Consumer Links
So, where do you turn when you need help? In times past mostly everyone let their fingers do the walking and strolled through their telephone books' Yellow Pages until they found what they needed. While the old YP is still around, you can find things faster online. Let's take a look at some helpful links for the consumer.
When it comes to personal finance, The Motley
Fool has my attention. These guys have everything you need to improve your
financial position. Helpful advice, relevant articles, live Wall Street
financial information, you name it. Best of all they write from an amusing point
of view -- just the attitude you need when reading about stock options!
CNN owns Money Magazine, and their website has a huge variety of articles and information, without the amusing touch of the motley guys. Still, what they share is relevant and you can often read articles on their site that are in their magazine without paying a subscription charge.
Many sites are colored by the influence of sponsors, rendering their objectivity useless. Down through the years the people at Consumers Union, who publish Consumer Reports have provided expert and independent reviews of a variety of consumer products including cars, loans, household products, you name it. Not every part of their site is free, you'll have to subscribe to read some reports.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the federal government's consumer advocacy arm. The FTC offers practical information on a variety of consumer subjects and has advocated on behalf of consumers for free credit reports and more.
The Better Business Bureau is funded by businesses, so their objectivity is sometimes called into question. Still, they can be a good place to go to learn the latest recall information, to check out an organization, and to file a complaint.
When searching online for information, make sure that the site is independent as some "consumer advocacy" websites are nothing more than a front for a commercial enterprise. While this isn't always illegal, it does raise the question whether such a site serves the company more than the consumer.