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.

• Credit Card Debt Consolidation - Are your bills piling up? Lower your monthly payments and consolidate them with a debt consolidation loan or a related service.
• Debt Management Help - 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.
• Settlement of Debt - Simply too much debt to get a grip on? Review a list of companies and learn more about this service that uses debt negotiation and arbitration to help people that need assistance with eliminating their debts.

Make Sure You Are Financially Fit

A checklist for shaping up your personal balance sheet

You know it's important to get regular physical exams and take your car in for oil changes and tune-ups. But what are you doing to make sure your finances are in good shape, too? The start of a new year is a great time to give your finances a checkup, but it's never too early or too late to make sure you're properly managing your money. Here's a checklist for conducting a simple yet thorough financial self-examination.

One

Periodically review your accounts. "Talk to a customer service representative at your bank to make sure you're signed up for the accounts and the features that best fit your needs, especially if your financial situation has changed recently," said Janet Kincaid, FDIC Senior Consumer Affairs Officer. "For example, if you tend to carry a balance on your credit card, find out if you can qualify for a card with a lower interest rate. Or, ask if your bank offers special deals if you maintain certain balances or use additional services, such as direct deposit of your paycheck."

At the same time, compare your bank's products and services with those of competitors. "Don't be afraid to shop around," Kincaid said. "If nothing else, you'll want to know that the rates, fees and services at your current bank are at least comparable to what's out there in the marketplace for the services you need and, most importantly, that the services you are using still meet your needs."

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.

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.