Best Of The Web 

This page will always list the best pages we have found on the Web.  We'll update it whenever we find a great page or members recommend one to us.  Most of these same links are also included in the pages of the Ultimate Money Makeover.

Best Rebate Cards Links: Compare The Best Credit Card Rates:  Compares credit card rates and rewards. • CreditCards.com:  Lists details for most credit cards. Best Ways to Manage Your Credit:  Reveals the highest-reward credit cards.

Best Credit Card Rates Links: Compare The Best Credit Card Rates:  Compares credit card rates and rewards. • CreditCards.com:  Lists details for most credit cards. Organize credit card debt:  Shows how to minimize your card debt. • Ask for a Lower Credit Card Interest Rate:  Explains how to call and ask for a lower rate.

Best Credit Reports Links: How To Improve Your Credit Scores:  Explains ways to improve and protect your credit. • Fighting Back Against Identity Theft:  Explains how to prevent identity theft. • How to Fix a Credit Report Error:  Explains how you can set the record straight. Free Annual Credit Reports:  Explains how you can get free credit reports. • FICO® Score Estimator:  Lets you calculate your own credit score. MyFICO.com:  Tells all about credit scores.

Best Electricity Savings Links: Michael Bluejay's Saving Electricity:  This is a great overall how-to guide on saving electricity. ExactChoice Computer Selector:  Helps you select the right computer. U.S. Department of Energy Consumer's Guide:  Explains many ways to saving energy and use renewable energy. How much electricity do computers use?:  Explains the energy used by various types of computers and monitors. • Electricity Prices:  Lists electricity prices for each state.

Best Water Heater Links: How to save money on water heating costs:  Describes electric, gas, solar and tankless heaters. EnergyGuide.com:  Describes Energy Star products, analyzes your needs, and lists installation contractors. EnergyGuide's Do-It-Yourself Energy Audit:  Covers all major appliances, cooling and heating systems. Do “Low-flow” Shower Heads Really Save Money? :  Explains the math of showering. • Natural Gas Prices:  Lists monthly prices by state. • Geothermal Map (PDF):  Has a map showing USA ground water temperatures.

Best Commute Savings Links: 9 ways to cut commuting costs:  Explains your commuting options. Edmunds.com's "True Cost to Own":  Calculates the real costs of owning any car model, new or used. Consumer Energy Center:  Explains your transportation choices. It's maintained by California state, but works for anybody. Automobile Driving Costs:  Lists the 2005 costs to drive autos of various sizes. • Fuel Prices:  Shows weekly prices by state.

Best Tax Withholding Links: Get Next Year's Refund Now:  Makes it easy to adjust your withholding. IRS Withholding FAQ:  Authoritative source for info.

Best Tax Preparation Links: Consumer Focus: Tackling Your Taxes:  A simple income tax primer. ConsumerSearch Tax Preparation Software Reviews:  Reveals the best tax software. Kiplinger's Tax Advice:  Up-to-date coverage of all kinds of taxes. Computerized returns clicking with taxpayers:  Discusses the relative merits of tax software and professional preparers.

Best Banking Tips Links: Money market accounts:  basics of MMAs. • FDIC: Insuring Your Deposits, Bankrate.com MMA Finder:  Compares money market account rates; search by state or best rate available. Banking Basics:  A "Foolish" series of articles on banking. • Bankrate.com Checking & Savings:  Banking information supersite.

Best Risk Management Links: Strategies for a Bear Market:  Six strategies to help you manage risk. ConsumerSearch Online Brokers Reviews:  Rates the best online brokers in America. Stock Cycles:  Explains the cyclical nature of markets. • InAcademy's Bear market investing:  A bear-market knowledge base.

Best Mortgage Sources Links: Looking for the Best Mortgage (PDF):  How to shop, compare and negotiate. Choosing A Lender:  Tells which types of lenders to shop. Smart Money's Real Estate:  Gives comprehensive help in buying, owning and selling a home.

Best Housing Trends Links: Free eAppraisal For Your Home:  Gives you a free no-hassle home appraisal. • Mortgage & CD Rate Alerts:  Emails you an alert when mortgage rates drop. • Bankrate's Mortgage Rate Forecast:  Brings together expert forecasts for the coming months. • Bankrate's "Graph The Trend":  Shows how mortgage rates have changed over recent years. • Housing Price Index:  Gives housing prices for USA metropolitan areas. Bankrate.com:  The Internet's banking and mortgage authority. 30-Year Mortgage Rate History:  Graphs mortgage rates since 1971.

Best Mortgage Trick Avoidance Links: Mistakes That Mortgage Shoppers Make:  Explains the worst mistakes and tells how to avoid them. Test My Loan Now:  Rates any mortgage offer for fairness, then pitches you a counterproposal. • National Mortgage Complaint Center:  Analyzes any mortgage offer for about $50. The Mortgage Professor:  Has many articles giving comprehensive mortgage advice.

Best Mortgage Rates Links: 1. Consumer Handbook on ARMs (PDF):  Explains all about adjustable-rate mortgages. • 2. Hybrid adjustable mortgages offer advantages:  Explains "hybrid" fixed/adjustable loans. • 3. Prepayment Penalty Mortgages:  Explains the benefits and traps of prepayment penalties. • 4. Even with bad credit report, you can purchase a home:  Explains how to clean up bad credit (or get around it). • 5. Paying mortgage discount points: a primer:  Tells how to figure the break-even point when paying points. Home-Buying & Mortgage Tutorial:  Gives Fannie Mae's home buying advice.

Best Mortgage Savings Links: 1. Save Thousands on Closing Costs:  Describes various closing costs and how to minimize them. • 2. What Are "Free" Rate Locks?:  Describes the benefits and traps of rate locks. • 3. Finance Settlement Costs in Mortgage Refinance?:  Discusses how to roll closing costs into a mortgage, whether it's a refinance or not. • 4. PMI Tips, How To Remove PMI:  Two pages list tips and describe how to terminate PMI. • 5. No-cost mortgages carry a pricetag:  Describes the pros and cons, and gives an example. Mortgage Calculators:  Has many mortgage calculators, including one for financing closing costs.

Best Health Insurance Links: 7 ways to avoid "going naked" on health insurance:  Explains ways to get low-cost health insurance. • Tips for Health Insurance Cost Cutting:  Gives ten tips to lower costs. eHealthInsurance.com:  Lets you get quotes, compare plans and apply online. • Health Plan Report Cards:  Rates the quality of health care plans. Health Insurance Consumer Guides:  Has a consumer health guide for each state.

Best Prescription Drugs Links: Google Answers:  Save Money On Prescription Drugs:  Explains many ways to save. PharmacyChecker.com:  Compares prices for many drugs, including Canadian imports. Physician's Desk Reference:  Explains all about diseases, treatments, drugs and clinical trials.

Best Health Savings Links: Health saving accounts: 5 Tips:  Explains HSA's and who they'll benefit. Health Grades:  Lets you research the quality and costs of hospitals and doctors. • U.S. News' America's Best Hospitals:  Rates hospital quality in 2005. • Insure Kids Now:  Tells who's eligible for free children's insurance. Consumer Reports' Medical Guide:  Gives you the success rates of treatments and drugs. IRS Health Care Deductions Guide:  Describes HSAs and other money-saving accounts.

Best Smoking Cessation Links: You Can Quit smoking:  Helps you get motivated to quit. • Quick Tips to Help You Quit Smoking:  Lists twenty quick but advanced tips. • Guide to Quitting Smoking:  This is a long one-page guide to quitting. The Quit Smoking Company:  Lists products that will help you quit. QuitNet:  Gives you tips from a helpful community of ex-smokers. Cigarette Smoking:  Explains the harmful effects of smoking and benefits of quitting.

Best Alcoholism Recovery Links: Mayo Clinic's Alcoholism Advice:  Describes symptoms, treatment and coping advice. American Council on Alcoholism:  Has an alcoholism self-test; locates local support groups. National Institute For Health: Alcoholism:  Has many alcoholism articles. Health Care Costs of Alcohol:  Tells the costs and consequences of alcoholism.

Best Eating Well Links: 100 Smartest Diet Tips Ever:  Lists the best tips from Prevention.com. Weight Loss Programs Reviews:  Rates the diet programs. Nutricise:  Helps you towards diet, nutrition and fitness success. Obesity Costs Rival Smoking:  Tells how Americans spend billions on their fat.

Best Dental Savings Links: Take the bite out of dental costs:  Six ways to cut dental costs. • Getting the Services You Need:  Tells how to take care of your teeth. Dental Insurance vs. Discount Dental Plans:  Guides you in shopping for a dental plan. American Dental Association:  Dental news and info for consumers.

Best Auto Insurance Links: Consumer Reports' Guide:  Advice on needed coverage, and money-saving tips. InsWeb, Insure.com:  Two places to get quick quotes from multiple insurers. Automobile Insurance:  This consumer guide has useful information for all Americans. Savings Study:  Consumers who shop around saves money.

Best Traffic Safety Links: Consumer Planner:  Auto Safety:  Tips for safe driving. Consumer Reports Auto Ratings:  Covers safety, prices, reliability, maintenance and fuel economy of new & used cars. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):  Government traffic safety supersite. Traffic Safety Facts (PDF):  All kinds of statistics.

Best Burglary Protection Links: Burglary is Everyone's Problem:  How to secure your home. Security Alarm Systems:  How to choose an alarm system. The Crime Doctor:  Covers all areas of your security needs. FBI Burglary Report:  Statistical summary.

Best Home Insurance Links: Ten Ways To Cut the Cost of Your Homeowner's Insurance:  Tells how to cut costs while maintaining adequate coverage. Insweb's Directory of Home Insurance:  Has articles, quizzes, FAQs, a glossary and lets you apply online. Homeowners Insurance Information:  Advice from the Insurance Information Institute.

Best Long Distance Calling Links: Consumer Planner:  Long Distance:  Explains long distance options, tips and sites. SaveOnPhone.com:  Lists low-cost long distance companies. • ConsumerSearch Long Distance Reviews:  Lists the highest-rated long distance companies. FCC.gov Consumer Publications (PDFs):  Covers all phones, internet, and television.

Best Web-Based Calling Links: Consumer Planner:  Free Internet Calls:  Explains Internet calling options, tips and sites. Skype:  Has all you need to make Web calls. CNet Guide to Internet Phones:  Teaches all about Web-based phoning programs. PC Phone Home:  Reveals testing that proves Web calling works well.

Best Local Calling Links: Consumer Planner:  Local Calls:  Explains local calling options, tips and sites. • How To Choose the Best Local Telephone Service (PDF):  Tells how to save money and choose features.

Best Cellular Service Links: Consumer Planner:  Cell Phones:  Explains cell calling options, tips and sites. • The Cell Phone Shuffle:  Tells how to choose a carrier and port your phone number. LetsTalk.com, Wireless Advisor:  Two good sites to research cellular plans and prices. Cell Phone Buying Guide:  This is a fairly complete buying guide.

Best Internet Access Links: Consumer Planner:  Internet Access:  Explains Internet access options, tips and sites. ConsumerSearch ISP Reviews:  Rates the best Internet service providers. • The ISP Guide:  Lists most ISPs, both local and national. PC World Internet Articles:  Lists many articles about Internet service.

Best Television Links: Is DISH Network Better Than DIRECTV?:  Compares the pros and cons of both. • TV Reduction Tool (PDF):  Helps families teach kids to do more and watch less. DirecTV, Dish Network:  These are the two providers of Satellite TV service. Satellite TV HQ:  Has articles about your options and the installation process.