The following web sites offer money management lenssons for consumers teachers, and parents:
...LendingTree: The Smart Borrower Center teaches visitors about buying and selling real estate, such as the risks and benefits of taking out a home equity loan.

Whenever the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates, the phone calls start pouring in for Sam Barnett, a Realtor in Charlotte.

And Barnett, 29, explains again and again: Despite what ads on the Internet or fliers in your mailbox might imply, the Federal Reserve's actions don't determine the interest rates on mortgages....Maybe you know people who rushed to refinance after the first cuts of January: Charlotte-based LendingTree says it fielded more refinancing inquiries on Jan. 23 than on any other day in the company's 12-year history. But don't assume that you should try to do the same this week, especially if you have a fixed-rate mortgage.

To twentysomethings in need of a loan, the Bank of Mom and Dad can look pretty enticing these days....But before you ask family members for money, make sure you can both afford the loan. Also, plan your approach carefully to avoid emotional pitfalls that could arise along the way. First, consider the emotional implications of asking for the cash. Will it put a strain on your relationship? "Banks don't have emotions. Parents and family members do," notes Nicole Hall, editor in chief of Smart Borrower Center at Lendingtree.com.

Dear Alpha Consumer,

I would like to use money in my IRA retirement account as a loan to buy a house. It would be a way to pay the interest to myself (to my IRA), rather than to a mortgage company. Is this possible? Could it be a rental property, or does it need to be my own residence?

...As for housing, certainly some skepticism is in order. Formerly sizzling markets in Florida, Nevada, Arizona and California probably haven't seen the worst headlines just yet, though they may well be close. And "jumbo" mortgages, those more than $417,000, are likely to remain artificially high for a few more months while banks work through their credit issues. But let's say you are emotionally ready to be a homeowner. You have good credit, plan to stay put for five years and have been waiting for the perfect entry point. It's time to get serious--before an inevitable rise in interest rates wipes out your advantage. "The thing that will make home prices stop falling is the very same thing that will push mortgage rates higher," says Jim Svinth, chief economist at mortgage firm Lending Tree. So anything you gain by a further drop in prices might be offset by rising financing costs.