The headlines are screaming that America is more addicted to debt than crack. Then there are people out there who actually have a psycophysical need to spend spend spend. Are you one of them? Is your partner or friend? These are the 12 warning signs to watch out for…
personal finance
How I Talk Myself Out Of Buying Stuff
By 10.7.08
If you find yourself in one of those moods where you just “have to have it”, and end up in the store staring at it, talk to yourself about it. List all the reasons you want it (want, not need), and all the reasons you don’t want or need it…
Scamming The FreeTripleScore.com Scam
By 10.7.08
Just saw a (horribly produced) ad last night for freetriplescore.com, the latest in a long string piece of crap “free” credit score sites. As Chris Walters noted when he wrote about it, for the most part it’s a ripoff. But maybe there’s a way to pull a fast one of you own and get a free credit score…
Does The Citi "Payment Partner Program" Work?
By 10.7.08
For several years and in different forms, Citi has had an interesting idea to get you/help you to pay off your credit card called the Citi Payment Partner Program. How it works is if you enroll and make above the minimum payment due for four months, on-time, at the end they will match 10% of the amount you paid off above your minimum payment. The max cap is $550. But there are two important caveats:
Confessions Of A Shopaholic Makes Irresponsible Debting Look Fun And Hilarious
By 10.7.08
Jerry Bruckheimer turns the lens of his celluloid cyclops away from exploding airplanes to exploding credit card debt in an adaptation of Confessions of a Shopaholic. There’s a scene in the trailer where our heroine has frozen her credit card in a block of ice (see “Stop Spending By Freezing Your Credit Card In Ice“) and, stricken by a frenzy, she chops and hacks at it and uses a blowdryer to free it. Sort of amusing, although most people I’ve read about who freeze their credit card usually don’t ever crack them open. Full trailer inside.
The Economist Sums Up Financial Crisis: "Oh Fuck!"
By 10.6.08
If you feel at a loss for words to describe the now global financial cover, this spoof cover floating around the internet for September’s Economist says it all: “Oh fuck!” Download the large version, suitable for framing or desktop wallpaper, inside…
By 10.6.08
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After falling 800 points in a single trading session, the Dow pulled back to finish down just 369.88. [NYT]
Reader Pays Off $14,330 In 20 Months With Our Tips
By 10.6.08
Stuck in a $14,300 debt hole, reader Trixare4kids was able to dig herself out using tips she learned about on Consumerist.com. Let’s learn how she attacked her personal finances and learned to live frugally, and did it all in 20 months.
Your Inactive Credit Cards Could Be In Danger
By 10.6.08
If you’ve got a few credit cards lying around that you haven’t used in a while but don’t want to lose, you might want to talk them out for a walk.
Find A Good Financial Planner
By 10.2.08
I’m not convinced that they’re totally necessary but if you’re going to look for a financial planner, here’s how to go about it. While some financial planners argue that fees, investment returns, education and experience aren’t that important when selecting a financial advisor, impartial observers almost always disagree. Case in point is US News’ listing of six steps to finding a good financial planner. Their suggestions are as follows:
Happy Ending: Always Look A Gift Check In The Mouth
By 10.2.08
There’s a happy ending to our story, “Always Look A Gift Check In The Mouth” about the guy who opened up a new bank account just to deposit a check he thought might be fraudulent and indeed, turned out to be. Fred writes:
Staying Out Of The Red Is The New Black
By 10.2.08
All of a sudden, everyone is interested in how their banks, credit cards, credit scores, credit reports, mortgages, and money actually work. Staying out of the red is the new black. Have you found yourself talking more about money matters and strategies with friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers?
How To Get Out Of Debt
By 10.2.08
J is in a debt hole and needs help getting out. We’re going to give it to him: [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 10.2.08
Knock $4,000 off your utility bill [CNN Money] “Invest $1,500 in insulation and maintenance and get over twice that in energy savings the first year.”
Leading Hotels Do-Over Postponed
By 10.2.08
Don’t bother getting up early tomorrow to submit your Leading Hotels Of The World do-over app in the hopes of snagging a $19.28 hotel room. All the registrants just got an email saying it was postponed. Here’s their full email:
Reader Saves $425 By Saving Save Every $5 Bill
By 10.1.08
Brandon Savage writes that he’s having success with saving by taking the advice in our “Get Rich By Saving Every $5 Bill” post. Since starting in August, he’s got $425 in additional savings this way. Here’s how he does it:
E*Trade Sells Your Stock To Pay Inactivity Fee
By 10.1.08
If you’ve bought stocks through E*Trade, make sure you log into your account at least once a quarter. That way you can see if there’s any alerts on the account, like the one telling you about the “inactivity fee” for not executing at least one trade per quarter, the fee that they’ll sell some of your stocks to pay for. This happened to reader Brody, who writes:
By 10.1.08
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Word is Sovereign Bank and National City Corp are “next on the FDIC’s to-do-list.” [Clusterstock]
