Should children have credit cards? Let’s ask ’em!
money
Personal Finance Roundup
By 9.16.09
Seven New Rules for the First-Time Home Buyer [NY Times] “Here’s how they dismantled the old saw – and a list of seven suggestions they offered up in its place.”
Bailout Banks Will Keep Using Your Money For Private Jets
By 9.15.09
Under government pressure — and by “pressure” we mean asking meekly in a very soft voice — companies that have received funding from the taxpayer-funded TARP program have outlined the controls they plan to put in place to limit “luxury expenditures.” And — surprise! — the definition of “luxury” is very different for the corporate titans spending your money. While most big banks have put at least some limits on personal use of corporate jets, many seem to echo Bank of America‘s policies on official use, which state that that execs can use private planes for “safety and efficiency reasons,” no advance approval required.
Advice: Don't Try To Open A JC Penney Account With The Person You're ID Thefting
By 9.15.09
Did you hear about the identity thief in Seattle who tried to open a JC Penney credit card account with one of the very women whose identity she had stolen?
How Economists Got It So Wrong
By 9.15.09
How did economists get it so wrong, asks Paul Krugrman in a recent NYTM article. He examines several fallacies of these dismal professionals who, until everything exploded, were slapping each other on the back for having achieved something like the superstring theory of money. Oopsies.
What's The Over/Under On Mint Starting To Suck Now That Intuit Bought Them?
By 9.15.09
I blanched when I saw the subject line, “Mint.com to be acquired by Intuit, maker of Quicken.” More like “Mint.com to be acquired by Intuit, makers of crap,” I thought. Judging by your comments, I don’t blanch alone.
Financial Advice For College Students
By 9.14.09
The San Jose Mercury News has compiled a list of financial tips for people just entering college. These are the sorts of things that will help you avoid racking up huge debts or wasting money you don’t have on fees and penalties—and of course they can apply to pretty much anyone, not just college students.
Seven Free Sites To Track Your Personal Information
By 9.14.09
The Consumer Reports Money Adviser has compiled a great list of sites that store your personal information and will provide free copies of their reports to you if you ask.
Setting a Retirement Number and Determining if You're Going to Make It
By 9.11.09
After the past year’s economic slump, it’s safe to say that most of our retirement accounts are not what they used to be. So how do you know if the stock market crash has derailed your retirement or not? Of course, the first step in the process is knowing how much money you’ll need for those future days on the golf course. Personal finance blog Wise Bread says we all have two main options for determining our retirement numbers, namely:
Personal Finance Roundup
By 9.9.09
Buying Property for Your College Student: 7 Considerations [US News] “Here are seven things to consider before buying property to house your college student.”
What Bills Are In Circulation The Most?
By 9.4.09
Visual Economics has a fun chart that shows how many of each denomination of U.S. currency is in circulation, as well as their average lifespans. For some reason, the $5 bill has the shortest lifespan. Also, seriously, we need to stop producing pennies NOW.
Six Money Lessons of the Great Recession
By 9.2.09
Ok, so our collective net worth is down several trillion dollars and personally our fortunes have nose-dived, but at least the recession provides a “learning opportunity.” Or at least that’s MSN Money’s point-of-view. They suggest we’ve learned (the hard way unfortunately) the following money lessons from the recent recession :
Personal Finance Roundup
By 9.2.09
The Truth About Taxes [Get Rich Slowly] “[This article] answers some of my personal questions about taxes.”
Scam Artists Want Your Money — Here Are Their Tricks
By 8.31.09
The Buffalo News put together a roundup of common scams that scoundrels are using to swipe your money and includes advice on how to avoid them.
Schwab Bank Gives Man Excellent Customer Service
By 8.31.09
Josh would like everyone to know that Amber Beyer, Schwab Bank customer service rep, is awesome. Recently he called the bank to tell them about his travel plans. He was so impressed with her knowledegeable and kind service that he was compelled to send a laudatory email to her supervisor, and cc Consumerist. Thus, we enter this chronicle into the halls of legend, the pantheon of excellent customer service known as “Above and Beyond.” Here lies the tale:
WSJ Discovers EECB, It Works On Insurance
By 8.27.09
The venerable Wall Street Journal recently discovered the classic “EECB” technique we’ve been telling you about for years. This time, it’s health insurance companies, an industry so predicated on denial-of-care-for-profit that a few years ago a class action lawsuit based on RICO statute, invented to prosecute Mafia families for racketeering, was able to make significant headway. Lucky for you, email is much faster than the wheels of justice…
Saving Money Is Better Than Sex
By 8.27.09
Enterprising personal finance blogger J. Money analyzes a survey by two money-saving websites that finds most people would rather save $50 a week (57 percent) than drop down to the next lowest clothing size (31 percent) or have more sex (6 percent).
