Consumerist
-
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 » -
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!) -
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 » -
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) -
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 »
-
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 » -
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)
-
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 » -
-
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 »
-
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) -
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 »
-
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 » -
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 »
-
Bond traders say stock traders are wrong, the Fed will not increase interest rates this year. [Bloomberg]
MORE »
-
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 » -
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 » -
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 » -
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 »
New York, 1:04 AM
Mon Jul 6
6 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip Your Editors:
tips@consumerist.com
Co-Executive Editor:
Ben Popken
Email | AIM | Twitter
Co-Executive Editor:
Meghann Marco
Email | Twitter
Senior Editor:
Chris Walters
Email | Twitter
Weekend Editor:
Carey Greenberg-Berger
Email | AIM
Associate Editor:
Alex Chasick | Email
Assistant Editor:
Laura Northrup
Email | AIM | Twitter
Comments Moderator:
Email | AIM
Contributing Editors:
Lucy Bayly | Email
Phil Villarreal | Email
