Suggested websites
The Economy
U.S. Census Bureau
This is a treasure trove of economic and social data.
Economy.com
A place to go for economics numbers and commentaries. There is a fee for some material.
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Visit their site for the latest news on rate cuts and monetary policy issues.
Financial Accounting Standards Board
Read the latest news about financial accounting and reporting standards.
Giving
Social Investment Forum
The central clearinghouse of information for socially-responsible investing.
The American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel
Publishes annual statistics on giving.
Charities Aid Foundation
A tax-exempt organization which supports and promotes global philanthropy by attempting to remove the obstacles to international giving by bringing together U.S. donors and non-U.S. charitable organizations.
Network for Good
A nonprofit organization dedicated to using the Web to help people get more involved in their communities — from volunteering and donating money to speaking out on issues they care about.
Independent Sector
A national leadership forum that works to encourage philanthropy, volunteerism and citizen action by conducting research and inquiries into who gives and why.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Since its beginning in 1930, the Foundation has continuously focused on building the capacity of individuals, communities, and institutions to solve their own problems.
More than Money
A national network of people in the wealthiest 5%, exploring the personal impact of wealth in our lives and creative philanthropy.
National Center for Family Philanthropy
Founded to encourage families and individuals to create and sustain their philanthropic missions. It focuses solely on matters of importance to families engaged in philanthropy.
The Newtithing Group
With a new philosophy of giving, the Newtithing Group describes how individuals can give a certain percentage of their net worth and still have their assets grow.
Social Welfare Research Institute
Specializes in the study of wealth, philanthropy, spirituality and motivations of giving and volunteering.
The Women's Funding Network
Promotes the development and growth of women's funds that empower women and girls by fostering strategic alliances among women, donors, communities and institutions.
The Women's Philanthropy Institute
Actively promotes philanthropy among women.
Investing
American Association of Individual Investors
A non-profit based in Chicago with great information about investing for individual investors. They are believers of long-term investing strategies and have a number of helpful evaluation tools on their site.
Bloomberg.com
A superb cyberspace portal into the markets.
Fidelity.com
One of the world's largest mutual fund companies.
Financial Engines
William Sharpe, a Nobel laureate in economics, is the main force behind this online company which uses sophisticated mathematical techniques to devise an asset allocation for you. However, many of the services do charge a fee.
Financial Planning Association
This organization has a comprehensive list of financial planners around the country.
IndexFunds.com
Learn more about index funds.
InvestorWords.com
Look up investing or financial terms you don't understand.
Morningstar.com
Home to the famous Morningstar Five Star ratings system.
NASD
Check the credentials of a financial professional you may be considering. NASD regulates the securities industry and virtually all U.S. stockbrokers and brokerage firms.
Pimco Bonds
This financial services company has a number of reputable bond funds. It's also the home of bond guru Bill Gross.
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Read company annual reports and keep up with the latest regulatory actions.
SmartMoney.com
This site has loads of personal finance information, including ideas of places to invest your money in any market and great advice for anyone who thinks they may retire one day.
TIAA-CREF Web Center
The world's largest retirement financial services provider has created a good online curriculum for anyone with basic questions about investing.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is one of our sponsors. Its site has resources on topics ranging from insurance to investing.
The Vanguard Group
A wealth of information, especially about mutual fund investing, retirement and indexing.
ValueLine.com
An invaluable research tool for learning more about how particular stocks, mutual funds and sectors are performing.
Living
AARP on finding an attorney
A list of questions to ask when looking for an attorney.
Consumer Federation of America
Information on various consumer issues.
Current Mortgage Information and Today's Rates from HSH Associates
This is a large publisher of consumer loan information. Go here for current mortgage information and more.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Information for homebuyers.
Insure.com
Find links to each state's insurance department. There you can locate information on state-sponsored health care plans and your health care rights.
Jumpstart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy
This organization seeks to improve the personal financial literacy of young adults.
Kiplinger.com
Many of the articles available in their magazine are available on this site, including ones written by regular Marketplace Money guests Janet Bodnar and Elizabeth Razzi.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
Research insurance companies and complaints against them. It's also a great place for facts about state insurance regulations.
National Foundation of Credit Counseling (NFCC)
A great place to go if you are looking for someone in your hometown to help you with debt consolidation.
Nolo.com
Learning about credit, bankruptcy, estate planning, and other critical personal finance issues.
Right On the Money
Chris Farrell's personal finance program on public TV.
Retiring
Retirement Made Simpler
A coalition of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, AARP and the Retirement Security Project that provides information on implementing automatic 401(k)s in medium-sized companies (500-5000 employees).
AARP
The organization formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons has a wealth of information ranging from retirement to long-term care insurance to job opportunities for senior citizens.
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
If you have a pension, visit this site to find out what benefits you would still receive if the unthinkable happens and your company can not pay.
Social Security Online
If you wonder at what age you should take social security and what those benefits will be, visit the official site of the Social Security Administration to access easy-to-use calculators. You can also research specific questions about your benefits.
NASD
The NASD website has a range of investor education programs, including Investor Alerts, brochures, interactive tools and online resource guides on such critical topics as mutual fund expenses, 401(k) retirement plans, and college savings plans.
Saving
Bankrate.com
Find information on everything from no-fee or low-interest-rate credit cards to mortgages to auto loans and online banking.
Ed Slott's IRA Advisor
Informative and entertaining, IRA expert Ed Slott's site has more information about IRAs than you can imagine exists.
Roth IRA Web Site
Articles, research laws and the latest news about Roth IRAs.
Savingsbonds.gov
The site for savings bond information.
Treasury Direct
A one-stop site for research and purchase of treasury bills and savings bonds.
Spending
Experian
Major credit reporting agency.
Equifax
Major credit reporting agency.
Trans Union
Major credit reporting agency.
My FICO
Learn your actual credit score and how to improve it.
ConsumerReports.org
Read reviews of products and services before you spend.
AARP on finding an attorney
A list of questions to ask when looking for an attorney.
Student loans
U.S. Department of Education
Learn more about government-backed student-loan programs.
e Student Loan
A site that offers information and student loan rate comparisons.
Student Loan Marketing Association (Sallie Mae)
The largest private student loan provider.
Savingforcollege.com
CPA Joseph Hurley's site is loaded with info about 529 College Savings Plans and includes college savings calculators and an easy-to-use tool for comparing the pros and cons of individual state plans.
Working
U.S. Department of Labor
Learn about minimum wage, pensions and divorce, labor-related data and more.
Employee Benefit Research Institute
Research and public policy about employee benefit programs.
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