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Fort Bend County Libraries announces the addition of a new online financial-planning resource – Weiss Financial Ratings – for consumers. This new resource provides powerful tools for individuals who want to protect their finances, invest wisely, grow their wealth, and learn more about financial management.

A demonstration of this new resource will take place at Fort Bend County Libraries’ Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library on Thursday, April 20, from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon, in the Meeting Room of the library, located at 8100 FM 359 South in Fulshear.

Library staff will provide an overview of key features of the Weiss Financial Ratings resource. Learn how the resource provides consumers with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their financial needs.

About Weiss Financial Ratings

How do you know if your bank or credit union is financially stable? Did you pick the best life insurance or property-insurance company? Are you getting the best deal on your Medigap insurance? Which mutual fund will give you the best return? Which stocks are the best to choose?

Discover the answers to these questions and more with the Weiss Financial Ratings resource. An FBCL library card is required to access this resource outside of the library.

Weiss Financial Ratings is designed to direct users toward safe banking and insurance options and strong investments, while helping avoid unnecessary risk that could lead to financial losses.

Weiss Financial Ratings provides accurate, independent ratings and financial-planning tools needed to make informed decisions about insurance, banking, and investment options.

Learn…

• How to find the safest bank or credit union in the area;
• How to avoid the weakest insurance companies… and how to find the best ones;
• What Medicare does and does not cover;
• How to pick the best Medigap plan and get the lowest premiums;
• How to find the best mutual funds… and make sure one’s retirement funds are safe;
• How to pick the best-performing stocks;
• And much more!

Creating a Personal Profile is optional, but doing so enables one to create a watchlist, get email notifications when companies on the watchlist are upgraded or downgraded, and save one’s customized search criteria.

Consumer Guides and a series of Financial-Literacy Basics are some of the tools available in the Weiss Financial Ratings resource.

Weiss Ratings Consumer Guides offer easy-to-use tools to help individuals navigate through nine important areas: homeowners’ insurance, automobile insurance, variable annuities, term life insurance, health savings accounts, long-term care insurance, Medicare supplement insurance, Medicare prescription drug coverage, and elder-care choices.

Each easy-to-read, step-by-step guide is packed with accurate, unbiased information and recommendations from Weiss Ratings. The 50- to 70-page guides offer a narrative about the subject, what one should look for when choosing a plan or policy, recommended companies to work with, and so much more.

Weiss Ratings Consumer Guides offer easy explanations for hard-to-navigate financial decisions, removing the guesswork and confusion with straight talk and sound guidance. Plus, each guide includes several helpful Worksheets & Planners to further aid the decision-making process.

 The Financial-Literacy Basics series provides readers with easy-to-understand guidance on how to manage their finances. Designed for those who are just starting out and for those who may need help handling their finances, this series outlines -- step-by-step -- how to make the most of one’s money, which pitfalls to avoid, and what to watch out for. The guides provide the necessary tools to make sure one is fully equipped to manage one’s finances.

Filled with valuable information, alongside helpful worksheets and planners, these volumes are designed to point individuals in the right direction toward a solid financial future and give them helpful guidance along the way.

Topics include: How to Manage Debt, How to Make and Stick to a Budget, Buying a Car and Understanding Automobile Insurance, Renting an Apartment and Understanding Renters’ Insurance, Calculating the Cost of College and Understanding Student Loans, How to Start a 401(K), Understanding Health Insurance Plans, and What to Know About Checking Accounts.

The demonstration is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us) or call the Bob Lutts Fulshear/Simonton Branch Library (281-633-4675) or the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).