Financial Survival

Designed especially for college students and funded by MasterCard and the Consumer Federation of America, this Web site offers free downloadable tools that teach “responsible money and credit skills.” In about 45 minutes, the package — which includes a video and a PowerPoint presentation — covers not only the fundamentals of credit but also basic budgeting, the difference between debit cards and credit cards, and more. Teachers and counselors may be interested in presenting the program to groups.

CreditTalk

Another MasterCard-sponsored resource for students, CreditTalk can help you obtain a credit report (and decipher what it says), create and manage a budget, calculate how long it takes to pay off a balance, and, in the worst case, deal with a debt crisis. There’s also a glossary of financial terms and a list of links to credit counseling agencies.

DebtSmart

If you feel like your credit card company did you wrong, you’ll find empathy here. Just reading one person’s horror story (“Providian Raised My APR to 29.99%”) may make you feel better, or possibly worse, if you’re a Providian client. There’s plenty of advice too, including tips on avoiding holiday debt and teaching kids the value of a dollar. And after you’ve learned something from the site, there’s a chance to prove it with a section of quizzes.

Debt Advice

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling has set up this site to help consumers understand the basics of credit and to hook them up with counselors who offer free or low-cost advice. It also has a special section for homeowners who need advice with their mortgages. Helpful tools include a checklist for ensuring that a credit counseling agency is trustworthy and a list of groups qualified to receive free credit reports. (If you’re not among them, there’s also advice on how to obtain a credit report for a small fee.)

Bankrate

This Web site’s motto is “Comprehensive. Objective. Free.” All true, especially the “comprehensive” part — there’s everything from an advice column called “Ask Dr. Don” to a feature on why NFL tickets cost so much. Far more than a credit card site, Bankrate also covers mortgages, new and used car loans, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, checking and ATM fees, home equity loans, online banking fees, and unclaimed refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. If you’re Canadian, you won’t be needing that IRS info, but there’s an entire section devoted to the finances of America’s neighbors to the north.

Cardweb

Credit cards, debit cards, smart cards, prepaid cards, ATM cards, loyalty cards, phone cards — if it comes in plastic form, it’s on this site. Some information is meant for industry insiders, but check out the consumer pages. There’s a list of different incentives offered by each card such as discounts and airline upgrades, a section with the latest news stories on cards, and a free weekly e-mail newsletter.

The Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy

Jump$tart, funded by a grant from American Express and supported by donations from other financial organizations, offers instructional material on personal finance, largely intended for educational institutions. The Web site provides several resources, including a database of instructional material available from a wide spectrum of providers, contact information for guest speakers on personal finance, upcoming teacher training seminars, and a list of finance-related Web sites.

Visa’s Practical Money Skills for Life Program

PracticalMoneySkills.com is a free Web site designed to help teachers, parents, and students make better financial management decisions. It provides online resources, including free instructional material for classrooms, that teachers can use to educate students about personal finance. School districts, conference organizers or associations may request a presentation from a representative of the program, funded by Visa.

FDIC MoneySmart

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), an independent agency of the federal government, offers a training program designed for people unfamiliar with the financial industry. It provides education on important financial issues — including credit, home ownership, loans, and consumer rights, among other topics. MoneySmart offers free videos of its educational programs to banks and other organizations interested in sponsoring financial education workshops for customers.

The National Endowment for Financial Education

NEFE provides funding, logistical support, and financial planning expertise to create personal finance programs and materials for the public. Educational programs offered by the organization focus on increasing financial literacy among the nation’s youth. The organization offers instructional materials for its programs free of charge. NEFE, a nonprofit organization, also underwrites grants, fellowships, and research projects.

CreditBoards

Millions of Americans are mired in debt; here’s where some of them come to talk about it. You’ll have to register to get access to the bulletin boards and chat rooms, but the news ticker is available to all.

American Bankers Association (ABA) Education Foundation/Consumer Connection

The ABA Education Foundation provides resources to bankers, parents, and educators that teach adults and children about personal finance. The foundation offers booklets, CDs, brochures, videos and a newsletter to provide education about credit, banking services, credit card debt solutions and consumer protection, including easy-to-use online guides to prevent and resolve identity theft and other financial scams.

Cardratings.com

This Web site is sponsored by the grassroots organization Citizens for Fair Credit Card Terms, Inc. (CFCCT). It offers ratings and customer reviews of over 1,000 credit cards.

Excellence in Economic Education

The Excellence in Economic Education Program, part of the No Child Left Behind Act, is intended to promote economic and financial literacy among all K-12 students. The U.S. Department of Education will be authorized to make one competitive award to a national nonprofit organization to improve student understanding of personal finance. (As of Nov. 24, 2004, the program is awaiting Congressional approval for $1.5 million in funding.)

Mymoney.gov

The passing of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACT Act) in 2003 established the Financial Literacy and Education Commission to improve Americans’ financial literacy. Run by the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of Investor Education and Assistance, the commission’s Web site serves as a repository of links to educational materials from across the spectrum of federal agencies that deal with financial issues, including credit cards.