More Information About Managing Your Finances
Credit Counseling, Debt Management, and Debt Settlement
- Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA): www.aiccca.org
- Association of Settlement Companies (TASC): www.tascsite.org
- National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): www.nfcc.org
- U.S. Organizations for Bankruptcy Alternatives (USOBA): www.usoba.org
- Choosing a Credit Counselor article Fiscal Fitness: Knee Deep in Debt
Debt and Other Financial Calculators
- MSN Moneycentral Debt Evaluation Calculator: -Allows you to determine your debt-to-income ratio based on input you provide; many other calculators for other purposes
- U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission: www.MyMoney.gov-More educational resources and several useful online financial calculators
- U.S. Social Security Administration: www.ssa.gov-Especially see the calculators for estimating your future Social Security retirement benefits at www.ssa.gov/planners/calculators.htm
Financial Education
- Bankrate - for car loans and insurance
- Smartmoney - for car loans and insurance
- Ways to save money on any budget
- Consumer Literacy Consortium: -Tips on ways to save money on everything from groceries to mortgage loans
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation MoneySmart(FDIC): -A "computer-based instruction" section offers selfpaced instruction on the basics of banking, credit, savings, and mortgages
- Google™ Finance:-Financial news, headlines, and informational articles
- Jump$tart® Coalition: -Free publications on personal money management including some designed for kids
- U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-Note especially the online course available at this site, "Building Wealth: A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Financial Future."
- U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission: -This site contains interactive games and other resources for learning about basic household financial management, budgeting, and other important topics.
- Wall Street Journal Online: www.wsj.com-Wide range of financial, market, political, and economic news, along with informational articles and editorials Foreclosure and Legal Information
- National Association of Attorneys General for serious complaints about credit counseling organizations
- US Bankruptcy Code
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act
- Bankruptcy Report - this document outlines and analyzes reasons that both military personel and civilians file bankruptcy
- U.S. Federal Court System (www.uscourts.gov): - For latest information and statistics related to bankruptcy filings and other court-related matters
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission: www.ftc.gov-Wide variety of free online and print publications (available for order) on various consumer finance-related topics including foreclosure and repossession, avoiding credit repair or debt settlement scams, etc.
Income Tax Questions
- Internal Revenue Service: (www.IRS.gov)
Student Loans
- Student Loan Marketing Association ("Sallie Mae") (www.salliemae.com)
- Student Loan Temporary Deferment (http://studentaid.ed.gov)
- U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov)
Other Helpful Links to Financial Tools
- Ebay if you are looking to sell items you don't need
- Craigslist another place to list items you don't need for sale
- Kelley Blue Book to find out the value of your car
- Bankruptcy Terms