as candles and string lights can cause tragedy when not used correctly.

NASHVILLE – Technology-themed gifts are popular among holiday shoppers but, unfortunately, technology and modern conveniences can give scammers and thieves new windows into ruining the holidays. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs reminds consumers that caution should be taken to keep tech devices from falling into the hands of a con artist.

The virtual currency known as cryptocurrency is riding a wave of public interest amid a frenzy of recent news stories touting record high valuations for the digital-only currency. Bitcoin, which is the most well-known cryptocurrency, broke records this week with its values on Wall Street now topping more than $270 billion, according to news reports.

NASHVILLE – While opinions may differ on how soon is too soon to put up holiday decorations, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) reminds consumers that one thing is not up for debate: Dry and neglected Christmas trees can cause fires. To avoid a devastating home fire, the SFMO encourages Tennesseans to keep fire safety in mind when trimming the tree this holiday season.

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays well underway, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs is warning consumers to be wary of holiday-themed scams during this season of giving.

NASHVILLE – Time is running out for you to win big with the State Fire Marshal’s second annual Fire Prevention Video Contest! Tennesseans have until December 31 to enter the contest which challenges residents of all ages to put their imagination to work by creating videos to help share fire safety messages in an exciting and effective way.