Related Consumer Finance Programs - The following sub-directories of companies offer a wide variety of financial programs to assist you with the management of your finances. Consolidate debt with a consolidation loan or use a debt counseling service or mortgage refinance for help with the consolidation of your charge card debt and other monthly payments.

• Personal Loan Companies - Need a smaller loan for the consolidation of your credit cards? Personal loan credit is typically unsecured and does not require you to provide security in the form of your assets, such as your car or other personal assets.
• 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.
• Consumer Debt Management - Too many credit cards and other bills to make monthly payments on? Start here by reviewing and comparing different debt management options for getting help with your credit card bills and other monthly obligations.

Complain Effectively and Get Results

What if you have a problem with a financial institution but you're not sure about the best way to resolve the matter? Here are some tips for dealing with the situation and minimizing the frustrations.

One

First try to fix the problem directly with the institution. That's usually the quickest way to get things done. "Go straight to the source," said Janet Kincaid, FDIC Senior Consumer Affairs Officer. "Give the institution an opportunity to resolve the matter." If you're not satisfied with the answers from a customer service representative, consider asking to speak with a manager or someone else with the authority to take action.

Also, before you contact the institution, think about how you'd like the matter resolved. Summarize in your head or on a piece of paper what the problem is and what you'd like done about it. This will help you remember the key points of the issue. In case the financial institution doesn't agree to your solution, think about your second and third options.

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 2/1/2007

Make better 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 and educational financial resources for consumers shopping for many types of financial services related to the management of your finances, such as the consolidation of credit card debt, fraud alerts and life 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 information library to learn more.

• Do You Know the Warning Signs of Too Much Debt? - Take control of your spending as soon as you recognize any of the warning signs cited by this article provided by CitiFinancial.
• What Do Banks Do? - A bank is a private, for-profit business that offers a variety of financial services to the public.
• Learning about Bank CDs (Certificates of Deposit) - Learn about the different types of bank CDs and how to choose the type that is right for you.
• Pros and Cons of Internet Banking - Review some of the positive and negative aspects of Internet online banking.

debtconsolidationloan.com is a free online service. All infromation regarding debt consolidation loan programs and related financial service offerings by outside companies is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. debtconsolidationloan.com is not responsible for the content and services, that may be provided to you, by following the links from this web site to outside providers. Use this service at your own discretion. Last site update: 2012-01-02.