Consumerist
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complaints
stocks
Your Complete Portfolio in Only Seven Investments
It's almost part of human nature to make investing more complicated than it needs to be. Seemingly endless investment options, elaborate tax shelters, real estate "no money down" programs and the like certainly muddy the investment landscape. But CNN Money has taken the opposite view and attempted to simplify a model portfolio into a list of only seven basic investments... More »
Are you managing your aging parents' finances, or looking for a good financial advisor of your own? The AARP has just released a new booklet called "A Financial Professional's Guide to Working With Older Clients" (PDF). [AARP]
store-branded credit cards
Store-Branded Credit Cards Triple How Often Cardholder Shops There
They tell us if we can get someone to sign up, and be approved, that we have guaranteed that that customer will shop at our store, on average, three times more often than they would have if they didn’t have a card with our store’s name on it.
- a retail sales clerk when asked what she thinks about the credit card applications she has to churn up if she wants to keep her job.
An Interesting Conversation About Store-Branded Credit Card Applications [No Credit Needed]
credit cards
Card Won't Swipe? Lick It!
This was sent to us as an, "oh, this is gross and bad customer service," but I actually think it's a good tip for something to try if your credit or debit card won't swipe, and there's no plastic bags around.
Today, at the Costco in Rancho Cordova, California, a Costco employee licked my ATM card. When I tried to scan my card, the usual happened. It wouldn't scan. I tried several times, to no avail. The cashier, "Victoria A.", then took my card from me. I thought she was going to scan it at her register, but I was wrong! Instead, she licked her index finger, rubbed it on the magnetic strip on my ATM card, then ran it through the scanner. To be fair, the scanner DID read the card once the card had been licked. I think Costco should have a policy about employee licking. What do you think?
Rubbing the card through a plastic bag to build up static electricity also works well. Just based on my own personal experience, there's usually a large reservoir of plastic bags available in the general vicinity of the checkout area.
Costco employees should not lick ATM cards [Splash's Training Day]
(Photo: Ninha Morandini)
real estate
Don't Get Cheated On Closing Costs
Some homebuyers are pissed because when the actual line item fees for various closing costs come in less than the estimation, their closing agents are simply pocketing the difference. How do you fight back? This article on LawyersandSettlements says,
Ask if the recording charges are indeed estimates, and ask why. Then demand to see the actual recording fee(s) once actuals are established, and compare them with the estimates. At the very least, insist that you are re-imbursed for the difference once actuals are determined, and demand to see the paperwork after the fact.
Real Estate Overcharges: Others Get Rich on Your Money [LawyersAndSettlements]
(Photo: Getty)
money
Personal Finance Roundup
Eight Ways to Slash Travel Costs [Yahoo Finance] "Get creative with these eight tips, travel off the beaten path a little, and save some of your cash for when you get home."
Personal Finance 101: The Basics of Estate Planning [The Simple Dollar] "A short tutorial on estate planning: what you need to do to be sure that you are covered in the case of a disaster."
Work part-time [CNN Money] "Nell Minow, co-founder of The Corporate Library, says sticking to an unconventional schedule made her successful."
7 Things You Need to Know About Health Savings Accounts [Crosswalk] "If you are unfamiliar with how HSAs work, here are the basics."
6 ways to save money on car insurance as rates rise [USA Today] "There are steps you can take to lower your insurance rates."
(Photo: cgines)
Viral endeavors destined for failure
Mo Rocca Shills For Bank of America
I guess Mo Rocca saw how good John Hodgman did with that whole Apple gig and decided to get a piece of the action himself and hook up with a major corporation for some funny videos. Unfortunately, no one seemed to warn Mo that Bank of America is a little different than Apple. Namely in that people hate Bank of America. Apple: shiny. Bank of America: vile cesspool. Mo seems like a pretty smart guy, so I hope at least he's putting his whore dollars in a credit union. Or at least somewhere better than Bank of America. A pile of dirty socks would suffice.
Mo Rocca On Banking [Official Site]
money
Latest And Best Online Savings Accounts Rates
Now that interest rates have fallen, online savings accounts aren't offering the same kind of return as before, but you can still stay liquid and get more than what you get in a brick and mortar bank. Here's some online saving accounts offered by FDIC-insured banks ranked by the interest they pay out:
OneUnited: 3.6% APY (min of $1000)
GCFBank.com: - 3.34% (only for 90 days)
WT Direct: 3.31% (min of $10k)
FNBO Direct: 3.25% (no min)
Savings Square: 3.25% (no min)
HSBC: 3.05% APY (no min)
E-Loan: 3.01% APY (no min)
Erade: 3.01% (no min)
ING Direct: 3.0% APY (no min)
Umbrella Bank: 2.75~3.25% APY (min of $100)
Emigrant Direct: 2.75% APY (no min)
Citibank e-Savings: 2.70% APY (no min)
Hey if it's just sitting in your account doing nothing, why not make it work for you a bit?
[via Spoofee]
(Photo: Getty)
taxes
Where's My Stimulus Payment?
The IRS has a tool that lets you find out when your Stimulus Payment will arrive. Just punch in your social, filing status, and number of exemptions on your 2007 taxes. Its usefulness is limited, though, as it can't tell you when your payment arrive until about a week before they send out the check.
Where's My Stimulus Payment? [IRS] (Thanks to Josh!)
(Photo: Getty)
phone numbers
Reach Chase Bank Executive Customer Service
If you have a problem that regular customer service hasn't been able to solve, give this gal working in the Chase Bank executive customer service office a shot: 713-262-3866, Michelle Crabtree. Although, she figures in an upcoming reader complaint, and not favorably. If you have a specific credit card complaint, that info is here, and the general Chase Bank executive customer service desk is 800-242-7399.
complaints
BoA Closes Your Credit Cards If You Ask Why They Increased Your APR
It's evident the pendulum swung too far in terms of giving away too much credit, but now it seems to be swinging back in the opposite direction just as hard, with banks getting too tightfisted, even when it doesn't make sense. For instance, the APR on James's BoA credit card jumped from 9.32% to 13.99%, and shortly after he called to see about getting it back, they closed all three of his credit cards. One was a Gold account with a lifetime APR of 7.99%, the other had a 1.99% APR. Just last month, he received an offer to transfer $15,000 to the 1.99% card. Obviously at least one department in Bank of America thinks he's a good credit risk. It appears some other expressionless faces of the massive dodecahedron that is the entity called Bank of America disagreed. More »
chargebacks
The Chargeback Blacklist
The ChargeBackBureau sells merchants a blacklist with names of customers who have done chargebacks. Merchants are supposed to be able to access its lists and deny transactions to customers if they see they're chargeback-prone. When a consumer is put on the list, they get sent an email warning them they're "going to have trouble purchasing goods or services on the Internet in the future." ChargeBackBureua's headquarters are conveniently located in Panama, which is convenient for its American clients, as such databases are illegal in the US. Chargebacks are an important tool for consumers to fight back against merchants who won't give you what you paid for. Here's how to do one. If a merchant won't do business with you because you stood up for your rights before, then you shouldn't do business with them either.
Dispute charges at your peril [SFChron]
personal finance
Mint.com's Plans For Portfolio Recommendations
I asked Mint.com whether they would be adding some features to their new investment tracking tool similar to what they do with credit cards and banks. When you add your credit cards and banks to Mint, it has a section where they recommend different credit cards to switch to and show you how much savings or lower APR you can get. In response, CEO Aaron Patzer said that in the future they will identify the lowest cost brokerage for you based on how often you trade and with how much money, as well as, and, this is very important, exposing management fees and expense ratios.Very cool. Investors could really benefit by such transparent access to investing-rleated feesFor a good perspective on how fees can really chew up your nest egg, read our post, "How Your 401(k) Is Ripping You Off"
personal finance
Consumer Bankruptcies Up Nearly 50% From A Year Ago
The number of people filing for bankruptcy continues to increase, as bad mortgages and the rising price of [insert noun here] squeezes every last penny out of debt-laden consumers. The American Bankruptcy Institute says the number of filings was up 47.7% in April from a year ago, and up 7.1% from March '08. More »
personal finance
