Despite what certain geckos would have you believe, the art of saving money on car insurance goes beyond doing whatever television commercials tell you to do.
advice
Protect Your Personal Finances In A Divorce
By 6.29.09
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.
Be Your Own Financial Regulator
By 6.26.09
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.
How To Stop The Electric Devil From Stealing Your Money
By 6.26.09
Here’s one of those lists that makes you feel guilty because you’re too lazy to do anything on it. It’s 20 ways to trim your energy costs.
Free Trials Can Be Trojan Horses For Sketchy Companies
By 6.23.09
“Free” is always an enticing proposition, but free trials that seem too good to be true often are. Conmen use such offers to lure in greedy customers hoping to get something for nothing.
College Students: Before You Bog Yourself Down With Loans Fill Out A FAFSA To Snag Free Pell Grants
By 6.22.09
Exactly how much academic knowledge you glean from college is debatable, but the experience gives most people a thorough lesson of how to drown yourself in debt. But there is financial aid out there, some of it free, for those willing to look for it. This HowToDoThings post offers some helpful tips on how to sniff out federal Pell Grants by getting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
How To Protect Susceptible Relatives From Scams
By 6.18.09
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 Insider Tips When Buying From Radioshack
By 6.17.09
There’s clearly no love lost between D. and D’s former employer, RadioShack. A little over a year ago, D. sent us some insider tips on what to watch out for when you shop at RS. Now here comes a follow-up, with more information on cell phone sales tricks, warranty pitches, and used merchandise.
Credit Card Companies Are Warming Up To Reduced Payoff Deals
By 6.17.09
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.
Reminder: Make Sure Medical Procedures Are Covered Before You OK Them
By 6.16.09
Nick suffers from back pain and thought he’d seek chiropractor care for some pain relief. What he got in return was the sting of a nasty hospital bill because his insurance wouldn’t pay for his x-rays, even though the nurse and doctor assured him the scans would be covered.
When Can You Ignore The "Dry Clean Only" Label?
By 6.16.09
Karl Huie’s family has been in the garment cleaning business since 1969, and since 2007 Huie has been offering “wet cleaning“—an eco-friendly alternative that uses water, soaps, and CO2. At the blog ecosalon, Huie provides some professional advice on which clothes are safest to wash at home, and when you should stick with dry cleaning, or at least professional cleaning.
Should I Reduce My 401k And Put The Money Toward Credit Card Debt?
By 6.12.09
Given the state of the economy today, is it better for me to reduce my 401k to a minimum and use the extra funds to pay off my credit card debt? This is a good time to put money into the markets, based on my admittedly limited understanding, but with interest rates going through the roof (my personal Chase card went from 12.99 to 23.99), I would like to kick down my cc debt (now at around $6,000) faster. I’m currently only putting 6% in my 401k, and I’m fairly young (35). Have you advice for me?
Store Goes Out Of Business Before Delivering Crib
By 6.11.09
Christopher and his wife bought a crib through a local store, and two and half months later they still haven’t received it. Now the store is going out of business, and Christopher isn’t sure what he can do to get his money back.
More Info On Replacing An HP Laptop Motherboard
By 6.10.09
We asked John, who wrote to us earlier this week about replacing the motherboard in his HP laptop, to send us a link to the listing he found for $150. Below is his response.
How Much Should It Cost To Replace The Motherboard On A Laptop?
By 6.8.09
John’s wife’s laptop died, and his local Geek Squad wants $800 total to replace the motherboard. John says he found the motherboard for $150, and he wants to know why Geek Squad thinks it will require $650 in labor. So all you IT and geek readers out there, we ask you: is this a fair price?
Change The Name On Your Utility Bills When You Move Out
By 6.6.09
Add “change the name on your utility bills” to your post-breakup checklist or you’ll end up like reader Noah, who had to pay a $140 cable bill for three months of service his ex-girlfriend used after he moved out. Why? Because the bill was in his name, and if he didn’t pay up, it was his credit report that was going to suffer.
By 6.5.09
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The next time you’re looking at hotels online, try www.biddingfortravel.com and www.betterbidding.com. Our readers recommend both sites for helping you figure out which hotels you’re being offered on Priceline or Hotwire. (Thanks to bohemian and picantel!)
