Slide Show | October 2007

THE 25 BEST WEB SITES

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There's something on the Web to help with every aspect of your financial life from investing to money management to spending wisely.

Our list of favorites includes the best sources for stock-market commentary, insurance quotes, prescription-drug prices, travel deals and more. Take a look:

SEE ALSO:

The Best Travel & Consumer Deals
The Best Tech Buys
The Best Credit Cards & Financial Services
The Best Stocks & Mutual Funds
The Best Tools to Maximize Your Retirement

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THE 25 BEST WEB SITES

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BEST INVESTING INFORMANT

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SeekingAlpha.com

The site's large roster of contributors includes traders, bloggers and money managers. Nifty extras: a comprehensive section on exchange-traded funds and Q&As with CEOs.

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BEST INVESTING INFORMANT

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BEST FOR BONDS

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Pimco.com

At this leading fixed-income specialist's site, fund managers and bond analysts, including the highly regarded Bill Gross, opine on the big picture and what to expect in every area of the bond market, from Treasuries to municipals to high-yield, or "junk," bonds.

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BEST FOR BONDS

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BEST PORTFOLIO TRACKER

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Quotestream.com

For $15 a month, you get unlimited real-time quotes for all U.S.-traded stocks (except those on the pink sheets), plus interactive charts and news alerts.

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BEST PORTFOLIO TRACKER

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BEST FREE CREDIT REPORT

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AnnualCreditReport.com

Get a report from each of the three major credit bureaus at one sitting. You'll need to answer a few questions to verify your identity, but you have to enter the information just once.

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BEST FREE CREDIT REPORT

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BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR CREDIT SCORE

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myFICO.com

A crystal ball isn't necessary to find this magic number. It costs $15.95 to get your FICO score from Fair Isaac, the company that compiles the most widely used credit score. The site includes advice on boosting your score.

Check out Kiplinger's guide on Demystifying Your Credit Score.

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BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR CREDIT SCORE

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BEST FREE BUDGETING

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Wesabe.com

Keep tabs on your expenses while you share your financial know-how with others and benefit from the group's collective expertise. We like the site's ease of use and emphasis on security.

See Kiplinger.com's primer Build Your Budget to learn the basics of budgeting.

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BEST FREE BUDGETING

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BEST TAX CALCULATOR

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kiplinger.com/money/taxes

If you regularly get an income-tax refund, you're paying Uncle Sam too much. Give yourself a pay raise with our oh-so-simple tax-withholding calculator.

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BEST TAX CALCULATOR

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BEST PERSONAL-FINANCE BLOG

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PFBlog.com

The author, a married 31-year-old financial controller who works for Microsoft, shares his detailed plan for accumulating a $1-million portfolio by 2012.

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BEST PERSONAL-FINANCE BLOG

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BEST STUDENT-LOAN TOOL

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SimpleTuition.com

This easy-to-use calculator lets you compare lender discounts on federal student loans as well as private-loan options. The site labels sponsoring lenders.

Get Kiplinger's advice on how to get the Best Deals on Student Loans.

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BEST STUDENT-LOAN TOOL

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BEST QUICK LIFE INSURANCE QUOTES

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Insure.com

Get accurate price quotes from up to 30 top insurers, along with detailed criteria you must meet to qualify for those rates.

Use our calculator to figure out how much life insurance you need.

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BEST QUICK LIFE INSURANCE QUOTES

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BEST FOR PERSONALIZED LIFE INSURANCE

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AccuQuote.com

Offers personalized help in finding coverage, especially if you have a medical condition. Call 800-442-9899 to speak with an agent.

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BEST FOR PERSONALIZED LIFE INSURANCE

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BEST FOR AUTO INSURANCE

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InsWeb.com

Get price quotes from several (the number varies by state) large companies at this site. For personalized attention, contact an agent through the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (www.iiaba.org).

Read our Smart Shopper's Guide to Auto Insurance before you shop.

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BEST FOR AUTO INSURANCE

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BEST FOR HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE

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AccuCoverage.com

Take about ten minutes to answer questions about your home, such as age, size and building materials, and you'll get an estimate of its replacement cost. The service costs $7.95.

Watch our video on 5 Things to Know About Homeowner's Insurance.

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BEST FOR HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE

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BEST FOR HEALTH INSURANCE

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eHealthInsurance.com

This comprehensive site provides immediate quotes for many insurers in your area, plus consumer reviews. For personalized help, call 800-977-8860 or find a broker through www.nahu.org.

Before you shop, see our guide to Understanding Your Health Insurance Options.

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BEST FOR HEALTH INSURANCE

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BEST MEDICARE INFO

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Medicare.gov

In addition to providing detailed information on Medicare, this site will help you choose a medigap supplement and a prescription-drug plan tailored to your specific medications.

See our Medicare Primer for everything you need to know before you're 65th birthday.

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BEST MEDICARE INFO

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BEST INSURANCECUSTOMER SERVICE

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Naic.org/cis

Check out this site to get a company's complaint ratio -- the number of complaints for every dollar it collects in premiums. The lower the ratio, the better.

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BEST INSURANCECUSTOMER SERVICE

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BEST PHONE SERVICE

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OneSuite.com

This site delivers great rates on long-distance and international calls for a starting balance of just $10. There are no connection charges or monthly fees.

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BEST PHONE SERVICE

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BEST CONSUMER BLOG

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Consumerist.com

Part of Gawker Media, a network of niche blogs known for their biting wit, this site captures the angst of the everyday shopper.

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BEST CONSUMER BLOG

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BEST ONLINE COUPON SITE

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RetailMeNot.com

Unlike others of its ilk, this site is organized and easy to use. Just type in the Web address of an online merchant, and a neat list of codes appears.

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BEST ONLINE COUPON SITE

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BEST CHARITY WATCHDOG

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CharityNavigator.org

More than 5,300 of the largest U.S. charities are rated, based on how effectively they use their money and how they develop their programs.

We show you how to Max Out Your Tax Savings When You Give.

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BEST CHARITY WATCHDOG

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BEST DRUG INFORMATION

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CRBestBuyDrugs.org

Read free, detailed reports on drugs that treat 19 ailments. Reports discuss price and effectiveness and give recommendations for low-cost generics.

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BEST DRUG INFORMATION

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BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE RESOURCE

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Gethuman.com

Customer-service numbers for 500 large companies and government agencies are listed, along with the codes that will hook you up with live help beyond the phone tree.

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BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE RESOURCE

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BEST GUIDE FOR ENTREPRENEURS

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Bizstarters.com

Entrepreneurs age 50 and older can get help developing and launching their own businesses (there's an emphasis on Web-based enterprises). Business start-up courses begin at $200.

For more self-employment strategies, see our Entrepreneur's Guide to Success and Six Steps to Starting Your Own Business.

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BEST GUIDE FOR ENTREPRENEURS

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BEST LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL DEALS

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LastMinute.com

Using this site is an easy way to get travel deals, whether your trip is in two weeks or in three hours. Search by destination and date, or get a newsletter targeted to your home base.

See our complete list of the 25 Best Travel Sites.

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BEST LAST-MINUTE TRAVEL DEALS

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BEST TRAVEL BOOKING

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Kayak.com

The site is comprehensive, simple to use and compares its results with those of other top sites so you don't have to sift through complex screens.

Check out our complete list of the 25 Best Travel Sites.

To print or email this slide show, click here.

SEE ALSO:

The Best Travel & Consumer Deals
The Best Tech Buys
The Best Credit Cards & Financial Services
The Best Stocks & Mutual Funds
The Best Tools to Maximize Your Retirement

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BEST TRAVEL BOOKING

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