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Library cardholders can access online databases for articles on specific subjects!
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Web Sites by Subject.

See also the library's links to Company Information, Older Adults  and  Privacy and Online Security.


Good Starting Points
For additional resources in this subject area, see the library's list of online Consumer Databases.

Automobiles, Boats, Etc.
For additional resources in this subject area, see the library's Auto Repair Reference Center online database, which contains automotive repair manuals, including "Chilton manuals."

  • Good Starting Points

  • 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 that are more than three months old 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

  • 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.


Charities
See also the library's links to Volunteer Opportunities.

  • 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 over 800,000 nonprofit organizations in the United States.

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


Communication Technologies
See also the library's links to VOIP (Internet Phone).

  • Telephone Services

    • ABTolls
      Comparative information on long-distance plans and calling cards; a guide to the various charges that may be listed on your phone bill; information on scams; and more.

    • Wireless Advisor
      Tips on selecting a wireless phone service, and an interactive database that lists all the cellular, PCS, or wireless phone companies serving your zip code.

  • Television

    See also the library's Television links under News and Online Media.

    • Getting Ready for All-Digital TV
      On February 17, 2009, TV stations will stop analog (over-the-air) broadcasting. After that date, you may need to buy a set-top box to continue to watch TV on your existing equipment. Beginning January 1, 2008, the federal government will be distributing coupons worth $40 each to be used toward the cost of certain converters. These coupons will expire 90 days after they are issued.


Consumer Complaints
See also Investigate a Business and Local Area Resources.

  • 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.

  • 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: Consumer Complaint Form
    You can use this online form to register a complaint 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.


Credit and Personal Finances

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

  • Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Washington
    CCCS is a nonprofit organization committed to helping individuals and families resolve their financial problems through free, confidential professional services.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 the answers to frequently asked questions 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.


Delivery Services

Energy

Funerals

  • 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.


Identity Theft
Links from the library's list of Privacy and Online Security Web sites.


Insurance
See also Automobiles, Boats, Etc. and the library's links to Health and Medicine.

  • 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 Acrobat Viewer 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.


Investigate a Business
See also Consumer Complaints and Local Area Resources.  For additional resources, see the library's Consumers' CHECKBOOK online database, available only in library branches.

More Links
from the library's list of Consumer Information Web sites.

 
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Last Modified: Friday, May 09, 2008