Does paying off and closing a credit card hurt your credit score? That’s a two-part question. The answer to the first one is no, it helps, and the answer to the second is yes, closing your credit card hurts your credit score. Credit bureau Exerpian’s “Ask Max” says,
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10 Quasi-Secret Credit Card Perks
By 8.7.09
To get more mileage out your plastic, Mint.com’s got “10 Little-Known Credit Card Perks” to show you.
Forget Co-Pays, Your Bill Is Due Now
By 8.6.09
$10 copays are history in some doctor’s offices these days, as some clinics are requiring the entire out-of -pocket cost up front. But what if you get overcharged?
Six Ways to Save on Back-to-School Shopping
By 8.6.09
Guess what — summer is over. Ok, so it’s not technically over. But the carefree, I-don’t-have-to-think-about-school part is certainly long gone. Think differently? Just look at the Sunday paper ads, the email promotions and banner ads all over the web, and the signage in almost any store you walk into these days. Oh yeah, it’s back-to-school time, baby.
Personal Finance Roundup
By 8.6.09
The price of Wal-Mart coming to town [MSN Money] “When the retail giant moves in, it promises cheaper goods, more jobs and more tax revenue. And in the short term, it delivers. But the initial boost hides later losses.”
The Five Universal Financial Truths
By 8.2.09
Saving can be boiled down to a few universal financial truths. The sooner you know and internalize them, the sooner you can start enjoying a responsible, sustainable lifestyle.
Teach Your Kids To Lie For Fun And Profit
By 7.31.09
Is it okay to lie and make your kid lie if it saves you money and time? This mommy thinks so.
Save Money by Shopping on Tax Holidays
By 7.30.09
How would you like to save 4% to 7% on many of your back-to-school purchases? Or maybe you aren’t a student but have some fall clothing shopping to do and would like those savings yourself. Or you’re been putting off that computer purchase for a few months. Well, with the tax holidays many states are offering, now may be your time to pounce and buy, buy, buy.
Personal Finance Roundup
By 7.30.09
20 Ways to Waste Your Money [Kiplinger] “Here are 20 common ways people waste money.”
By 7.28.09
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We don’t recommend keeping your savings in your pantry, but in case you were wondering, here’s how much money you can fit into an Apple Jacks box. [Slate]
3 Big Banks Sued For Overdraft Fee Practices
By 7.27.09
Banks don’t believe in first come, first served, when it comes to processing your transactions. Instead, it’s biggest appetite, first served. In other words, they process a batch of debits on your account by order of largest to smallest. The result, critics, and now, several lawsuits, charge that it maximizes the overdraft fees they can harvest.
New Home Sales Increase! Still Down 21%!
By 7.27.09
The world is currently overjoyed at the news that new home sales have increased by 11% this month, which is apparently much more than expected, but are still 21% below the levels of a year ago.
At Least Someone's Getting A Raise: Minimum Wage Rises To $7.25
By 7.25.09
Great news, laid-off Wall Streeters, minimum wage work just a got bit more lucrative! As of yesterday, the new minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.
Mortgage Mod Scams Using Paperthin Lawyers As Legit Front
By 7.24.09
“Let me put it this way. It’s like food stamps,” said the mortgage modification telemarketer trying to talk consumer advocate and Red Tape Chronicles blogger Bob Sullivan into a new loan. Following the trail of who this guy works for lead Sullivan to discover a new kind of mortgage modification scammer.
Two Men Charged With Placing Skimmer On Maryland ATM
By 7.24.09
Two men “of no fixed address” were charged in Maryland earlier this month with tampering with an ATM and skimming funds. The men, currently in custody in Oklahoma for similar crimes, allegedly added a skimmer and camera to an ATM at a Maryland PNC bank in April, but police weren’t notified of the tampering until May 20th.
Getting A Bonanza: Pay Off Debt Now Or Over Time?
By 7.24.09
I am going to be coming in to a large amount of money and I should be able to pay off some of my mounting credit card bills, over $15K. Should I pay it off all at once or space out the payments over 3 or 6 months? I would like to buy a house in a year and want to get the biggest gold star on my credit report I can.
Personal Finance Roundup
By 7.24.09
Look abroad for cheaper health care [MSN Money] “More patients — and insurance companies — are turning to overseas facilities for lower-cost medical procedures. And the quality of care often rivals that of the US.”
Creative Ways to Save Money on a Wedding
By 7.24.09
Depending on the source, the cost of an average wedding in the US is somewhere between a low of $20k and a high of almost $30k. No matter what number you use, that’s expensive. But Wise Bread offers us some extreme weddings savings tips than can make the day very affordable. But be warned, there will be lots of compromises. Here are their suggestions and our quick summaries of each idea:
