Comparing Related Financial Services - In addition to the credit card company advertisers listed below, Debtconsolidationloan.com offers a wide variety of consumer finance program listings to assist you with controlling your debts and other money management needs. Consolidate credit card bills with debt consolidation loans or use a credit counseling service for help with your getting your monthly budget under control.

• Personal Debt Consolidation Loans - Need a personal loan for debt consolidation? These types of loans often do not require collateral and are available to homeowners, as well as renters.
• Debt Settlement Negotiation - If you have too many credit cards and other small debts and are unable to make your payments, this form of debt negotiation may be right for you.
• Debt Management Counseling - Having trouble managing the demands of mounting credit card debts and other bills? You are not alone. Using the services of a debt management company may be the solution to your problems.

Paying for College ... the Smart Way

Loans for higher education can be costly so take the time to research your options

The cost of college has risen faster than the general inflation rate for many years. So, it's no surprise that many parents borrow to pay for higher education and that many college graduates owe tens of thousands of dollars on student loans and related debt. Here are strategies for keeping college financing costs down.

40. Make saving, not borrowing, your first choice for paying for college. "Planning and saving for college should be something parents begin when their son or daughter is still in diapers," said Kirk Daniels, a supervisor in the FDIC's consumer affairs section. "College loans can be costly, and the easiest way to avoid those costs is to have your own college savings fund."

Starting a college savings account, such as a state-sponsored "529 Plan," allows families to maximize growth in a tax-advantaged account and reap the benefits of compounding small amounts of money into a large sum when the child graduates from high school. Investment advisers also recommend setting up an automatic investment plan through your bank account or paycheck to encourage systematic savings.

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 8/10/2007

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.

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.