My top ten websites for financial help
If you’re struggling to understand the confusing world that is personal finance and don’t know where to go for help and advice, check out these useful websites…
These days it is more important than ever to ensure your finances are in working order. Luckily there are numerous organisations out there dedicated to helping you do just that.
So, in no particular order, here are ten of my favourite websites for empowering consumers with money management know-how.
1. The Citizens Advice Bureau
If you want free, independent advice on any issue from debt and employment to housing and immigration, Citizens Advice is the place to go! Dating as far back as World War One, this charity will help you resolve your legal or money problems without charging you a single penny.
This website also contains a number of useful guides, videos and self help leaflets on managing your money effectively.
If your debt worries are keeping you up at night and you don’t know where to turn, it might be a good idea to give National Debtline a call. The National Debtline service offers free, confidential and independent advice for people with debt problems in England, Wales and Scotland, helping you to understand exactly what your options are.
3. Consumer Credit Counselling Service
Every year The Consumer Credit Counselling Service helps more than half a million people take control of their finances. The charity offers free, independent advice and for people in financial difficulty, and also provides a wealth of information on everything from creating a household budget to paying off debts.
4. Financial Services Authority
It’s very likely that at some point in the past you will have heard of the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The FSA’s job is to regulate financial services in the UK and help consumers get a fair deal.
The FSA website also has a fantastic section for consumers called ‘Moneymadeclear’. You can download free step-by-step guides to money management, access tools and calculators and keep up to date with what is happening in the news.
5. Financial Services Ombudsman
We all have a good old grumble about our bank, mortgage provider or insurance company from time to time but who do you go to when you’ve finally had enough?
It is the job of the Financial Services Ombudsman (FOS) to settle disputes between consumers and businesses who offer financial services. Therefore, if you feel you have been treated unfairly by a financial institution visit the complaints section on the FSO website and find out what your next step should be.
6. Directgov
Directgov is an extremely useful website that gives you easy access to information about government information and services. So, if you want to find out everyday information such as how to pay your road tax, what redundancy pay you’re entitled to or where your nearest GP surgery is, Directgov website should be your first port of call.
Keep in mind the government also uses Directgov to get information to the public in times of crisis or emergency, for example the swine flu outbreak.
7. Consumer Direct
As a shopaholic myself, one of the most useful websites I have come across is Consumer Direct. This service explains your rights as a consumer over issues such as warranties, buying on credit, shopping online, refunds and replacements and so on. They can also help you make a complaint about a trader if you believe they have done something wrong, and give you general advice on avoiding trading scams and rip-offs.
8. Energy Saving Trust
After such a brutally cold winter, it’s more important than ever to keep your energy bills as low as possible. If you need advice on how you can make some savings on your gas and electricity bills, and would like to check out some tips on how to keep your energy usage to a minimum, the Energy Saving Trust is a great website to check out.
You can also use the website to learn about the type of financial aid available from the government (Winter Fuel Payments for example) and find out if you are eligible for help with your heating bills.
9. Independent Mortgage Advice Bureau
Whether you are moving home, investing in property, remortgaging or consolidating debts, the Independent Mortgage Advice Bureau can provide you with independent advice specific to your circumstances. They also search the whole of market, regardless of whether the deals are available on the high street, via the internet or only through a mortgage broker.
10. BeatThatQuote.com!
Finally, in a little ‘unbiased’ plug for our own website, BeatThatQuote.com can help too! Not only do we provide a variety of useful guides and articles designed to help you get your finances in order, you could save lots of money by simply shopping around through our site and comparing deals. Remember, in this day and age, if you stick with the same providers year after year you are unlikely to benefit from the most competitive deals so make sure you do your homework properly!
**Articles featured on BeatThatQuote.com are for information purposes only and reflect the views of individual writers. Articles are not, and should not be considered as, financial advice. BeatThatQuote.com strongly encourages our readers not to rely solely on information contained within this article/our website, but to conduct their own research and seek independent advice about the financial products they purchase.**
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