Visit Investor.gov for trustworthy information about saving and investing. Created by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Investor.gov is a free, easy-to-use website with objective information on investing wisely and avoiding fraud.

Here are just a few of the helpful resources you’ll find:

• 12 Saving and Investing Tips for 2012
• Roadmap to Saving and Investing
• 5 Questions to Ask Before You Invest

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently charged a man with trying to sell $500 billion worth of fake securities on the online social network LinkedIn. It’s a reminder that crime goes where the people go, and the people are on social media websites like LinkedIn and Facebook.

The SEC has advice to help you stay safe from online investment fraudsters.

• On the Internet, it’s easy for criminals to make scams that look real. Always use caution when considering an investment you found online.
• Be suspicious of unsolicited offers. If you didn’t ask for it, and you don’t know the source, there’s a good chance of bad intentions.
• The old rule about too good to be true still stands, even in new media. Compare the promised returns with the returns on well-known stock indexes. More signs of foul play include guaranteed returns and pressure to buy right now.
• Tighten your privacy settings. Fraudsters can use your private information to steal from you or scam you. “Don’t you remember me from college?”
• Is a financial service provider trying to Friend you? Feel free to say no. Friending someone can mean you let them see everything about you.
• When you’re on social media, never communicate your bank account and social security numbers. Always use firm-sponsored communication for brokers and advisers, like the telephone, letters, firm email, and the firm website.
• Affinity fraud is what the SEC calls it when the fraudster prays on what you have in common, like ethnicity or religion. Even if you know the person, check out everything first. They might have been fooled first.
• Another trick is manipulating the market with “Pump and Dump.” They’ll talk up a stock that doesn’t deserve it, then sell after everyone buys and the price is high.

If you’re a personal investor who spends time on the Internet, you may want to read these PDFs from the SEC on avoiding fraud and understanding your accounts.

Asked by Anonymous

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This is a special post written in collaboration with David Bakke, a long-time contributor for Money Crashers, one of the leading personal finance blogs online.

With the holiday season behind us, the new year is at the forefront of most people’s minds. Now is a good time to put together a financial plan for the coming year.

There are a number of financial tips and strategies that will help you have a financially successful year:

1. Review Your Finances

Review the financial aspects of your life to see where you can trim and save.

Monthly Bills: Take a look at your monthly bills to see if there are services you don’t want or need. In particular, consider a cheaper cable TV package or a cheaper cell phone plan. If you are currently paying for home telephone service, consider eliminating your landline altogether. Reducing these bills by just a few dollars per month will really add up over the course of a year.

Insurance: Contact your auto insurance provider to see if you qualify for a cheaper auto insurance premium, and review the policy deductibles to see if you are eligible for any savings. If you are currently paying for private mortgage insurance and the balance on your loan is around 80% of your home’s value, contact your lender to see if you can avoid paying private mortgage insurance altogether. In general, look for ways to save on all insurance policies without sacrificing coverage.

Credit Reports: You can request credit reports up to three times per year for free—once from each of the three consumer credit reporting companies. It is very important to review your credit report on a timely basis to make sure it’s accurate and up to date. Check for old credit cards that you have closed that may still be on your report. And of course, check for any negative reports. If they don’t belong there, file a dispute and get them removed. AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized site to check your credit report for free.

2. Find One New Way to Save

There are endless ways to save in your everyday life. However, if you try to implement many of these all at once, you may be setting yourself up for failure. Rather, focus on one new way to save before moving on to the next strategy.

You can plan to focus on saving home energy costs. Set up a home energy audit through your power company, which is free, and follow their recommendations to reduce energy expenses. Other ways to consider saving money include eating out less, reducing clothing purchases, or saving money on groceries by learning how to extreme coupon.

3. Commit to Paying Down Your Credit Card Debt

If you are currently carrying credit card debt, now is a great time to commit to paying it down. The best way to start is to follow one simple rule: if you can’t afford to pay for something by the time the bill comes in, don’t buy it. After that, calculate how much money you can save in other aspects of your finances (after reviewing your finances and finding one new way to save) and earmark this money for your credit card bills.

If you carry debt on a high-interest credit card that you can’t immediately afford to pay down, see if you qualify to transfer that debt to a card with a lower interest rate. Even if you do qualify for a new low- interest credit card you will have to pay a balance transfer fee. Make sure the amount you’ll save in interest payments will make up for this fee.

Know your rights with credit card companies and don’t be afraid to shop around for the best options.

4. Review Your Retirement Portfolio

If you haven’t started saving for retirement, now is the perfect time to start. If you have already started saving, review your portfolio. Analyze where your money is invested and re-balance it between stocks and bonds, if necessary. Or if a particular security or mutual fund you own has consistently underperformed its benchmark, get rid of it and purchase a more solid investment in the same category.

You may want to consider committing a larger portion of your income to retirement. Additionally, consider opening a Roth IRA to complement your employer’s 401k.

5. Set Financial Goals

Decide for yourself what you want to accomplish financially next year, write it down, and decide how you are going to reach your goals.

The Consumer Action Handbook can help you find more ways to save with tips about understanding credit, preventing identity theft, filing a consumer complaint, and many other financial and consumer protection topics to help you plan for a successful 2012.

Final Thoughts

If you have had a stellar financial year, congratulations! If you made some mistakes, simply set yourself up for success next year by following these tips. With a little planning and forethought, you can positively impact your finances in the coming year.

What suggestions do you have for improving your finances in the new year?

The rising value of gold has been advertised as a lucrative way to make money in a lean economy, either by investing in it or selling your gold jewelry as a way to get quick cash.

While investing in gold (and other precious metals) can be beneficial, there are risks. The value of gold can fluctuate dramatically and may not yield long-term returns you expected. However, if you research your options, it could be smart addition to your investment portfolio.

Buying Gold

You can invest in gold by purchasing gold coins, shares in a mutual fund that contains gold, or shares of a gold mining company. However, most people normally think of buying gold bars or bullion coins. The U.S. Mint produces the American Eagle gold bullion coin, the only coins guaranteed by the United States government. Coins can be purchased from coin dealers, banks and private brokers. Before you buy, do your homework:

• Research and understand the vocabulary associated with investing in gold, such as purity, grading and melt value.
• Investigate the seller with your local consumer protection office or attorney general.
• Avoid high pressure, “buy now” sales tactics.
• Be cautious of endorsements claims that are too good to be true; remember that the U.S. Mint does not endorse any precious metal brokers.

Selling your gold

If you have jewelry you haven’t worn in a long time, you may be interested in selling it to put some extra money in your wallet. While it may seem easy to sell your jewelry, you should still do some research to make sure you don’t get cheated.

Before you approach any buyers, make sure that you know the purity (ex. 10K or 24K) of all your jewelry and keep different values separate to avoid confusion. You should weigh your jewelry yourself or have it evaluated by an independent appraiser so that you have a general idea of the value.

Get estimates from 3 different buyers. When researching potential buyers, ask them if their scales have been tested by your state’s department of weights and measures; there should be a seal to verify.

Don’t let the jewelry out of your sight, or let the buyer take it to another location to weigh; the buyer could switch out your jewelry with lower quality gold. You may also have heard offers to buy your jewelry if you mail it in. Beware of these offers; you have even less control over these types of transactions and run the risk of your jewelry being lost in transit.

Learn more about buying and selling gold from the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Mint and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.