Web sites that work

At Consumers Union, we often turn to federal government Web sites in our research. Like you, we depend on the facts to be not just accurate but also easily accessible. All too often, though, government Web sites are difficult to penetrate. (Just try searching for all recalls of toys with lead at the Consumer Product Safety Commission site, at www.cpsc.gov. Aaargh.)

So I asked a few of our experts which government sites are the most reliable and easiest to navigate.

Health

On the National Library of Medicine's Web site (www.medlineplus.gov) you'll find information about diseases and a searchable registry of tens of thousands of clinical trials. Those of you facing an operation or just intrigued by the operating room can watch hundreds of videotaped surgeries as varied as deep brain stimulation and foot-tendon repair.

Money

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's site (www.fdic.gov) is one to tap now. Type "insured or not insured?" into the site's search box and you'll find which accounts are protected from bank failures (CDs, yes; mutual funds, no). The site has other useful information to help you work out how best to keep your money safe.

Autos

The site at www.epa.gov/greenvehicles offers an efficient way to compare models for emissions and more. For auto safety, go to www.safercar.gov, which lets you do things such as checking technical service bulletins for potential problems and registering your child's car seat so that you'll be notified if there's a recall.

And for all of you who have ever wondered whether anyone in government is paying attention, go to www.gao.gov. The Government Accountability Office is the investigative arm of Congress and pulls no punches in rating the feds. Search for "food safety," for example, and you'll find "Improvements needed in FDA oversight of fresh produce."

At this time of transition, we turn to the new corps of regulators filing into Washington to deliver on the promise of protection and transparency. That would help all consumers in these especially challenging times.