[protected-iframe id="9b6e89c2a2d363ebc95643d071c6468b-40783744-40309798" info="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.php?u=http://digg.com/hardware/Here_s_What_A_Card_Skimmer_Looks_Like_On_An_ATM" width="55" height="82" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"]A lot of you have been asking to see what a skimmer looks like before it’s yanked off an ATM. Are they easy to spot or virtually unnoticeable? Our reader Timeus works for a bank and deals with this sort of thing every day, and he sent in the following photos. Enjoy.
advice
How To Raise A Smarter Kid
By 4.18.09
It turns out kids in wealthier homes have higher IQs, not because of genetics but because of environment. Surely you can be frugal (or just plain poor) and raise a smart one? A psychology professor suggests you focus on praising effort over achievement, and teach delayed gratification—something that also helps when it comes to financial responsibility, so it’s a win/win skill. You should also explain that IQ is expandable, not inherent: “Students exposed to that idea work harder and get better grades.”
Got Allergies? Try Pouring Liquid Up Your Nose
By 4.16.09
A couple of years ago, I was complaining to my friend about my allergies and she suggested I try a neti pot—she said she had one and it really helped her. I nodded politely but assumed she was crazy, because we were in Brooklyn and because she works in theater. I also didn’t like the idea of irrigating my nose, because the only reference point I have for that sort of thing is diving incorrectly at the public pool, and it’s never pleasant. But the New York Times says neti pots really do work, and several recent studies indicate that they can be effective, and cheap, treatments for nasal allergies.
What Should You Do With Counterfeit Money?
By 4.13.09
From what I’ve seen online, if I take it to a bank, they might take it, but of course I won’t be compensated. Should I turn it into the police? What should I do with it? I don’t really want to just pass it along.
Hit With A Credit Card Rate Hike? Try Freezing The Account
By 4.9.09
Rosemary writes that Bank of America just increased the interest rates on her two credit cards by 12% and 15% because the balances were too high, after slashing the credit limits on both cards a month before. She’s frustrated, of course, but like everyone else who’s been hit with these increasing fees, she’s sort of stuck with their decision. But Mary Schwager at Examiner.com suggests you try placing your account on hold for six months or so, at which point your creditor may be less terrified of the economy and willing to work with you.
Reader Receives Three Phishing Attempts In One Week
By 4.8.09
DoomNasty tells us he’s been hit three times in the past week with phishing attempts. The first two were text messages from Alarion Bank, asking him to call 1-877-240-6149 “to find out why my debit/atm card was blocked. I do not have an account, and Privacy Assist shows no account was created behind my back.” The third was from 201-968-0007, but no message was left. He traced the number to Liquidity Solutions, Inc., who told him that “one of their numbers got hijacked and the hijacker is phishing for banking info.”
The Consumerist Hive Mind Helps You Buy A Diamond
By 4.7.09
I’d love to know what to look out for when buying a diamond. Do dealers change the grades of diamonds, lie about carats, etc? Where can I buy reasonably priced diamonds? There may be a huge mark-up in store, but am I going to get scammed online? Maybe just pointing in the direction of reliable user reviews of local or online retailers, since it’s so hard to know which reviews are genuine and which are the retailers inflating their stock these days.
Suze Orman’s Life Story, Condensed
By 3.21.09
Women’s Wear Daily has published a short biography of Suze Orman, 57-year-old CNBC personality, Oprah repeat-guester, and aggressive promoter of financial advice and self. Her father’s poultry shop burned down when she was a child (“Daddy was a failed man.”). At age 30, she lost $50,000 of borrowed money in oil futures, which led her to give up her dream of opening a restaurant and instead enter a training program at Merrill Lynch to pay back the money. Her second book agent—the one who helped shoot her to the top—told her she had to lose 30 pounds to be marketable. And so on: seeing how someone aggressively pursues media stardom is a sausage-making experience. (That same agent says, “I just thought, ‘Great. Finally an author who knows she can’t write.'”)
How To Teach Children To Manage Money
By 3.20.09
The “Dollars & Sense” column in the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel has an interesting list of ideas for how to instill some financial competence in your child. It starts with the basic skill of learning how to delay gratification, then moves on to increasing levels of personal responsibility, so that by the time you’re dealing with a teenager who craves independence, you’re handing out a full year’s allowance in January and tasking him with managing it properly.
Suze Orman Says Build Up Emergency Cash As Much As Possible
By 3.19.09
In Suze Orman‘s most recent book, “2009 Action Plan,” she urges people with credit card debt to pay off their balances as quickly as possible using the high interest first method. “The fact that you pay just the minimum is a huge warning signal to your credit card company,” she writes, “that you may already be on shaky ground.” Now she’s changed her mind and says you should just pay the monthly minimum and put the rest of your money toward building an emergency cash stash. Based on the way credit card companies have been behaving, we think she has a point.
Your Credit Card Limit Can Be Reduced Below Your Current Balance
By 3.16.09
We’ve seen how available balances can disappear when lenders cut credit card limits, but SmartMoney points out that lenders can cut your limit below your current balance, causing all sorts of problems. They’ll send you a notice, of course, but you may not receive it for several weeks. Your best bet is to set up your own alert system. A web-based financial service (like Mint) will send you an email or SMS alert if your available balance drops below a specified threshold.
How To Delete Your Online Accounts
By 3.10.09
PC Mag has assembled a list of instructions on how to wipe your account from a long list of websites, including Classmates.com (you’ll have to call), Windows Live ID (it’s complicated), and Friendster (ha ha ha). In many cases, canceling is as straightforward as clicking a link and authorizing the cancellation, but it’s nice to see all the phone numbers and tips collected in one spot.
Single Men Trade Stocks Too Much
By 3.10.09
Nick Kapur at The Motley Fool says that men trade stocks more frequently than women. This is not a good thing; the result of all this hyperactivity and overconfidence is lower earnings on your investment. He writes, “Worse still (for unmarried guys like me) is that single men trade a whopping 67% more than single women, earning them annual net returns of 2.3% less! The authors cite increased trading costs, taxes, and a greater tendency to speculate as reasons for this underperformance.”
Three Tips To Keep The Recession From Depressing Your Relationship
By 3.7.09
Money can ruin relationships, but by talking honestly about finances with your significant other, you just might emerge from this depressing recession as a couple. Even if your finances are deteriorating, there are a few ways to keep your money problems from rotting your relationship.
Save Money On A Funeral
By 3.6.09 — Updated: 5.29.13
Someone wrote to us this week that a person in his family is terminally ill, and that he was told “that the cost of the casket, funeral, viewing, and burial would possibly exceed 12,000 dollars.” He thinks that’s an “exorbitant amount of money,” and so do we. There is no reason to pay that much money for a kick-ass funeral that people will be talking about for years to come. You don’t need to be a cheapskate to manage this, either—you just need to be aware of your rights and know what traps to watch out for. Here’s our list of what to do the next time you have to plan a funeral.
United Promises There's No Fee, Then Takes $150 Out Of Your Account
By 3.5.09
We all know that just because a rep on the phone promises you something, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily true. But in Alan’s case, two different United reps both confirmed, repeatedly—he asked several times before completing the purchase and again before canceling—that he could cancel his tickets within 24 hours of purchase without paying a fee. A week after he canceled, he was hit with a $150 non-refundable fee that one United rep admitted was a new policy that wasn’t in writing—but United still refused to reverse it.
If We Buy This And Give It Back To You, Will You Read It, Circuit City Execs?
By 3.4.09
After seeing our photo evidence of the sorry state of the St. Peters, MO, Circuit City yesterday, Eric decided to check out the final days of the Circuit City in Poughkeepsie, NY. He writes, “On one clearance table, among the overpriced cables, I saw this. I’m not sure what this was doing there, but it’s probably something the Circuit City executives should have read a few years ago, huh?” Yes, but it’s never too late! Those executives are going to end up working somewhere after all. By the way, do CC execs get a liquidation discount?
