Be an informed voter! When you get down to it, there are few decisions that are more important to your wallet and your financial future than selecting the president of the United States.

After all, that individual will have a whole lot to say about the taxes you pay, the education your children receive, the lifestyle you enjoy in retirement and the economic health of the country you live in.

That's why Bankrate decided to give you a hand by seeing where the candidates stand on various pocketbook issues of importance to our readers. Using candidate Web sites and public records, we've taken a look at where leading candidates from both major parties stand on issues that are important to you and how they've voted on those issues in the past.

The presidential candidates, the pocketbook issues:

Candidates' views on money issues   Bankrate selected money issues that we felt would be important to our readers. Find out which topics we selected and the candidates' views on each subject. Candidates bios and plans   Before you vote, make sure you know how the candidates stand on the issues that are important to you. Here's your chance to learn about each major candidate and his or her positions in areas that affect your bank account. Compare candidates' views   Compare candidates from the same party and across party lines to see how they agree, or disagee, on money issues.