Every day companies and government agencies gather lots of data on U.S. consumers -- and in aggregate, that data can help consumers in your community make better decisions. Several mobile and web apps from Data.gov (as well as other organizations and developers) leverages "smart disclosure" to put data about and concerning consumers to good use. Sharing these apps with your community could spur constructive exploration and examination of important local issues.

Writing for O'Reilly Radar last year, Alex Howard explained: "Smart disclosure is when a private company or government agency provides a person with periodic access to his or her own data in open formats that enable them to easily put the data to use. Specifically, smart disclosure refers to the timely release of data in standardized, machine readable formats in ways that enable consumers to make better decisions about finance, healthcare, energy or other contexts."

Data.gov has published a gallery of free smart disclosure apps. Examples include:

• College affordability and transparency center: Information for students, parents, and policymakers about college costs at America's colleges and universities.
• Credit card agreement database. Credit card agreements from more than 300 card issuers.
• Social Security benefits planner. Gain a better understanding of your Social Security protection as you plan for your financial future. Choose a benefit calculator to determine your monthly benefit amounts.
• Food environment atlas. Spatial overview of a community's ability to access healthy food and its success in doing so.
• Health insurance plan finder. Find the health insurance best suited to your needs, whether it's private insurance for individuals, families, and small businesses, or public programs.

Data.gov notes: "This gallery highlights only a fraction of the kinds of applications that Smart Disclosure can make possible." Other Smart Disclosure apps are mentioned in Data.gov's consumer forum.