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The Power of Free Stuff
Tweet Share on Facebook September 17, 2009 Comment (3)Last night, I went to a free yoga class at Lululemon, the popular yoga clothes company. The store near my office offers classes—at no charge—every week. When I got home, my husband asked me if I bought any of the stylish clothes hanging on the racks near the yoga practice room. Of course not, I told him. But I was tempted. And I might purchase some soon. "That is how they get you!" he said.
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The Dangers of Free Trial Periods
Tweet Share on Facebook September 16, 2009 Comment (7)Dear Alpha Consumer,
In January, I decided to try out a free offer for facial cream. I've been around the block on 'free offers,' but I thought I was safe because I could cancel the trial period and get a full refund if I didn't like the product.
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Audio: Preparing Financially for Disasters
Tweet Share on Facebook September 15, 2009 CommentOver the weekend, I spoke with WTOP in Washington about what you need to bring with you in case you need to leave your house in a hurry because of wildfires or other natural disasters. Legal certificates, wills, insurance policies, extra cash, and bank account information are among the vital documents. Keeping all of those items in an easily-transportable file or box can make for a less hectic escape.
Preparing Financially for Disasters
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Do Company Logos Matter to Consumers?
Tweet Share on Facebook September 14, 2009 Comment (3)It might seem like an inconsequential issue, but retailers spend a lot of time (and money) designing their logos in a way that will appeal to consumers. They try to avoid fiascos like the one faced by Tropicana earlier this year when it released new images on orange juice boxes. Consumers apparently hated them; sales dropped and Tropicana reverted to the previous packaging almost immediately.
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Sarah Strohmeyer Answers Reader Questions
Tweet Share on Facebook September 11, 2009 CommentSarah Strohmeyer, author of The Penny Pinchers Club, September's selection for the Alpha Consumer Book Club, is back with answers to reader questions. (For a Q&A with Strohmeyer, see: "Fearing Divorce, Mom Finds Inner Frugalista.")
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Audio: The New Credit Card Rewards
Tweet Share on Facebook September 10, 2009 CommentOver the weekend, I spoke with WTOP in Washington about new credit card rewards programs that give customers incentives to pay off their debt. Discover's Motiva card, for example, gives back one month's worth of interest after six consecutive on-time payments, while the new Citi Forward card lowers interest rates for customers if they pay on time and stay under their credit limit. T.D. Bank's Simple Flexible card sets interest rates based on how much debt customers pay off.
While the cards could provide encouragement to customers trying to improve their credit score, anyone carrying a large amount of debt should be careful to use a card with the lowest interest rate possible, regardless of any rewards program attached.
Take Advantage of New Credit Card Rewards
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How to Fight Health Insurance Denials
Tweet Share on Facebook September 9, 2009 Comment (17)My recent health insurance debacle, which I wrote about in a story published today, reminded me of The Rainmaker. The 1997 movie stars Matt Damon as an inexperienced lawyer who takes on a large insurer that has denied claims for treatment of a young man's leukemia. In one courtroom scene, lawyers for the insurer explain that coverage for a bone-marrow transplant was denied because it was considered experimental—the same wording that Aetna used in its original denial of my pregnancy ultrasound claim.
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Fearing Divorce, Mom Finds Inner Frugalista
Tweet Share on Facebook September 8, 2009 Comment (4)In Sarah Strohmeyer's The Penny Pinchers Club, mom and interior decorator Kat suddenly finds herself needing to save $15,000 in eight months. Her daughter is about to head off to college, she has $37,000 in debt (partly caused by her Starbucks addiction), and she's worried about the stability of her marriage. That challenge leads her to start saving money in all kinds of creative ways, from dumpster diving to getting rid of her landline and Netflix subscription.
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California Fires Create Money Disasters, Too
Tweet Share on Facebook September 4, 2009 Comment (1)The fires that forced many California residents to evacuate from their homes earlier this week also posed a personal finance challenge: How do you prepare yourself, financially, to leave your home for an indefinite period of time? What documents should you bring with you? What should you leave behind?
Most of us would probably reach for our wallets, passports, and perhaps a file of key documents, such as marriage certificates and Social Security cards. But what about wills, insurance papers, bank account details, and other paperwork? The National Endowment for Financial Education suggests packing up legal certificates, wills, powers of attorney, insurance policies, Social Security cards, checkbooks, and bank account information. NEFE chief executive Ted Beck, who experienced the 1991 fire evacuation of Oakland, also recommends calling your insurance company to let them know what is going on as soon as you reach a safe area. In some cases, they will pay for the costs of staying away from home. Otherwise, he says, the Red Cross can help direct you to nearby crisis shelters. -
Companies Aren't Giving Women What They Want
Tweet Share on Facebook September 3, 2009 Comment (2)Here's what we already knew: Women are busy, stressed out, and have no time for themselves. Almost three in four mothers work, and they're also usually in charge of grocery shopping, laundry, and other household tasks.
Here's what the new book from Boston Consulting Group, Women Want More: How to Capture Your Share of the World's Largest, Fastest-Growing Market, tells us: Most companies are doing a terrible job of appealing to those over-worked women. In a survey of 12,000 women conducted for the book, almost half of the respondents said the investing industry needed to do a better job of meeting their needs. Similar levels of dissatisfaction were found with the auto industry, banking sector, life insurance companies, and physicians.
