1701 9th Avenue North
Texas City, TX 77590
Phone: (409) 643-5979
Fax : (409) 948-1106
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Thursday, Friday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Websites
Databases
Print Magazines
Tax Resources
Books
Please be advised: All of the websites listed below will offer free information in one form or another. However some services on certain sites will require a paid subscription to access certain resources. Also, some sites may offer materials (books, software, online classes, etc.) that are not free.
AARP: AARP provides free financial information for those in need, particularly senior citizens. Most of its services are volunteer-oriented but the re-ources and contact info offers solid personalized financial info that can be useful for retirement planning and future investments.
Annual Credit Report: Find out your credit score using this free (for the first time) personal credit reporting service fully authorized by the federal government. For additional info, please visit Your Access to Free Credit Reports by the Federal Trade Commission.
Consumer Credit Counseling & Debt Consolidation Services: One of the foremost sites for helping people successfully get out of debt, this site offers well-organized data and informational tools to help each person's individual case. It also contains a wealth of consumer advocacy information for anyone needing discernment over which services to use and which to avoid.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: This consumer advocacy site is provided by the federal government to assist citizens with their questions and complaints about the purchases they make, especially for loans and credit services. Useful for those who feel they've been the victim of consumer fraud.
CNN Money: CNN provides a good, interactive blend of news and consumer information resources while maintaining a solid base of personal money management resources.
Debt Resources: This is a user-friendly site that offers the bulk of its information through well-researched sources, even incorporating social media networking into its analysis, advice and tools.
Forbes: For personal investment portfolios and those individuals seeking ways to save for retirement, college and planning for your overall future, Forbes may be the best site on the web. Obviously well-known and respected for its in-print magazine, the site itself is extremely well-researched and on top of both the micro and macro-economic affairs. (The print magazine is available for viewing in the periodicals section of the library.)
Investopedia: Much like Wikipedia, Investopedia acts as a one-stop financial dictionary for user seeking concise definitions to varying financial terminology.
Kiplinger: Kiplinger, much like MarketWatch or ValueLine, promotes a wide swath of information pertaining to personal money management and financial organization. Those with an avid interest in investing and e-trading will stand the most to gain from this particu-lar website, most of which is free.
Lower My Bills: If you think your bills may be too high, this site offers pertinent information which compares and contrasts various billing plans. Researched from many, many sources, it offers answers to very specific questions and aids users in getting a better deal.
MarketWatch: Similar to Forbes or Kiplinger, MarketWatch monitors business news and stock market quotes on a 24/7 basis. It provides a lot of free information but parts of it are subscription-based.
Mortgage 101: Figuring out mortgages can get complicated. This site exists to connect homeowners and potential home-owners to lenders and solid financial information such as current interest rates, extensive interactive tools and calculators and advice on finding the right mortgage lender.
MSN Money: Much like CNN Money this search engine site is one of the many places in which users can gather financial news, look at stock quotes, and seek advice on money management matters. Comparable to Yahoo! Finance or Google Finance.
My Money: The federal government has built and maintained this site to assist all Americans with their personal finances. It's easy-to-use educational resources can help teach anyone about the basics of spending, saving, loans and getting out of debt. Also available are financial calculators, budgeting worksheets and checklist templates for itemizing your assets.
Smart Money: Smart Money is a market-conscious website offering up-to-date, practical advice on several personal finance related topics. In addition to things like employ-ment calculators, college planning resources and insurance appraisals, the site has a unique tool for comparing credit cards.
USA.gov Money & Taxes: The federal government operates this site free of charge for citizens needing information and help with their finances. The site is surprisingly easy to navigate and even includes a toll free 1-800 number to call with questions.
Below are subscription databases offered by the library. The information is free for all patrons with a valid library card and can be accessed in-house or remotely.
Visit our Electronic Resources to access these databases. For more information, see the Reference Desk for more details.
Barrons: Barrons is one of the leading resources for contemporary economic news and financial data.
The Wall Street Journal: WSJ is a primary resource for all things financial, covering everything from comprehensive personal investment opportunities to the global economic state of the world to general personal interest sections.
Financial Times: Within the global financial sphere, the Financial Times newspaper is among the leading news resources.
Economist: This well-recognized magazine reports high quality international, business and financial news.
Business Week: Gives the economic and financial week in review. It's been in publication for several decades now.
TurboTax: This is the premier source for filing your income taxes online. It is a fee-based service, but costs involved generally depend on the type of filing being done. The automated question-and-answer style of tax prep helps tax filers better get through their deductions and exemptions. Free info is available, however, in the form of the site's "Tax Tips" section which provides endless tax advice.
Internal Revenue Service: The federal government's official tax website provides everything needed for tax preparation and filing. Its broad array of easy-to-navigate topics related to taxes, retirement plans and related issues help users find answers to pretty much all of their tax questions. The site also provides a generous list of contact telephone numbers which affords users the opportunity to call the IRS for free, personalized service.
AARP Taxes: The AARP offers personalized tax assistance at several area locations. Its website also contains a lot of free tax prep information including an FAQ section.
See also: The Ernst & Young Tax Guide, 27th ed. / published by Ernst & Young (R343.73052 ERNST 2012). Inquire at the Reference Desk for further details.
All books on budgeting and personal finance will be at the 332.024-332.7 Dewey Call Number range (and vicinity) in the nonfiction collection. Use the online catalog to locate certain books by certain authors or inquire at the Reference Desk.