Publications.USA.gov

Hi All,

Just a quickie post today about a US government site called Publications.USA.gov.  What is the site about?  Simple, it's a federal website where citizens can order government publications. 

Specifically the FCIC (Federal Citizen Information Center) has been "a trusted one-stop source for answers to questions about consumer problems and government services. "  Publications.USA.gov has replaced the old Pueblo, Colorado website.  For more information about the organization, click on this link. 

Users can search for publications by using drop-down menus on the homepage.  Categories include Animals, Cars, Computers, Education, Family, Health, Housing, Money and Travel among others.  Material can be ordered in printed, pdf, e-reader or online format.  Material also comes in Spanish and English.  Finally, users can search for publications using a text search which is also on the homepage.

Instead of using the drop-down menu's at the top of the page, users can choose categories at the left side of the homepage...(same categories are listed as in the drop-down menu).

Features publications are listed on the right side of the page (and are hyperlinked).  Examples of featured publications when I was writing this entry included 'Men: Stay Health at Any Age', 'Buying a Used Car', and 'How to Fix Mistakes in Your Credit Card Bill'.  

Note: not all publications need to be ordered.  In fact, many of the publications can be viewed online directly on the site by the viewer.  Advantages: You can see the publication directly and then you can decide whether or not print them out on your printer....

The 2015 Consumer Action Handbook is available on the site as well - which is a very, very popular publication!

And...users can sign up for email for free email updates on nearly topics (including benefits, grants, financial aid, health and nutrition, money, and taxes. Users can sign up for free email updates or to access subscribers preferences by clicking on this link.

Site users can order publications by catalog item number as well - click link for more information.

Finally, in order to display the variety of publication topics available on the site, I did a deep-dive in the the list of education publications.

Preparing For College
Examples of publications include:
Choosing Your Student Loan
Choosing a College: 8 Questions to Ask
Funding Your Education
My Future My Way: First Steps Toward College

Preschool
Helping Yor Child Become a Reader
Helping Your Preschool Child
Toddlers Get Ready to Read: How Parents Can Help Their Toddlers Get Ready to Read

K-12 Years
Choosing a School For Your Child
Extracurricular Activities: The Afterschool Connection
Imagine! Introducing Your Child to the Arts
Parent Power: Build the Bridge to Success

And on and on it goes...what a great free site from the federal government!

Enjoy the links and the publications.

Regards,
Stu

Consumer Action Handbook

Hi All,

The new, 2014 Consumer Action Handbook (CAH hereafter in this blog entry) is now available for download now.  Readers can download the CAH by clicking on this link.

A good summary of the CAH is that, 'Users can use the Consumer Action Handbook (CAH) to get help with consumer purchases, problems and complaints. Find consumer contacts at hundreds of companies and trade associations, local, state, and federal government agencies, national consumer organizations, and more'

The 2014 CAH is 148 pages long and is divided into 4 parts:
Part I - Be a Savvy Consumer
Part II - Filing a Complaint
Part III - Key Information Sources
Part IV - Consumer Assistance Directory

In the 'Be a Savvy Consumer' section alone the reader will learn about 'Service Contracts and Extended Warranties', 'Identifying and Stopping Fraud', 'Shopping From Home', using 'ATM/Debit Cards', using 'Prepaid Cards', 'Buying a New Car', 'Buying a Used Car', 'Financing', 'Leasing', 'Lemon Laws', 'Car Repairs' and much, much more. 

this part on 'Being a Savvy Consumer' has further sections on 'Credit Reports and Credit Scores', 'Dealing with Debt', 'Paying For College 101' and more. 

The book is 148 pages for a reason! It is extensive, comprehensive and chock full of useful information for consumers of all needs and interests. And it is free!  What a helpful resource!!!!

Other sections that are notable in the 'Be a Savvy Consumer' section include: 'Insurance' - which covers Auto Insurance, Health Insurance, Homeowners/Renters Insurance, Life Insurance and more, 'Privacy and Identity Theft', 'Telemarketing and Unwanted Mail' (National Do Not Call Registry', 'Travel' (Resolving Air Travel Problems, Cruises, Travel Safety) and 'Utilities' (Billing questions and starting Utility Service).

There is one section in particular that users should be aware of: Part III - Key Information Resources contains a list of  various federal agencies that deal with various products.

For example,
 - Animal Products safety hazards are dealt with the Food and Drug Administration
 - Automobile safety hazards are dealt with the national Highway Traffic Safety Administration
 - Consumer Household Product hazards are dealt with by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Finally, 'Key Information Resources' has information regarding Drugs, Cosmetics, Medical Devices, Toys, Baby Products and Play Equipment in this section. 

So there you have it.  A blog entry that might be short on additional links, is very, very long on useful, helpful, time-saving and money-saving information!

Enjoy the free download - and remember that you can access the CAH by clicking on this link!

Regards,
Stu