General Information

www.bankrate.com -- This site has a ton of useful free information on many different aspects of personal finance, especially as it relates to banking products. I use this site frequently for its free access to online calculators for credit card payoff times, true cost of minimum payments, mortgage scenarios, and much more.

www.cardratings.com -- An outstanding source of information on credit cards, secured or unsecured. Numerous free articles and content designed to help the consumer understand credit card accounts and credit usage in general. If you're looking to rebuild your credit using high-quality secured credit cards, this is the site to start with.

www.cardweb.com -- This is an industry site for the credit card world. You can find out a lot of useful information here about current credit card offers, rates, what's going on in the credit card industry, etc. Very useful stuff, but a bit more on the technical side than other sites I've listed here.

Budgeting, Saving Money

www.lowermybills.com -- An outstanding site full of free articles on personal finance, information on how to save money on your bills, where to obtain loans at the best rates, financial calculators, and much more.

Online Banking

www.everbank.com -- The gold standard for online banks. I really like Everbank. They have free checking, good yields on money market accounts or CDs, and some really interesting foreign currency products for the adventurous investor.

Professional Advice

www.myprofessionaladvice.com -- Need quick advice on financial matters, tax problems, real estate closings, divorce, or legal issues? Check out this site, where you can talk to a qualified professional advisor and get your question answered for only $35, instead of paying $100s for a private service. MyProfessionalAdvice.com offers toll-free telephone lines for advice on just about everything.

Credit Scores & Credit Reports

www.myfico.com -- At MyFICO.com, you can obtain your FICO credit score for a reasonable fee, and you can order your credit report online and view it in a matter of seconds.

www.annualcreditreport.com -- The official website maintained by the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax) for consumers to obtain their free annual credit report (as required by law).

Government

www.ftc.gov -- This is the site for the Federal Trade Commission. They have a number of useful consumer-oriented articles on debt and credit, and this is the agency you should complain to if you've been abused or harassed by a bill collector.

Helpful Books

www.DebtCollectionAnswers.com -- Longtime consumer advocate Gerri Detweiler, who has been a champion of my do-it-yourself approach to debt settlement, will answer your questions about dealing with debt collectors for free on this website. She also offers an e-book that helps you understand your rights under debt collection laws.

www.Reduce-Debt-Reduce-Sress.com -- Gerri Detweiler has also coauthored a comprehensive guide to debt reduction. Reduce Debt, Reduce Stress: Real Life Solutions for Solving Your Credit Crisis, will walk you through all your options and help you find the solution that works for you.