Consumer Information

Featured Online Resources

Consumer Reports

Provides ratings, buying guides, product reviews and consumer information from the experts at Consumer Reports magazine and Consumers Union.


Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange

The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange exists to help “find youth permanent families so that they have the support system they need to live safely and to become their best selves. We believe no child should leave the foster care system without permanent connections, support, and stability.” The website features access to adoption support resources, ways to get involved, and a continually-updated database of profiles of foster children in Massachusetts waiting to find the right home.


Massachusetts Municipal Guide

A statewide listing of municipalities by county, state and regional contact information for a variety of government departments and services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Includes addresses and contacts for elected and appointed officials from the local level to the U.S. Congress.


Social Law Library (available in library)

Ask at Reference Desk for login
In-Library Access: http://www.socialaw.com/account/librarylogin

Collection of Massachusetts court and state agency decisions from the Social Law Library’s legal research databases; provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.


Stay Safe Online

This resource from the National Cybersecurity Alliance contains a variety of tutorials and other resources to help you use social media and he internet safely. Find information on personal privacy, corporate security, computer viruses, reporting cybercrime, and many other urgent topics.


 

Print Materials

  • Consumer Reports Magazine – Current issues are available to check out in the Periodicals Room on the upper level, and current and older issues are in the Reference area
  • Boston Consumers’ Checkbook – Current and older issues are in the Reference area
  • NADA Guide – Price guide for used cars, published by the National Automobile Dealers Association – current issues are at the Reference area
  • Seniors Blue Book – resource guide for Assisted Living, Home Health, Non-Medical, Hospice, Skilled Nursing, Alzheimer’s, Events, Activities

 

Additional Online Resources

  • Massachusetts Citizen Information Service – Citizen information service links from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • Consumer.gov – A government website that helps consumers learn to manage and use money wisely, use credit and loans carefully, and protect your identity and money
  • ConsumerFinance.gov – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a U.S. government agency that makes sure banks, lenders, and other financial companies treat you fairly
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission – Information on product recalls, safety hazards, statistics, regulations, and laws
  • Better Business Bureau – Nation-wide organization that voluntarily tracks in a fair way the conduct of businesses, service providers and charities, and provides an online search tool for looking up an organization’s record
  • Annual Credit Report (free) – Government-approved Web site where you can get a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once a year. It won’t give you your actual credit score, but most people don’t need it. (The exception: If you’re actively shopping for a loan right now, go to myFICO.com to get your current score — and a report from Equifax or TransUnion — for $16.)
  • ConsumerSearch.com – Reviews hundreds of product reviews, analyzes them, distills the information shoppers need and recommends which products are the best
  • NADAguides.com – Searchable price guide for used cars, published by the National Automobile Dealers Association
  • Kelley Blue Book – Searchable price guide for used cars
  • FuelEconomy.gov – The EPA and the DOE maintain this website for information about car fuel economy with up-to-date information for cars new and old.

Resources for Seniors:

  • Attorney General’s Elder Hotline (1-888-243-5337); TTY: (617)727-4765 – The Elder Hotline is available to callers Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The hotline, which is staffed by senior volunteers, provides dispute resolution services and is a comprehensive resource for information and referral on a full range of concerns. Common concerns include: Debt and debt collection practices, Health insurance, Home improvement, Landlord/tenant issues, Long-term care insurance, Scam awareness, and Telemarketing.
  • Homeowner Options for Massachusetts Elders (H.O.M.E.) – (phone: 1-800-583-5337) Provides comprehensive in-home counseling to low/moderate income elder homeowners on financial home ownership issues to enable successful aging-in-place. Services include: remainder of life planning, budgeting, income maximization, equity conservation, foreclosure prevention, consumer protection, and creative financial options crafted specially for seniors.