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stimulus payments
"Where's my freakin' money?!" is what some people are wondering about their stimulus payment. Here's some bad news, you're getting your money later than you thought if you
Used a tax prep service, like TurboTax, to file your taxes
AND had filing fees deducted from the refund, took out a Refund Anticipation Loan, or entered into any other loans
AND had refund direct-deposited
When will you get your money?
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this american life
Thanks to everyone who reported that Consumerist RSS feeds and 2nd page of comments are not working. Tech is on the case and we hope to have everything fixed soon.
Debt
Maybe there are no more debtors' prisons, but that doesn't mean your life can't be screwed up by unscrupulous collection agencies.
More »Sonya Capri Ramos says her Salt Lake City home was sold out from under her in 1996 to pay a collections agency seeking payment for dental work performed on one of Ramos's daughters. And despite the fact that she had made three years of payments on a $51,000 mortgage, the title changed hands for just $1,550 at a sheriff's auction.
Travel
Money
Plant a garden, harvest savings [Bankrate] "A productive patch can really cut food costs, even after you account for the investment in gardening tools, seeds, water and time."
Reasons for delayed and no-show tax rebates pile up [USA Today] "Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers who had their e-filing or tax-preparation fees deducted from their refunds are belatedly discovering that they'll receive their checks by mail - even if they received direct deposit of their refunds."
Three Home Value Drains to Avoid [Wall Street Journal] "Nearby foreclosures, crime and environmental threats can end up costing a lot more than mold in the basement."
4 Reasons to Buy a High-Def TV Now [Smart Money] "For bargain hunters, now's the best time to join the craze."
(Photo: jgodsey)
This is Round 44 in our Worst Company in America contest, US Air vs Microsoft!Here's what readers said in previous rounds about why they hate these two companies...
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Airlines
The Secretary of Transportation announced earlier this month that airlines shouldn't surprise consumers with extra baggage fees after they've already purchased a ticket:
More »Passengers should know what to expect, and what to pay, before they buy a ticket or pack their bags, which is why we are calling for carriers and travel agents to disclose baggage fees in their internet and print ads before anyone purchases a ticket. We also are making it clear that airlines may not impose increased fees or new restrictions for baggage after a passenger has bought a ticket.
Someone think of the children
Fuel
Banned
Above and Beyond
Fancy booze
Odd
Cellphones
In exchange for amnesty from a series of potentially billions of dollars in class action lawsuits over early termination fees (ETFs), the cellphone companies have proposed some namby-pamby ETF reforms to the FCC. Their ideas:
Cellphone companies main justification for early termination fees is that they have to recover the costs of selling cellphones at a discounted rate. True, but why then do I get charged an ETF if even if my cellphone was bought off eBay?
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