Mint.com started as a darling of free online personal finance management tools but the love affair has soured for some users since the site was acquired by Intuit back in 2009. At first it was complaints about the ads for Quicken and other Intuit products and some of the fun language and tone getting lost. But in late 2010 Mint switched their backend system from Yodlee to Quicken’s in-house one, leading a number of customers’ accounts screwed up and prompting some to abandon Mint entirely. [More]
personal finance
Best Student Checking Accounts
By 6.8.11
New freshman entering college this Fall should take the time right now to get their banking account set up if they don’t have one already. Consumerist Commentary rounds up the best student checking accounts and compares their benefits and fees. The good news is that the best of the crop have no fees, or fees waived if you can meet some pretty easy requirements. [More]
Credit Card Reform Worked: Prices Not Increased, Just Clearer
By 6.8.11
Ignore all the haters. Credit card reform in 2009 did its job, making credit cards less confusing and safer for consumers. According to a new study from the Center for Responsible Lending, contrary to popular misconception, the reforms didn’t increase prices for credit cards, it just made the real costs clearer. Banks couldn’t tuck costs in hidden fees and sneaky practices, they had to put them on the sign out front. [More]
Before Entering Scam, Man Wants To Make Sure He Can Get A Refund…
By 6.7.11
John is interested in signing up for a currency trading system that says it will turn $10,000 into $100,000 in a year. The service says you have to try it out for 90 days before canceling and he’s worried that that’s just to avoid chargebacks. John should probably be worried about some bigger stuff than just a chargeback. [More]
Get A Free FICO-esque Score From Credit Sesame
By 6.7.11
Credit Sesame is an advertising-supported service that gets you your credit score for free. No hidden fees, singers in Renaissance garb or gotchas. It’s not quite your FICO, but it’s close. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 6.7.11
5 Things to Consider Before Taking in Renters [US News] “Before you take the plunge and list your rental property, here are five things to consider.”
Top 5 mistakes on executive resumes [CNN Money] “Five mistakes that executives commonly make when they put together a resume.”
Free Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day [Wise Bread] “Here are some ideas to get you started.”
The Pre-Interview Ritual [Ask Men] “Of all the situations in which you need to be at your best, they are never as crucial as before the job interview.”
How to Protect Yourself After Identity Theft [Kiplinger] “Before paying for an identity-theft-protection service, be sure you know what you’re getting for your money.”
Best Credit Cards To Get Now
By 6.6.11
After a nearly apocalyptic pull-back in the credit card market, with credit lines slashed to the quick and new credit being denied, banks have decided to let a trickle flow out again. To entice the cream of the credit score crop, they’re dangling a new batch of incentives. Via the Richmond Times-Dispatch, here’s some of the best deals out there right now on credit cards: [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 5.31.11
Ready to Retire? Here’s a Five-Year Pre-Retirement Plan. [Wall Street Journal] “We have compiled a checklist of things to do and consider over a five-year timeline before this crucial date.”
How fear can ruin your retirement [MSN Money] “A new study indicates recent or soon-to-be retirees have serious money worries, but they can take steps to assuage those concerns and improve their financial situation.”
Indexing Works [Financial Planning] “Many investors think active managers can shift out of stocks in time to stem losses in bear markets. Not true.”
Million Dollar Homes Across America 2011 [Yahoo Finance] “We checked in with cities across America to find out about their million-dollar dwellings.”
4 Health Myths That Drain Your Wallet [US News] “Here are four health myths that could cause you to overspend.”
3 Big Banks Launch Pay By Cell And Email System Called clearXchange
By 5.25.11
Three of the nation’s biggest banks have teamed up to offer a new payment service that lets you transfer money from your bank account using only a cell phone number or email address. It’s called clearXchange and it’s being offered to Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo customers. An inkling of how it will work is revealed on the initiative’s placeholder web page. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 5.24.11
How to Get 55% More Rewards with Your Chase Freedom Credit Card [Free Money Finance] “This [strategy] effectively makes the card a 3.1% cash back card — which is great in almost anyone’s book!”
What to Look for When Researching Your Potential Boss [US News] “You can learn a lot about [your potential supervisor]l by scouring their online profiles and company website.”
5 Tips to Save on Summer Camp [MoneyTalksNews] “The first step is to get your kids involved as early in the process as possible.”
Money Lessons for Every High-School Graduate [Wall Street Journal] “Here are five things every high-school graduate should try to remember.”
Allowances: ‘Welfare’ for kids? [MSN Money] “When children feel they’re entitled to parental payouts, teaching the value of a work ethic becomes even more important.”
Amex Settles Case Alleging They Advertised BOGO, But Charged Double
By 5.23.11
How’s this for a bad deal? American Express Publishing Corp. had an offer for a “free” airline ticket when you bought a companion ticket and a subscription to Skyguide magazine. But a lawsuit brought by five Californian counties says that when consumers went to the website to buy their ticket, they were often charged double what the ticket would have cost them if they bought the ticket straight from the airline. Get it? [More]
Trick Yourself Into Socking Money Away
By 5.22.11
It’s one thing to realize you should be saving money in order to strive for a particular financial goal or solidify your long-term future, but it’s another to generate the discipline to actually leave yourself with enough funds left over to put away. [More]
What To Keep In Mind When Merging Accounts With A Significant Other
By 5.22.11
Intimate relationships have a way of disarming even for those who are fiercely independent with their finances, and that intimacy can lead to the logistical horror that is merging bank accounts and credit cards. [More]
Mother Wins $7,500 After Suing Debt Collector
By 5.19.11
Mayling, mother of two, says she was inspired by Consumerist stories and when a harassing debt collector wouldn’t stop calling her family, she took matters into her own hands. With a 6 month-old and a toddler in tow, she sued them in small claims court and won $7,500. This is her story. [More]
Here's A Cookie, America, For Paying Your Credit Cards Off And On Time
By 5.19.11
Good job, America. You are being most excellent at paying your credit card bills and paying them on time. LowCards reports that credit card default and late payment levels fell once again in April to their lowest since 2008. The reasons why are pretty obvious: [More]
When Buying A Home, Get Out Of Your Head And Do The Math On Paper
By 5.19.11
In the heat of house-hunting, it can be easy to keep all the numbers in your head. You debate back and forth over which properties to target and for how much and under what conditions. But as the Trulia blog notes, if you mostly just do this mental math without putting it down on paper it can be easy to talk yourself into less-advantageous deals when the numbers in your head collide with the emotions in your heart. [More]
Skimmers Found Installed Inside Gas Pumps. Inside!
By 5.18.11
If you’re the type of person who already reflexively jiggles every card slot and looks for pinhole cameras whenever you go to swipe your card, despair. There is no 100% foolproof way to protect yourself, as proven by a pair of banditos who stole 3,600 card numbers after installing a credit card skimmer inside several gas pumps, reports the MountainView Voice. [More]
4 Magical Words Debt Collectors Use To Open Your Pockets
By 5.18.11
Debt collection is all about mind games. NotSoDeepSouth blogged about the four magical words that he used to use as a debt collector that acted like a crowbar on people’s wallets, getting formerly relcacitrant people to empty out their pockets. [More]
