Consumerist

personal finance

Personal Finance Roundup

By FMF 11.2.10

My Ten Biggest Money Savers Since Starting The Simple Dollar [The Simple Dollar] “Ten specific things that have had the biggest positive impact on our day-to-day finances over the past four years.”

8 drawbacks of being a millionaire [MSN Money] “Wealth comes with its own set of worries.”

How to Buy and Sell Physical Gold and Silver [Free Money Finance] “Specifics on the how tos of buying physical gold and silver.”

10 Things Outlet Malls Won’t Tell You [Smart Money] “We’re inconvenient on purpose.”

5 Tips to Stop Those Annoying Robo-Calls [Money Talks News] “Here are some things you can do that might help.”

— FREE MONEY FINANCE

debt

Debt Collectors Have Been Using Robo-Signers For Years

By Ben Popken 11.1.10

For all the attention being paid robo-signing foreclosure mills, you’d think people would be more interested in the guys who basically invented the business of mass-production affidavits: debt collectors. [More]

savings

How To Build A Reserve Fund

By Phil Villarreal 10.31.10

Money mavens always harp on you to stash some money away to stave off disasters such as layoffs or having to blow $1,000 on a pair of tickets to see the Giants play in the World Series for the first time in forever. [More]

credit cards

Credit Card Lets You Choose Paying By Credit Or Rewards Points

By Ben Popken 10.29.10

Would you like to pay with reward points, or credit? Just press the button on your credit card and a microcomputer rewrites the information on the magnetic strip, letting you switch payment types. A tiny light lets you know which one is active. That’s a new kind of credit card, the “2G,” Citibank is testing out starting next month. [More]

personal finance

What Financial Paperwork Can You Safely Toss?

By Chris Morran 10.29.10

Do you have a mountain of more than a year’s worth of credit-card bills, ATM receipts, and pay stubs? Hanging on to every scrap of paper is not just a fire hazard. It could take you days instead of minutes to get the information you need for a tax preparer, a financial planner, or an attorney. If you’re the victim of a fire, flood, or theft, locating the data you need to file a claim will just add to your stress. And if something happens to you, loved ones will have a hard time finding your medical power of attorney, insurance papers, and accounts. [More]

readers

Debt Collection Firm Accused Of Setting Up Phony Courtroom

By Ben Popken 10.29.10

Call it “theater of the real.” A debt collection firm is accused of setting up a fake courtroom, complete with a raised “bench” and judge in black and other decorations and furniture, to trick and holding bogus hearings to extract payment from debtors. [More]

money

SNL Teaches The Secret To Staying Debt Free

By Ben Popken 10.27.10

With the economy in the pooper, it’s time to repost this classic Saturday Night Live sketch which contains the most important secret to staying out of debt and living happily. Starring Steve Martin, Amy Poehler and Chris Parnell, this gem distills the one essential trick to just one single phrase… [More]

personal finance

Personal Finance Roundup

By FMF 10.27.10

How to Become Wealthy [Free Money Finance] “Want a guaranteed way to become wealthy? Read on.”

9 strategies for this (or any) market [MSN Money] “Even in scary economic times, investors who stick with the basics — indexing, diversifying, dollar-cost averaging and more — are usually rewarded.”

10 Things We Overpay For [Kiplinger] “You can save a lot by buying cheaper alternatives.”

5 Reasons Why You Should Give Kids Cash for the Holidays [Wise Bread] “Here’s why I’m sending cash for Christmas, and you should too.”

20 Favorite Dirt Cheap Meals [The Simple Dollar] “20 of my favorites.”

— FREE MONEY FINANCE

readers

Wells Fargo Hits Girl With Secret Fee Trifecta

By Ben Popken 10.26.10

Christina is broke as a joke. Wells Fargo doesn’t think this is funny and decides to shut down her account for having no money in it and no activity on it. No big whoop, she’ll just open another account. She does this twice. Then, whups! Those accounts were never closed! And we’re charging you fees because they were actually fee-based savings accounts! And you’re in collections! Good times, let them roll: [More]

western union

10 Ways To Fight International Fraud

By Ben Popken 10.25.10

The FTC has got 10 ways to protect yourself from international scam rings. The most important one has go to be to never deposit a check in your account with the agreement that you’re going to wire a portion of it elsewhere. [More]

economy

Loan Mod Denied Because Family Saved Too Much, Now Heading To Foreclosure

By Ben Popken 10.25.10

This family sought a loan mod after the father had his hours cut at work, making it hard for them to make their regular monthly payments. They followed the advice of housing counselors, reducing expenses and saving up money. Finally, PNC Bank told them their loan was denied. The $7,160 they saved up, which included a $5,218 tax refund, meant they were too well off to qualify. Now their house heads towards foreclosure. [More]

money

Get Debt Free With One Manila Folder

By Ben Popken 10.21.10

When you’re facing a pile of debt and unpaid bills, the task before you can seem overwhelming. You’d much rather be pounding Olde English and watching old Daily Show episodes. The key is to get it all organized and in one place, and it all starts with one manila folder. [More]

roundups

Personal Finance Roundup

By FMF 10.20.10

5 ways to wreck your retirement [MSN Money] “So, you think you’re prepared for retirement? You might be overlooking big traps.”

10 least stressful jobs [CNN Money] “Feeling overworked and overwhelmed? Maybe it’s time for a career change to one of these 10 fields.”

10 free sources for home repair know-how [Smart Spending] “You can overcome the fear that you’ll make a mistake that will cost thousands of dollars to fix.”

Explaining RÃ©sumÃ© Gaps to Employers [Wall Street Journal] “It’s important to have your story ready and turn your experiences during that gap into a plus for a prospective employer.”

10 More Essential Skills You Didn’t Learn in College [The Simple Dollar] “Most of the skills that a person uses in a financially, professionally, and personally successful life are developed outside of a classroom.”

— FREE MONEY FINANCE

fees

Pick A Bank That Won't Screw You

By Ben Popken 10.18.10

Shopping for a bank but don’t want to get dinged with fees or unfair practices, but not totally sure you know what they all are? Those banks can be darn creative, after all. Here’s a great online guide that takes you step by step through all the practices you should watch out for. Complete the worksheet and you’ll have a good idea of whether you should stash your cash there or not. [More]

personal finance

6 Ways To Safeguard Your Income

By Phil Villarreal 10.16.10

Kimberly, who writes the U.S. News & World Report’s Alpha Consumer blog and has a new book out, wants you to control your finances rather than let them dominate you. [More]

taxes

Sorting Out Tax Consequences Of Asset Sales

By Phil Villarreal 10.16.10

If you sell something for a profit, you can expect the government to take its cut. [More]

planet money

Reporters Convert Toxic Assets Into Gold

By Ben Popken 10.15.10

Those crazy NPR Planet Money kids took the money they had left over from their failed toxic asset investment – affectionately known as “Toxie” – and put it all into the next big bubble: gold! For $419 they got one shiny gold coin. In 6 months they’ll sell it, regardless of prices, and in the meantime, report on what happens to it. [More]

money

Tomorrow Is Deadline To Undo A Roth Conversion For Cash

By Ben Popken 10.14.10

You’ve only got until tomorrow, October 15, to roll it back if you converted a traditional IRA to a Roth in 2009. Why might you want to do this? If the account lost money or you just need cash in hand, you can get back the taxes you paid on the conversion. [More]

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