Other Finance Related Services - The following directory listings on DebtConsolidationLoan.com are provided to assist you with the management or consolidation of your debt. Also, while on this site, feel free to shop for other financial services such as auto insurance and home equity loans.

• Personal Loan Financing - Need a smaller loan? Personal loan financing is most often unsecured. Meaning... your home or personal property is not used as collateral and the loan decision will typically be based upon your credit history and your ability to make the necessary payments. Also, this is often referred to as a signature loan.
• Debt Consolidation Settlement - Too much debt? List of companies providing this alternative to bankruptcy that provides for debt negotiation and arbitration services for those that need to eliminate debt.
• Debt Management Credit Counseling - Do you have too many monthly bills and payments to manage them effectively? Visit this directory of sites in order to review and compare different debt management programs that may be able to help.

Paying for College ... the Smart Way

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

42. Think twice before borrowing against your home or retirement accounts. Parents who do not qualify for a tax deduction on loans for higher education may want to consider using a home equity loan if they qualify for a tax break on the interest. But remember, a home loan puts your house at risk. Another option is to borrow from your retirement savings, but most investment advisers recommend against that approach because it may reduce your future earnings and make it tougher for you to retire when you want.

"Given the many ways to borrow for college at competitive interest rates, ask yourself if you really want to put your house at risk with a home equity loan or reduce your hard-earned retirement savings just to pay tuition," Daniels said.

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.

DebtConsolidationLoan.com 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.