Library cardholders can access online databases for articles on specific subjects!

• Good Starting Points
• Automobiles, Boats, Etc.
• Charities
• Consumer Complaints
• Credit and Personal Finances
• Delivery Services
• Energy
• Funerals
• Identity Theft
• Insurance
• Investigate a Business

• Local Area Resources
• Mailing Lists and Telemarketing
• Privacy
• Product Recalls
• Product Reviews
• Real Estate and Housing
• Restaurants
• Shopping Online
• Telephone Services

• Become.com
  Product reviews, buying guides, product details, prices, discussion forums and links to online vendors.

• Better Business Bureau
  View dozens of buying guides and informational pamphlets, find out about current scams or connect with organizations that help consumers.

• Consumer World
  A good starting point for research and resources.

• The Dollar Stretcher
  A free weekly newsletter featuring money-saving tips and ideas along with a library of previous articles organized by subject.

• Findlaw Consumer Law Center

• Government Web Sites

• Federal Citizen Information Center
  This site offers a wide variety of federal consumer publications that are available online. Another valuable feature is The Consumer Action Website, which is based on the current version of the Consumer Action Handbook.

• Consumer.gov
  The federal government has developed this site as a portal to online consumer resources from many federal agencies. You can search for documents or browse for information in categories such as food, money, health, careers, children, technology and education, home and community, and more.

• Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Protection
  A service of the FTC's Office of Consumer Protection. You can read the full text of guides and alerts on a variety of consumer-related topics.

• Virginia Attorney General's Office — Consumer Assistance
  In addition to a monthly consumer alert, find information on consumer fraud, where to file complaints, special concerns for older adults, identity theft and Medicaid fraud.

• Good Starting Points
• Appraisal Guides
• Buying Guides
• Fuel Efficiency
• Gas Prices
• Safety and Insurance

• Good Starting Points

• "Car Talk"
  The Web site of the popular radio show.

• National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
  NMVTIS is a program of the United States Department of Justice through which consumers can find information on the vehicle's title, most recent odometer reading, brand history, and, in some cases, historical theft data.

• Under the Hood
  Basic information on how a car works, an online assistant to help you diagnose problems, and a good selection of related links.

• The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
  Information, addresses, phone numbers and policies about driver- and vehicle-related transactions.

• Virginia Department of Transportation

• Appraisal Guides

• Carprices.com — Vehicle Price Check
  Get an estimate on the value of new or used cars and trucks from 1981 to the present.

• Edmunds True Market Value Pricing
  Pricing for new and used cars.

• The Gold Book
  An interactive guide to collector car values. The data are based on records of verified private transactions and auction results.

• Kelley Blue Book
  Look up trade-in and retail values for used cars, motorcycles, personal watercraft, or snowmobiles. The site also includes reviews, price information for new cars, and an interactive "lemon check" in which you can enter a car's vehicle identification number (VIN) and check its title history.

• NADA Appraisal Guides
  Retail prices on all types of used vehicles including cars, trucks, boats, truck campers, motor homes, motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles.

• Buying Guides

• Car and Driver
  Road tests and reviews for cars, trucks and SUVs, plus new and used car pricing.

• CarsDirect.com
  Provides a variety of tools for researching, evaluating, financing and buying new or used cars and trucks. The site also offers services for people selling used vehicles.

• Consumer Guide: Automotive Reviews Ratings and Prices
  Information on new and used cars, SUVs and trucks.

• Consumer Reports
  New and used car pricing, reliability and safety; recommended models; negotiating tips; short articles about news and trends in the auto industry; links to selected online sources of information; tips on insurance and financing and more. Ratings and reports for specific vehicles can be viewed only by subscribers; however, library cardholders can access articles from the print version of Consumer Reports through the General Reference Center Gold and MasterFile Premier databases on the library's list of Consumer Databases.

• Edmund's Automobile Buying Guide
  New and used car, SUV and truck pricing and reviews.

• Keys to Vehicle Leasing
  A consumer guide from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.

• Fuel Efficiency

• Fueleconomy.gov
  A very good collection of information and resources on fuel economy. Produced jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

• Green Vehicle Guide
  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides detailed information on fuel efficiency and emissions of air pollutants. You can browse or search for data on vehicles, manufactured since 2000, which are sold in the United States.

• Gas Prices
  Search by zip code or state and city to find the lowest current gas prices in your area.

• GasBuddy.com

• MSN Autos — Gas Prices

• Safety and Insurance

• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
  This independent nonprofit organization provides a variety of information about safe driving and vehicle safety.

• Insure.com
  Safety information, crash test data and other material related to auto insurance. The organization also provides ratings of selected insurance companies.

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  NHTSA's Web site includes information on crash-test results, recalls and defects, vehicle safety, adaptive equipment for persons with disabilities, and much more.

• SaferCar.gov
  This NHTSA site focuses on vehicle safety. You can find crash test results; information on tires, air bags and rollover prevention; check on vehicle recalls or ongoing investigations; or file a complaint about a vehicle.

• Catalogue for Philanthropy
  Information on selected organizations throughout the DC metro area.

• Charitable Donations: Give or Take?
  The Federal Trade Commission suggests precautions you can take to ensure that a charity is legitimate and/or determine how your contribution will be used.

• Charity Navigator
  Thousands of charities are rated based on information provided in informational tax returns (IRS Form 990).

• The Cumulative List of Organizations
  The online version of IRS Publication 78, which lists tax-exempt organizations and tells you how much of your contribution to an organization is tax deductible.

• Guidestar: The Donor's Guide to the Charitable Universe
  Philanthropic Research, Inc., provides objective information to help donors evaluate charities. The online database includes more than 1.7 million nonprofit organizations in the United States.

• Give.org
  Tips for donors and evaluations of hundreds of charitable organizations.

• eConsumer.gov
  The eConsumer.gov Web site, produced collaboratively by several countries, provides a form for submitting a complaint that can be forwarded to a member country or an alternative dispute resolution service. The site also offers links to online shopping tips produced (in English) by member countries.

• Fairfax County Consumer Central
  The Consumer Protection Division can help county residents file complaints against businesses or landlords and research the complaint histories of companies before engaging in business with them.

• How to Complain
  The online version of the "Consumer Action Handbook," published by the Federal Consumer Information Center, includes a sample complaint letter.

• U.S. Federal Trade Commission: Complaint Assistant
  The FTC's Complaint Assistant will guide you though the process of registering a complaint online with the FTC. According to a statement on the Web page, "While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps us investigate fraud, and can lead to law enforcement action."

• Who to Contact
  Virginia's state Web site includes two resources that can help you direct your complaint to the appropriate agency.

• Office of Consumer Affairs
  The office's Web site includes a complaint topic selector.

• Office of the Attorney General
  This office's Where to File Consumer Complaints information helps to identify the state or federal agency to which you should direct your complaint.

• Bankrate.com
  Consumer bank rates for mortgages, credit cards, home equity loans and lines, auto loans, personal loans and CDs.

• Buying, Giving and Using Gift Cards
  From the Federal Trade Commission.

• Choosing a Credit Counselor
  Advice on what to look for and questions to ask when searching for a credit counselor. From the Federal Trade Commission. Also available in Spanish.

• Credit Bureaus
  Information on credit reports, and links to the three major credit reporting agencies.

• Credit Information from the Federal Trade Commission
  The FTC's site offers easy access to consumer resources produced by the FTC and other agencies; the full text of legislation and rules; links to other sites; news updates; and more.

• Credit Scoring
  These sites explain the methods that creditors use to evaluate your ability to make credit payments or repay a loan.

• Facts for Consumers — Credit Scoring
  From the Federal Trade Commission. Also available in Spanish.

• Your Credit Score: How It All Adds Up
  From the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer organization.

• Your Credit Scores
  From the Consumer Federation of America, "an advocacy, research, education and service organization."

• Debt Collection Practices: When Hardball Tactics Go Too Far
  This fact sheet, produced by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, describes your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other laws relating to debt collection.

• Federal Deposit Insurance
  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) describes which types of financial products and services may be covered and lists the maximum amount covered for various types of accounts. The site also includes an estimator that calculates your FDIC insurance coverage for each FDIC-insured bank where you have deposit accounts, and a Bank Find through which you can look up information about a specific bank.

• Free Annual Credit Reports
  Federal law requires each of three nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide one free credit report per year to consumers. Requests can be made online, by phone or by mail. The FTC provides additional information about this program.

• Money 101
  A series of online lessons covering topics such as setting financial goals and creating a personal budget; banking; investing; home-buying; asset allocation; and more. The lessons include additional resources such as online calculators and glossaries. Money 101 is part of CNNmoney, which is produced by the editors of CNN and Money magazine.

• Mymoney.gov
  A presentation of federal government financial resources for consumers. Includes information on topics such as home ownership, taxes, paying for education, credit, savings, small business start-up, retirement planning and more.

• Virginia Foreclosure Prevention Task Force
  Answers frequently asked questions about mortgage foreclosures, and provides an array of foreclosure prevention resources, including a housing counselor database, which is searchable by zip code. Housing counselors can assist homeowners in understanding the law and guide them through their options if they are facing possible foreclosure.

• DHL

• FedEx

• United States Postal Service

• UPS

• Efficiency Ratings for Heating and Water Heating Equipment
  Search the Directory of Certified Product Performance from the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute.

• Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home
  From the U.S. Department of Energy.

• The Funeral Consumers Alliance
  This site includes articles and resources on many aspects of the subject, such as "How to Read a General Price List," "Common Funeral Myths," and a directory of local affiliated groups.

• Funerals: A Consumer Guide
  The Federal Trade Commission provides this excellent overview of the subject. The site also includes links to related resources and organizations.

• Preplanning Your Funeral Arrangements
  A good explanation of the process and the choices to be made if you decide to preplan your funeral. From the American Association of Retired Persons.

• Deter. Detect. Defend. Avoid ID Theft
  From the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

• Free Annual Credit Reports
  Help to combat identity theft by regularly reviewing your credit report. Each of three nationwide consumer reporting companies is required to provide one free credit report per year to consumers. Requests can be made online, by phone or by mail. The FTC provides additional information about this program.

• FAQ Identity Theft
  Virginia's Office of the Attorney General provides information on how to avoid identity theft and what to do if you become a victim.

• Identity Theft Resource Center
  Helping people prevent and recover from identity theft.

• Identity Theft Resources
  From the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

• Special Report on "Phishing"
  This Department of Justice document discusses the risks of responding to phishing e-mails, and tells you what you can do to prevent this sort of fraud.

  Note: Adobe Reader is required to view this PDF file.
  To obtain a free Reader, follow this link:
  

• Your Privacy
  Privacy and identity theft information from the National Consumers League.

• A.M. Best
  A.M. Best is a publisher of authoritative information about the insurance industry. The Web site provides ratings and profiles of thousands of insurance companies. The site also includes useful resources such as a glossary and a guide to issues to consider when choosing an insurer. Note: Free registration is required.

  Note: Adobe Reader is required to view the PDF files on this site.
  To obtain a free Reader, follow this link:
  

• Insurance Information Institute
  The many resources available include information on various types of insurance (home, auto, disability, health, long-term care, annuities and specialty policies such as travel risks or identity theft); informational brochures; tips for individuals with particular insurance needs; and a good collection of links to links to a variety of commercial, nonprofit and governmental resources.

• Insure.com
  Information on automobile, health, home and life insurance including company ratings, rate comparisons and more.

• Virginia Bureau of Insurance
  Contact information and links to the state's insurance laws and regulations. In addition, the bureau's consumer guides to homeowner's insurance, Virginia auto insurance and other topics are available online.

• Complaint History Lookup: Fairfax County Division of Consumer Protection
  Look up a business to see if complaints have been filed and, if so, whether the complaints were resolved.

• Database Lookup: Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Washington, DC
  Search for a BBB report on a given company. Note that your results may include businesses in Eastern Pennsylvania because the database also includes information from that area's Better Business Bureau.

• Regulant Lookup: Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
  Virginia regulates a variety of occupations and professions. You can search by name or zip code to find out if an individual is licensed and to view information on disciplinary actions.