Government Resources for Homebuyers

August 7, 2020

Thinking about buying a new home? Existing home owners, real estate brokers, and mortgage providers can all benefit by checking out helpful resources from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The following publications provide important facts and processes in securing the best loan for you and your family.

Buying a home is exciting and, let’s face it, complicated. A great place to start is Your Home Loan Toolkit: A Step By Step Guide. This booklet can help you make better choices along your path to owning a home. This easy-to-follow guide will take you through the home loan process. It provides interactive worksheets as well as a simple 4-step process to help you estimate key financial considerations. Sections on checklists, research tips, and terms will keep your process on track.

Consumer Handbook On Adjustable Rate Mortgages will help you decide whether an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) is the right choice for you and will help you take control of the home buying process. This publication helps you understand how an ARM works and the risks that come with the variety of ARM products available.

If you are considering purchasing a new home or refinancing an existing mortgage, be sure to check out these helpful publications at the GPO Bookstore.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Visit our Retail Store: To buy or order a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up(s).

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

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Posted by Trudy Hawkins

New Consumer Financial Protection Bureau eBooks

March 9, 2020

Millions of Americans are managing money or property for a family member or friend who is unable to make financial decisions or pay bills. If you’re one of them, you know how tough it can be to serve as a financial caregiver.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has resources to help and a convenient way for you to use them. The CFPB recently released their popular Managing Someone Else’s Money guides in eBook format. The Managing Someone Else’s Money series is comprised of four guides for people serving in a formal fiduciary role. The guides help financial caregivers by walking them through their duties, providing tips on protecting their loved ones from financial exploitation and scams, and offering helpful resources. The following eBooks offered in English and Spanish language are available from the U.S. Government Bookstore for FREE download in a variety of digital formats, including ePub, MOBI, and PDF.

The CFPB’s Managing Someone Else’s Money guides, now available in eBook formats, will help family members, caregivers, and others in the community tackle their role of financial caregiver.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Visit our Retail Store: To buy or order a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up(s).

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

Find more than a million official Federal Government publications from all three branches at www.govinfo.gov.

About the author: Blogger contributor Trudy Hawkins is the the Sr. Marketing & Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication & Information Sales Division supporting the U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

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Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Money Smart Week 2019 March 30th – April 6th

April 5, 2019

Money Smart Week, a national initiative between the American Library Association and the Federal Reserve Bank (Chicago) is in its seventh year. The purpose of this week is to provide financial literacy programming to help members of the community better manage their personal finances.

The Federal Government provides many opportunities to support families and individuals with valuable financial information and resources–to give all Americans the financial tools to improve their financial conditions and to seek a better tomorrow.

Your Money, Your Goals: Focus on People With Disabilities (Braille)

Reach out to your visually impaired associates and friends who have the same concerns as you for their financial futures. Your Money, Your Goals is a financial empowerment braille printed toolkit, not a curriculum, consisting of a set of modules that organizations may integrate into their daily work with the people they serve. These modules function independently of one another, can be used in any combination or order, and are appropriate for a wide variety of client populations, as well as for staff or volunteers who may benefit from financial empowerment in their own lives.

The toolkit provides helpful manipulatives, such as:

  • Money questionnaire to start the conversation about goals planning
  • Blank worksheets to help people with disabilities make decisions about their financial goals and needs
  • Bill calendar
  • Monthly Budget Worksheets, Supplementary Security Income (SSI) estimator, and more.

Financial empowerment is about giving individuals information and tools that help them understand the risks and benefits of financial products, services, and actions so they can control their own financial situations and make their own choices.

Related products:

Resources collection for people that are physically challenged:  https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/physically-challenged

What You Should Know About Your Retirement Plan

This booklet covers private investment retirement plans governed by state laws and guidelines in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Your employer’s retirement savings plan is an essential part of your future financial security. This booklet helps you understand your plan and explains what information you should review periodically and where to go for help with questions. It includes information on the following:

  • Different types of retirement plans
  • What information you can get about your plan
  • When and how you can receive retirement benefits
  • What to do if you have a question or find a mistake
  • The responsibilities of those who manage the plan and investments
  • Your responsibilities to understand and monitor your plan
  • Specific circumstances such as how a divorce or change of employer ownership may affect your retirement benefit

Fundamentals of Federal Student Aid Administration 2017–18

This comprehensive weekly workshop kit is provided as a participant guide and is organized in the order of how financial aid is generally processed at most schools. The workshop materials consist of a large three-ring binder with loose-leaf pages about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to provide a course for high school students, parents/caregivers, undergraduate students and graduate students who will follow a fictional student named Max Student, applying to the fictional college named Central Commercial College. The course provides specific details as Max applies for financial aid and the application requirements, including repayment obligations, as a way to pay for postsecondary education.  This essential book about FAFSA, PLUS loans, and Pell grants provides a Federal student aid handbook for the financial aid process.

Financial empowerment is about giving. Find more financial resources in our Business and Finance Collection. Go online today. Get prepared for a brighter financial future now.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Sign up to receive promotional bulletin emails from the US Government Online Bookstore.

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy a vast majority of eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Visit our Retail Store: To buy or order a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up(s).

Order by Phone or Email: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.  Email orders to ContactCenter@gpo.gov

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

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Posted by Trudy Hawkins

“Maximize Your Dollars During Money Smart Week” Part 4: U.S. Federal Government Finances

April 26, 2018

How is the Federal Government doing with its debt and finances?

This blog post is the last in our “Maximize Your Dollars During Money Smart Week” series and highlights a few new books about Federal finances including financial debt, exporting & international trade, and the U.S. economy.

Here are a few new books to check out by the U.S. Federal Government:

Financial Report of the United States FY 2017  This report is a thorough overview of the federal government’s current financial position and future fiscal projections. Coverage includes current trends in revenues, costs, deficit and debt. It also highlights the government’s long-term fiscal challenge of funding the Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Each section includes a summary of actions along with tabular charts to represent the data. The summary sections also include earned revenues, taxes, social security, Medicare, long-term fiscal projections, America’s debt and more. Policymakers, budget analysts, governmental personnel, economists, financial analysts, America’s businesses, including Small Business sector, U.S. economic trade partners, and American citizens interested in the financial state and growth of our country, may be interested in this resource. Students and professors studying the federal budget, U.S. economy, and financial projection statistics may also have a keen interest in this material for research. Public, special and academic libraries may also want a copy of this resource for their economic and government collections.

Economic Indicators, monthly periodical subscription, provides economic information on gross domestic product, income, employment, prices, wages, production, business activity, credit, purchasing power, security markets and more.

Mineral Commodity Summaries 2018 may serve as a wonderful reference to you for understanding trends and issues for each mineral commodity. You will find which commodity has a Government stockpile with detailed information concerning the stockpile status within a two-page synopsis. Additionally, tabular presentations on domestic industry structure, Government programs, tariffs, 5-year salient statistics and world production and resources can also be found in this updated volume. The Appendices included provide relevant information that may assist you with understanding the topics that are discussed across America’s news medium. This publication benefits American citizens, economists, investment traders, exporters, customs brokers, and individuals who may want to know more about mineral commodities and their impact on international trade. High school sophomores and above taking economic classes that cover international trade, exporting and tariffs may find this annual reference helpful for research papers and essays relating to commodities, tariffs, and international trade.

Additional books about Exporting & Foreign Trade

More resources about Budget & the Economy

Part 1 of this Money Smart series can be found here.

Part 2 of this blog post series can be found here.

Part 3 of this blog post series can be found here.

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution through platforms and vendors, such as Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play eBookstore, Ebscohost databases, Overdrive, and ProQuest.

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Posted by Trudy Hawkins

“Maximize Your Dollars During Money Smart Week” Part 2: Long-Term Care Financial Planning

April 24, 2018

Money Smart Week helps consumers manage their personal finances better. We have put together a four-part series called “Maximize Your Dollars During Money Smart Week” showcasing different Federal publications to offer financial planning for American citizens.

  • Part 1 will focus on financial aid
  • Part 2 will focus on long-term healthcare planning
  • Part 3 will focus on retirement planning
  • Part 4 will focus on the U.S. Federal Government Finances

Part 2: Long-Term Care Financial Planning

“Maximize Your Dollars During Money Smart Week” presents #eldercare resources for seniors and their families to plan for long-term care needs.

Need help planning for long-term healthcare and figuring out what services are covered by Medicare?

Medicare & Home Health Care is the official Federal Government resource providing you with the “Go-To” information you need to determine your Medicare rights.  It helps answer these questions:

  • Who’s eligible?
  • What services are covered?
  • How do I find and compare home health agencies?

Medicare-eligible individuals and their families, home health care personnel and agencies, skilled-nursing care facilities, physical and occupational therapists, physicians and medical teams that treat Medicare patients, may be most interested in this guide. Many may find the Home Health Agency and Home Health Care checklists helpful in finding home health care for their needs. A glossary is also included for a better understanding of health care terms..

Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home or Other Long-Term Services & Supports provides a detailed outline of different types of insurance., Here you’ll find an explanation of the role  Medicare and Medicaid play in the process of acquiring nursing home care or alternative types of care. The guide also provides a “Definitions” section and a Nursing Home checklist. People considering entering nursing homes or receiving elder care, as well as family members helping to make this choice with their elderly loved ones, will find this informative publication extremely helpful.

Don’t forget … just like younger people, seniors need exercise too – Check out our resources collection on aging and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Part 1 in this blog series – Financial Planning for Post-High School Education

Coming soon – Part 3 Retirement Planning and Federal Finance Management

The GPO Online Bookstore – Easy Access to Federal Publications

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at https://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office in Washington, DC. Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution through platforms and vendors, such as Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google Play eBookstore, Ebscohost databases, Overdrive, and ProQuest.

Leave a Comment » | aging, Department of Health & Human Services, finances, Health care | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

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