With financial reform likely to be the next big target of the White House, NPR’s On the Media worries that the topic could be too confusing for most journalists to really understand well enough to explain to the American people. And this includes journalists who do this all day, every day. [More]
money
You Need To Pay Taxes On Forgiven Credit Card Debt
By 4.2.10
If you had some credit card debt canceled in 2009 the IRS might want a piece of it. [More]
Join The Latest And Greatest Class Action Lawsuits
By 4.1.10
If you got some free time and want some cash and are cool with waiting a few months for it to arrive, here are some new class action lawsuits you can join. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 3.31.10
Five Financial No-Brainers [Free Money Finance] “There are a handful of money management suggestions that are beneficial to nearly everyone. In fact, they’re so good that they can be listed as financial no-brainers.”
Are you middle class? [MSN Money] “The economic headlines are better than they were a year ago, but living standards continue to erode for many Americans.”
Get Your Piece of a $34.1 Billion Pie [Smart Money] “The IRS is holding an additional $1.3 billion in unclaimed 2006 tax refunds that eligible taxpayers have only until April 15 to claim.”
3 investing moves you must make [CNN Money] “To make the most of this new [investing] world, start here.”
The 15 Money Rules Kids Should Learn [The Wall Street Journal] “Ultimately, the aim is to raise children who grow into adults who are financially aware and who are comfortable managing the various aspects of money.”
Mastercard Spent $960,000 In Q4 To Lobby Congress
By 3.30.10
Kaching, kaching, that’s the sound of Mastercard’s lobbyist’s coffers engorging. The credit card company spent nearly a million dollars in the 4th quarter to lobby Congress critters. By comparison, they spent only $680,000 in the 3rd quarter, and $510,000 in Q4 2008. Among the issues of keen interest to the big orange and yellow interlocking circle: overdraft fees, banking reform, interchange fees, issuer practices, and the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. The good thing about being Mastercard is that you can just charge all your lobbying expenditures.
MasterCard spends $960,000 in 4Q to lobby Congress [AP via LowCards]
EECB Gets United Healthcare To Cough Up $1,100
By 3.29.10
Reader Monica used a trick she learned on Consumerist and got her health insurance company to pay her more than 11 big fat Benjamins. [More]
31 Steps To Unlocking Cash In Your Life
By 3.26.10
With just a few hours work, you could unlock hundreds of dollars. It’s called a financial tuneup, and if you set aside some time to tackle some of those nagging to-dos, and wrassle with some customer service departments, you could end up with serious coin in your pocket. To get you started, NYT Your Money’s Ron Lieber has put together a killer interactive 31-point interactive checklist. He shows you how to save money, and how much money you can save. [More]
Panel: Get A Financial Tuneup Tonight
By 3.25.10
Join me tonight at 6:30 pm at 620 8th ave, 15th floor for a New York Times hosted panel on “Your Money: A Financial Tuneup.” The whole idea behind the “Financial Tuneup” is that once a year you should set aside 10 hours to just tackle every niggling item on your personal finance todo list. Here are some tips on doing that. RSVP for tonight’s event at financialtuneup.net. [More]
Walmart Employee Helps Catch World's Sneakiest Bank Robber
By 3.25.10
WIRED has a cool story about Gerald Blanchard, the world’s most ingenious thief and bank robber, who once parachuted onto a Viennese castle to steal the famed Koechert Diamond Pearl, and how he was eventually caught by two grizzled cops in Winnipeg, thanks to a Walmart worker’s tip. While Gerald was meticulous in preparing for his heists… [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 3.24.10
10 smart uses for your tax refund [MSN Money] “The best options include paying down credit card debt, starting an emergency fund and buying energy-efficient appliances.”
5 credit score killers [CNN Money] “Here are a few things that can wreak havoc on your score and wreck your chances of getting an affordable loan.”
Five last-minute tax tips [Vanguard] “Here are five new or increased credits or deductions you may find relevant as you complete your 2009 return.”
Should You Buy or Rent? [Kiplinger] “Renting may be smarter if home prices in your area will fall further.”
Ten Tactics for Saving Money on Pets [The Simple Dollar] “How to reduce the costs of acquiring and caring for a pet without skimping on the quality of care.”
Sued By Chase For $7k, In Debt For $40k+, I Think I'll Declare Bankruptcy
By 3.23.10
Justin’s friend who was being sued by Chase Bank for $7,500 has an update for us after he and his friend read our advice and your comments on his situation. Turns out he’s not just in debt for $7,500, but for over $40,000: [More]
You're Not Ready To Resume Your Spendthrift Ways
By 3.22.10
We keep hearing that the recession is over, but every new consumer survey seems to confirm one thing: With unemployment rates high and home values low, most consumers aren’t exactly in a rush to open their wallets again. And according to one new survey, many of you are even embarrassed about the way you used to spend, comparing those days to “some of the crazy things you did in high school or college.” [More]
To Save On Car Repairs, Ask Dealership For Referrals
By 3.22.10
Peter has stumbled on a way to save big money on car repairs: ask the dealer to refer you to their go-to mechanics, schedule an appointment with the source and tell ’em who sentcha. He says the technique has slashed his car repair bills: [More]
Know The Differences Between House And Senate CFPA Bills
By 3.19.10
Quick, what’s the differences between the House and the Senate bills for creating the Consumer Financial Protection Agency? 4,3,2,1, okay, you can stop sweating, NYT has got you covered. Left column shows House, right column shows Senate. Choose the key areas to focus in on, like consumer protection, risk and executive pay on the left. Then dazzle your friends at the bar tonight!
Bank Of America Has The Crappiest Credit Card Customers
By 3.19.10
Bank of America is tops when it comes to having the most deadbeat customers. They are leading the pack in delinquent customers and charged off accounts. That ravenous acquisition strategy’s not looking so hot now, eh? You can gorge, but eventually you have to pay the check. Here’s how the major credit card companies stacked up Jan-Feb. [More]
Reader Pays Off $14,330 In 20 Months
By 3.19.10
Stuck in a $14,300 debt hole, reader Trixare4kids was dug herself out using tips she learned about on Consumerist. Let’s learn how she went on a personal finance rampage, learned to live frugally, did it all in 20 months, and how you can do it too! [More]
