1. Consumer Information Catalog
2. Consumer Price Indexes (CPI) - from the U.S. Department of Labor
3. Consumer.gov (consumer information from the U.S. government)
4. Digital Television (DTV) from the FTC (includes countdown to transition to DTV, DTV basics, converter box coupon program, DTV shopper's guide, etc.)
5. DTV 2009 (information about the digital TV transition, what are your options, apply for a coupon, etc.)
6. Internet Auctions: A Guide for Buyers and Sellers (from the FTC)
7. Pikes Peak Pet Pantry (can apply for assistance for pet food and supplies in times of financial hardship)

Associations / Organizations

1. BBB - Better Business Bureau
2. BBB OnLine - A Better Business Bureau Program
3. Consumer Action Website (topics such as buying tips, banking, cars, credit, etc. Also has info. on how to file a complaint, as well as the 2009 Consumer Action Handbook).
4. Federal Citizen Information Center - Pueblo, Colorado
5. National Consumer Organizations - listings and links from Federal Citizen Information Center
6. U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Benefits

1. Benefits.gov (official government benefits website - free, confidential online search)
2. BenefitsCheckUp (federal, state, and prescription assistance programs for older Americans)
3. Get Educated About Medicare's Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D)

Buying Guides / Pricing Guides

1. BizRate.com
2. Consumer Guide (new and used cars, vehicle history, appliances, electronics, etc.)
3. Price Comparisons (food, clothing, automobiles, jewelry, appliances, tools, toys, travel, etc.)

Caregivers

1. Aging Parents and Eldercare (comprehensive checklists, articles, key resources)
2. Caregivers (from Medline Plus) - tips, coping, financial issues, stress, long-distance caregiving, etc.
3. Caring for Alzheimer's (strategies for Alzheimer's caregivers)
4. Family Caregiver Alliance - caregiver information and advice, fact sheets, groups, etc.
5. National Family Caregiver Support Program (from the Dept. of Health & Human Services)
6. National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) - support, statistics, tips, advocacy
7. Quick Guide to State (CO) Information for Seniors and Caregivers
8. Stroke Net (information and support for stroke survivors and stroke caregivers of adult stroke)

Charities

1. BBB Wise Giving Alliance - reports and evaluations on charitable organizations
2. Charity Facts for Consumers from the Federal Trade Commission
3. Charity Navigator (evaluates the financial health of America's largest charities)

Consumer Rights / Protection

1. AARP ElderWatch (to stop financial exploitation of Colorado's seniors)
2. Consumer Protection - Colorado Department of Law
3. Consumer Protection Division - Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment
4. FTC Consumer Protection Information

Do Not Call Lists

1. Colorado No-Call List (allows consumers to avoid unwanted telemarketing calls)
2. National Do Not Call Registry (allows consumers to avoid unwanted telemarketing calls)
3. Registro Nacional No Llame - Enmienda a la Regulación de Ventas de Telemercadeo
4. Unsolicited Mail, Telemarketing and Email: Where to Go To “Just Say No”

Drugs / Prescriptions

1. ConsumerMedSafety.org (prevent medication errors, includes a 60 second medication check - provides possible side effects, treatment duplication and drug interactions)

Energy / Utilities / Gas Prices

1. American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy - Consumer Resources
2. Colorado Springs Gas Prices (lowest to highest, with name and location of station)
3. Colorado Springs Utilities (rates, rebates, safety, conservation, etc.)
4. Gas Prices: El Paso County Gas Prices by City and Colorado Gas Prices by County
5. Gasoline Prices - Colorado - Metro Averages: Current, Yesterday, Month Ago, Year Ago
6. Home Energy Saver (energy costs and ways for consumers to save energy in their homes)
7. Understanding Your Telephone Bill (from the FCC)

Farmers Markets / Pick Your Own

1. Farmers Markets (CO)
2. Farmers Markets (U.S.)
3. Pick Your Own - where you can find a pick-your-own farm near you

Food / Nutrition / Restaurants

1. Dietfacts.com (nutrition information for many foods, brands, and restaurants)
2. National Nutrient Database (up to 117 nutrients-carbs, calories, vitamins, etc.- for more than 6000 food items)
3. Nutrition.gov (federal govt. info. on nutrition, food allergies, safety, health, diet)
4. Trans Fat Now Listed With Saturated Fat and Cholesterol on the Nutrition Facts Label

Foreclosure

1. Colorado Foreclosure Hotline
2. Foreclosure Avoidance Counseling (from HUD)
3. Foreclosure Rescue Scams
4. Mortgage Foreclosure Resources (from the Federal Reserve)

Fraud

1. Fraud Fighting 101: Smart Tips for Older Investors
2. Mortgage Fraud (from the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies)
3. Mortgage Fraud (from the Federal Bureau of Investigation)
4. National Council Against Health Fraud

Government & Legal Resources

1. Senior Law Handbook - 2009 Edition from the Colorado Bar Association (excellent resource for information on financial assistance, housing, estate planning, consumer information and more)

Health / Medicine

1. American Medical Association Doctor Finder
2. Consumer and Patient Health Information (for men, women, kids, health professionals)
3. Consumer Guide to Hearing Aids (from AARP)
4. Get Educated About Medicare's Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D)
5. Health / Medicine Resources (links to Health/Medicine section of Web Picks)
6. Hearing Aid Comparison Chart (from Hearing Planet - no authoritative consumer rating comparison is currently available)
7. Hearing aids: How to choose the right one (MayoClinic)
8. Living Healthier and Longer - What Works and What Doesn't (online book)
9. Long Term Care Insurance (consumer information to evaluate and compare options)
10. National Council Against Health Fraud
11. Nursing Home Compare (from Medicare - based on quality of care data on residents, staff, facilities; from Medicare; includes Spanish-language version)
12. Nursing Homes / Nursing Care Facilities (from the Colorado Department of Public Health - provides a list of nursing homes, licensing information, as well as additional consumer resources)
13. Quackwatch
14. Rating America's Nursing Homes - Gannett News Service Special Report
15. Sound Advice on Hearing Aids (from the Federal Trade Commission)

Home / Garden / DIY

1. Home / Garden / Do-It-Yourself (connects to section in Web Picks)

Housing / Landlord / Tenant

1. Amortization Schedule Calculator (calculate your monthly mortgage payment)
2. Colorado Information for Renters (Colorado Division of Housing)
3. Colorado Landlord-Tenant Handbook
4. Colorado Landlord-Tenant Law (Colorado Revised Statutes: Title 38 Article 12)
5. Colorado Landlord-Tenant Law (incl. codes, laws, forms, law links)
6. Fair Housing (from City of Colorado Springs)
7. Homefair.com (relocation: salary calculator, school reports, crime and community info.)
8. HUD On Your Side
9. Landlord Tenant Rights in Colorado
10. Making Home Affordable.gov (government program to help homeowners refinance or modify their mortgage payments)
11. Renters' Guide (from Colorado Public Interest Research Group - CoPIRG)
12. Zillow.com - Free, Instant Valuations, Aerial Views, and Data for 65,000,000+ Homes

Identity Theft / Internet Fraud

1. Anti-Phishing Working Group (eliminating identity theft and fraud from phishing / email spoofing)
2. Fighting Back Against Identity Theft - Federal Trade Commission
3. How Identity Theft Works
4. I.D. Theft (from the Colorado Attorney General)
5. Identity Theft (brochure, information, and links from Co. Springs Police Dept.)
6. Identity Theft (from Answers.com)
7. Identity Theft and Identity Fraud (from the U.S. Department of Justice)
8. Identity Theft Repair Kit (from the Colorado Attorney General)
9. Identity Theft Resource Center
10. Identity Theft Resource Center - Spanish Language
11. On Guard Online - tips to guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, PDA, cell phone, and protect personal information
12. OptOutPrescreen.com (allows consumers to stop credit card offers or unwanted credit cards)
13. Phishing (Internet attempts to fraudulently acquire sensitive info., such as passwords and credit card details)
14. Robo de Identidad (Identity Theft - Spanish-language; from the Federal Trade Commission)
15. Your Access to Free Credit Reports (from the Federal Trade Commission)

Law

1. Department of Law (CO)
2. FindLaw for the Public

Personal Finance / Credit / Loans / Investing

1. Bank Rate Search (compare rates for credit cards, CDs, mortgages, savings, auto loans, etc.)
2. Beginners' Guide to Investing (online publications at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)
3. Colorado Self-Sufficiency Calculator (what does it take to pay for the basics for your family?)
4. Financial Tools & Calculators (includes fund analyzer, broker check, scam meter, retirement calculator, and more)
5. Government Loans (business, education, housing, veteran, agriculture, disaster relief)
6. Motley Fool (investment advice and financial information)
7. Personal Financial Education (covers consumer banking, protection, economics, home & mortgages, interest rates, loans & credit, general information, and more)
8. The "What Ifs" of an Economic Downturn (from the IRS - includes information on tax impacts of unemployment, declining income, foreclosures, bankruptcy, and more)
9. What Is a Dollar Worth? (CPI and inflation rates; compare values of $--1913-2009)
10. Your Access to Free Credit Reports (from the Federal Trade Commission)

Product Reviews

1. Air Conditioners - (Central Air Conditioners) - Consumer Guide
2. Air Conditioners - (Central Air Conditioners) - Consumer Search
3. Air Conditioners - Consumer Search
4. Appliance 411 (general home appliance info.; purchasing, repair parts, owner's and repair manuals, mfgr. phone #s)
5. Appliance Links (purchasing info., catalogs, repair manuals, accessories, care)
6. Consumer Guide (new and used cars, vehicle history, appliances, electronics, etc.)
7. Consumer Search (product reviews and comparisons for autos, appliances, computers, electronics, etc.)
8. Furnaces - Consumer Search
9. Mattresses - Consumer Search

Recalls

1. Consumer Product Safety Commission (recalls; consumer safety issues)
2. Product Recalls (from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)
3. Recall Warnings (infants, children, food, drugs, home, office, auto, and political recalls)
4. Recalls.gov - Your Online Source for Government Recalls - Spanish Language (Información en Español )
5. Recalls.gov - Your Online Source for Government Recalls (consumer products)

Recycling

1. Colorado Recycles - statewide guide to recycling resources

Safety

1. Be Prepared for Winter - driving tips, winter car kit, frostbite, hypothermia
2. Chimney Safety Institute of America
3. Colorado Winter Weather Preparedness (from the Colorado Dept. of Local Affairs)
4. Consumer Product Safety Commission (recalls; consumer safety issues)
5. El Mundo Hispano de la CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
6. Home Safety
7. Household Products Database (Health & Safety information on household products from the US Dept. of Health & Human Services)
8. Household Products Database (potential health and safety effects, handling information, etc.)
9. Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center (information for consumers and professionals)
10. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
11. Winter Weather (from the Centers for Disease Control - how to stay safe and healthy)

Senior Citizens

1. AARP ElderWatch (to stop financial exploitation of Colorado's seniors)
2. Aging Parents and Eldercare (comprehensive checklists, articles, key resources)
3. Benefits.gov (official government benefits website - free, confidential online search)
4. BenefitsCheckUp (federal, state, and prescription assistance programs for older Americans)
5. Caregivers (from Medline Plus) - tips, coping, financial issues, stress, long-distance caregiving, etc.
6. Caring for Alzheimer's (strategies for Alzheimer's caregivers)
7. Family Caregiver Alliance - caregiver information and advice, fact sheets, groups, etc.
8. National Center on Elder Abuse (information and assistance)
9. National Family Caregiver Support Program (from the Dept. of Health & Human Services)
10. National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) - support, statistics, tips, advocacy
11. Quick Guide to State (CO) Information for Seniors and Caregivers
12. Stroke Net (information and support for stroke survivors and stroke caregivers of adult stroke)

Spanish Language

1. El Mundo Hispano de la CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
2. Recalls.gov - Your Online Source for Government Recalls - Spanish Language (Información en Español )
3. Registro Nacional No Llame - Enmienda a la Regulación de Ventas de Telemercadeo
4. Robo de Identidad (Identity Theft - Spanish-language; from the Federal Trade Commission)

User Manuals

1. Manuals Online (free owners manuals, user guides and instructions)
2. User Manual Guide (user's manuals and guides for electronics, appliances, etc.)

Pikes Peak Library District P.O. Box 1579 Colorado Springs, CO 80901 (719) 531-6333

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