This report provides explanations of checks and checking accounts and offers guidelines for their use. Types of checks which are explained include personal checks, negotiable orders of withdrawal, counter checks, universal checks, domestic and international money orders, cashier's checks, and travelers checks. A description of the different…

This Congressional consumer publication, done in conjunction with the Continental Association of Funeral and Memorial Societies, was written to help consumers have the type of funeral they want at a cost they can afford. Guidelines are provided which will educate the funeral consumer before and during funeral planning. Also included in this guide…

This report explains savings accounts and low-deposit investments in order to help consumers determine which accounts are right for them. It is divided into the following four sections (topics covered are listed in parentheses): (1) the savings program (setting savings goals, saving regularly, choosing a savings account, interest, the savings…

This report presents information on checking accounts, describes how to read a monthly statement from the bank, and provides guidelines for balancing a checkbook. Topics covered include: how banks record transactions; the importance of keeping personal records and of balancing the checkbook promptly; what happens when there are insufficient funds…

This report explains the importance of keeping personal records, describes types of records to keep, and suggests places in which to keep them and ways to organize them. Guidelines are offered for keeping the following types of records: (1) personal documents (family records, wills, passports, diplomas, and social security cards); (2) property…

This is one of a series of booklets prepared as a resource for the American Association of Retired Persons' (AARP) Consumer Housing Information Service for Seniors, a local AARP volunteer program that uses trained Housing Information Volunteers to provide impartial information to older people who have questions of concern about how to find safe,…

This report tells what information is likely to be in a credit report; how it is collected, filed, and communicated; and how individual rights regarding credit are protected by law. Topics covered include: (1) information generally contained in a credit profile (identification, family status, public record information, credit accounts, and…

Thirty years ago a cashless society was predicted for the near future; paper currency and checks would be an antiquated symbol of the past. Consumers would embrace a new alternative for making payments: electronic money. But currency is still used for 87% of payments, mainly for "nickel and dime" purchases. And checks are the payment…

This report presents guidelines to help homeowners, renters, and condominium owners purchase and maintain adequate insurance coverage for their residences and personal property. Types of property coverage discussed include the following: (1) standard policies and exclusions; (2) special programs (earthquake insurance, federal programs for…

This report offers suggestions on finding, planning, and financing a home rehabilitation project. Information on finding a "fixer-upper" includes deciding where to look, learning what to look for in a house and neighborhood, learning about local building and zoning codes, deciding what characteristics of houses and neighborhoods are…

This report gives suggestions for starting a personal money plan, provides a worksheet for developing the plan, and offers ideas for putting the plan into action. Guidelines are presented for the following steps in developing a money plan: setting short- and long-term spending and saving goals; making a timetable for reaching those goals;…

This report describes principles and techniques for credit management. Topics covered include: (1) methods of determining personal credit limits; (2) ways to keep track of credit use; (3) suggestions for planning credit use; (4) explanations of single-payment charge accounts, revolving credit, installment credit, and consolidation loans; and (5)…

Designed as a guide for law professionals involved in school guest presentations, the materials in this handbook are also useful to elementary and secondary teachers interested in incorporating law-related education into the course content. Part 1 defines law-related education and offers suggestions for introducing law-related issues at different…

The average family spends hundreds of dollars a year on personal care products. If not treated with care and common sense, these products may be harmful or even deadly. This booklet is designed to increase awareness of the entire range of such products. The proper use of cosmetics, especially eye make-up which might cause eye infections, is…

This student/teacher resource booklet provides information on conserving food dollars while providing nutritious meals. The guide shows how to set up a food budget and explains how scanning the weekly food ads, planning meals around the specials, and compiling a list accordingly can also help consumers get more for their food dollars. Numerous…