Related Consumer Finance Programs - The following sub-directories of companies offer a wide variety of financial programs to assist you with the management of your finances. Consolidate debt with a consolidation loan or use a debt counseling service or mortgage refinance for help with the consolidation of your charge card debt and other monthly payments.

• Debt Consolidation Services - Learn about the debt consolidation process and review detailed listings for lenders and services offering to help consolidate your debts.
• Personal Loan Rates - Looking for a small loan? Start at the personal loans directory, where you can shop and apply with different lenders and related services online.
• Debt Settlement Company - Finding yourself in the common situation of being unable to meet your credit card payments month after month? The negotiation of your bills may be a good solution for getting you back on track with your financial obligations. Compare various programs and see if this option is right for you.

A Special Guide for Seniors and Families

It's Never Too Late to Simplify and Organize Your Finances

Organize and protect your important documents: Make sure your bank and brokerage statements, insurance policies, Social Security and company pension records, and other personal and financial papers are in a safe place and easy to get to.

As the victims of recent hurricanes, floods and other disasters have learned, it's wise to take extra precautions with essential records. For the most important original documents, such as wills, passports and birth certificates, seal them in airtight and waterproof containers to prevent water damage. Make backup copies and consider giving duplicates to loved ones —or at least let them know where to find your records in an emergency.

Consider renting a safe deposit box at your bank for certain papers that could be difficult or impossible to replace, such as birth certificates and originals of important contracts. Don't put into a safe deposit box anything you might need in an emergency, such as your passport or medical-care directives, in case your bank is closed for the night or weekend. Also, many experts generally advise against putting a will in a safe deposit box because, in many states, there may be complications accessing the will after the person dies. And remember that copies of wills aren't valid. Perhaps the best approach is to ask your attorney for guidance.

For the most important papers you keep at home, consider an inexpensive but durable home safe.

FDIC Consumer News is published by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

FDIC Consumer News is produced quarterly by the FDIC Office of Public Affairs in cooperation with other Divisions and Offices. It is intended to present information in a nontechnical way and is not intended to be a legal interpretation of FDIC or other government regulations and policies. Mention of a product, service or company does not constitute an endorsement.

Find current and past issues of FDIC Consumer News at http://www.fdic.gov/consumernews. Refer to this same index to locate the issues that are specially formatted for being reprinted in any quantity.

To receive an e-mail notice about each new issue of FDIC Consumer News posted on the FDIC Web site, with links to stories, follow instructions posted at www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/index.html.

Last updated on 11/14/2005

Make better decisions when shopping for banking, debt consolidation and related financial services. Educate yourself!

The Debt Consolidation Loan Directory has a growing library of free informative and educational financial resources for consumers shopping for many types of financial services related to the management of your finances, such as the consolidation of credit card debt, fraud alerts and life insurance. There is no better way to make decisions regarding the management of your personal finances than to read and understand how they work. Please feel free to visit our consumer information library to learn more.

• Do You Know the Warning Signs of Too Much Debt? - Take control of your spending as soon as you recognize any of the warning signs cited by this article provided by CitiFinancial.
• What Do Banks Do? - A bank is a private, for-profit business that offers a variety of financial services to the public.
• Learning about Bank CDs (Certificates of Deposit) - Learn about the different types of bank CDs and how to choose the type that is right for you.
• Pros and Cons of Internet Banking - Review some of the positive and negative aspects of Internet online banking.

The Debt Consolidation Loan Directory is a service of Infinamic, Inc. All information is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Infinamic, Inc. is not responsible for the content and services, that may be provided to you, by following the links from this web site. Use this service at your own discretion.