Below is a list of helpful personal financial management resources.

As we strive to make our site as useful as possible, please contact us if any of our information is out-of-date, or if you have found a resource that we should add to this list. We are not affiliated with nor do we receive endorsements from any companies mentioned in this list.

General Money Management

• Federal Trade Commission (877) FTC-HELP: The FTC is a federal government agency that focuses on administering consumer protection laws. This website contains a great deal of useful information for consumers about how to get out of debt, save money, and report fraudulent consumer practices. Especially useful are the free, downloadable brochures (e.g., "Solving Consumer Problems," "Knee Deep in Debt," and "66 Ways to Save Money")
• MyMoney.gov: This website was created by the federal government as a means of presenting educational materials from many different financial agencies. It includes useful information about budgeting, taxes, credit use, home buying, etc.
• Office of Financial Education Newsletter: The Office of Financial Education, a division of the Treasury Department, distributes a monthly e-mail newsletter with information about how to make better personal financial management decisions.
• MoneyInstructor.com: This private organization provides tools for teaching money management concepts to individuals of all ages from kindergarteners to adults. It includes exercises, worksheets, and activities.
• CNNMoney's Money 101: This site provides an excellent 23-page guide on personal financial management.

Shopping

Comparing Prices on Consumer Goods

Consumer Action Handbook, 2005: This handbook, published by the Federal Citizen Information Center, provides advice about how to make the best purchases when shopping for a car, home accessory, etc. In addition, it provides information about where to file a consumer complaint.

Consumer Reports Magazine: Consumers Union, an independent, non-profit organization that tests consumer products and reports on their characteristics to consumers, publishes Consumer Reports Magazine and maintains the consumerreports.org website. This magazine and website provide useful product information to potential buyers, including product prices, usability ratings, safety ratings, and product characteristics. Consumer Reports covers practically all products, from cars to sewing machines.

The sites below are shopping search engines that allow you to compare product characteristics and prices offered by different sellers before you purchase the item.

• Shopzilla.com
• Epinions.com
• PriceGrabber.com

Buying Less Expensive Foods

• About.com's Tips on Grocery Shopping: This is a newsletter posted on the consumer information site About.com. It provides information about how to buy in bulk, what types of stores to shop at, and how to save food.

Car Purchasing/ Leasing Information

• Edmunds.com: This site provides information about car prices, car characteristics, and car buyer recommendations.
• Kelley Blue Book: This site provides information about what a car's value is over time: the Kelley Blue Book Price. This information is helpful for buyers who are considering purchasing or selling a used car so they know what the car's reasonable price might be.
• CarsDirect.com: This site provides car reviews, ratings, and prices and also provides an outlet for consumers interested in purchasing a car on-line.
• CarFax.com: This site provides information about a car's history, including flood damage history, accident information, title information, etc. so consumers may learn more about a car before they decide to purchase it.
• National Insurance Crime Bureau: The National Insurance Crime Bureau is a non-profit organization that focuses on detecting insurance crimes and prosecuting insurance criminals.

Home Buying/ Renting

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): This U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development site provides information about renter/homebuyer rights, housing assistance programs, and assistance with home improvements.

Entertainment

• Entertainment Publications: Entertainment Publications is a private company that offers consumer discounts on entertainment options. They publish the Entertainment book containing coupons for hotel stays, dining out, recreational activities, and groceries.

Dealing with Fraud and Bad Business Practices

• Better Business Bureau: The Better Business Bureau is a national organization providing information about how businesses treat consumers, including: business reliability reports, dispute resolution, consumer education, and truth in advertising. You may file a complaint with this Bureau if you were treated unfairly by a business or charity.
• National Consumers League: This site, sponsored by the National Consumers League, provides information about how consumers can protect themselves against telemarketing and internet fraud and other safety/regulatory issues.

Banking and Finance

Banking Information

• BankRate.com: This site allows consumers to compare CD, mortgage, loan, credit card and interest rates offered by different banks.
• iMoneyNet.com: This site provides information about how different money market mutual funds have performed and how to choose mutual funds for investing.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: This organization provides information about how your savings are insured by the Federal Government, how to save on ATM fees, and other investment information.
• National Credit Union Administration: This is a federal agency that regulates credit unions.

Banking Options

The following are banks that provide checking accounts, savings accounts, ATM/debit cards, on-line banking, direct deposit, and loans to consumers.

• Bank of America
• Chase
• CitiBank
• First National
• HSBC
• Huntington
• US Bank
• Wachovia
• Washington Mutual
• Wells Fargo

Planning for Retirement

• AARP's Money Site: This site, sponsored by the American Association of Retired Persons, provides information about saving for retirement, finding jobs, the best employers for individuals over 50, taxes, and social security.

Investing

• CNNMoney.com: This site, CNN's money page, has articles on taxes, personal finance, and the job market.
• Vanguard: This site, run by the mutual fund company Vanguard, has helpful explanations on mutual fund investing. Vanguard is also a very reputable and low-cost mutual fund company.
• Yahoo! Finance: This site has articles on personal finance and allows you to check stock quotes (with a delay).

Using Credit

General Information

These sites provide articles about managing your money, using credit wisely, and a diverse array of other financial topics.

• SmartAboutMoney.org

Credit Card Information

These sites provide consumers with information about the interest rates, grace periods, credit limits, and benefits of different credit card accounts.

• The Federal Reserve
• BankRate.com
• CardWeb.com
• CardRatings.com
• CreditCards.com

Credit Reports and Credit Scores

• AnnualCreditReport.com: This site provides individuals with free credit reports once a year.
• Equifax, Experian, and Transunion are the three major credit bureaus that issue credit reports. Their sites provide information about the types of information on a credit report and they provide credit scores for a nominal fee.
  • Equifax
  • Experian
  • TransUnion
• MyFICO.com: This site provides information about the formula used to calculate most credit scores.

Insurance

• Insurance Quote Comparisons: These websites compare insurance quotes offered by different carriers.
  • AccuQuote.com: Life Insurance
  • eHealthInsurance.com: Health Insurance
  • Insure.com: Various Insurance Types
  • InsWeb.com: Various Insurance Types
• Other Insurance Company Sites: You can obtain a quote for these major insurance companies from their websites:
  • AAA
  • AIG
  • Progressive
  • State Farm

Miscellany

Breaking Costly Habits

Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous are organizations dedicated toward providing support and guidance to individuals recovering from alcohol and gambling addictions.

• Alcoholics' Anonymous
• Gamblers' Anonymous

Paying for College

• U.S. Department of Education's Student Aid Website: The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs offer qualifying students financial aid to attend college. This site provides information about the types of programs available and eligibility for those programs.
• Students.gov: This site provides a single portal for accessing all types of government information affecting students and education.

Taxes

• The Internal Revenue Service: The Internal Revenue Service provides information about completing your taxes, tax refunds, and tax payments. Tax forms and publications are also available for download.