Get The Best Seat When Flying Coach
Seating

Get The Best Seat When Flying Coach

Everyone Knows How To Handle A Stolen Checkbook Except For Verizon
bureaucracy

Everyone Knows How To Handle A Stolen Checkbook Except For Verizon

Benefit Hopes You Buy More Of Their Defectively Packaged Product
Cosmetics

Benefit Hopes You Buy More Of Their Defectively Packaged Product

Top 10 Ironic Ads From History
Consumer Culture

Top 10 Ironic Ads From History

FDA May Take Vicodin And Percocet Off The Market
Fda

FDA May Take Vicodin And Percocet Off The Market

How, Exactly, Did E. coli Get In Nestle's Cookie Dough?
food poisoning

How, Exactly, Did E. coli Get In Nestle's Cookie Dough?

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    • Image of Ben Popken
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      Ben Popken

      http://twitter.com/bpopken
      Show: Comments | Posts | Favorites | Messages | Friends | Followers | All Activity

    • Economy

      Daddy, Is The Recession Over Yet? Handy Chart Holds The Answer

      When are we going to pull out of the recession? The Kiplinger Recovery Index thinks it can tell you, using a sophisticated system of red and green colored boxes and checkmarks and X's. More »

      1:45 PM on Fri Jun 26 2009
      By Ben Popken
      6,877 views, 13 comments

    • Rebates

      CRTV Seeks Rebate Haters And Masters

      Are you sick of playing rebate games OR are you a rebate master who has a great system for making sure you get your rebate? Consumer Reports TV is looking to talk to people in the NY, CT, PA area to interview on-camera for an upcoming segment. Interested? Email interview@consumerist.com with your name, general location, phone number, 2 sentences about your story, and a good time to be reached. (Photo: Brandie!)

      1:19 PM on Fri Jun 26 2009
      By Ben Popken
      1,325 views, 12 comments

      Most discussed yashichi8bit: A mail in rebate on Beer? I am appalled and disgusted...but mostly thirsty. more »

    • Stocks

      The Best Way to Maximize Your Investment Return

      There are three variables that impact the total return investors receive from an investment: the amount saved, the return rate, and the amount of time invested. Most investors spend a good amount of time and effort trying to increase all three. But what if we can't do all three, if we're inhibited by time, skill, knowledge, or ability (after all, many fund managers spend a lifetime trying to eek out an additional 1% return with limited success.) If we could only focus on one of the factors to impact, which is the best option? What is the best way to maximize investment returns? More »

      11:29 AM on Thu Jun 25 2009
      By freemoneyfinance
      3,171 views, 12 comments

      Most discussed HIV 2 Elway: I'm 27 and this will be the first year I contribute the max amount allowed ($16.5k) by the IRS into more »

    • Money

      Personal Finance Roundup

      6 money mistakes newlyweds make [MSN Money] "Remember the 'for richer' part of your wedding vows? These financial pitfalls can keep you from fulfilling that pledge."
      Want a vacation? Deals are everywhere [Bankrate] "Here are six steps you can take to make sure you reap the benefits."
      Moving on the Cheap: 6 Tips for Cutting Costs [Smart Money] "Here are six ways to cut moving costs and protect yourself and your belongings."
      107 Things That Make Good Financial Cents [Good Financial Cents] "Most everything here can be applied to anybody and at any point in their lives."
      Times Are Tough; Would You Consider A DIY Funeral [Wise Bread] "Even if you get the cheapest casket, forget the flowers and buy a fiberglass headstone, you're still looking at $5000. But there are alternatives."
      — FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: eleon)

      11:21 AM on Thu Jun 25 2009
      By freemoneyfinance
      692 views, Comment

    • twitter

      How To Use Twitter To Get A Company To Solve Your Problem

      Here's a new trick for getting satisfaction from a reluctant company, using Twitter. We can call this one "tweet to power." More »

      11:39 AM on Mon Jun 15 2009
      By Ben Popken
      10,825 views, 34 comments

      Most discussed Bearded Rapper: What if the company still ignores you? There's always that one company that doesn't give a shit about customers in more »

    • credit scores

      Take Your Score From 650 To 800 With The Credit Karma Report Card

      Credit Karma recently launched the free Credit Report Card service that assigns letter grades to each component of your credit score. If you want to improve your credit score, try to bring up your performance in areas where you have low or failing grades. Not every component has the same bearing on your score, so underneath each section Credit Karma tells you how much weight it has. For those who look at their reports and scratch their head, the Credit Karma report card, which is drawn from your TransUnion report, makes understanding why your credit score is the way it is a snap. Full screen shot inside. More »

      11:05 AM on Mon Jun 15 2009
      By Ben Popken
      12,819 views, 105 comments

      Most discussed MercuryPDX: I signed up and have fairly good grades with the exception of my utilization rate (C+ for having 0%). I more »

    • Recession

      How The Recession Destroys Friends

      Like a tornado, the recession hits unevenly. One house might get turned into splinters, while another is left untouched. Similarily, one friend can still be afford salads and Starbucks for lunch every day while the other has to brown-bag it. The Double-X blog asks its readers, "how do friends in newly different socioeconomic strata adjust?" Answer: most of the time, they don't.

      The Recession Wrecks Friendships [Double x] (Photo: jessicajbeck)

      11:07 AM on Fri Jun 12 2009
      By Ben Popken
      7,160 views, 121 comments

      Most discussed thesadtomato: Meh. People from different socio-economic strata don't typically become close friends anyway. Read Paul Fussell's book, "Class." He argues that more »

    • So now there's a "Compensation Czar" to oversee the executive pay packages at banks that took TARP money. Here's an interview with the man behind this thankless job. [Marketplace] MORE »

      39 comments

    • Saving Money

      How To Save At An Amusement Park

      For those of us thinking about hitting an amusement park this year, Smart Money has some suggestions for how to save some money including: More »

      5:39 AM on Fri Jun 12 2009
      By freemoneyfinance
      8,309 views, 94 comments

      Most discussed ageekymom: A Cedar Pointe employee once told me that the best days to visit the park were holidays (Memorial Day, July more »

    • Saving Money

      Personal Finance Roundup

      The Best Online Tools for Personal Finance [The Wall Street Journal] "Here's a look at some of the best sites we turned up, in a range of categories."
      13 Awesome Money Saving Sites We Love at Wise Bread [Wise Bread] "Here are 13 of the best of the best money saving sites on the web."
      Car Shoppers: Should You Buy or Lease? [Smart Money] "Here's our guide to help you determine which move is best for you."
      Work at Home and Make Big Money? Let the Wise Be Wary [New York Times] "The Federal Trade Commission, which gives tips to consumers about spotting and avoiding work-at-home schemes on its Web site, notes that such schemes generally fall into these three categories."
      55 Best Ways To Save Money: Frugal Ideas From Our Readers! [The Digerati Life] "What is your favorite money saving tip?"
      — FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: frankieleon)

      12:00 PM on Thu Jun 11 2009
      By freemoneyfinance
      1,477 views, 7 comments

    • insiders

      Dusty PS3 Inspector Threw Dirt On PS3 So He Wouldn't Have To Repair It

      Well well well. New information from an inside source says that the tech threw dirt on the infamous "dusty PS3" to deny the warranty claim because he didn't feel like repairing it. Shocking! His confession, inside. More »

      12:00 PM on Wed Jun 10 2009
      By Ben Popken
      36,279 views, 177 comments

      Most discussed gerrylum: Yeah, let's trust a completely anonymous source that claims to be an insider but has absolutely no proof to back more »

    • Quizes

      Is It Worth It?

      Kiplinger has a fun, albeit relatively easy, quiz that asks if various financial transactions are worth the cost — if you should you pay a little extra upfront in hopes of saving money — or hassle — in the future. In it they offer the following situations: More »

      8:49 AM on Wed Jun 10 2009
      By freemoneyfinance
      7,383 views, 87 comments

      Most discussed ColoradoShark: I got 9 out of 10. The one I got wrong was about the furnace check up. Kiplinger's says yes more »

    • Washington Mutual

      WaMu Saddles Credit Card Theft Victim With Thousands In Fraudulent Charges

      Someone stole reader A's WaMu credit card number and racked up thousands in fraudulent charges, and now WaMu wants A to pay for it. The fraudsters also made a PIN request for a cash advance over the phone, and WaMu said that phonecall orginated from A's parents house. Because of this, which A says is impossible, WaMu demands A be responsible for the charges. He's written letters and called executive customer service and it's gotten him nowhere. His crappy story, inside... More »

      8:19 AM on Wed Jun 10 2009
      By Ben Popken
      11,151 views, 91 comments

      Most discussed Cocoa Vanilla: Banks generally use 800 numbers which would allow them to see the ANI - the actual BILLED phone number. Caller more »

    • Bond traders say stock traders are wrong, the Fed will not increase interest rates this year. [Bloomberg] MORE »

      6 comments

    • Recession

      Dirty Credit Report Scuttles Job Prospects

      Dan Denton was about to get a much-needed job. Then the recruiters saw his blemished credit report and took away their offer. More »

      3:57 PM on Tue Jun 9 2009
      By Ben Popken
      18,444 views, 236 comments

    • Identity Theft

      The Maid Is Stealing Your Checkbook

      Identity theft is rising in the recession, according to a Brooklyn public defender I talked to at a party this weekend. Most often the crime starts with the perp stealing the victim's checkbook, he said. More »

      2:43 PM on Tue Jun 9 2009
      By Ben Popken
      8,121 views, 148 comments

    • Comparative effectiveness

      Older Drugs Can Be Just As Good And Cheaper

      Newfangled doesn't necessarily mean that much better, especially when it comes to taking medicine. Getting prescribed the latest and greatest pill could mean you're paying more when there's a perfectly good drug out there that can do the same job, minus the jacked-up new drug patent cost. Vanguard says: More »

      2:11 PM on Tue Jun 9 2009
      By Ben Popken
      4,421 views, 67 comments

      Most discussed edwardso-banned from...: The issue I have with statements like these is that people have different body chemisty and can react very differently more »

    • Gas

      BP Points Out Their Gas Same Price Whether Cash Or Credit

      Spotted this sign on a Brooklyn BP gas pump last night, taking pains to point out that they are charging customers the same price whether they use cash or credit. Interesting, because last year around this time we ran a few stories about gas stations who doing the opposite. The thing is, credit card companies charge merchants various transaction fees to process the cards. If retailers can't assess those fees to the customers who actually incur them, the business has to raise prices on everything for everyone. More »

      1:23 PM on Tue Jun 9 2009
      By Ben Popken
      4,401 views, 85 comments

      Most discussed KingPsyz here for...: I really want to know, what is the cost per transaction on average and then tell with all honesty you more »

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    Consumerist team

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