HELPFUL ORGANIZATIONS

​

​

DEBT

 

Associations

​

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling
www.nfcc.org
301-589-5600
Search for a member agency, access free debt advice and more

 

Websites

​

Annualcreditreport.com
www.annualcreditreport.com
Request a free copy of your credit report once a year from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies.

 

National Consumer Law Center
www.consumerlaw.org
202-452-6252

 

Our nation’s consumer law expert, NCLC works to combat unfair business practices by collection agencies

Debtors Anonymous
www.debtorsanonymous.org
1-800-421-2383

 

Information, resources and help for compulsive debtors

Money Management International
www.moneymanagement.org
A non-profit credit counseling agency

​

MONEY AND LIFE

 

Government Agencies

​

The Federal Trade Commission
www.ftc.gov
1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)
The Federal Trade Commission website provides information and resources to help protect consumers

 

MyMoney.gov
www.mymoney.gov
The US government’s website dedicated to educating Americans on financial basics

 

​

Associations

​

The Financial Planning Association
www.fpanet.org
1-800-322-4237
Tips, tools, articles and about financial planning, search for a Certified Financial Planner

 

The National Association of Personal Finance Advisors (NAPFA)
www.napfa.org
847-483-5400
Search for a Fee-Only comprehensive financial planning professional

 

The Garrett Planning Network
www.garrettplanningnetwork.com
1-866-260-8400
An international network of independent financial advisors and planners offering hourly, as-needed financial planning and advice

 

Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education
http://www.afcpe.org/
(703) 684-4484
A nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, training and certifying financial counselors and educators

Websites

 

 

The Better Business Bureau
www.bbb.org
703-276-0100
Search for BBB accredited businesses

 

Edmunds.com
www.edmunds.com
Advice on all aspects of leasing or buying a vehicle

 

 

IDENTITY THEFT AND SCAMS

 

Government Resources

​

National Do Not Call Registry
www.donotcall.gov
1-888-382-1222
Register your phone number to decrease the amount of telemarketing calls you receive

 

Social Security Online
www.ssa.gov
1-800-772-1213
The official website of the United States Social Security Administration

 

 

Websites

​

Credit Bureau Opt Out Service
www.optoutprescreen.com
1-888-567-8688
Opt out of receiving offers for credit or insurance

 

Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service
www.dmachoice.org
212-768-7277, ext. 1500
For $1 you can opt out of unsolicited mail from companies that use the DMA’s mail preference service; register for eMPS which allows you to remove your email address from national lists

 

MyFico.com
www.myfico.com
1-800-319-4433
Tips on how to protect yourself from identity theft, how to protect your child from identity theft and more

 

 

PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY

 

Government Resources

​

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
www.cms.hhs.gov
1-800-633-4227
Detailed information on Medicare and Medicaid, including information on initiatives, coverage and how to protect yourself from fraud

 

Websites

​

Aging With Dignity
www.agingwithdignity.org
1-888- 594-7437
Educational resources and access to the “Five Wishes” legal document that helps you to express how you would like to be treated if you are ill and unable to communicate your wants and needs

 

BUDGETING/CUTTING SPENDING

 

Websites

​

CouponMom.com
www.couponmom.com
Free access to printable coupons, find grocery deals by state, sign up for alerts and more

 

Retail Me Not
www.retailmenot.com
A collection of coupon codes from thousands of online merchants

 

Mint
www.mint.com
Free budgeting software and spending trackers

 

Gasbuddy.com
www.gasbuddy.com
Finds the cheapest gas prices in your area

 

CREDIT

 

Credit Bureaus

 

Experian
www.experian.com
1-888-397-3742
901 West Bond
Lincoln, NE 68521

 

TransUnion
www.transunion.com
1-800-888-4213
2 Baldwin Place
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022

 

Equifax
www.equifax.com
1-800-685-1111
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

 

Websites

 

CreditCards.com
www.creditcards.com
A credit card comparison website

 

LowCards.com
www.lowcards.com
A credit card comparison website

 

CardRatings.com
www.cardratings.com
A credit card comparison website

 

REAL ESTATE/MORTGAGES

 

Websites

HSH Associates Financial Publishers
www.hsh.com
1-800-873-2837
The nation’s largest publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information

 

PAYING FOR COLLEGE

 

Government Organizations

 

FAFSA4caster
www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov
1-800-433-3243
Estimate your eligibility for federal aid

Websites

 

College Savings Plan Network
www.collegesavings.org
Information on 529 plans, compare plans from around the country and estimate costs with their college cost calculator

 

FinAid
www.finaid.org
Tips, tools and information on funding a college education

 

Saving For College
www.savingforcollege.com
Information, tools and more to help you plan ahead for college costs

 

INSURANCE

 

Websites

 

Consumer Federation of America
www.consumerfed.org
202-387-6121
Information on variable universal life insurance

 

eHealthInsurance
www.ehealthinsurance.com
1-800-977-8860
Get quotes on individual, family and small business health insurance plans, compare plans and apply for coverage online

 

The Insurance Information Institute
www.iii.org
212-346-5500
Search for an insurance company in your state, information on insurance and financial planning

 

Insure.com
www.insure.com
Search for quotes and information

 

RETIREMENT

 

Websites

​

Choose to Save Ballpark E$timate
http://www.choosetosave.org/ballpark
Identify approximately how much you will need to retire

 

T. Rowe Price Retirement Income Calculator
https://www3.troweprice.com/ric/ricweb/public/ric.do?van=ric
Calculate how long your savings will last

 

SAVING AND INVESTING

 

Websites

​

BankRate.com
www.bankrate.com
561-630-2400
Free rate information on over 300 financial products

 

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
www.finra.org
301-590-6500
Investor news, tips on investing and market data

 

Morningstar
www.morningstar.com
Stock quotes and investment information

 

BrightScope
www.brightscope.com
Look at your 401(k) plan’s fees and compare costs to similar plans

 

Deposit Accounts
DepositAccounts.com
A bank account comparison site

 

TAXES

 

Government Organizations

 

Internal Revenue Service
www.irs.gov
1-800-829-1040
The United States’ Internal Revenue Service website

 

​

Websites

​

Charity Navigator
www.charitynavigator.org
201-818-1288
Evaluations of over 5,300 of America’s largest charities, tips and resources on giving to charity,

 

Guidestar
www.guidestar.org
757-229-4631
Determine a nonprofit’s legitimacy, learn if your donation will be deductible, view a nonprofit’s recent Forms 990, and more