Related Services - The following company listings on the Debt Consolidation Loan Directory are offered to assist you with handling your credit card bills and other monthly payments. Also, in addition shop for other financial services ranging from credit card offers to home and car insurance.

• Debt Settlement Companies - Simply too much debt to get a grip on? Review a list of companies and learn more about this service that uses debt negotiation and arbitration to help people that need assistance with eliminating their debts.
• Consumer Debt Management - 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.
• Personal Loan Consolidation - This type of lending is most often structured as an unsecured debt. This means your personal property or house will not used as collateral. Your approval (or denial) will usually be based upon your payment / credit history and your ability to repay the loan. This type of credit is also often called a signature loan.

Beware of Mortgage Scams

For most people, their home is their biggest purchase, and they'll do practically anything to protect it. Unfortunately, that's the reason why fraud artists target homeowners with high-cost and often illegal mortgage offers.

In one common example, con artists promise to erase a bad credit history or make easy loans to people with spotty credit histories. "Most of these offers involve exorbitant fees, come with hidden terms or never provide the promised money," said Michael Benardo, manager of the FDIC's Financial Crimes Section.

Mortgage foreclosure fraud is on the rise, with thieves posing as lenders or housing counselors offering to "help" people at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure. More than likely, the consumer pays high upfront fees for questionable services, and in the worst cases, thieves have tricked people into signing over ownership of their homes.

How can you avoid these types of fraud? "Try to deal only with businesses and other organizations you already know or that have been recommended," said Benardo. He added that it's safe to assume that any offer that sounds too good to be true, especially one from a stranger or an unfamiliar company, is probably fraudulent.

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.