Consumerist
-
travel
15 Ways To Protect Your Money While Traveling
Bankrate shares 15 tips to protect your stash of cash while traveling abroad. Before leaving, strip down your wallet to the bare essentials, including a backup credit card, and make copies of all financial documents. While abroad, stash the copies and the backup card in your hotel safe, and take common-sense precautions like sticking to legitimate bank ATMs, and avoiding crowds. Hit the link for the rundown of all 15 tips.
15 ways to protect your money on vacation [Bankrate]
(Photo: isfullofcrap) -
money
Personal Finance Roundup
Michael Jackson's Death and Your Estate Plan [Smart Money] "For those who already have an existing estate plan, here's how the larger 2009 exemption could affect you - along with some advice on how to avoid potential danger zones."
How to Make the Most of a College Degree [Free Money Finance] "What can/should potential graduates do to make the most of their college degree financially?"
Keeping Finances Afloat During a Divorce [Wall Street Journal] "Here are some ways to salvage finances during a divorce."
Is 'Cash for clunkers' right for you? [Bankrate] "Before taking up Obama on 'Cash for clunkers,' decide if selling your car would bring in more money."
The 10 Most Dollar-Discounted Housing Markets [US News] "Listing prices in these cities have been slashed by millions of dollars over the past year."— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: frankieleon)
-
personal finance
Protect Your Personal Finances In A Divorce
Sources around the country say that the divorce rate is down nationwide, though it's usually higher during economic recessions. One theory as to why: the economy is bad, but people are marrying later and cohabiting more frequently than past generations. More » -
babies
Four Financial Tools All New Parents Need
The baby's on the way! You've got a crib, toys, and a rapidly approaching delivery date. So what else you do need? Kiplinger shares the four must-have financial tools that no new parent should go without... More » -
advice
Be Your Own Financial Regulator
Any sort of federal agency to protect consumers from abuse from the financial industry is months, or possibly years, away, notes Linda Stern of Reuters. That's why you shouldn't depend on such an agency to protect you in the meantime. In fact, you can take her advice and use it no matter what happens at the federal level. More » -
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 » -
personal finance
How We Can Learn From The Financial Problems Of Others
Our post earlier today about Chase's sudden 150% increase in a couple's minimum payment on their credit card debt brought out a lot of passionate comments from readers—and it also turned into a cesspool of blame. We see a lot of a particular type of sentiment on posts about credit card debt and money management, and it's not helpful. More » -
minimum payments
"Chase Hiked My Minimum Payment To 5 Percent!"
Chase just notified Greg that they're more than doubling his minimum payment requirement. Because he and his wife are carrying such a large balance due to a promotional balance transfer offer a few years ago, this pushes their monthly payment to nearly $1,000. 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 » -
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) -
credit cards
Study Of Credit Unions Indicates CARD Act Will Benefit Consumers
Two Harvard doctoral students in economics compared how credit unions and banks operated their credit card divisions, and concluded that the recent CARD act "is likely to bring about moderate, and even positive, changes," as banks begin to emulate parts of the fairer business model of credit unions. Specifically, they say, all the doom and gloom from the banking industry about how consumers will get shafted by the new rules is mostly fearmongering. More » -
Here are 5 personal finance podcasts to subscribe to, download, and argue with during your commute or workout. [Automatic Finances] (Photo: uhuru1701)
MORE » -
money
Personal Finance Roundup
Where to Find the Best Savings Rates [Smart Money] "SmartMoney searched for some of the best rates around. Here's a sampling of what we found."
Are You Being Ripped off at the Gas Station? [Wise Bread] "Here is a simple test to help you ensure you are getting your money's worth at the pump."
To fly or drive: Which is cheaper? [MSN Money] "Your costs and choice of travel mode depend on your tastes and a slew of variables."
10 Ways to Beat the Rising Cost of Health Care [Yahoo Finance] "These 10 smart moves can lower your expenses - but not the quality of the care you get."
How much is that gold jewelry worth? [Mighty Bargain Hunter] "Short answer: Probably less than you think, but more than you'll get from a gold-to-cash place."— FREE MONEY FINANCE (Photo: Newton Free Library)
-
investing
10 Things Financial Planners Won't Tell You
Right after politicians and lawyers, financial planners have to be the most mistrusted, suspected, and questioned profession these days. And with good reason. With the Bernie Madoff's of the world running rampant, fewer and fewer people are willing to turn their life savings over to someone else. (Yes, we realize Madoff was an investment advisor, not a financial planner per se, but you get the meaning.) Well, after reading this, you'll probably be even less likely to hire a financial planner. financial planners won't tell you as follows: More » -
scams
How To Protect Susceptible Relatives From Scams
The Wall Street Journal ran an article yesterday about how to identify and protect loved ones from con artists. One of the problems with being an easy mark—say, because of reduced mental capacity or increasing isolation—is that you get put on a list and passed around to other scammers, says Karen Blumenthal, the author of the piece and a relative of one of these perpetually easy marks. More » -
debt
Credit Card Companies Are Warming Up To Reduced Payoff Deals
If you've fallen into a debt pit and can't make your credit card payments, and now you're watching them steadily mount with penalties, fees, and steep interest rates, consider negotiating a lower payment. The New York Times reports that while most card companies won't admit it officially, they know when they've got a customer who can't pay, and they're much more willing to settle for a lower amount than they were a year ago. More » -
robocallers
Robocallers Cannot Magically Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate
The Better Business Bureau and Senator Charles Schumer are warning the public to be skeptical of any calls promising to lower your credit card interest rate. While nowhere near at the public annoyance level of the recent car warranty robocaller scourge, they're still out there, automatically dialing people and promising to lower your rate for a hefty up-front fee. The only problem is, they can't do anything you can't do on your own, and unless you're crazy you're probably not going to charge yourself a thousand bucks for the service. 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 »
personal finance
New York, 10:42 PM
Sat Jul 4
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
