WEBSITES

 Automobiles

• Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guide (www.edmunds.com)
• Fuel Economy Comparisons (www.fueleconomy.gov)
• Greener Cars (www.greenercars.com)
• Hemmings Motor News (www.hemmings.com)
• Intellichoice (www.intellichoice.com)
• Kelley Blue Book Car Prices (www.kbb.com)
• Microsoft CarPoint (autos.msn.com)
• NADA Used Vehicle Appraisal Guides (www.nadaguides.com)
• National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Recall Database (www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/index.html)

Comparison Shopping

• Appliance Efficiency Database http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/appliances/index.html
• Consumer Guide (www.consumerguide.com)
• Consumer Search (www.consumersearch.com)
• Consumer World (www.consumerworld.org)
• Consumers Union/Consumer Reports (www.consumersunion.org)
• Energy Efficiency (ACEEE) (www.aceee.org)

Consumer Protection

• Protecting Yourself from Frauds and Scams Bibliography

Cost of Living/Consumer Price Index

• Consumer Price Index (www.bls.gov/cpi) - There is no CPI for Boise, but this site does link to index numbers for the region.
• Cost of Living comparisions (U.S. cities) (www.datamasters.com)
• ACCRA Cost of Living (www.coli.org) - There is a charge for this information online, however, the library has a subscription to the ACCRA Cost of Living Index publication.  Ask for it at the 2nd floor reference desk.

Credit Reporting

• Annual Credit Report (www.annualcreditreport.com) - AnnualCreditReport.com is the official site to help consumers to obtain their free credit report.
• Equifax (www.equifax.com)
• Experian (www.experian.com/consumer/index.html
• http://www.ftc.gov/freereports - Information about free annual credit reports.
• TransUnion (www.transunion.com/index.jsp) - previously known as TUC.
• MIB Group, Inc. (http://www.mib.com/html/consumer_protection.html) -  request information about your insurance ratings.

General Information

• Bankrate.com  - guide to mortgage rate and other financial rate calculations 
• Better Business Bureau  (www.boise.bbb.org)
• Consumer.gov - your resource for consumer information from the federal government, including the well-known Pueblo, Colorado site
• ConsumerPrivacyGuide.org  - tips to protect your privacy
• Guide to Federal Government Sales - is linked to the Pueblo, Colorado site at www.pueblo.gsa.gov
• Idaho Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit (www2.state.id.us/ag)

eCOLLECTIONS - ONLINE MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS

• Check ProQuest Central database for Consumer Reports online and thousands of other magazine and newspaper articles. 
• eCollections are available at the Library or from your home computer.  Log in using your Boise Public Library card number. 
• In the Library we have public computers and offer wireless connectivity.

IN THE LIBRARY

Visit the 3rd floor to use materials on the Consumer Table, including:

• Consumer Reports and Annual Buying Guide
• Other consumer magazines
• New and used vehicle cost guides and evaluations
• NADA price guide for a cars, manufactured homes, and travel trailers

Last Updated:04/06/2010 Author:AS/JD/grr