Subject Guides: Consumer Science >> Consumer Products and Services


government resource = government resource one of the best sites= one of the best

Sites Covering Many Topics

Consumer.gov (FirstGov) government resource one of the best sites
Consumer information from the federal government.

ConsumerAction.gov government resource
Tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center on a wide variety of consumer topics as well as consumer contact addresses, phone numbers and websites. Based on the Consumer Action Handbook. Also en Espanol.

Consumer Reports Online
The online version of the popular magazine. Some content only available by subscription, but go to the A-Z Index to find free access to topics. The Consumer Protection section provides information on recalls, manufacturers, and filing complaints.

Consumer World one of the best sites
Meta site with wide variety of links. Founded by Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate, consumer educator and attorney.

How Products Are Made
"Explains and details the manufacturing process of a wide variety of products, from daily household items to complicated electronic equipment and heavy machinery. The site provides step by step descriptions of the assembly and the manufacturing process (complemented with illustrations and diagrams)"

How Stuff Works
Scientific American magazine names HowStuffWorks one of the 50 best sci/tech Web sites in the world!

Federal Citizen Information Center government resource one of the best sites
Links to more than 500 federal publications, organized by topic, that you can read in a variety of formats. Also in Spanish and other languages.

UW Cooperative Extension Publications
Information on a variety of topics including family finance, health and food and nutrition. Also en Espanol.

Advertising

Advertising World one of the best sites
Extensive links on topics related to advertising from the University of Texas at Austin.

BadAds
Includes articles on intrusive advertising and links to the advertisers' online feedback forms and contact information for the Better Business Bureau. Also instructions on how to write a complaint letter.

Appliances

Most Energy Efficient Appliances
From the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Boycotts

Boycott Action News
Co-op America's Boycott microsite.

Empowered Consumer Options International
Canadian site detailing and categorising consumer boycotts.

AFL-CIO National Boycott List
Companies being boycotted and the products and services involved.

Budgeting

Family Economic Security - Cash Flow Management one of the best sites
Steenbock Library/UW Cooperative Extension site on Goal Setting, Budgeting and Record Keeping

Career Decisions

Career Development eManual one of the best sites
Award-winning resource from the University of Waterloo, Canada provides a series of excercises to assist in career and life planning.

Vocational Information Center one of the best sites
"Explore vocational and technical careers, check out the skills employers really want, find a trade school, research technical topics and take a look at the current job market."

UW Madison College Library's Career Collection one of the best sites
Covers career selection, college selection, summer jobs, employers and job hunting.

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Cars

Autosite.com Repairs/Maintenance
Provides free, detailed information on auto care and repair, plus a preventative maintenance checklist.

GreenerCars.com
"Greenest" and "Meanest" vehicles for the model year and Best of... lists the greenest models in each vehicle class. From the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Lemon Law Information and Sites
State By State Lemon Laws

- - Buying Guides

Edmunds.com one of the best sites
Information about buying new and used cars, along with dealer prices and lists of specs for about 600 different models of cars. The ‘used vehicle’ section has information about all makes and models from 1987 to the present.

Kelley Blue Book one of the best sites
Pricing for new and used cars plus reviews and advice on buying cars.

National Automobile Dealers Association Guides one of the best sites
New and used car pricing, reviews and comparisons for all makes and models.

- - Crash Test Results

Safercar.gov government resource one of the best sites
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration frontal and side crash tests and rollover ratings plus tire and airbag ratings. Also information on filing complaints, ongoing investigations and recalls.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Ratings on frontal offset, side impact, and slow speed crash tests as well as head restraints.

Charities

American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP)
Grades charities from A to F. Special web site features include alerts on hot topics concerning charitable giving.

Charitynavigator.org
Offers free financial evaluations and fiscal ratings for more than 1,000 charities. A four-star rating system considers both short-term spending and long-term sustainability.

GuideStar
National searchable database of nonprofit organizations including public charities and private foundations. Each organization in the database has a set of pages containing information about a charity's mission, programs, leadership, and finances culled from the charities and the charities' reports to the IRS.

Complaints

Filing a Complaint government resource one of the best sites
Extensive contact information for filing complaints for many products and services from the Federal Citizen Information Center.

ConsumerAction.gov government resource
Tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center on a wide variety of consumer topics as well as consumer contact addresses, phone numbers and websites.

Econsumer.gov
Site to report cross-border e-commerce complaints.

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Credit, Debt and Bankruptcy

American Bankruptcy Institute

Annual Credit Report Request Service

Bankruptcy: Maxed out in American

Bankruptcy Statistics (U.S. Courts)government resource

C.A.R.E. Credit Abuse Resistance Education Program

Credit Reporting Agencies
Credit Scores may be purchased from one of these major credit reporting agencies

Credit Score, Reports, and Getting Ahead in America

Credit (Federal Trade Commission) government resource

DebtAdvice.org

Family Economic Security - Credit and Debt Management one of the best sites
Steenbock Library/UW Cooperative Extension site on Credit Basics, Debt, Credit Reports, Credit Counseling, and Bankruptcy.

My Money.gov
From the U.S. Financial Literacy and Education Commission

Rent to Own government resource
Information from the Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions.

Secret History of the Credit Card
Companion to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) program, includes full program, interviews, facts, and related articles.

Truth About Credit
Tips on selecting credit cards and reports on current issues about the use and marketing of credit cards. From the state Public Research Interest Groups (PIRGs).

Credit Counseling Services

Fiscal Fitness: Choosing a Credit Counselor government resource
From Federal Trade Commission.

Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions government resource
Contact list of licensed Credit Counseling Services.

National Foundation for Credit Counseling
NFCC is the nation’s largest and longest serving national nonprofit credit counseling network. Site includes information on counseling, debt management plans, money management and homeowner education.

Direct Marketing

Direct Marketing Association: Consumer Assistance
Information and tips about shopping and your rights as a consumer. Includes how to get your name off telephone, mail and e-mail marketing lists.

Education

College - U.S. News and World Report
Choosing the right school, application, money, etc.

Graduate School Rankings - U.S. News and World Report
In addition to rankings of graduate programs, a detailed school directory, search and comparison tools, articles, and more.

Distance Education: A Consumer's Guide
Basic tips from the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications

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Energy

Buyenergyefficient.org
Information on Energy Star and tips on promoting energy efficiency in your community. From the Consumer Federation of America Foundation.

Energy Information Administration government resource
Official energy statistics from the this U.S. Department of Energy agency.

Home Energy Saver government resource one of the best sites
Do your own energy audit on this U.S. Department of Energy web site to compare your household's energy costs to the average in your area. Also energy saving ideas tailored to your residence.

Most Energy Efficient Appliances
From the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Ethical Consumer/AntiConsumerism

- - Anticonsumerism

Adbusters
Adbusters Media Foundation publishes Adbusters magazine, operates this website and "want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age."

Overcoming Consumerism
Grassroots organization from the San Francisco Bay Area.

- - Ethical Consumerism

Ethical Consumer
Alternative consumer organisation looking at the social and environmental records of the companies behind the brand names. Based in the United Kingdom, but includes international links.

- - Ethical Investment/Finance

- - Corporate Ethics

Financial Calculators

The Choose to Save Calculators. one of the best sites
The Employee Benefit Research Institute and the American Savings Education Council offer over 100 calculators for decisions on budgets, credit cards, housing, autos, home equity, mortgages, retirement, stocks, mutual funds, IRAs, bonds, insurance. A unique feature of this site is a glossary of the terms used in the calculators.

How Much is That?
Comparative value covering purchasing power, exchange rates, and other variables between the past and today.

What's a Dollar Worth?
Simple inflation calculator based on the Consumer Price Index.

Financial Institutions

Family Economic Security - Financial Institutions and Services one of the best sites
Steenbock Library/UW Cooperative Extention site on Basics, Ecommerce, and the Unbanked.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Consumer Resources government resource one of the best sites
Find resources provided by the FDIC to educate and protect consumers and provide information on becoming an informed banking consumer.

Financial Planning

How to Choose a Planner
10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Financial Planner from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Funerals

Funerals: A Consumer Guide government resource
A Federal Trade Commission guide that covers topics such as: what is the cost of a funeral, how to choose a funeral provider, picking cemetary sites, etc.

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Health Care

Ebling Library's Consumer Health Information Resources
Includes databases, websites and books on health topics.

Families USA: The Voice for Health Care Consumers one of the best sites
Site serves as a consumer clearinghouse for health care information including news, current health care topics and health policy reports from this national nonprofit, non-partisan organization.

MEDLINEplus for Health Information one of the best sites
 Find information on hundreds of diseases, conditions, and wellness issues.

National Institutes of Health government resource one of the best sites
A-Z index of NIH health resources, clinical trials, health hotlines, MEDLINEplus, and drug information.

State Health Facts
Health and health policy information for all fifty states and U.S. territories. Data are divided into ten categories including - demographics and the economy, health status, health coverage and uninsured, health costs and budgets.

Wisconsin Consumer Guide to Health Care government resource
Provides access to health care information in Wisconsin, such as where to get care, insurance options, and what to do if you do not have insurance coverage.

Health Care (Advance) Directives

Advance Directives government resourceone of the best sites
Online forms that contains standardized wording specified in the Wisconsin Statutes. If this form is filled out and signed correctly, the completed form is presumed to be valid in the State of Wisconsin. From the Dept of Health and Family Services. Includes:
    * Declaration to Physicians (Wisconsin Living Will)
    * Power of Attorney for Health Care
    * Power of Attorney for Finance and Property

Household Products

Household Products Database government resource
Learn more about what's in household products, about potential health effects, and about safety and handling.

Household Tips

Housing and Real Estate

Family Economic Security - Housing one of the best sites
Steenbock Library/UW Cooperative Extension site on general information, buying, predatory lending, and renting.

Money Magazine's Best Places to Live

Yahoo Real Estate: Neighborhood Profiles

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Insurance and Risk Management

Family Economic Security - Risk Management and Insurance one of the best sites
Steenbock Library/UW Cooperative Extension site on Health, Life, Auto Insurance

Insurance Company Ratings
Check the financial stability and soundness of insurance companies at these sites:

A.M. Best Ratings
Standard & Poor’s
Duff & Phelps
Moody’s Investor Service
Weiss Ratings

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety / Highway Loss Data Insitiute
Includes recent news releases and vehicle ratings for frontal offset, side impact and low speed crashes as well as head restraints. Also reports on injury, collision and theft losses by make and model.

State of Wisconsin – Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) government resource
Assists insurance consumers with their insurance problems, researches special insurance issues to understand and assess their impact on Wisconsin.

Job Hunting and Employment

Steenbock Library's Job Hunting on the Internet one of the best sites
A comprehensive site that covers all aspects of looking for employment with web based resources.

Junk mail/Spam

Mail Preference Service
A Direct Marketing Association service designed to assist consumers in decreasing the amount of national non-profit or commercial print advertising mail they receive at home.

Sneakemail
Free service that you can use to generate disposable email addresses. You can enter these Sneakemail addresses into web forms or use them to contact e-businesses without the risk of your real address being abused or bought and sold.

Fight Spam on the Internet! one of the best sites
Grassroots group supporting measures to reduce the amount of unsolicited email. Includes up to date worldwide headlines on spam.

Reducing Junk Mail government resource
Information on how to "opt out" of pre-screened lists sold by credit bureaus. From the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

Spam Tracer and What Is My IP Address?
Check the header of spam email, trace the route of relaying servers, and determine the source of the email as well as the contact person to complain.

Unsolicited Mail, Telemarketing and Email: Where to Go To “Just Say No” government resource one of the best sites
From the Federal Trade Commission.

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Lawn and Garden

Media

Federal Communications Commission (FCC): Consumer Information Directory
Information on FCC responsibilities for cellular phones, satellite dishes, internet, tv & cable, radio and telephone. Also how to file a complaint. En Espanol also.

Nielsen Media Research
Select "Top 10 TV Ratings" for information on what Americans are watching. Updated weekly.

Who Owns What?
Columbia Journalism Review's online guide to what major media companies own.

Media Awareness Network one of the best sites
Collection of media education and Internet literacy resources from this Canadian non-profit organization.

Media Watchdog Groups

Nutrition

Dietary Guidelines for Americans government resource
Healthy eating advice from the Food and Drug Administration.

International Food Information Council
IFIC's mission is to communicate science-based information on food safety and nutrition to health and nutrition professionals, educators, journalists, government officials and others providing information to consumers. IFIC is supported primarily by the broad-based food, beverage and agricultural industries.

Nutrition.gov government resource one of the best sites
Food and nutrition resources from a variety of agencies. In addition to links to consumer education materials, there are sections on federal programs and projects, grant opportunities, research reports, speeches, news and more.

Steenbock Library's Food Safety & Security Subject Guide one of the best sites

Steenbock Library's Nutrition Subject Guide one of the best sites

Steenbock Library's Organic Foods Subject Guide one of the best sites

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Online Shopping Tips

BBBOnLine's Consumer Safe Shopping Site
Searchable site for businesses agreeing to BBB's standards for ethical online business practices. Also online shopping tips.

Consumer WebWatch one of the best sites
A three-year, grant-funded project of Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. Through research, through the promotion of guidelines for best practices and other analytical means, we seek to improve consumer trust in the World Wide Web.

Econsumer.gov Online Shopping Tips
Tips for safe online shopping plus information on consumer rights, scams and online auctions. In several languages.

Prescription Drugs

Buying Medical Products Online government resource
Consumer Tips from the US Food and Drug Adminstration.

State of Wisconsin Prescription Drug Resource Center government resource
"Gives our citizens the ability to buy certain prescriptions at significantly lower prices from pharmacies that have been visited and found to be safe, reputable, and reliable by inspection on behalf of several state governors." Also other information to help consumers make informed choices among all of the available options.

Price Comparisons

Froogle one of the best sites
Product search engine with links to online vendors. Searches can be restricted by price, type of good, and retailer. Sponsored links are not part of results list ranking.

mySimon
Offers comparison shopping for a fairly wide range of products at more than 2,000 online stores. Emphasizes "most popular" products. Includes links to online vendors with ratings. From CNET Networks, Inc.

PriceGrabber
Comparison shopping site

PriceSCAN.com
"Database consists of publicly available product and pricing information. We gather data from magazine ads, vendor catalogs, web sites, etc. We then present this information to you in a searchable form." Small number of product reviews from buyers.

PriceWatch.com
Presents advertised prices for computers, some electronics, and software sorted in ascending order by price. Price Watch was first presented on the Web in August 1995.

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Product Reviews and Ratings

- - with price comparisons and online shopping links

BizRate.com one of the best sites
Shopping search engine including over 30 million products and 40,000 stores. Convenient sorting options including an option for grid format. Includes customer product reviews. Sponsoring online vendors, with ratings, are ranked first in the list of price results.

CNET Shopper.com one of the best sites
Computer, technology, and consumer electronics products with reviews and price comparisons. Searches can be restricted by brand, price and features. Sponsoring online vendors, with ratings, are ranked first in the list of price results. From CNET Networks, Inc.

Shopping.com
Combination of DealTime, a leading shopping search engine, and Epinions, a leading consumer reviews and ratings platform. Offers a wide range of products with custormer reviews. Sponsored online vendors are ranked first in the list of price results.

Consumer Guide
Reviews and pricing with vendor ratings on a wide range of products, automobiles and travel providers from this publisher of books and magazines on consumer information.

Consumer World one of the best sites
Great site for consumer resources including price comparisons and buying guides.

- - reviews and ratings only; some with online shopping links

ConsumerReports.org
Ratings and reports on a variety of consumer products and services. Some content only available to paid subscribers.

ConsumerSearch one of the best sites
Includes ranking and descriptions of all the top reviews, complete with links. The Full Story link is a complete analysis of who the experts are and what they say. Fast Answers lists the top-rated products, according to the experts.

Epinions.com
Consumer reviews of a wide variety of products.

Green Guide
Provides information on a wide variety of environmental and health consumer topics. No advertising is accepted.

JD Power Consumer Center
Ratings based on surveys of actual consumer experiences. Areas included are Automotive, Boats, Electronics, Finance/Insurance, Travel, Homes, Telecommunications and Healthcare.

Product Safety and Recalls

Recalls.gov government resource one of the best sites
Mission is to provide better service in alerting the American people to unsafe, hazardous or defective products, six federal agencies have joined together to create a "one stop shop" for U.S. Government recalls.

US Consumer Protection Agency Publications government resource
Safety tips on a variety of products and services.

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Retirement

AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) one of the best sites
Information about many subjects of interest to older adults.

Social Security Retirement Benefits
Apply for Social Security Retirement Benefits or check on the status of a claim.

National Council on the Aging's Benefits CheckUp
Helps older adults identify federal and state assistance programs that may improve the quality of their lives.

Saving and Investing

Family Economic Security - College Related Savings one of the best sites
Steenbock Library/UW Cooperative Extension site on the basics of saving for college expenses.

Family Economic Security - Saving and Investing one of the best sites
Steenbock Library/UW Cooperative Extension site on Saving Basics, Tax Sheltered, and Investing.

Taxes

Wisconsin Dept. of Revenue government resource
State tax information and forms. FAQ

U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) government resource
Tax forms, information and regulations.

Salvation Army
Estimated high and low values on a variety of used items for charitable gift tax deductions.

Telecommunications

Wirelessguide.org
Cell phone and wireless service plan buying guide.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC): Consumer Information Directory government resource
Information on FCC responsibilities for cellular phones, satellite dishes, internet, tv & cable, radio and telephone. Also how to file a complaint. En Espanol also.

Telemarketing

Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information government resource one of the best sites
Numerous publications on telemarketing for both consumers and businesses.

National Do Not Call Registry government resource
Information and registration for the national registry. Enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission.

Wisconsin No Call List government resource
Information and registration for both consumers and businesses.

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Travel

Aviation Consumer Protection Division government resource
Travel tips plus complaint handling information. From the US Department of Transportation.

National Center for Infectious Diseases (CDC) Travelers' Health government resource
Offers health-related travel information. Advice is also available on traveling with children and for those with special needs.

Online Travel Services

Ticked.com
"Ticked.com is the only Internet site dedicated to helping leisure and business travelers prevent bad trips. It features opinionated and informed features you won't find anywhere else on the Web."

Transportation Security Administration: Travelers and Consumers government resource
Tips on travel security including lists of prohibited items.

U.S. Department of State government resource
Provides information and documents needed for travel and living abroad.

Wills and Estate Planning

- - Wills and Estate Planning

Crash Course in Wills and Trusts
Based on an adult education community college class. "Concise and practical guide to what everyone should know about the law of Wills and Trusts - as well as a range of other matters - before an estate plan is designed."

Family Estate Planning in Wisconsin one of the best sites
1996 UWEX Cooperative Extension 60 page publication B1442.

Wills and Estate Planning - Nolo's Legal Encyclopedia
Introduction to Estate Planning, Wills, Probate and Executors, Living Trusts, Estate and Gift Taxes, Funeral Planning and other final arrangements, and Healthcare Directives and Powers of Attorney in easy to understand language.

Wisconsin State Law Library - Legal Topics: Estate Planning government resource one of the best sites
Links to laws about wills and what happens if you don't have a will, trusts, probate, power of attorney, and estate planning.

- - Power of Attorney

Advance Directives government resource one of the best sites
Technically an advance directive, not a will. Online forms that contains standardized wording specified in the Wisconsin Statutes. If this form is filled out and signed correctly, the completed form is presumed to be valid in the State of Wisconsin. From the Dept of Health and Family Services. Aslo includes:
    * Declaration to Physicians (Wisconsin Living Will)
    * Power of Attorney for Health Care
    * Power of Attorney for Finance and Property

Powers of Attorneys and Trusts: Duties and Rights as Agents and Trustees
28 page publication from State Bar of Wisconsin Consumer Protection Committee.

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This page available at http://steenbock.library.wisc.edu/subjectguide/consumerguides.htm

Please send comments about this page to: Jean Ruenger-Hanson

Last updated: December 17, 2008
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Steenbock Memorial Library is the primary resource library for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, School of Human Ecology, School of Veterinary Medicine and UW Extension, Cooperative Extension.