Financial Education Resource

• The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation offers a range of educational materials on topics such as consumer protection, loans and mortgages, and banking. The site offers “Money Smart,” a financial education curriculum for adults.
• The Financial Literacy and Education Commission is a coalition of U.S. government agencies involved in providing financial education for adults and children.
• The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas offers a site called “Building Wealth” an educational resource targeted to adults, young people, and families, including lessons on saving, investing, and credit.
• The Jump$tart Coalition is a nonprofit advocacy organization that promotes financial education and develops best practices for the teaching of personal finance topics to high school students.

Banking and Money

• The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is the U.S. government agency responsible for regulating national banks. The site is a good source for banking and consumer information.
• Bankrate is a handy online tool that consumers can use to access all types of current data about banking products, from savings accounts to credit cards to mortgages. The site provides various calculator tools to help consumers determine the cost of borrowing, as well as interest rates available for savings accounts and Certificates of Deposit.
• The National Endowment for Financial Education is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting financial education. Their site includes a resource center, “Smart About Money,” that offers courses and materials from various sources, including financial institutions and other nonprofits.

Investing

• The Securities and Exchange Commission is responsible for regulating the securities industry in the U.S. The SEC’s site provides extensive information about investing topics and also offers a guide for investors: “Get the Facts: The SEC’s Roadmap to Saving and Investing.”
• Morningstar is a source for extensive data and current price information about all types of investments, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange traded funds. Membership is required for some types of information, but the Personal Finance page is free and contains financial news and advice.

Mortgage and Housing Finance

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s personal finance site called “My Money, My Home, My Future” contains information on home ownership and building financial security. The site has extensive information on housing issues, mortgages, foreclosure prevention, and sources of assistance for homeowners.
• The State of New York Banking Department site offers consumer guides and information on banking, mortgages and credit. It also provides guidance and resources to homeowners facing foreclosure.

Consumer Protection

• The U.S. government’s consumer protection website covers a wide range of topics, including a section on banking and finance:
• The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has a Consumer Protection section of its website that offers information about consumer protection laws.

Managing Credit

• The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report once a year, upon request. The website is the only source that is authorized to provide the report free of charge.
• myFICO provides online tools to access your credit score. The site contains a Credit Education Center with information about obtaining credit and maintaining a good credit score.
• The National Foundation for Credit Counseling is the largest national nonprofit credit counseling network in the U.S. The NFCC website provides information about the more than 100 Member agencies and more than 900 offices in communities throughout the country, which provide credit counseling. The site helps consumers find certified credit counselors in their area.