Related Consumer Finance Programs - The following lists of companies and financial service providers offer services to assist you with handling your debts. Combine debt with a consolidation loan or use a credit counseling or debt relief program for help with lowering your payments and getting your credit card bills and other obligations under control.

• Debt Management Services - 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.
• Debt Settlement Negotiation - 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.
• Credit Card Debt Consolidation - Learn about the debt consolidation process and review detailed listings for lenders and services offering to help consolidate your debts.

Taking Charge of Your Credit Cards

21. When choosing a credit card, ask yourself if you plan to pay the balance in full each month. Many people don't pay their bill each month — they always carry a balance and pay interest on it. Yet many of these same people sign up for a card because it has no annual fee, without considering the benefits of a card with a lower interest rate or a more generous grace period (before interest begins accumulating). In the long run, a card that doesn't charge an annual fee could end up costing you far more in interest than a card that charges an annual fee.

In general, if you expect to pay your balance in full most months, look for a card with a full grace period and no annual fee. However, if you plan on carrying a balance, then a card with an annual fee and low APR (Annual Percentage Rate) may be a better choice.

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 educated decisions when shopping for bank services, consolidation of debt, mortgages and insurance. Read up!

DebtConsolidationLoan.com has a growing list of free informative and educational financial articles for consumers shopping for many types of financial services related to the management of your money, such as bill consolidation, fraud alerts and auto insurance. There is no better way to make decisions regarding your personal finances than to read and understand how they work, fees you will be charged, etc. Please feel free to visit our consumer library to learn more.

• Interest Only Mortgage Loan Financing - Interest only mortgage loans are a unique home loan type, and they are certainly not recommended for everyone. Read this quick article to determine if they are the right fit for you. 
• What if You Can't Pay Your Bills? - Making the payments on your monthly bills on time is always the most important thing you can do to ensure that you retain a good credit rating. But, in case you run into trouble, there are some things you should do immediately. 
• Your Bank as a Financial Supermarket - Today's banks are increasingly becoming financial supermarkets offering investment and insurance products in addition to insured savings accounts. Learn the difference between traditional bank products and newly offered services, as well as what is insured and what is not.
• Home Equity Loan Products: How to Borrow Safely - As values increase in many housing markets, Americans are increasingly tapping their home's equity for an equity loan or an equity line of credit. Learn more and make the right decision for your needs.

DebtConsolidationLoan.com is a service of Infinamic, Inc. All debt consolidation loans and financial services 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.