Financial Education

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All Howard County Library System branches have books on various aspects of financial literacy in their circulating nonfiction collections. Additionally, a small collection of books explicitly focused on financial literacy topics is located near the Information Desk on the second floor of the Central Branch.


Upcoming Financial Classes and Events

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Contents Basic Resources Banks Bankruptcy Budgeting & Personal Financial Management Cars & Money Buying & Leasing Insurance Ownership & Repair Children - Supporting & Educating Costs of Raising a Child Paying for College & Student Aid Consumer Credit & Consumer Credit Issues Collection Agencies Credit & Debit Cards Credit Counseling Credit Errors - Dealing With Credit Fraud Credit Reports Estates & Wills Fraud & Identity Theft Health Financing Housing Buying a Home & Getting a Mortgage Foreclosure Home Equity Loans & Lines of Credit Home Improvement Rental Housing Short Sales Utilities Insurance - Life & Property Legal Expenses Life Changes Retirement Planning Starting a Small Business Taxes County Taxes State Taxes Federal Taxes Unemployment & Disability

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Basic Resources

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• Amortization Calculators
• Economic Indicators (By the Numbers) (U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York)
• Financial Glossary (Yahoo Finance)
• MyMoney.gov (National Financial Education Network for State and Local Governments)
  
  • smartaboutmoney.org (National Endowment for Financial Education)

 

Banks

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• A Guide to Your First Bank Account
• Answers About Bank Errors (U.S. Comptroller of the Currency)
• Bank Products: What's Insured and What's Not (U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco)
• Certificates of Deposit: Tips for Savers (U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
• Electronic Banking (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
• How To Balance Your Checkbook: Step-by-step Instructions
• Protecting Yourself from Overdraft and Bounced Check Fees (U.S. Federal Reserve Board)
• What Is the Credit Union Difference? (Credit Union National Association)
• When is a Check Not a Check? Electronic Check Conversion (U.S. Federal Reserve Board)

Bankruptcy

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• Bankruptcy (Nolo Press)
• Bankruptcy Basics (U.S.Bankruptcy Courts)
• Filing for Bankruptcy: What to Know (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
• Student Loans & Bankruptcy (National Consumer Law Center)

Budgeting & Personal Financial Management

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• Budget Worksheet (National Foundation for Credit Counseling)
• Building Wealth - A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Financial Future (U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas)
• Financial Literacy (Broad Financial)
• How to Create a Budget
• HowToSaveMoney.me - Saving Tips, Ideas, and Tools
• Taking Control of Your Finances: A Special Guide for Young Adults (U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)

Cars & Money

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Buying & Leasing


 

• Buying a New Car (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
• Buying a New Car: Smart Shopping Tips (Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs)
• Buying a Used Car (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
• Read the Fine Print Before You Lease an Automobile (Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division)
• Wise Buys for Teens - Dude, what about Cars? (Maryland Attorney General)

Insurance

• Auto Insurance (Insurance Information Institute)
• Car Insurance Buying Guide (Consumer Reports)

Ownership & Repair

• Auto Service Contracts and Warrantees (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
• Avoid Getting Ripped Off on Repairs and Maintenance (edmunds.com)
• Your Rights Under Maryland's Lemon Law (Maryland Attorney General)

Children - Supporting & Educating

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Costs of Raising a Child
• Cost of Raising a Child Calculator (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
• Expenditures on Children by Families (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Paying for College & Student Aid

• An Introduction to 529 Plans (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)
• Federal Student Aid (U.S. Department of Education)
  • Fafsa (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Form
• Pay for College (College Board)
  • CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE
• State Financial Aid Assistance Programs & Applications (Maryland Higher Education Commission)

Consumer Credit & Consumer Credit Issues

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• Collection Agencies
  • Dealing with Debt Collectors (Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division)
  • Debt Collection (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)

   

• Credit & Debit Cards
  • Answers About Credit Cards (U.S. Comptroller of the Currency)
  • College Credit - Building a Different Type of Credit
  • Debit Cards (Bankrate.com)
  • How Credit Cards Work
  • Lost or Stolen Credit, ATM, and Debit Cards (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)

   

• Credit Counseling
  • Choosing a Credit Counseling Agency (Nolo Press)
  • Credit Repair: How to Help Yourself (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
  • National Foundation for Credit Counseling

   

• Credit Errors - Dealing With
  • Billed for Merchandise You Never Received? (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
  • Disputing a Credit Card Charge (Maryland Attorney General)
  • How to Dispute Credit Report Errors (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)

   

• Credit Fraud
  • Alert: Credit Card Fraud and Debit Card Scams
  • Credit Card Fraud
  • Credit Repair Scams (Maryland Attorney General)
  • Protecting Against Credit Card Fraud (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)

   

• Credit Reports
  • Free Credit Reports (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
    • AnnualCreditReport.com (Note via the U.S. Federal Trade Commission: Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com)

Estates & Wills

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• Estate and Inheritance Tax (Comptroller of Maryland)
• Estate Planning: Wills, Trusts & Probate (Nolo Press)
• Marriage & Property Ownership: Who Owns What? (Nolo Press)
• Wills & Estates (American Bar Association, Division for Public Education)

Fraud & Identity Theft

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• Identity Theft (U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
• How to Avoid Credit Card Fraud (Maryland Attorney General)
• Identity Theft: What to Do if It Happens to You (Maryland Attorney General)
• Identity Theft: What to Do if It Happens to You (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse)
• More Than One-In-10 Americans Fell Victim to Fraud (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
• What Are Identity Theft and Identity Fraud? (U.S. Department of Justice)
• What to do if You Are a Victim of Identity Theft (Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs)

Health Financing

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• See Howard County Library Financial Aspects of Illness Pathfinder

Housing

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• Buying a Home & Getting a Mortgage

   

  • Buying a Home (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
  • A Consumers Guide to Mortgage Lock-Ins (U.S. Federal Reserve Board)
  • A Consumers Guide to Mortgage Settlement Costs (U.S. Federal Reserve Board)
  • Consumer Handbook on Adjustable-Rate Mortgages (U.S. Federal Reserve Board)
  • FAQs About Escrow Accounts for Consumers (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)
  • How Much House Can You Afford? (CNN Money)
  • Looking for the Best Mortgage (U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporaton)
  • Mortgage Professor's Web Site
  • Mortgage Payments to Your Mortgage Servicer (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)

• Foreclosed Homes - Purchasing
  • Buying a Foreclosed Home: Your Way Into the Real Estate Market? (Nolo Press)
  • Foreclosure Guide for Buyers (HGTV Front Door)
  • Is it Safe to Buy a Foreclosure? (MSN Money

• Foreclosure
  
  • Foreclosure Counseling Services Law (Maryland Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division)
  • Foreclosure Prevention: Consumer Resources (U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation)
  • Foreclosure Resources (NeighborWorks America)
  • When Paying the Mortgage is a Struggle (U.S. Federal Reserve Board)
  • Mortgage Relief Scams (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
  • Protecting Your Home From Foreclosure (U.S. Federal Reserve System)

• Home Equity Loans & Lines of Credit
  
  • U.S. FDIC Putting Your Home on the Loan Line is a Risky Business
  • What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit (U.S. Federal Reserve Board)

• Home Improvement
  
  • Hiring a Contractor (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
  • Maryland Home Improvement Commission

• Rental Housing
  
  
  • Eviction: Get the Facts (Maryland Attorney General)
  • Landlord and Tenant Section (Howard County Sheriff's Office)
  • Landlords and Tenants: Tips on Avoiding Disputes (Maryland Attorney General)

• Short Sales
  • Short Sale of Your Home: Is it Right for You? (Nolo Press)

• Utilities
  • Choosing Your Residential Electricity Supplier (Maryland Attorney General)
  • Important Facts for Utility Consumers (Maryland Public Service Commission)

Insurance - Life & Property

• Answers About Insurance (U.S. Comptroller of the Currency)
• Insurance Information Institute
• Maryland Insurance Administration – Consumer Information

• Hiring a Lawyer
• Maryland Legal Aid
• Maryland Legal Services Corporation
• Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service
• Types of Legal Fees (Findlaw)

• Divorce and Credit Card Debt (Nolo Press)
• Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK)
• Life Changes Require Health Choices: Know Your Benefit Options (U.S. Department of Labor)
• Moving Day Nightmares (Maryland Attorney General)
• Shopping for Funeral Services (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)

• Annuity Resources Retirement Calculators and Planners
  
• Avoid Debt as a Senior (Debt.org)
• Maryland State Retirement and Pension System
• Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation
• Smart 401(k) Investing (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority)
• Social Security Online
  • Social Security Benefit Calculators
  • Social Security Retirement Planner
• Taking The Mystery Out Of Retirement Planning(U.S. Department of Labor)
• Top 10 Ways To Prepare For Retirement (U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration)
• Variable Annuities: What You Should Know (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission)

• Howard County Economic Development Authority
• Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development
• Starting a New Business in Maryland (Comptroller of Maryland)
• Starting and Managing A Business (U.S. Small Business Administration)
• Small Business Loans (U.S. Small Business Administration)
• Teen Merchant and Entrepreneur Resources: Business, Finance & Economics

Taxes

• County Taxes
  • Howard County Department of Finance
  • Maryland County Property Tax Rates (Maryland State Department of Assessments & Taxation)
  • Property Tax & Assessments Information (Maryland State Department of Assessments & Taxation)
• State Taxes (Maryland State Department of Assessments & Taxation)
  • Income Tax for Individual Taxpayers
    • Filing Information for Individual Income Tax
    • Individual Tax Forms and Instructions
• Federal Taxes (U.S. Internal Revenue Service)
  • Do You Need to File a Federal Income Tax Return?
  • Free File (File your Federal Income Tax Online - U. S. Internal Revenue Service website)
  • IRS Forms & Publications
  • IRS Withholding Calculator
  • Understanding Taxes - Glossary (U.S. Internal Revenue Service)
    

• Dealing with Debt (U.S. Federal Trade Commission)
• Disability and SSI (U.S. Social Security Administration)
• Maryland Workers Compensation Commission
• Retirement And Health Care Coverage...Q&As For Dislocated Workers (U.S. Department of Labor)
• Protecting Retirement and Health Benefits After Job Loss (U.S. Department of Labor)
• What You Should Know About Unemployment Insurance in Maryland
• Unemployment Insurance Benefits – Maryland
• Division of Unemployment Insurance (Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation)