RSS
Consumerist
overdraft fees
Posts Tagged “
personal finance 101
”
overdraft fees
personal finance
6 Unpleasant Truths About Personal Finance
Ready for some tough love about how to improve your financial situation? Jeffrey Strain, the man behind SavingAdvice.com, has put together a list of six "awful truths" about personal finance for TheStreet.com. The reason they're "awful," he writes, is that "these truths mean that the each person must take more responsibility and make hard decisions that they would rather leave to others." More »
mental health
Sadness Makes You Spend More
As the American Psychiatric Association prepares the fifth edition of the DSM—their official guide to what's making you insane in the membrane—there's some debate on whether to include compulsive shopping as a disorder, writes Melissa Healy in the Los Angeles Times:
Is [it] a biologically driven disease of the brain, a learned habit run amok, an addiction in its own right or a symptom of the other dysfunctions—most notably depression—that so often accompany it?
While the professionals discuss the matter, Healy points out something that may have more practical benefit to you: a recent study showed sad test subjects were willing to spend four times as much on a nonessential item (a water bottle) than non-sad subjects.
More »
money
Personal Finance Roundup
Using Your Health Savings Account as a "Super Roth" Investment
Vehicle [Free Money Finance] "If you can afford to delay using your HSA funds and instead leave them invested, your payoff in retirement will be substantial."
Winning the Battle Against Low Quality Generics While Still Saving Money [The Simple Dollar] "The next time you go to the grocery store, actively replace all of your regular purchases with the low-end generics."
7 Nasty Airline Fees and How to Avoid Them [Smart Money] "Here are seven instances when fees are assessed and how to avoid them."
10 ways to spot 401(k) abuse [Bankrate] "Warning signs to help employees discover if their 401(k) contributions are being misused."
9 Things You Should Not Buy New [Crosswalk] "Here are the top 9 things you
will be better off buying used."
— free/ MONEY FINANCE
(Photo: Kevin Dean )
This week, personal finance website The Simple Dollar ran a series of "Big Debates" that discussed some common either/or finance choices, including the merits of using or eschewing credit cards, whether to pay off debt or save for retirement, and the advantages of 401(k)s versus Roth IRAs.
citibank
What To Do When Citibank Charges You Interest On A Zero Balance
A Consumerist reader was surprised to find that Citibank had applied a finance charge on a zero balance account. She did what every good Consumerist should do: prepared her evidence, jumped quickly ahead to a live person on the Customer Service side, and resolved the issue. Here's what happened: More »
money
Personal Finance Roundup
When should you spend to save? [MSN Money] "Are warehouse store memberships a good deal? How about extended warranties? It all depends on the products — and on you, the shopper."
7 reasons to review term life coverage [Bankrate] "There are several life events that may modify your need for term life insurance coverage."
Seven Tips for the Newly Unemployed [Wise Bread] "Here are some tips that could be helpful for those [facing unemployment]."
Four Habits of Financially Peaceful People [Yahoo Finance] "Some people who have found financial peace — and the habits they share."
4 Ways to Save on College Textbooks [Smart Money] "Here are some other ways students can save [on textbooks]."
— FREE MONEY FINANCE
(Photo: balotto)
health
Your Best Investment: Your Health
It's been suggested that your career is your biggest financial asset because it fuels all of your financial progress — it grows your net worth, pays for your living expenses, sends your kids to college,funds your retirement, and the like. That's why we protect our careers with products like disability, medical, and life insurance, because without the ability to work — even for a limited amount of time — most of us would experience severe financial hardship. More »
Good Housekeeping has an extensive article detailing the 5 most common money mistakes that people make, from spending too much on "bargains" to letting their children blow their budget by not standing up to whining and teaching their children the value of things. [Good Housekeeping via Digg]
sub-prime meltdown
The Only Thing Worse Than '06 Mortgages: '07 Ones
Man, remember those mortgages made in 2006? That was some bad juju. Whooee. But if you thought those were bad, wait till you get a load of the mortgages made in 2007. As the graph shows, people are defaulting on them at an even higher rate than the '06 ones. How could this be? By 2007 the bubble was popping and lenders could all see that they needed to stop giving making loans to underqualified borrowers, right? That was exactly the problem: "Mortgage originators who profited handsomely from the housing boom "realized the game was completely over" and pushed mortgages out the door," reports WSJ.
etrade
Etrade: Hire That Baby To Do Customer Service, He'd Do A Better Job
"Maybe I should call the E*Trade Baby. He might give me better customer service." Matt's mother died last year and he has been trying since last year to liquidate her E*Trade CD and put it in the family trust. Every other financial institution has been able to liquidate the assets with no problem, but it seems after blowing their wad on funny Superbowl ads, E*Trade has nothing left over for customer service. Here's Matt's story, and our advice on how can get his problem fixed: More »
money
Personal Finance Roundup
The Promotion That Got Away: 5 Ways to Bounce Back [Yahoo HotJobs] "Nearly everyone has been passed over for a job they 'deserved.' If and when that happens there are five important steps to take."
Buying a Refurbished Computer [Smart Money] "Here's how to make sure the refurbished computer you buy doesn't turn out to be a lemon."
Your Essential Emergency Kit [Kiplinger] "These nine steps will protect your family and finances against disaster, whether natural or personal."
Savings yardstick [MarketWatch] "How to tell if your 401(k) is living up to the best standards."
Ivy Leaguers' Big Edge: Starting Pay [Wall Street Journal] "Where people go to college can make a big difference in starting pay, and that difference is largely sustained into midcareer"
— FREE MONEY FINANCE
(Photo: balmes)
weddings
Save On Weddings By Finding Out Who Your Real Friends Are
Though the average cost of a wedding is up for debate — "experts" report different numbers, though most agree it's between $25,000 to $30,000 — the fact is that an average wedding in America can be pretty darned expensive. And while you can take steps to save a bit here and there, there is one area that you'll need to focus on if you want to save big bucks: the reception. More »
sears
I Can't Get A Loan, Sears Says I'm Dead
Claudia's father couldn't get a loan because Sears reported to the credit bureaus that he was dead. In fact, it was her mother who had died. After complaints, Sears credit cards, run by Citibank said they fixed the problem. Then Claudia's dad tried to get a loan but couldn't. His credit score was zero. More »
credit cards
Don't Let Your Credit Card Rate Get Spiked
Credit card companies are raising interest rates and canceling cards left and right. Bankrate has seven ways to avoid getting caught up in the "risk repricing" spree. It all comes down to keeping everything looking normal. More »
generics
Shun Brand Name Drugs With Two Letters After The Name And Save
What do those little letters, CD, ER, SR, etc, after a brand name drug's name mean? The exact terminology varies, but they usually translate to the same thing: unnecessary ripoffs. More »
tj maxx
TJX Credit Card Theft Crew Busted
The world's greatest bank thief is in custody. For ripping off over 45.7 million consumer's credit cards from TJ Maxx, and other retailers, authorities pressed charges on Miami mastermind Albert Gonzalez and 11 others. The stolen numbers were sold to other scammers who manufactured fake debit cards and drained their victims' accounts. The breach stemmed mainly from TJ Maxx stores using an unsecured wireless router.
washington mutual
With all the focus on the girl rocketing across the desert in a supersonic purple dildo, Washington Mutual forgot to mention one thing. When you sign up for a new account with them online instead of in person, be prepared to be treated like a criminal at every turn. Here's Brett's story of why he and his partner don't bank with WaMu, and never will again...
More »
WaMu Online Banking Treats You Like A Criminal
With all the focus on the girl rocketing across the desert in a supersonic purple dildo, Washington Mutual forgot to mention one thing. When you sign up for a new account with them online instead of in person, be prepared to be treated like a criminal at every turn. Here's Brett's story of why he and his partner don't bank with WaMu, and never will again...
More »
