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Internet Resources
Compiled by the Librarians of the Akron-Summit County Public Library
- Automotive Buyers' Guide
- Consumer Information
- Bill Payment, Credit Card, Bank & Mortgage Rates
- Real Estate
- Utility Choice
- Automotive Buyers' Guide & Other Automotive Information
- http://www.ascpl.lib.oh.us/internetresources/blg/automotive.html
- Autotrader; AutoWeb; Cars.com; CarsDirect; DealerNet.com; Edmunds; Kelley Blue Book. If not enough, Check out Forbes Magazine's Evaluation on Car Buying Guide. For all other information related to the Automotive Industry, Check out The Michigan Electronic Library web page.
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- Better Business Bureau Central Web Server for U.S. and Canada
- http://www.bbb.org/
- The Council of Better Business Bureaus of Arlington, VA has put together a site that leads consumers through the complaint process against companies and charities with a separate link for problems with new cars. Describes and links the BBB system locally and nationally. Includes News Alerts, Consumer and Business Tips.
- Consumer.gov
- http://www.consumer.gov/
- Another page from the Federal Trade Commission site with broader news coverage of consumer issues. Links to in-depth information and assistance.
- Consumer Action
- http://www.consumer-action.org
- A multilingual library of consumer information. This California-based site provides news and information on a variety of consumer topics such as banking services, complaints, insurance, and price surveys. Articles are dated, and often available in Spanish and various Asian languages.
- Consumer Protection
- http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/consumer.htm
- A government site from the Federal Trade Commission which informs consumers on a variety of current issues from credit and franchise/business opportunities to identity theft and e-commerce. Order publications online. Check out hot issues for consumers.
- Credit Bureaus
- http://ascpl.lib.oh.us/internetresources/bg/creditreports.html
- A list of the major credit bureaus in the United States.
- Government Complaint Center
- http://www.governmentguide.com
- If you have a complaint about a product, service or company, federal agencies that oversee the industries listed under 'consumer services' section use your feedback to prompt product recalls, launch investigations and develop new regulations.
- Purportal, "The Bunk Stops Here"
- http://www.purportal.com
- This is the site to check out those stories and rumors that sound true, or those email chain letters or virus warnings.
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- Bank Rate Monitor
- http://www.bankrate.com/brm/default.asp
- This site deals with all forms of financing such as auto loans, mortgages, and IRAs. It also has current news about what is going on in the financing world.
- Consumer Channel on Credit Cards
- http://www.cardweb.com/
- Lots of info on this very well maintained and current site on all types of consumer credit cards. They've done card rate surveys for students, credit unions, platinum, etc. Navigating this site includes some fun links to credit related games and contests.
- E-Loan.com
- http://www.e-loan.com/
- This site is praised for its affordable online mortgage and automobile lending. It uses 70 lenders. Origination fees are very low.
- Quicken.com
- http://www.quicken.com/
- An all-around money management site with info on investing, mortgages, insurance, retirement, taxes, and banking. One great feature is the online bill paying service, free with their participating billers. The site allows you to track your banking and credit card history, a service not offered by most of its rivals.
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- Domania.com
- http://www.domania.com/
- You can check the sale price on any address as early as 1987. Basic information about a house is also given. Can also learn about how much tax is assessed and the value of a home at present.
- Fannie Mae
- http://www.fanniemae.com
- A site from a private, shareholder-owned company which provides a constant source of mortgage funds by investing in the mortgages lenders. Search available real-estate-owned properties listings by price range and geographic location.
- Homesteps
- http://www.homesteps.com
- Search for homes geographically or by special features such as price range and number of rooms. This is a part of Freddie Mac, a stockholder-owned corporation chartered by Congress.
- HUD
- http://www.hud.gov/buyhudhm.html
- Official website from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Make your bid online via a participating real estate agent in your area. Lists single- and multi-family homes by geographic area. Also provided are the other government websites that have seized or government properties for sale.
- Owners.com
- http://www.owners.com
- To sell your home without using a broker, sign up with Owners.com. This website distributes photos of your home to Internet portals like Yahoo!. For $99, you get your own page where you can display five photos of your home for three months.
- Realtor.com
- http://www.realtor.com
- The official site of the National Association of Realtors. More than 1.3 million listings nationwide. Has ability to search several communities at once.
- Sheriff Sales
- http://ascpl.lib.oh.us/internetresources/bg/sheriffsales.html
- A listing of sheriff sales for Ohio counties which post the properites online.
- Summit County Auditor
- http://www.co.summit.oh.us/auditor/index.htm
- Search for homes by parcel or route number, by names or address. Gives you the integrated assessment system review document of an entire address.
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- Electric Choice Apples-to-Apples
- http://www.puc.state.oh.us/Consumer/ElectricChoice/eA2AChart.cfm?EDU=OED
- This is the comparison chart (called "Apples to Apples comparison" by the PUCO) of electric suppliers for those customers in the Ohio Edison service area.
- Google Directory of Telecommunications Providers
- http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Telecommunications/Communications_Providers/
- A comprehensive list of communications providers for domestic and international long distance, fax, and phone-based internet connections.
- Natural Gas Choice Apples-to-Apples
- http://www.puco.ohio.gov/Consumer/GasChoice/eog_matrix.html
- This is the comparison chart (called "Apples to Apples comparison" by the PUCO) of natural gas suppliers for those customers in the Dominion East Ohio service area.
- Ohio Consumers' Counsel
- http://www.pickocc.org/
- This is the main page for the OCC, an advocate for residential utility customers. Find information about each aspect of utility choice or use the toll-free phone number provided for further assistance.
- Telephone Information
- http://www.puc.state.oh.us/Consumer/Telephone/telephone.cfm
- Information on the telephone industry in Ohio, provided by the PUCO. Includes a list of local service providers, a long distance call finder (enter the area code and exchange you are calling from and to, and it tells you if the call will be local or long distance!), and regulatory information.
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Last Modified September 27, 2005
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