The Financial Planning Association (FPA) offers an online library of free public articles with financial planning tips and perspectives. FPA adds an article a month to its list.

Topics are comprehensive and practical. FPA addresses a variety of issues, including retirement, insurance, financial planning basics, household budgeting, college education tax deductions, cautions about home equity debt, finances for newlyweds and parents, teaching children about financial matters, emergency preparedness, financial planner compensation, and more.

For example:

• Do you know what financial documents to take with you if you had ten minutes to evacuate your home? (See: Preparing Financially for an Emergency Evacuation - May 2003.)
• Are you familiar with the tax advantages and consequences of saving for your child's college education? (See: Don't Overlook These College Education Tax Deductions - March 2004.)
• What are the best sources of borrowing to cope with an emergency? (See: Financial Considerations When Disaster Strikes - September 2005.)

You can even reprint FPA's articles if you get permission from the Association's public relations staff.

In addition to the free articles, FPA offers other resources at its Web site to help you raise your financial IQ, including:

• a bookstore
• brochures
• calculators
• checklists
• links
• and a newsletter.

The brochures look especially useful. Learn "20 Keys to Being a Smarter Investor," "How to Survive Financially After a Job Loss," or tips for managing your money on a military budget in "Covering Your Bases: Managing Your Finances in Times of War."

Getting informed is a smart first step in making financial decisions. And understanding what to expect from a certified financial planner helps us choose a professional who can appropriately meet our needs.

The FPA is poised to help people achieve both of those objectives. Learn more at www.fpanet.org/public.

Mark Wright is a freelance writer based in Rockville, Maryland. Find details about his services at www.markwright.com. Copyright © 2006 by Mark Wright Communications LLC. All rights reserved.

You are welcome to reprint this article, with proper attribution to Mark Wright. Simply e-mail Mark to let him know how and when you're using it. (Type this address directly into your e-mail message: .) Thank you!