Thanks to the Internet, with a single Google search and some creative guesswork you can diagnose pretty much any disease you want. Yes, this has made the world of medicine entirely unnecessary, but what about the legal profession? Surely the web can replace that too!
advice
Make 2009 Scam-Free With This List
By 1.5.09
Stephanie Zimmermann of the Chicago Sun-Times has put together a list of resolutions to prevent scams, cons, and cheats. We really like the suggestion that you find a reputable locksmith, plumber, A/C repairman, and mechanic now, instead of waiting until an emergency.
10 Money Moves To Make Before The End Of The Year
By 12.11.08
If you’re worried about your end of the year finances, Time has 10 money moves that you’ll want to make before Dec. 31. [Time]
EECB Convinces Best Buy To Pay For Damage To Car
By 11.20.08
Here’s a good example of how to write an effective Executive Email Carpet Bomb, or EECB, to break through the “please hold” purgatory of the company’s phone system. Alicia’s car’s bumper was scratched by a Best Buy employee, and calling consumer relations as directed proved fruitless. Now she’s got a check in her hands from Best Buy to pay for the repairs.
By 11.18.08
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Are you so loaded that you exceed the FDIC’s guarantee limit for deposits? Consider the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service. Deposit the funds at one of 2,500 CDARS member banks and they’ll automatically spread your cash among other member banks as needed to stay within FDIC coverage limits. Kiplinger says, “You’ll earn one rate (set by the home bank) and get one statement and one form at tax time.” [Kiplinger]
Alert: You Cannot Buy Consumerist With Doodle Money
By 11.17.08
Our post last Friday gave people some great business ideas. We appreciate the offers, but we must insist that you do not try to purchase Consumerist with doodle currency that you have minted yourself, probably while drinking. You can, however, try to bail out the auto industry with it if you want.
Alert: You Cannot Send A Drawing Of A Spider As Payment
By 11.14.08
David didn’t have the money to pay his account (for some mystery service—we don’t know what), so he decided to see if they’d accept a drawing instead. Turns out they won’t. The email exchange that follows is hilarious, and much more entertaining for both parties than the old put-the-wrong-check-in-the-envelope trick.
The Best Cities To Live In During A Recession
By 10.15.08
BusinessWeek asks, assuming that we keep sliding down into an official recession, where are the best places to live? They’ve pulled data from PolicyMap.com and the U.S. Census to make some educated guesses about local economies that will be least damaged by a large-scale downturn. They reason that no matter how the national economy fares, there will always be government jobs and a need for health care; higher education institutes provide a cushion for local economies, too.
Test Your Personal Finance Skills With These Quizzes
By 10.9.08
Kiplinger has two quizzes named “Financial Truth or Bunk?“, and they go through some of the more popular tips you’ve heard about personal finance, including lines like:
- You can’t lose money investing in bonds.
- Stay-at-home moms or dads need life insurance, too.
- Don’t buy a red car — it’ll cost more to insure.
- Dollar-cost averaging boosts investment returns.
- The percentage of stock in your portfolio should equal 100 minus your age.
Stop Payment Orders On Checks Only Last Six Months
By 10.8.08
Jennifer says National City Bank has contacted her fiance to inform him that the stop payment order he placed on a check is about to expire, and he’ll have to pay another $32 fee to renew it for six more months. She writes, “Have you heard of stop payment now only being ‘suspend payment for six months’? This seems to me to be extortion.” We’re going to come down on the side of the banks in this case—but because of the recurring nature of the fee, it might just be cheaper to close the account.
Jim Cramer Tells America To Get Out Of The Stock Market
By 10.6.08
Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” and dedicated yelling enthusiast is apparently no longer content to behave strangely on his own television program, so he’s taking the crazy to the Today Show.
The Idiot-Proof Way To Securely Use Public Wi-Fi
By 10.6.08
We talk a lot on this blog about personal data and privacy, but not so much about how to secure that data on your own computer. That’s because a.) we’re not Lifehacker and b.) the solutions frequently bloat into crazy, jargon-filled recipes that scare away the non-IT crowd. Not this time! For all you novices, here is a single idea you should consider that will help keep your personal data personal, and make your identity that much harder to steal.
Iron Man Blu-Ray Release Connects To Internet When You Insert It
By 10.2.08
If you buy the newly released “Iron Man” Blu-ray disc and pop it into your computer, and it starts trying to download some mystery content from the Internet for the next 30-45 minutes, here’s what’s happening and how to turn it off. Thanks, Paramount, for your shoddy “interactive” quiz nonsense.
Dear New Circuit City CEO: Here's How To Fix Your Stores
By 10.1.08
Yesterday, we asked you to tell us how Circuit City’s new CEO should fix his stores. It’s been a troubled few years for Circuit City. Before the former CEO resigned last week, he’d embarked on an expensive and drastic “turn around” plan that, well, let’s be honest — failed.
By 9.25.08
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Gwyneth Paltrow wants to help you live your life by offering you some sound advice. As that is not too far off from what we at Consumerist try to do, we clicked over to “GOOP” (that’s what she’s calling the website) and were told to do the following: Treat ourselves to something (Hydrox cookies, check,); Go to a city we’ve never been to (Texarkana, here we come!); Learn something new (We’ve chosen modal logic and skeet shooting); Don’t be lazy; and finally “Workout and stick with it.”
Beware Of Apartment Scammers
By 9.24.08
In the course of searching for a new place to live in Minneapolis, I found a great condo right in the area I was looking for, renting for $900/mo for a 1 bedroom which included electricity, gas, water, sewer, garbage, cable, and high speed internet! Sound too good to be true? You bet…it was a scam.
