Related Financial Services - The following Debt Consolidation Loan Directory sections allow you to comparison shop other finance products, such as debt consolidation loans and credit counseling firms.

• Personal Loan Company - Shopping for a personal loan online? Need to consolidate debt, but do not want to put up collateral (such as your home or car) as security? These loans are typically referred to as unsecured or signature loans, because only your signature may be required.
• Debt Settlement Help - High credit card balances making your monthly payments impossible to meet? The negotiation of your outstanding bills with your creditors may be a good debt solution for you. Educate yourself on your options and compare available programs.
• Debt Management Counseling - Too many credit cards and other bills to make monthly payments on? Start here by reviewing and comparing different debt management options for getting help with your credit card bills and other monthly obligations.

The New Climate for Mortgage Borrowers

If You're Looking for a New Mortgage or to Refinance

Protect against unfair and deceptive sales practices by working with a loan originator you know or who comes recommended by someone you trust. "Scrutinize any fee you're being asked to pay a lender, broker or any other service provider," warned Pawelski. "And don't assume that every loan officer or mortgage broker will act solely in your best interest."

At or near the top of the danger list are "predatory" home loans, which are expensive offers involving false statements or misleading sales tactics, usually to people in financial trouble and without regard for their ability to repay. Another questionable and potentially costly practice involves situations in which a lender gives extra compensation to employees or outside brokers for steering a borrower to a higher-priced mortgage, while claiming to be offering the best possible interest rate. There also have been instances of aggressive or misleading advertising intended to lure consumers into inappropriate adjustable-rate mortgages by, say, using the word "fixed" when the interest rate and payment could actually change during the life of the loan.

To find out if a company or sales representative has been the subject of consumer complaints, start by contacting your state government's consumer protection or Attorney General's office, which will be listed in your phone book or other directories. That state office also may be able to guide you to another state or federal government agency for additional information.

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

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

The Debt Consolidation Loan Directory has a growing library of free informative / educational consumer resources for those shopping for many types of services related to the management of your finances, such as credit card consolidation, avoiding fraud and mortgage financing. There is no better way to make decisions regarding the management of your personal finances than understand how they work. Please feel free to visit our consumer information library.

• Fraud that Targets the Elderly - Senior citizens are often the targets of fraud and identity theft. Among the reasons: Some older people have considerable assets (including their own home and savings accounts), they're easy to find at home, and they can be swayed by fears of losing their financial independence. (source: FDIC).
• Vishing: Voice Phishing Phone-Based Scams - The FDIC has warned numerous times about "phishing" scams. This notice from FDIC informs you about "vishing," which stands for "voice phishing." It is very similar to the technique discussed above, except that "vishing" usually is initiated with an email.
• Warning: Identity Thieves Target Young People, Too - Criminals also target young people even though they may be too young to have a checking account or credit card of their own. Identity thieves can use a young adult's name, address and Social Security Number to open fraudulent accounts. This FDIC article offers tips on how to help protect young adults from this type of fraud. This advice is pretty good for adults, as well.

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.