In Texas, Homeowner’s Associations (HOAs) are on a foreclosing spree, selling members’ homes on the courthouse steps for just a few thousand dollars simply because they are a few hundred dollars behind on their homeowner’s dues. Sometimes they’re even selling it to HOA board members, who turn around and sell the house for half of what it’s worth, netting a tidy profit. [More]
personal finance
10 Commandments Of Using Coupons
By 6.30.10
The world of shoppers is divided into two, sometimes rival, camps: those who coupon and those who don’t. If you are going to coupon, you have to make sure that you do it right and respect your fellow shoppers, otherwise they will hoist you (in their minds) from the nearest shopping cart return sign. So then, NJ.com proposes 10 commandments for couponers to follow so that we can all live together in harmony, couponer and non alike. [More]
Mint Makes Saving More Fun With New "Goals" Dashboard
By 6.30.10
Mint was the cool kid on the financial website block until it cut its hair and went corporate, but the Intuit-owned service can still roll out some nifty features now and then. The latest is a “goals” dashboard, which takes advantage of our natural tendency to try harder if there’s some way to see immediate feedback. Under your account there’s now a goals tab, where you can activate any of the default choices (“get out of debt,” “take a trip,” “buy a home”) or create your own (“laser hair removal,” “pvc bodysuit”). Then you can link your accounts to that goal, and have a quick visual metric you can use to stay focused. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 6.30.10
Seven secrets of coupon pros [Consumer Reports] “Nancy Niemeyer, an IT project manager from Seattle, says she feeds her family of four for about $10 a week.”
5 cheap places to retire in the US [MSN Money] “An expert offers his top picks, taking costs, culture and access to medical care into consideration.”
How 5 money blunders ding your credit [Smart Spending] “FICO calls them ‘damage points,’ and, boy, can they pull down your credit score.”
10 Things Funeral Directors Won’t Tell You [Smart Money] “The best defense? Shop around, or have someone who is up to it do it for you.”
7 Lessons the World Cup Offers on the Stock Market [Wall Street Journal] “Here are seven lessons that ‘the beautiful game’ can teach you about the money game.”
Homebuyer Tax Credit Poised For 3-Month Extension
By 6.30.10
First-time homebuyers looking to snag the up to $8,000 income tax credit that expires today could get a reprieve. If you already signed the purchase contract by April 30th but haven’t closed yet, you will have 3-months to seal the deal, if a bill passed by Congress yesterday makes it through the Senate, which it seems it will. [More]
Even Wells Fargo CEO Powerless To Reduce Your Punitive APR
By 6.28.10
The APR on Kevin’s Wells Fargo credit card got jacked up from 9.6% to almost 23%. He owes $16,000. At 9.6, he could afford to make double the monthly payments, but now he’s paying $300+ a month in finance charges alone. He’s begged up and down the hierarchy, from the CEO to any exec or VP he could reach, to please reduce his APR so he can carry this debt. Nope. The numbers have spoken. The odds are calculated. Your risk has been assessed, and the verdict has been issued: you lose. [More]
Fun Summer Project: Get Your Tax Records In Order!
By 6.28.10
Inc. magazine has published a list of tips on how to get your home business tax documentation in order right now, so next year’s tax filing will be trouble free. Sure, this isn’t the most exciting staycation idea ever, but on the other hand anything you can do at home you can do in your underwear with a six pack of beer. I should really become a motivational speaker. [More]
Shady Car Dealers Price Loans More Than What Bank Will Take So You Love Them When It's Reduced
By 6.25.10
A former manager of a car dealership knows exactly how sneaky those sons of guns can be. One of their favorite tricks involved knowingly pricing out the monthly payments at $100 above what the bank computers would let buyer afford, and then acting like they’re your best friend for getting it lowered $100. [More]
Pay Less Rent
By 6.24.10
In life, everything is negotiable, including your rent. Many renters might tremble at confronting the dark landlord ogre, but with a little research, some tips on negotiating, and a little moxie, you can stand a fighting chance at trimming your monthly rent check: [More]
How To Dispute Credit Report Errors
By 6.24.10
Over 80% of credit reports have errors on them, errors which could be lowering your credit score and keeping you from getting credit or paying more for it than you should. Here’s how to fix them: [More]
Book On Tuesdays, Fly On Wednesdays
By 6.23.10
Looking to save money on airfare for that fun summer getaway? The best time to buy an airline ticket is Tuesday around 3pm, and the best time to fly is a Wednesday. Why? [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 6.23.10
10 Things 401(k) Providers Won’t Tell You [Smart Money] “#1. We’re making money on your 401(k) — even if you’re not.”
10 common car-buying mistakes [MSN Money] “Before you step foot in a dealership, arm yourself with these tips. If you don’t, you could be taken for a ride.”
One in five older Americans a victim of financial fraud: survey [MarketWatch] “More than 7.3 million older Americans — one out of every five citizens over the age of 65 — already have been victimized by a financial swindle.”
How Not to Buy Too Much [Wise Bread] “You need to learn financial balance — spending wisely most of the time and treating yourself to the occasional Ferrari.”
Your Vacation-Home Checklist [Kiplinger] “These nine tips can help buyers keep expenses under control.”
Hunt Down Your Credit Card Contract Online
By 6.22.10
Hey, you can now look up your credit card contract online. There’s a searchable database over at the Federal Reserve that lets you check them out in both text and PDF form. [More]
10 Things To Know Before Buying A Condo
By 6.22.10
Before you jump into buying a condo, there’s 10 questions you should know the answer to: [More]
25 Inspirational Money, Career Blogs
By 6.21.10
Man vs. Debt, itself one of the finer personal finance blogs I’ve come across, has put together a list of 25 money and career-obsessed sites that aim to drive you toward financial and workplace bliss. [More]
POLL: How Much Debt Do You Have?
By 6.18.10
Let’s play a fun game. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. Debt, that is! [More]
Banks Luring You Into Signing Back Up For High Overdraft Fees
By 6.18.10
Banks are mad they can’t just automatically charge you a $35 overdraft anymore if you happen to try to buy a candy bar without enough cash in your account. Newly enacted legislation says they have to get you to opt-in to such overdraft programs. So, what they’re doing is renaming the overdraft programs something else, making them sound awesome, and then blitzing your mailbox and inbox with up-sells. Some banks are even calling people up! [More]
Unpublished Phone Number For Bank of America Online Banking Support
By 6.17.10
If you need to reach phone-based support for your Bank of America online account, it might be hard. You won’t find the number listed anywhere on their site. But we’ve got the unpublished number: [More]
