A PR person just contacted us on behalf of the U.S. Treasury Department to point out that there are $16 billion in unredeemed bonds that are no longer earning interest. “Specifically, there are 40 million Series E savings bonds purchased between 1941 and 1978 that are over 30 years old and therefore have fully matured. They can be cashed out today for at least four times their face value.”
savings
updated: WaMu Accounts Become *Almost* Totally Chase July 24
By 6.1.09
Starting July 24, 2009, WaMu accounts will get fully transitioned to Chase. After that, ex-WaMuers will be able to fully enjoy the benefits of Chase banking, like making deposits into Chase ATMs, the full range of Chase branch banking services, and the luxury of paying Chase’s service fees which are higher than WaMu’s were.
By 5.29.09
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Consumer Reports picks top 529 plans. If you have a little spare cash to squirrel away for college, you’ve probably given some thought to those state-sponsored, tax-advantaged 529 plans. But with over 50 to choose from, where do you start? How about right here, with some tips from the Consumer Reports Money Lab. The blue-coated boffins picked their five fave funds, paying particular attention to those that offered “below-average fees and an investment strategy that was sufficiently aggressive in the early stages and appropriately conservative later on.” Oh, and parents, here’s another tip: You can usually change the beneficiary on a plan to another family member. So, if you were saving for Johnny and he goes deadbeat after high school, you can pass his cash along to Janie. Or just use it for yourself. Admit it: you always wanted to ditch it all and go to film school, right? [Consumer Reports Money Adviser]
Here Are 30 Money Saving Twitterers To Follow
By 5.29.09
Savings.com has put together a list of 30 of the most followed people on Twitter who offer tips on good deals. Of course, savings.com readers have already started adding alternates in the comments below the list. Feel free to make your own suggestions after the jump.
Best Buy Employees Find $10,000 Hidden In Computer Tower
By 5.28.09
A man in St. Louis dropped off his computer for repair at the area Best Buy, but apparently forgot that he was also using it as a bank. “Employees at a Best Buy store in South County discovered about $10,000 cash inside,” writes the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Get Ahead By Working For Yourself One Hour Each Day
By 5.27.09
For most people, their career is their most valuable financial asset. But for those willing to make the effort, even a small one, there might be something even more valuable—a side business that could potentially turn into a very large source of income.
Target Saves You Money In Ways You Can Only Imagine
By 5.19.09
Target continues its rebranding as the Duchamp of retail stores, with this receipt that indicates savings where no savings ever existed. Or perhaps multi-dimensional savings; we can’t pretend to know what Target sees when it stares into the void. Mark notes, “The cookies were on sale, as indicated. The cascade, I had a coupon for it to be free. Total savings should be $4.23. The receipt says $7.37. Maybe it’s a conspiracy since it is the Love Field (near the airport) in Dallas where Southwest flies only 737s.” That’s as good an explanation as any, Mark. Maybe you should work for Target?
Consumer Reports Offers Tips For Saving On Pet Food
By 4.24.09
The Consumer Reports Health Blog has some good suggestions for pet owners who might not have quite as much money to spend on their animals as they used to.
What Are You Going To Use Your Tax Refund For This Year? 28% Say "To Pay Off Debt"
By 4.24.09
The comparison shopping website PriceGrabber.com just completed its “what are you going to do with your tax refund?” survey for the second year in a row, and not surprisingly there are some notable differences between last April and now. The biggest change is among those who plan to spend the money: it was 44.0% in 2008, but only 29.2% this year.
By 4.21.09
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5 Ways to Save On Organic Food “When I’m in the grocery store I’m always pulled two ways. I want to load up on organics but I balk at the cost. What’s worth the extra money?” [Consumer Reports Health]
Suze Orman Says Build Up Emergency Cash As Much As Possible
By 3.19.09
In Suze Orman‘s most recent book, “2009 Action Plan,” she urges people with credit card debt to pay off their balances as quickly as possible using the high interest first method. “The fact that you pay just the minimum is a huge warning signal to your credit card company,” she writes, “that you may already be on shaky ground.” Now she’s changed her mind and says you should just pay the monthly minimum and put the rest of your money toward building an emergency cash stash. Based on the way credit card companies have been behaving, we think she has a point.
Seems More People Playing "The Penny Arcade" At TD Bank
By 3.16.09
So like I said I got $120 from the Penny Arcade this weekend, but I was far from alone. Here is the crappy cellphone picture I took of the line. All those people on the right (plus the dog) are waiting for their turn at the spare change counting machine.
Daylight Savings Can Save You Money
By 3.7.09
Congress will sneak into your bedroom tonight and steal a precious hour of sleep, but you don’t need to take the theft lying down. Get up tomorrow and use a few tips from Consumer Reports to steal back some hard-earned cash.
Bartering Makes A Comeback
By 3.1.09
Capitalism isn’t doing well these days leading the entrepreneurial among us to embrace bartering. Traffic to Craigslist’s bartering section has more than doubled since last year as people to try to make use of skills that might not otherwise have much value.
By 2.27.09
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Great idea from reader CumaeanSybil: “One thing I’ve been doing lately: every time I buy something on sale, I take the difference from regular price and put it in savings. It keeps me motivated to seek out sale prices and coupons, because I like seeing that account grow.”
Buy In Bulk With Friends From Warehouse Clubs
By 2.23.09
You can save big on groceries by forming a little warehous club buying collective with your friends:
Cancel Cable Without Losing Your Favorite Shows
By 2.21.09
Cable is one of the first things you should cut to keep expenses down, but that doesn’t mean you should ditch your favorite shows. J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly cut his cable bill from $65.82 to $11.30 without missing a single harrowing plot twist. Here’s how he did it…
Four Ways To Save Money At A Sporting Event
By 2.21.09
Sporting events were once a nice way to kill the day with friends instead of the massively expensive once-a-year “treats” that they’re trying to become. Food and drinks are easily the biggest expenses you can control at any sporting event, and with a few tips from Frugal Dad, you can keep your day at the game as cheap as it was in grandpa’s time…
