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.

• Debt Settlement Service - 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.
• Personal Loan Rate - Looking for a personal loan to consolidate your credit cards? These loans are usually unsecured, meaning you are not required to provide collateral. Approval is often based upon factors as your income, credit and job history.
• Debt Management Counseling - Do you feel that your credit card bills are stacking up with nowhere for you to turn? Your problem is not unique. Signing up with debt management firm may be the right solution to your debt problems. Review different firms offering these services to determine if this is the correct option for you.

Safe Online Banking, Shopping and Bill Paying: Our Latest Tips on Services Protecting Consumers

Helping consumers safely bank, shop and pay bills online has been a priority for the FDIC for many years. We closely watch the Internet for new risks and periodically issue guidance to bankers and warnings to consumers about precautions they can take to support safe online banking activities. Now, based on recent FDIC studies and a series of conferences held across the country to discuss identity theft, here are our latest suggestions for products or services to consider for protecting yourself online. (Not all financial institutions offer each product or service described here so it's up to you to find the solution that works for you.)

Protecting Card Numbers

"Credit card numbers are a cyber criminal's most attractive target," said David Nelson, a fraud specialist in the FDIC's Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection. "Stolen card numbers can be used to make counterfeit cards and run up big charges on your account." Some new options to consider for protecting your credit card number include:

Single-use credit card numbers: Also known as "virtual cards," these are numbers issued by your bank or credit card company for one-time use with online purchases and catalog or phone orders. "By using a one-time account number, you get peace of mind knowing that your actual credit card number isn't revealed to the merchant and can't be stolen by a crook," said Nelson. "Plus, each number can only be used with one merchant, so it will be void if someone tries to use it elsewhere." Your authorized charges using a one-time number will show up on your monthly statement, just like any other purchase.

Password protection: When making a purchase online you must enter a password along with your credit card number. So far, this extra security measure is only available for online purchases at merchants that participate in the program. However, more and more merchants are making this security feature available.

Online credit card statements and account access: You may not realize it, but the ability to use your computer to check your credit card balance, receive alerts and monthly statements and pay your card bill online offers you ways to protect against identity theft, too. Examples: If your credit card issuer sends you periodic e-mails with current balance and payment information, you can look for suspicious transactions. When you get an e-mail saying your monthly statement is available online to view or print, this arrangement may replace the traditional mailing of your credit card statement and thus prevent the information from being lost or stolen. The e-mail alert, which will include part of your account number or some other sign of authenticity, links you to a secure connection that is encrypted and requires a password for access.

And if you don't have access to a computer or your computer isn't working, you may be able to make your card payments and get credit card account information electronically using your telephone.

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 2/02/2006

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 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.