Bankruptcy & Foreclosures

I think its safe to say I’ve gone overboard on planning for holiday shopping this year as indicated by the fact that it continues to be the subject of my blog posts. However, keep in mind that experts estimate some 60% of our collective credit card debt stems from holiday shopping sprees each year.

That said, I came upon a wonderful little resource from Mary Dalrymple in which she compiles some of the web’s best sites to conduct your pre-purchase research. Here are some of her recommendations:

Consumer Reports. This oldie-but-goodie consumer testing outfit makes a lot of its content available free online. In that category, you’ll find everything from the best hot cocoa to a truly comprehensive review of Apple’s iPhone. Other ratings are only available to subscribers.

PC Magazine. If your friends and family can expect to get new electronic gadgets this year, take a look at PC Mag’s product reviews. For everyone in a hurry, they’ve laid out the pros, cons, and bottom line for each reviewed product. When you’ve narrowed down your choices, delve into the more thorough editors’ reviews.

CNET. Another site for electronic reviews, CNET Networks’ (Nasdaq: CNET) site also creates handy editors lists of their top five picks in each category. They pick AT&T’s Tilt as the top cell phone, and the Canon XH A1 as the top camcorder, among many other examples.

Consumer World. Looking for a grab-bag of handy consumer information? This site collects a vast array of consumer tidbits, from the bargain of the week to a list of the government agencies that address consumer complaints. You’ll also find a link to a comparison-shopping engine that will dig up the lowest online price for Dora and Diego toys, or anything else on your shopping list.

Epinions. Want an idea of both the price and reliability of a potential gift? An arm of the eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) online empire, this website will give you an idea about how other purchasers feel about a product via consumer reviews. Keep in mind that reviewers often love it or hate it, so read consumer opinions broadly to get an idea about common faults and favorite features.

Amazon.com. Even if you don’t plan to buy your gifts through Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), you can delve into a wealth of consumer feedback about the vast range of products the site sells. Seeing other purchases from consumers shopping for a certain item may help you dig out gifts for some of the hard-to-please people on your list.

Consumer Search. Can’t get enough consumer reviews? This site, which is part of The New York Times’ (NYSE: NYT) About.com services, surveys a broad array of consumer reviews, boiling them down to find a consensus for the top picks. They even pick the best-of-the-best reviews to help you read further. That lets you take the experts’ word for it, or do the research yourself.

PriceGrabber. Here’s another site, by Experian Interactive, offering comparison-shopping, links to expert reviews, and collections of consumer reviews. You’ll also find a collection of merchant coupons and rebates if you’re looking for a bargain.

The Consumerist. Want to get the dirt on a product or company? Take a look at the humorous and often horrifying stories sent to The Consumerist. Find your way to their shopping section, and you’ll also find lists of deals posted every weekday.

The entire article can be read by clicking here.