Universal Money Services

 

Real Estate Information

 

• AAA Investment Guide for the UK
• American Association of Individual Investors (advice)
• Annual Reports Online (free ordering)
• Big Charts: big stock/fund movers, historical quotes
• Broker Check from NASD: look up a stock broker or brokerage's history
• Daily Stocks (compendium of sources to research stocks)
• Direct Stock Purchases from the company (list, online orders)
• Dividend Reinvestment Plans by Moneypaper
• e-Broker/Ameritrade ($8 trades!)
• Search EDGAR at the SEC (corporate filings)
• EduStock (educational stock market simulation)
• Fidelity Investments
• Fund Alarm: warns which mutual funds do the worst (3 alarms)
• Funds 101 -- Mutual Funds for the New Investor
• Good Money (for socially concerned investments)
• Historical stock quotes (by date)
• HUD Home Sales
• Internet Real Estate Directory
• Investing for the Future: basic home study course from Rutgers Co-op Ext.
• Investment Finder from MSN/MoneyCentral: screens stocks/funds by your criteria
• Investor's Clearinghouse: investment education
• Investor education from the Ontario Securities Commission
• Investor Education from North Amer. Sec. Admin. Assoc.
• Investor Education Center from Vanguard Mutual Funds
• Investor Guide: personal finance megasite
• Investing Online Resource Center: Is it right for you?
• Investor Protection.org (education, links)
• Invest Smart stock market simulation/educational site
• Investopedia: tutorials, articles, and dictionary of terms
• Merrill Lynch
• Morningstar tracks, rates, updates your portfolio
• The Motley Fool (AOL's popular investment gurus)
• Mutual Fund Cost Calculator by Andrew Tobias (how fees affect returns)
• Mutual Fund Magazine (articles and ranking of funds)
• National Discount Brokers (on-line trading)
• Net Stock Direct: buy stocks directly from company
• Online Broker Ratings Scorecard from Gomez Advisors
• On-line Investment Fraud Prevention from the SEC
• PCQuote (15 minutes delayed)
• Quote.Com (stock quotes)
• Prudential Securities (retirement planning and other info)
• Rare Coin Consumer Protection
• SEC Investor Education Center
• Securities Investor Protection Corporation: pays if brokerage fails
• The Sensible Investor: ratings of mags, sites, etc. + straight advice
• Stock analysts' predictions rated, company snapshots for future growth
• Stock Detective: Looks at scams and shady investments
• Stock market simulator from League of American Investors
• Stock Quotes - historical
• StockScreener by 20 criteria from Hoover's
• Stock Smart (quotes, news, comparisons by industry)
• The Syndicate -- investment and finance information
• Trader's Financial Resource Guide
• WallStreetCity: investment research mega-site
• Wall Street Research Net (15,000+ companies' info)

 

 

Money Matters

 

• AnnuityTruth.org: facts and warnings about buying annuities
• Australia's "My Money" (banking, insurance, invest, scams)
• Bankruptcy law backgrounder
• Benefits Checkup: identifies state and federal programs for seniors, including prescription drugs
• Bloomberg University: free money management courses
• Boston Home/Condo Selling Prices (Banker & Tradesman)
• Bottom Line Personal: personal finance newsletter
• Center for Financial Learning from GE
• Charity ratings and free reports (BBB & Give.org)
• Charity Watch: ratings by the American Institute of Philanthropy
• Charity database (GuideStar) search 650,000+ nonprofits
• Charity Navigator: helps you evaluate charities
• National Center for Charities Statistics (form 990)
• College Education Financing tips from Sallie Mae
• College Loan information including online account activity
• College Shopping/Wired Scholar: find a college, get prices, financing tips
• College Savings state plans (section 529 tax-deferred plans)
• Currency Converter based on current rates
• Currency Calculator: True cost of foreign purchases w/credit card surcharges
• Dollar Stretcher (columns on wise money management)
• Donations of clothing, etc. and their tax deduction value (Salvation Army)
• Edmund's New & Used Car Prices, Reviews and Crash Data
• The Electronic Newsstand's Financial Magazines
• Electronic Payments guide: your rights, info, tips
• Family Financial Education Channel (Merrill Lynch)
• Fannie Mae
• Financial advisors: how to select, articles about financial planning
• Financial Aid Information (very comprehensive)
• Financial Calculators for home, investing, college, etc.
• 6/2004 Financial calculators from ChooseToSave
• Financial Engines: evaluates your 401K and investments to meet retirement goals
• Financial education and literacy site from the Federal Reserve
• FinPlandotCom: basic info/free software on personal finances
• Financial Planners: tips on finding a CFP
• Financial Planning information from Prudential
• Financial planning megasite by planner EF Moody
• H & R Block Tax Tips
• Institute for Consumer Financial Education
• IRS forms, publications, and regulations
• Kathy Kristof's Personal Finance weekly column
• Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine
• Life Advice: series of money articles for various stages of life
• MoneyCentral from Microsoft: advice on smart buying, personal finance, more
• Money Magazine Personal Finance Magaine
• Money Minded: personal finance articles from Hearst
• Money saving tips from Mining Company's Personal Credit Guide
• Money Extra
• Multi-Level Marketing: What's Wrong with it
• National Center for Financial Education
• Nellie Mae College Loan Information
• Unclaimed Pensions directory (fed. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp)
• Personal Finance articles from Jane Bryant Quinn
• Personal Properity Page
• 8/2004 Practical Money Skills: basics for kids, students, families
• Predatory loan warnings from ResponsibleLending.org
• Quicken Financial Network
• Relocation salary calculator
• Right on the Money: PBS series archives on smart money management
• Roth IRA resource page for retirement accounts
• Savings Bond information from the US Treasury
• Savings Bond redemption calculator and tables
• Savings Bonds, search unclaimed, stopped earning interest
• Scholarships for college, searchable database by Sallie Mae/WiredScholar.com
• Scholarship Scam Alert
• Securities Fraud and Investor Protection information
• Smart Money Interactive: magazine with added personal finance features
• Social Security earnings statement from SSA
• 7/2004 Student aid information by US, tuition comparisons
• Tax Advice from Ernst & Young
• Crash Course in WILLS and TRUSTS
• Ultimate Prosperity... if you want to make money fast
• Unclaimed Assets Search (including state links)
• Unclaimed Property state links (click on "find property")
• Unclaimed/Abandoned money and property US search (MissingMoney)
• Unclaimed IRS Tax Refunds -- search for your name
• Unclaimed US savings bonds, treasury notes, etc.
• Wills (of famous people) on the Web
• Women's Wire: Money-oriented features for women from Bloomberg
• Worth Magazine Online
• Your Credit Counts: credit and money management learning site

Insurance

 

• A.M. Best Insurance Company Ratings
• Automobile appraisal and insurance questions answered
• Auto Insurance interactive rate comparison
• BudgetLife: lists lowest comparative term rates/quotes
• 9/2004 Calculate Your Home's replacement value
• California Insurance Premiums Comparison (home and auto)
• Canadian Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (includes ethics self-test)
• CLUE reports: insurance claims history of individual consumers
• Consumer Insurance Advocate for CA: shopping advice; handling denials
• 3/2004 Demutualization Claims: facts about policyholders' rights, etc.
• Disability and other Insurance: how to buy, etc.
• Health/disability insurance guides from Health Ins. Assoc.
• 9/2004 Health insurance policy requirements/rights in each state
• I-CAN: Insurance Consumer Advocate Network; tips, help
• Insurance company complaint finder (search state complaint records)
• Insurance Fraud.org
• 2/2005 Insurance fraud: report it anonymously
• Insurance Information Exchange
• Insurance Information Institute: for all types of insurance
• Insurance News Network
• Insurance Online
• Insurance Web (insweb): quotes, estimators, tutorials
• Life/Health Insurance 101
• JD Power ratings of insurance, investment, travel, telephone and car companies
• Long term care insurance buyer's advocate (industry-run)
• Long Term Care Insurance information/sales
• Long term care insurance price comparisons by Quotesmith
• Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau (turn in a crook hotline/form)
• Medical Information Bureau: the insurance/medical record "credit" bureau
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners
• Prudential Insurance information
• RightQuote: instant on-line life insurance quotes, backgrounders
• Standard & Poor's and others' Insurance Company Ratings
• Term Insurance Lowest Comparison Price Quotes (Quotesmith)
• Travel Secure: CSA Travel trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• InsureMyTrip: travel insurance comparisons of 13 companies
• Weiss Ratings of insurance companies, banks, brokerages (worst list free)

 

Credit and Banking

 

 

• Abandoned property/money: see "unclaimed" listings above
• Amazing Rates: search for highest certificate of deposit interest rates
• ATM machines: finds 3 closest to you + map!
• 9/2004 ATM Machines without surcharges
• Bank Rate Monitor -- Best Credit Card Deals
• Bank Rate Monitor -- Home Loan Rates Around the Country
• Bank Rate Monitor -- Savings Rates Around the Country
• Banking Online comparison chart of banks, fees, 800 numbers
• Bankruptcy Creditors' Service
• Bankruptcy and Debtor's information/links
• Bankruptcy: frequently asked questions
• Banx rate comparisons (loans, CDs, credit cards)
• 4/2004 ChexSystems: credit report for checks, bouncing checks
• Coin Counting, free and cheap locations by state
• Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) ratings of lenders (searchable)
• Booklets on Credit and Money (Pueblo, Colo.)
• Card Ratings: Lists of best credit cards by category
• 10/2004 Cdars: free service to get FDIC insurance on deposits over 100K
• 11/2004 Check Conversion: your rights in electronic transfers
• 11/2004 Check 21: FAQ on return of cancelled checks law
• Compare savings, loans, credit card rates from iMoneyNet
• Credit Bureau addresses, telephones, and opt-out of prescreening
• Credit Bureau information from their trade association
• Consumer Credit Counseling Service (National Foundation for Consumer Credit )
• Booklets on Credit from the FTC
• Credit Card feature finder from GetSmart
• Credit Card Offers: compares leading credit cards by type
• Credit Choice: lists low rate, rebate, secured cards, etc.
• Credit Info Center -- comprehensive credit education info
• Credit issues for students from American Express
• Credit Page: find a credit counselor; learn rights
• 12/2004 Credit reports free annually from each credit bureau
• Credit Scores: how your "secret" credit score is derived (Fair Isaacs)
• Credit Score estimator from FICO
• CreditSmart: in-depth consumer education from Freddie Mac
• Credit Talk (basic budgeting advice from MasterCard)
• Credit Union National Association (CUNA)
• Debt Counselors of America: non-profit to help you pay off your debt
• Equifax -- Q&A about credit reports
• E-StudentLoan: compares private student loan programs
• Experian (TRW) Credit Bureau Information
• Fair Credit Reporting Act (credit reports/bureaus) Q&A
• FDIC Insurance on bank accounts: Q&A and interactive calculator
• 12/2004 Financial Education websites from Citigroup
• Home Banking on the Internet (NetBanker Online Banking Report)
• Identity Fraud: complete how to cope guide if you become a victim
• MasterCard
• MasterCard University: understanding debit/credit cards, money mgmt., etc.
• Massachusetts bank fee survey comparing checking/ATM fees
• Merchant Credit Card Accounts -- how not to get taken
• Money Management International: free credit/debt counseling
• Mortgage Calculators
• Mortgage Calculators (including some novel, interactive ones)
• Mortgage Financing Resources
• Mortgage Mart library -- includes online prequalifier and law summary
• Calculate your MORTGAGE potential
• Mortgage Marvel: real-time mortgage rate comparison of online lenders
• Mortgage Professor: former U of P teacher shares his wisdom
• Mortgage Rate Comparison (big cities)
• Mortgages rates around the US (largest database)
• Mortgage Rates Today and Arm Indexes (HSH)
• New York banks comparison: atm fees, check charges, etc.
• Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI): calculators; when can drop
• Ram Research Credit Card page
• Rate.Net: comprehensive mortgage, savings, loan rate listings
• Reverse mortgages (independent information)
• Scorecards by Gomez Advisors: ratings of online banks
• Trans Union credit reporting agency
• 12 Credit Card Secrets Banks Don't Want You to Know
• Visa