Say Hello to HelloWallet

Aside from celluloid stars like Suze Orman and Jim Cramer, most of us don't have access to a financial planner, because we can't afford one -- but given the meltdown of the economy over the past year or so, most of us are sorely in need of some real advice. So how can we get it?

A story in BusinessWeek suggests that help could be on the way in the form of a new online service called HelloWallet to be offered by HR departments.

Unlike online services like Bankrate, Lending Tree, and Mint, which are affiliated with banks or lenders, HelloWallet has no affiliation with any financial institution. Yet it offers users the chance to compare all available financial services, such as checking, savings and loan products from 80,000 -- yes, that's 80,000 -- institutions.

The service was endorsed by President Bill Clinton during his annual Clinton Global Initiative Conference for what he called harnessing innovation for global development. Why? Because HelloWallet plans to donate one of every five subscriptions to the working poor.

The bad news is that HelloWallet won't be available until May and from the sounds of the BusinessWeek article, only those whose companies adopt the system will have access, leaving others, including freelancers out in the cold.