FatWallet forum member NewNole2001 details how they just finished paying off $9,482 in credit card debt. Here’s how Nole did it:
personal finance
Sallie Mae Stops Student Loan Consolidation, Will No Longer Pay Origination Fees On Stafford Loans
By 4.15.08
Consolidation loans are no longer profitable for Sallie Mae, so it’s saying goodbye to them. SmartMoney points out that ultimately this shouldn’t matter for students taking out new loans, since the original point of consolidation—converting lots of variable rate loans into a nice predictable fixed rate loan—is no longer relevant (all federal student loans are now disbursed with fixed interest rates.) SmartMoney says if you still have variable rate loans you need/want to consolidate, check out the government’s consolidation offering—”You’re likely to pay the same consolidation rates you’d pay if you did so with Sallie Mae,” they write.
Sallie Mae Has No Idea Where Your $1500 Is
By 4.15.08
Then I finished my enlistment, was honorably discharged, and waited for the last payment to come in. It was 4 months late and when it got there (mid-December), it looked like it was $1500 MORE than what was left owed on my account. I called the Army and they confirmed that they had payed the correct amount they owed me, taking interest into account. The overpayment belongs to me. Yay, more free money!
Citicard Exec On Ending Universal Default: "It's Like Telling People You Stopped Beating Your Wife."
By 4.14.08
I was talking to a high-up marketing type person from Citicards recently and she wanted to know what Consumerist readers were complaining about with regards to the little plastic devil she pushes. She told me how Citicards had recently stopped doing Universal Default, which is where if you’re late on your payments with one creditor, other creditors get to treat you like you defaulted with them and spike your APR. She said she was personally appalled after finding out that her company had the policy in the first place, but then struggled with how to tell customers about it, because, she said, “It’s like telling people you stopped beating your wife.”
Make More Money by Getting Plastic Surgery?
By 4.12.08
Without a doubt, your career is your most important financial asset. As such, most financial experts will suggest you should do all you can to make the most of it and maximize your compensation. But is there a limit to what you can and should do to make more money? Blogger Penelope Trunk cites a new book that says good-looking people make more money than not-so-good-looking people. And well they should. The facts suggest that good-looking people make more for their companies and thus deserve higher pay…
Kmart Will Trade You A Bottle Of Coke Or Free Candy For A Sears Credit Card App
By 4.8.08
Dan sent us this pic he snapped in a local Kmart and writes, “I remember a previous post on a Wal-Mart card that offered a 2-liter bottle, but I guess inflation caught up with big K as they are only offering 20-oz.”
By 4.8.08
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Some people are obsessed with saving dead bugs, others, silver Victorian charms. For these people, it’s money. Here’s their secrets. [Bankrate]
Are You Smarter Than A 12th Grader?
By 4.6.08
U.S. News & World Report posted an excellent six-question financial literacy quiz that most 12th graders can pass. Can you?
By 4.5.08
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An up-to-date list of credit cards with reward-point incentives for signing up. [Blueprint For Financial Prosperity]
Avoid An IRS Audit
By 4.4.08
How can you avoid an IRS audit? There’s a .58% chance if you make 20-50k that you’ll be audited by the IRS, but that still adds up to 259,794 unlucky people. Here’s some strategies on how you can avoid becoming one of them:
By 4.4.08
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More debtors are behind their loans than at any time since 1992. [American Banker’s Association]
By 4.3.08
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Warren Buffett invests like a girl, and you should too. [The Motley Fool]
By 4.3.08
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A roundup of some of the most popular banks for high-yield online savings accounts. [Five Cent Nickel]
What to Do If You Can't File Your Taxes on Time
By 4.3.08
File Form 4868 (download a copy from irs.gov or your tax prep program will provide one), and use last year’s return to estimate what you owe or let your tax software do it for you. It’s better to overestimate and get a refund later; if you’re under by more than 10%, you’ll owe interest of 7% on the amount you underpaid by, plus a penalty of up to 25% of the underpayment.
What Do You Do If You Have Tickets On A Bankrupt Airline?
By 4.3.08
What do you do if you have a flight planned on one of the three airlines, ATA, Champion and Aloha, that filed for bankruptcy and terminated all flights this week? First thing to do is if you paid with a credit card company, call them up and ask for a refund. An ATA insider tells us, “When an airline bills you for your ticket, they don’t receive payment–the money’s escrowed until you fly or the terms of the contract are met, i.e. one year validity limit, so the bankruptcy doesn’t affect those customers.” Elliot.org has the run-down of other options: On the press release level, United Airlines has agreed to take on Aloha Airlines passengers, but anecdotal evidence suggests the ground-level customer service reps are bungling the hand-off. Southwest has agreed to rebook ATA passengers, but the language suggests this deal is only good for flights that were codeshares between the two airlines. Lastly, if you bought your ticket with ATA by check or cash, you can claim a refund, for probably a fraction of its value, after the airline is liquidated.
By 4.2.08
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Citibank’s online banking site was down all day yesterday for some readers. Some folks were told a server went down, others were told it was a system upgrade. The site is supposed to be back up today.
