on the bright side?
According to
SpendMatters, one big reason the government burned through $2.3 billion in TARP funds for CIT even though it was buckling under debt was to try to avoid ruining everybody's Christmas this year.
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customer service hell
Kristin and her husband say they've made all the payments on their
Nissan Altima on time, but Nissan has nevertheless denied their payments and reported them delinquent to credit bureaus.
Customer service won't help, and they don't know what to do. Their story:
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utilities
Cool Tools has an interesting suggestion for home owners who want to incorporate solar technology, but can't afford the steep investment costs:
let the solar panel company finance it for you. The trade-off is you won't save as much money as you would if you paid for them outright, but you will save
some money, and the company that's paying for the panels has a financial incentive to keep them working properly over the course of the agreement.
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auto bailout
With a week to go before the deadline runs out on
Chrysler's bailout — it's looking less and less likely that the automaker will be saved from liquidation.
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auto bailout
BusinessWeek did a little math and discovered that if you lined up all the new financing deals, tax incentives and discounts — a new car might actually be cheaper than a late model used one. But do you care?
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toyota
You, dear consumer, have abruptly stopped purchasing
automobiles. GM's sales are down 45%. Ford has sunk by 30% and Toyota, yes,
that Toyota is down 23%.
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car shopping
Consumer Reports has compiled a list of common car shopping
mistakes from their
Smart Buyer's Guide to Buying or Leasing a Car, which, of course, you can find in bookstores.
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Mothers Cookies
If you're a fan of those pink and white frosted Circus Animal cookies from Mother's, either stock up or start priming your nostalgia, because this week the company
closed its doors abruptly. They've cited the expected reasons—the rising cost of raw materials, and an inability to borrow in the frozen credit market.
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toyota
Toyota, long resistant to the sort of interest-free
financing deals that their domestic counterparts survive on, is offering 0% interest financing on 11 of their vehicles, including Corolla and Camry, the Tundra full-size pickup truck, Matrix; RAV4, Highlander, FJ Cruiser, 4Runner and Sequoia SUVs; Sienna minivan; and Tacoma pickup truck.
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cars
Having trouble getting a car loan? You're not alone. "Gas at $4 a gallon changed the type of vehicles people buy. The credit crunch, however, has changed their ability to buy," says a car dealer. Higher interest rates, higher down payments, fewer
loans, and high aversion to dings on your credit report,
this Kicking Tires post has more from the front lines about banks' new level of pickiness when it comes to putting you in your next jalopy.
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home depot
Reader Dan thought we'd be interested in this sign he spotted in his local Home Depot. It reads: "Why pay cash even if you could?"
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fannie mae
Fannie Mae is the nation's largest mortgage finance company and it's just not doing too well, says the
AP. Increasing losses from foreclosures are wiping out Fannie's revenue.
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prius
23 months after we first posted her story, Angela Weigold writes in with the
latest update about a Prius salesmen who left multiple harassing phone messages daily, calling Anela a "whore" and put her phone number on online escort websites.
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hospitals
A
Consumer Reports study finds that
medical professionals are pushing high-interest lines of credit and financing options on patients. Credit agencies are even partnering with hospitals to offer branded credit cards so patients can finance elective cosmetic surgeries like liposuction and hair removal.
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credit cards
Why should dealers tell you what you can and can't charge to your credit card?
Cars represent a jackpot of credit rewards that every consumer is entitled to collect. There's nothing stopping from charging your new car straight to your credit card, if you storm the dealership armed with the right tools...
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