Sometimes the state of our personal finances can make us a little hostile. When you see how much you have lost in your retirement account due to a plunge in the stock market, you may want to throw a chair across the room. When you realize you’ve overdrafted your checking account, you may want to [...]
October 16, 2009
Today is Leif Erikson Day. Erikson was a Viking and, according to today’s historical consensus, the first European to venture to the continent of North America. The Nordic explorer came here nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus. A 1968 U.S. postage stamp honoring Leif Erikson and his expeditions. The day is marked by a presidential proclamation, [...]
October 16, 2009
The 226th edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance included my blog about reasons to answer credit card company calls in its weekly roundup of personal finance blogs. Each week different bloggers who focus on money, debt management and finance agree to review a week of blog postings and select those to include in a themed roundup. This week’s carnival host [...]
October 16, 2009
I heard a song playing on the radio in Austin, Texas, one recent night that brought back memories of the classic blues music that I listened to growing up. Austin singer/songwriter Larry Shannon Hargrove belted out a bluesy tune called “I Need a Bailout” in the style of R&B greats Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Womack and Al Green. (You 20-somethings: [...]
October 16, 2009
As a Web-savvy personal finance editor, I would never be fool enough to fall for the “free trial offers” of Acai berry supplements. But I guess I’m a chump for wrinkle-eliminating-spot-fading-luminous-glow-dead-cell-removing facial products. I mean, did you see the before-and-after photos? Wow. Yet another testament to the power of Photoshop. And that’s exactly how I got [...]
October 16, 2009
Today is Boss’s Day, an annual holiday celebrated in America. A bad boss can make your world a living hell, but a great boss can make your life much easier. Today is a time for employees to thank their superior for being a good and fair boss (though right now, I think it’s simply a [...]
October 16, 2009
In the November 2009 issue of Consumer Reports magazine, they had a rundown of “credit cards worth keeping.” This is an especially useful list now that terms are changing and many of us are considering moving on. Here are Consumer Reports’ picks: Balance-Transfer Cards Consumer Reports likes American Express Clear, PenFEd Visa Platinum and People’s United Bank [...]
October 16, 2009
Let’s play a quick game. Guess by who this comment was made and at whom: These companies “used deceptive language to trick their customers into signing something they thought would save them money.” (WSJ) You might think the party being accused of deceiving consumers with deceptive language was the very same industry that was recently [...]
October 16, 2009
Greetings, MYC readers. There’s a lot of buzz about credit cards this week and so I thought it’s time for another roundup. Here’s what’s in the news: Still Getting Screwed PressofAtlanticCity.com has a reader writing in to complain that, in spite of the new CARD Act, they are still getting jacked around by credit card companies, namely [...]
October 16, 2009
Today, we’ll be taking a look at some essential and interesting links and articles from around the web on the topic of credit cards. With the economy in a rut and new credit card and banking legislation on the horizon, now is an especially important time to be aware of all the news and views [...]
October 16, 2009