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.

• Need Personal Loan - Need a smaller loan for the consolidation of your credit cards? Personal loan credit is typically unsecured and does not require you to provide security in the form of your assets, such as your car or other personal assets.
• Debt Settlement Companies - 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.
• Debt Consolidation Program - 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.

Deposits placed with an FDIC-insured Internet bank are protected the same as deposits at a traditional bank, but you need to know who you are dealing with. First, not all financial institutions on the Internet are insured by the FDIC. Also, con artists set up Web sites that can look like those for real banks, mostly to trick consumers into divulging personal financial information.

If you are not familiar with an online bank, you'll want to confirm the correct URL for the institution's Web site, so that you're not visiting a copycat site. You can look up a bank's main URL using the FDIC's Institution Directory system, at www2.fdic.gov/idasp.

Also, a bank can have one name that it uses for its traditional operations in branches and a different name that it uses for marketing on the Internet. It is important to determine the official name of the bank operating online — to confirm that it is FDIC-insured and to make sure you are not doubling up accounts at the same bank. Depositors who are confused about the true identity of a bank soliciting business on the Internet could inadvertently exceed the federal insurance limit by, say, having a $50,000 CD at an Internet bank without realizing that it's a division of another bank where the consumer already has $75,000 on deposit. In that case, the funds would be combined and would exceed the FDIC limit by $25,000.

Continue your research by contacting the bank using information on the bank's Web site (provided by our online directory of institutions above) or some other independent source. You also may contact the FDIC for additional guidance. "We are happy to confirm the insured status of any bank or, when possible, help determine what trade name a bank may be operating under," said Spears. Start at our Bank Find page on the Internet at www2.fdic.gov/idasp/main_bankfind.asp or call the FDIC toll-free at 1-877-275-3342.

For more help or information on FDIC insurance, start at www.fdic.gov or call the phone number above.

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 11/08/2007

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.