A homeowner has affixed their SUV with a creative anti-Bank of America collage and slogans on posterboard and parked it outside a BofA branch in Austin, Texas. Reader Jeff is at the SXSW festival and sent in this picture he snapped of the scene. The driver of the car apparently has a loan with Bank of America and is accusing them of “fraud” though I can’t decipher from the medley of images what kind they had in mind. Nice pirate flag, though. [More]
personal finance
Personal Finance Roundup
By 3.15.11
5 Biggest Retirement Myths [Smart Money] “Here’s our look at five of the biggest, with a few alternatives for the reality-driven investor.”
12 Tips For Renting A Vacation Home [The Wisdom Journal] “Here are a few of my personal tips for making your vacation one to remember.”
How to purge your financial clutter [MSN Money] “Here are tips on what you should throw out and how to organize what you should keep.”
How To Save Money On Theme Park Visits [Not Made of Money] “[How to] stretch your budget and still have a great time.”
26 Ways to Save on Spring Break [Money Talks News] “It’s time for Spring Break! We’ve got lots of ways to save.”
Europeans Guillotine Credit Card Magnetic Strips
By 3.14.11
The credit card magnetic strip might be on the path to becoming the 8-track of our times, and this time, it’s all the Europeans fault. The European Payments Council recently passed a resolution that declares that magnetic strips should only be allowed in “exceptional cases” and lets banks refuse magnetic strips if they feel like it. [More]
Forgiven Credit Card Debt Over $600 Is Taxable Income
By 3.14.11
Did you negotiate a debt settlement in 2010 on your credit card? If the amount you knocked off is more than $600, LowCards notes, the IRS considers it income and you’ll have to pay tax on it. Sorry Charlie, you’re not out of the woods yet. [More]
Debit Cards Might Bounce Like Checks
By 3.14.11
Could a future where your debit card can “bounce” be that far off? That’s what this WSJ article suggests. If so, it would be the result of another creative bit of backlash the banks are mulling in response to the 12 cent debit card fee cap scheduled to go into effect in April. Here’s how it would go down. [More]
Readers Find Lost Money Using Unclaimed.org
By 3.11.11
Last week we told you about Unclaimed.org, a free non-profit site that’s a convenient portal for searching for unclaimed property state by state. Well Consumerist readers report they’re finding tons of cash under the couch cushions using it! Via comments and email, here’s what people have been hauling in: [More]
Stop Yourself From Overusing Credit Cards By Demagnetizing Them
By 3.10.11
People who have a hard time exercising willpower over their credit card use sometimes find it necessary/helpful to take some extreme steps. Besides cutting them up or freezing them, Lifehacker points out that serial impulse-swipers can help limit their spending by demagnetizing their cards. Just rub a high-strength magnet, like the kind found in a hard-drive, over the strip. It will be harder to go for a spree at the mall because the card number would have to be punched in by hand, but you will be able to make purchases online for airline tickets and such. If the primary way that you overspend is through a real-world shopping romp, this could be one way to curb your bad habit. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 3.8.11
The 9 Secrets of Highly Successful Craigslist Sellers [Wise Bread] “Follow these guidelines, and you can get much better results the next time you post something on Craigslist.”
10 Things Health Insurers Won’t Say [Smart Money] “#1: Your deductible is only the beginning.”
Adding It Up: Amazon Ship vs. Costco Shop [NY Times] “Amazon takes on Costco by offering to ship household items in bulk.”
Test drive highlights tax software limits [USA Today] “This year’s tax software review revealed the limitations of these programs. Here’s where we ran into trouble.”
Why Do Insurance Companies Use Credit Reports and Scores? [Mint Life] “The use of credit reports for underwriting insurance is perfectly legal. The real question is, why do they do it?”
Trick Fraudulent Debt Collectors With Google Voice
By 3.7.11
Steve, name changed for his protection, found himself bedeviled by fraudulent debt collectors. They bought his personal information from an online payday loan site where he had applied for a loan but never actually took it out. They called him constantly, threatening to send him to jail and take him to court. In this situation, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act didn’t matter. They were overseas scammers who didn’t care about American law, bulling people into paying debts they never incurred. The only way to stop them was by changing all his phone numbers. That’s where using Google Voice came in. [More]
Disabled Janitor's $311,000 Victory Against Abusive Firm Trying To Collect $3,800 Debt
By 3.7.11
They just wouldn’t stop calling, and now they have to pay. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a ruling that a debt collection firm will have to pay a former janitor suffering from a head injury $311,000. Quite a turn of events, considering the debt they were hounding him on was only about $3,800. [More]
How Do You Pick An Executor For Your Estate?
By 3.4.11
When you’re putting a will together, choosing the executor can be a touchy subject. [More]
Find Your Lost Money At Unclaimed.Org
By 3.3.11
Like looking under the cushions of the largest couch ever, unclaimed.org is a way to search for money that you’ve forgotten about or over looked. Pick the state and that will connect you to the unclaimed property search page for that state and you can start looking to see if you have any old checking and savings account, forgotten pay checks, safe deposit boxes, or trust distributions that are due to you. A friend of mine did this recently and found two old checks. Pretty sweet unexpected bonanza in a recession. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 3.1.11
Dust Off Your Network [Free Money Finance] “If you think you might find yourself on the job market in the next six months, you should have the foresight to start by dusting off your network.”
5 Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund [Money Watch] “Here are five timely ways to make the most of your lump sum refund.”
4 Ways Breast-Feeding Saves Money [Wise Bread] “Here are some reasons why breast-feeding can save money.”
Your Parents and Their Money: Seven Issues You Need to Address [Wallet Pop] “Here are seven ways to break the ice on some of the toughest conversations that you and your mom and dad should have.”
9 Great Investment Moves to Make Now [Kiplinger] “Even if the markets stumble, you can keep your portfolio steady with these smart investing strategies.”
Why Banks Threatening To Limit Debit Card Swipes To $50 Is Horrible, And Hooey
By 2.28.11
As I mentioned on Friday, because the banks are pissed off, pretty soon you might not be able to pay for a restaurant meal or pay for groceries on your debit card. The banks are considering putting a $50-$100 cap on how much you can buy per transaction with a debit card. First, I think they’re bluffing. But, if they really followed through on it, this would seriously disrupt commerce across America. Let me paint you a picture of hypothetical supermarket checkout line. [More]
Banks Shutting Down Branches In Poorer Hoods While Opening In Richer
By 2.28.11
The New York Times combed through the data and found that when the banks close branches, they’re doing it in poorer neighborhoods. And when they open a new branch, it’s more likely to be in a well-off area. While that makes business sense, it could violate the spirit of the Community Reinvestment Act which was passed to curb “redlining,” where lower-income neighborhoods are discriminated against by the financial services industry. [More]
Video Of Bully Debt Collector Crumbling
By 2.25.11
Here are two videos, the first of debt collector threatening this man’s wife and kids over a debt he had already repaid, and the second of when he calls them back and takes them to task. The debt collector says he’s an “officer” with the “ULPD,” which is the “United Legal Processing Division” but the name sounds like it was chosen to make it sounds like law enforcement. Note how quickly they fold once he starts asking questions like “Who are you,” “who do you work for,” and “what proof do you have.” Then think about how if that’s all it takes to get them to back off and move on to the next soft target, how these bullying tactics must be working for them. [More]
Banks Might Limit Amount You Can Buy On Debit Card
By 2.25.11
Grumbling over proposed limits to debit card swipe fees, banks are hinting they’re considering putting a cap on how much you can buy with a debit card. It could even be something like $50 or $100, forcing consumers to either pay with credit card or cash. [More]
Even After Bankruptcy, Couple Continues To Splurge
By 2.25.11
This couple filed for bankruptcy but still kept going on vacations on at exotic four-star hotels, despite not paying their mortgage since September. A financial planner helps them get a grip on reality. [More]
