Planning your finances for the year to come? Here are some tools that can help

For many, the beginning of the year is often a time for taking stock and planning for the year to come. If you’re looking for ways to strengthen your financing footing in the new year, the FTC’s consumer.gov has tools that can help.

Consumer.gov has the basics on things like managing your money, using credit, dealing with debt, and avoiding scams and identity theft. For example, are you:

• Wanting to save for something big like a car, tuition, or new appliance? Or just build more of a nest egg? Get step-by-step instructions on how to Make a Budget — along with a worksheet you can use to track how much you’re taking in and how much you’re spending.
• Looking to stay on top of your credit? Check your credit reports to make sure there’s nothing on there you don’t recognize. (If there is, it could be a sign of identity theft.) And if your credit’s not what you’d like it to be, take steps to improve it.
• Wanting to tackle your debt? Consumer.gov has information about steps to take yourself, how to get help, and what to know if you’re getting calls from debt collectors.

Find these and other resources online, download them, or order them in print (for free) to share with your friends, family, and community. 

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