Resources • Link library
Authoritative link library
Official and educational sources, organized by category. Every link below was checked before publishing.
Links open external sites that GRIP does not control. Pages can move or change; if one is broken, please let us know. Last checked: October 16, 2026.
Government and regulators: education and tools
Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration home page: benefits, news and how to apply.
my Social Security account
Create or sign in to your own account to see your earnings record and benefit estimates.
SSA: Plan for retirement benefits and Retirement Estimator
SSA retirement benefit planning pages, including the Retirement Estimator.
SSA: Full retirement age by birth year
Find your full retirement age by birth year.
Investor.gov (SEC)
The SEC’s investor education site, with guides, tools and alerts.
Investor.gov Glossary
Plain-language definitions of investing terms.
IRS: Retirement plans
IRS hub for retirement plans: 401(k), IRAs and more.
IRS: Roth IRAs
IRS rules and basics for Roth IRAs.
IRS Publication 969: Health savings accounts
IRS Publication 969 on health savings accounts and other tax-favored health plans.
IRS: 529 plans, questions and answers
IRS questions and answers on 529 plans.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The federal consumer finance regulator’s site: complaints, guides and tools.
CFPB: Consumer tools
Consumer tools on credit, retirement, loans and more.
MyMoney.gov
The federal government’s financial education site.
Medicare.gov
Official Medicare site: coverage, costs and enrollment.
Medicare: Get started with Medicare
Medicare basics and how to get started.
Checking professionals and protection
FINRA BrokerCheck
Look up the background and registration of brokers and brokerage firms.
Investor.gov: Working with an investment professional
Investor.gov guidance on checking out and working with investment professionals.
SIPC: What SIPC protects
What the Securities Investor Protection Corporation does and does not cover.
FDIC: Deposit insurance
How FDIC deposit insurance works for bank accounts.
FDIC EDIE: Electronic Deposit Insurance Estimator
FDIC tool to estimate deposit insurance coverage.
Calculators and analysis tools
Investor.gov Compound Interest Calculator
Government compound interest calculator.
FINRA Fund Analyzer
FINRA tool to compare fund and ETF costs.
FINRA: Investing basics
FINRA investor education on investing basics.
Saving for and paying for education
SEC Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to 529 Plans
SEC introduction to 529 plans.
SEC Investor Bulletin: 10 Questions Before Opening a 529 Account
Questions to consider before opening a 529 account.
The 529 Network (College Savings Plans Network)
Links to state 529 plan websites.
Federal Student Aid (studentaid.gov)
Federal student aid information and tools.
Apply for aid: FAFSA
Information on completing the FAFSA.
Retirement planning: official figures and rules
SSA: Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) information
SSA’s cost-of-living adjustment page: this year’s COLA, earnings limits and history.
SSA: Receiving benefits while working (earnings limit)
How working before full retirement age can affect benefits, with this year’s earnings limit.
SSA: Starting your retirement benefits early
How claiming before full retirement age reduces benefits.
SSA: Delayed retirement credits
How delayed retirement credits increase benefits up to age 70.
SSA: What you could get from survivor benefits
Survivor benefits for a widow, widower or other family members.
SSA: Actuarial life table (2023 period table, 2026 Trustees Report)
SSA actuarial life table: average remaining life expectancy by age.
IRS: COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions
IRS table of current and past retirement plan and IRA dollar limits.
IRS: Required minimum distributions FAQs
IRS answers on required minimum distributions.
IRS Publication 915: Social Security and equivalent railroad retirement benefits
IRS Publication 915: when Social Security benefits are taxable.
Medicare: Costs
Medicare.gov: this year’s premiums, deductibles and income-related amounts (IRMAA).
Medicare.gov: Long-term care coverage
Medicare.gov on what Medicare does and does not cover for long-term care.
LongTermCare.gov (ACL): How much care will you need?
LongTermCare.gov: how much care people may need and how it is paid for.
Investor Bulletin: When interest rates go up, prices of fixed-rate bonds fall
Investor.gov bulletin on interest-rate risk and bond prices.
Investor.gov: Annuities
Investor.gov introduction to annuities: types, costs and risks.
IRS: IRC 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity plans
IRS overview of 403(b) plans: who can offer them, who can join, and annuity vs. custodial accounts.
IRS: Retirement topics, 403(b) contribution limits
IRS 403(b) contribution limits, including the 15-year-of-service catch-up.
IRS: IRC 457(b) deferred compensation plans
IRS overview of 457(b) plans, with current limits and catch-up rules.
IRS: Non-governmental 457(b) deferred compensation plans
How non-governmental 457(b) plans differ from governmental ones.
IRS: How much salary can you defer if you’re eligible for more than one retirement plan?
IRS: how limits work when someone is in more than one plan, such as a 403(b) and a 457(b).
IRS: Retirement topics, exceptions to tax on early distributions
IRS table of exceptions to the 10% early-withdrawal tax, including governmental 457(b) and public safety rules.
TSP: Contribution types (agency automatic 1% and matching contributions)
TSP contribution types, including the agency automatic 1% and matching contributions.
SSA: Social Security Fairness Act, WEP and GPO update
SSA on the Social Security Fairness Act, which ended WEP and GPO.
Insurance
NAIC: Life insurance consumer guide
National Association of Insurance Commissioners guide to life insurance and annuities.
Options education and required disclosure
OCC: Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (Options Disclosure Document)
The OCC’s Options Disclosure Document, which investors must receive and read before buying or selling options. The landing page always points to the current version.
SEC Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to Options
SEC investor bulletin explaining calls, puts, key terms and risks.
SEC Investor Bulletin: Opening an Options Account
SEC investor bulletin on what a broker asks before approving an options account.
Brokerage firms (listed alphabetically, for reference)
Charles Schwab
Large online brokerage offering taxable and retirement accounts, plus banking.
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley
Online brokerage and retirement accounts; part of Morgan Stanley.
Fidelity Investments
Large brokerage and fund company offering taxable, retirement and education accounts.
Interactive Brokers
Brokerage with access to many markets and products; platform geared toward active traders.
Merrill Edge
Online investing platform of Merrill, part of Bank of America.
Robinhood
Mobile-first app brokerage for investing.
SoFi Invest
Investing product from SoFi, a financial technology company.
Vanguard
Brokerage and fund company known for index mutual funds and ETFs.