See also Consumer Information from Best Information on the Net
University of Virginia Library
PO Box 400113
Charlottesville VA 22904-4113
434.924.3021
fax: 434.924.1431
Consumer.gov
One-stop shopping to a broad range of federal information resources available online, arranged by topic.
Access to Free Credit Reports
From the Federal Trade Commission, information on the new law that promotes access to free credit reports, including a link to a site for ordering your free report online.
A Consumer Guide to Handling Disputes with Your Employer or Private Health Plan
From the Kaiser Family Foundation. Includes detailed information on health insurance plan external reviews, by state.
This is the most current (2005) version.
Consumer Products Safety Commission Recalls
Recall notices include detailed CPSC Office of Public Affairs reports complete with model/serial numbers of affected products, color photographs, and more. Includes useful set of links to related Federal agencies in charge of recalls (i.e. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration for automobile recalls.
Bankrate.com
Check rates around the U.S. for mortgages, cd's, savings accounts, auto loans, and more.
Homepath
From Fannie Mae, "... content, tools, and resources" for home buyers and homeowners -- especially material relating to mortgages. Be sure and see the mortgage calculators page.
Yahoo! Real Estate Home Values
Search for home sales values (back to 1987) by location or by price range within a city. Database includes over 20 million homes from 22 states (including Virginia) and is updated weekly. New sales typically take 6 weeks to appear in the database.
Food News' Handy Wallet Guide to Pesticides in Produce
Brought to you by the Environmental Working Group and Stoneyfield Farm. See also EPA's Pesticides and Food page.
Best and Worst Cities
From the American Lung Association. See also
Best Places to Live 2007
From CNN/Money magazine.
Consumer Price Index
Monthly CPI data since 1913 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. See also CPI Calculation Machine to calculate the historical value of goods in the U.S. back to 1913.
Better Business Bureau Alerts
Monthly listing of scams, pyramid schemes, gimmicks, and other fraudulent operations in the United States and Canada. Also includes tips for the smart shopper.