Thanks so much Lynne; these are great, and I'm going to pass them on to TABI. We've been using Mint recently, and find it very useful (so far) in just making it very easy for you to see a picture of your entire financial picture by just going to one site. We plan to move on to using Mint's other features. Allison has been doing the web site work, so I haven't yet tried it with a screen reader. I have wondered if it would be helpful for a blind financial group to get together sometimes, to share information and tips like this. Certainly there are a lot of blind-specific laws, exemptions, information, and just special deals or sources of products and services that could be shared, along with the motivation to work on your financial situation which comes from getting together regularly with like-minded others for support. Thanks again, Chip From: Lynn Evans [mailto:austin.evans60@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 4:17 PM To: Allison and Chip Orange Subject: finances Hello Chip: If I remember correctly, you like financial websites. here are a few from a Kim Komando post. I may use some of these. I am getting curious as to where all my money is going. Tame an out-of-control budget 8/6/2012 Taking control of your finances can be a daunting task. You have to examine your bills, research your options and track your spending. Then, you have to decide what you can spend and how much you need to save. Putting all of this together yourself would take forever! That's not to mention how stressful it can be to think about money. Proper budgeting is a necessary habit, though. Luckily, you don't have to go it alone. There are dozens of sites dedicated to turning ideas into a real, money-saving budget. You'll find sites that do most of the research and planning you need. With all the budgeting and money-saving sites available online, it would be hard not to save extra cash. The first thing you need to do is to put all of your expenses in one place. <http://www.komando.com/coolsites/index.aspx?id=5901> Mint connects to all of your accounts and tracks your spending habits in real time. You can set due dates for your bills and the site will remind you to pay. You'll never have to worry about late fees again! Mint analyzes your spending habits and points out places to cut. It breaks down your spending into detailed categories so you know exactly where your money is going. Plus, Mint allows you to set short- and long-term savings goals. The site will help you save up for your next vacation or for your child's tuition. It tells you exactly how much you need to save each month to reach your goal. You might not like what you see once Mint analyzes your finances. Sometimes all those monthly bills are just too much! You can shave hundreds off of your bills with <http://www.komando.com/coolsites/index.aspx?id=9113> Billshrink. This site compares what you currently pay each month to other services with the same features. It shows you what you could save on your phone, television and even gasoline without sacrificing services. Input your address, current provider and how much you pay. Then, the site asks a few questions about what kind of service you need. It will show which providers will save you the most. Billshrink will analyze your credit cards, as well. Another site for finding the right credit card for you is <http://www.komando.com/coolsites/index.aspx?id=11143> Nerdwallet. It analyzes more than 1,700 different credit cards based on criteria you set. It will show you what deals and rewards you're eligible for. Does your credit card bill seem to grow bigger every month? Here are three ways to dig yourself out of that hole. * Skyrocketing interest rates means your monthly bill shoots up, too. <http://www.komando.com/coolsites/index.aspx?id=5570> Use this tool to calculate your credit card debt. * Before you swipe that card, think about how much it costs in the long run. <http://www.komando.com/coolsites/index.aspx?id=11132> Find out the real cost of your purchases. * Wouldn't it be great if you could put more of your payment toward your card's balance? <http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=11941> Cut out these useless fees.