All How To

Help! My Employer Folded And Now I Can't Get A W-2
As you might have noticed, a number of companies have shut their doors over the last few years. Making matters worse for the former employees of some of those businesses is that they still have to file their tax returns — but no one wants to give them a W-2. More »

Why Does HSBC Need To Conduct A 15-Minute Interview To Add My Wife To My Savings Account?
Back in the wild and crazy mid-2000s, when we were all taking out adjustable-rate mortgages on vacation properties in Nunavut, Consumerist reader Matt decided to take advantage of the attractive interest rates on HSBC's high-yield online savings accounts. More »

3 Ways To Save Money On Your Car
It can be depressing to calculate the amount of time you spend working to pay for your car. Your ride siphons money from you in an overwhelming amount of ways, including your monthly payment, gas, insurance, registration fees, maintenance and repair. If you want to start living more frugally, you can cast a stink eye at your car to look for ways to start cutting back. More »

Don't Mistake Credit For An Emergency Fund
If you're struggling to make ends meet, it's understandable to half-joke that your credit cards act as your emergency fund. But if you can save and choose not to, content that credit will rescue you from any trouble that arises, you're only tempting fate. More »

Not-So-Fun Facts About Home Equity Lines Of Credit
Homeowners whose property is worth more than what they owe have the option of using their equity to get a hold of more money. Home equity lines of credit can fund education expenses, home improvements or help you pay off debt with higher interest. The credit can be a lifesaver, but can also get users in trouble. More »

Before You Get A Pet, Determine How Much Money It Will Steal From You
When you're looking for a pet, you're probably thinking with your heart rather than running a cost-benefit analysis. But animal sidekicks come with a plethora of hidden challenges, including financial demands that you'll need to make sure you can handle. More »

EECB To Amazon's Jeff Bezos Results In A Very Happy Ending
The first step in resolving a customer service issue isn't to email the CEO of a company, but if nothing else works, why not? Lia used Consumerist's Executive Email Carpet Bomb listings to get in touch with Jeff Bezos of Amazon and lo and behold, success! More »

Hurray! Consumerist Helps Reader Find Laptop Left On American Airlines Flight
While running the gauntlet of the daily grind, one can get caught up in everything that can go wrong for a consumer, which is why we downright love it when something goes right. And if we can help a tiny bit, that's nice, too. Rachael writes that her friend lost his laptop on a recent flight, and she immediately thought of Consumerist. More »

How To Make A Lowball Offer With A Straight Face
In a tortured housing market filled with sellers desperate to unload their homes, today's lowball offers are next month's listing prices. If you're in the market for a house, you have nothing to lose by disregarding the sticker price and putting in a comically low bid for the property. Doing so as a way to start negotiations is probably the best way to see just how low the owner is willing to go. More »

Keep Calling T-Mobile's Executive Office, Get Charged With Harassment
Gary's mom uses a prepaid T-Mobile phone, but doesn't use it a whole lot. She missed the deadline to re-up her account by three days, and is now stuck with a useless $50 refill card and a shut-off cell phone. After four fruitless attempts at calling regular customer service, Gary tracked down the executive customer service number, hoping to reach someone in the United States with some power. Instead, the person he reached was hostile and unhelpful. When Gary eventually reached that person's boss to complain, the boss said that if he kept contacting the executive offices, they'd have him charged with harassment. All of this seems like a lot more trouble than turning some old lady's phone back on. More »

3 Ways To Save Money On Your Car
It can be depressing to calculate the amount of time you spend working to pay for your car. Your ride siphons money from you in an overwhelming amount of ways, including your monthly payment, gas, insurance, registration fees, maintenance and repair. If you want to start living more frugally, you can cast a stink eye at your car to look for ways to start cutting back. More »

Make Your Old Clothes Feel New
If you've got a closet full of clothes yet still plan to buy a bunch of new stuff, you could stand to use your wardrobe more efficiently. A few adjustments can inject new life into clothing you already own and stifle your urge to make another shopping trip. More »

Hollywood Video Continues To Try Collecting Debts From Beyond The Grave
It's been almost two years since Hollywood Video rented its last DVD and 364 days since we reported on former Hollywood customers receiving debt collection notices for debts they didn't actually owe. And yet collectors for the dead-and-gone chain continues to haunt customers with wildly incorrect notices. More »

Consumer Reports Money Adviser: Don't Buy Into Expensive ID Theft Protection Services
Identity theft can scare the bejeezus out of anyone — drained bank accounts, credit cards set up in your name, purloined Social Security numbers, oh my — but that doesn't necessarily means you should buy into an expensive credit protection service. Our wise older siblings at Consumer Reports break it down in a new installment of Money Adviser. More »