Sometimes, it can be tough to know who to trust. Even when there is honesty, it doesn’t necessarily follow that there is competency. Many financial advice books make my blood boil with their over simplification and the way they make some ideas sound like they solution to many problems when in fact, they are only useful in limited circumstances.
So, it is nice when you can find a trusted source for information that you can assume (hopefully) is competent. We like to think that we have done a good job earning your trust and we only write on subjects we are competent in. However, if you want a second opinion, or if it isn’t something we cover, a good go to source like the Federal Reserve, for example, might be just the ticket.
Free Consumer Information from a Trusted Government Agency
The Federal Reserve Board makes several informational brochures available for free download. In fact, if you want to wait, you can even have printed ones for free. But, online is faster. You can view them in regular webpage format (HTML) or in downloadable PDF format.
This one page of Free Financial Information Brochures has topics ranging from Credit Cards to Protecting Your Home From Foreclosure.
Other topics are:
- 5 Tips for Getting the Most from Your Credit Card
- 5 Tips for Improving Your Credit Score
- 5 Tips for Protecting Your Checking Account
- 5 Tips for Protecting Your Home from Foreclosure
- Choosing a Credit Card
- Consumer Guide to Check 21 and Substitute Checks
- A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Lock-Ins
- A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Refinancings
- A Consumer’s Guide to Mortgage Settlement Costs
- Consumer Handbook on Adjustable Rate Mortgages
- Consumer Handbook to Credit Protection Laws
- A Guide to Business Credit for Women, Minorities, and Small Businesses
- Home Mortgages: Understanding the Process and Your Right to Fair Lending
- How to File a Consumer Complaint about a Bank
- Interest-Only Mortgage Payments and Payment-Option ARMs
- Keys to Vehicle Leasing
- Looking for the Best Mortgage
- Privacy Choices for Your Personal Financial Information
- Protecting Yourself from Overdraft and Bounced-Check Fees
- Putting Your Home Loan on the Line Is Risky Business
- Home Equity Lines of Credit – HELOCs
Don’t think that this list covers all the Fed consumer publications. This is just a specific collection that they think might be particularly useful for education. If you are ever looking for a double check regarding financial information, the Federal Reserve can be a great place to start. Finding stuff there can be a bit tricky, so I suggest taking advantage of some of Google’s advanced search features.
The best Google search tip for financial information from the Fed is to use the domain advanced search term. To use it, just include “site:federalreserve.gov” at the end of your query. For example, if you want to know about personal loans from a bank, type personal loans site:federalreserve.gov into the Google search box. You will only get results that are from the Fed website that way, so you don’t have to worry about wading through a bunch of “keyword optimized” sites that have more advertisements than information.
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