Save money by lowering your long distance bill. Sounds simple, right? Simple, that is, until you realize how much advertising, telemarketing and mail there is out there that all promises to save you the most money on your phone bill. How do you choose the right plan for your needs? Furthermore, how do you ensure that what you choose continues to be your best bet?

Collecting information
First, learn what all the jargon means so that you’re not confused or, worse, comparing apples and oranges. Vendors try to differentiate themselves by using different words to mean the same things. Next, shop around. The Internet can be a great source for comparison-shopping. Finally, if you’re unhappy with what you chose and are having trouble getting an issue resolved, know where to go and how to get help.

Did you know that the federal government published a lot of useful information on phone service? A lot of this is available on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) web site, which links to a consumer protection page that itself links to reliable information on consumer topics, including phone services. In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) web site carries information on its Consumer Information Directory on phone bills and charges.

Once you’ve collected some info and are ready to decide, do a simple search on the web and you’ll find loads of sites that give comparative breakdowns of long-distance service, such as GTC Telecom.