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 - If you have a large amount of  credit card and other debts, now may be a good time to consolidate your debt and lower your payments.
• Personal Loan Rate - 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 Counseling - Too many debts and payments to be able to keep up? Compare different debt management services that may be able to help you get control of your bills.

News Briefs

Update on Higher Coverage for Retirement Accounts

Readers of FDIC Consumer News know that as of April 1, 2006, FDIC insurance coverage for certain retirement deposits increased from $100,000 to $250,000. The basic insurance coverage for other deposit accounts remains at $100,000 per depositor but, as before, there are ways to qualify for more than the basic coverage. Now here's an update:

In September, the FDIC further clarified which retirement accounts qualify for the $250,000 coverage. They include traditional and Roth IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts), Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRAs, and Savings Incentive Match Plans for Employees (SIMPLE) IRAs. Also included are self-directed Keogh accounts, "457 Plan" accounts for state government employees, and employer-sponsored "defined contribution plan" accounts that are self-directed, which are primarily self-directed 401(k) accounts and include SIMPLE 401(k) accounts. In general, self-directed means that the consumer chooses how and where the money is deposited.

As a result of the new rules, the FDIC has been updating its brochures and videos, the online Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator (EDIE) and other resources for consumers about deposit insurance coverage. These resources can be viewed on the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits. For more help or information, call the toll-free telephone number in the box on the right.

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 11/08/2006

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.

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