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.

• Personal Loan Company - Looking for a smaller loan for the consolidation of debt? Start your search at the directory of personal loans, where you can compare and apply online with different lenders and related companies.
• Debt Management Consolidation - Do you feel that your credit card bills are stacking up with nowhere for you to turn? Your problem is not unique. Signing up with debt management firm may be the right solution to your debt problems. Review different firms offering these services to determine if this is the correct option for you.
• Debt Consolidation Help - Too many credit card debts and other bills to make monthly payments on? Review this directory for useful personal finance information and to compare a list of debt consolidation providers of loans and other related debt help services.

A Special Guide for Seniors and Families

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

Take precautions with old accounts. For the benefit of your heirs, either dispose of proof of old bank and brokerage accounts, life insurance policies and other assets you no longer own (again, assuming you don't need the documents for tax or other purposes) or clearly mark them as being sold or cashed in. Otherwise, loved ones who discover the information after your death could waste a lot of time and effort researching these mystery accounts when there is no money or property to be claimed.

On the other hand, people do lose or forget about money or property. It's easier than you think. For example, you may move and fail to give a forwarding address to a bank where you have a small savings account. Or, you may change your name and not notify your banks or other companies. That's why it's important to keep records of your finances, note which accounts have been closed or cashed in, and make sure your financial institutions and others who owe you money have your current address.

In most cases, after a certain number of years of being "unclaimed," assets are transferred to the state government, where they still can be claimed by the rightful owners. For guidance about how to research an old bank account or safe deposit box, see the Spring 2002 FDIC Consumer News (online at www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnspr02/lost.html). You also can begin a search for assets of any sort that have been sent to a state by going to the Web site of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (www.unclaimed.org).

And one final warning: Beware of frauds involving companies offering to "find" your unclaimed property. There are reputable companies that, for a fee based on actual recoveries, will help people who don't want to take the time to research unclaimed property or whose cases may be unusually complex. But some companies may charge fees up-front based on misleading claims or for services you could easily perform on your own.

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 the correct 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 / educational financial resources for consumers shopping for many types of services related to the management of your money, such as consolidating credit card debts, fraud alerts and car 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 resource library for more information.

• Cell Phone Banking - New cell phones are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated. This includes adding the capability of handling online banking through your phone. This FDIC article discusses some of the possibilities and precautions you should take when using your phone for banking purposes.
• How to Protect Yourself with FDIC Insurance - Read up on what qualifications are necessary and how to determine if your deposits are covered by FDIC insurance.
• Direct Deposit Safer than Checks? - The US Treasury Department reports that a majority of surveyed consumers mistakenly believe that paper checks are safer than direct deposit.
• Consider the Fees! - Learn what to look for and examine the details of each banking account offer for possible fees, such as: inactivity, minimum balance and ATM withdrawal fees.

DebtConsolidationLoan.com 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.