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5 Upgrades That Waste Your Money
Tweet Share on Facebook August 31, 2010 Comment (25)Upgrading your wardrobe, car, or wine collection might sound like a rewarding thing to do. After all, you work hard all day, and you deserve to come home to some luxury during your off-hours. But crunching the numbers shows that these five splurges aren’t worth their additional cost. Here’s why:
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The Real Cost of Birth Control
Tweet Share on Facebook August 27, 2010 Comment (14)The cost of birth control often takes a second seat to other factors, such as how well it works, or how easy it is to use; the FDA’s otherwise useful guide to birth control makes no mention of money at all. But cost can ultimately play a big role in whether someone is happy with her chosen method or not.
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How Much Does Birth Control Cost?
Tweet Share on Facebook August 27, 2010 Comment (16)Method Effectiveness Cost Per Year Birth Control Pills 95 percent $160 to $600 Birth Control Patch 95 percent $160 to $600 Cervical Cap 77 to 83 percent $35 to $60 Condoms 85 percent $150 Diaphragm 85 percent $60 Fertility-Awareness 75 to 88 percent Free IUDs 99 percent $100 (varies) Shot (Depo-Provera) 99 percent $220 to $460 Sterilization 99 percent $30 to $200 (varies) Vaginal Ring (NuvaRing) 95 percent $160 to $600 Vaginal Sponge 68 to 84 percent $500 Abstinence 100 percent Free -
What the New Credit Card Rules Mean for You
Tweet Share on Facebook August 24, 2010 Comment (51)The new credit card rules, the last of which went into effect earlier this week, have been celebrated as a victory for consumers. In many ways, they do offer protections: The CARD Act prohibits companies from increasing interest rates for one year after the card is first issued. If lenders raise rates later, they must tell customers why, and provide warning at least 45 days in advance. Lenders can no longer charge fees for inactivity on cards, and they face more restrictions when charging late fees and over-the-limit fees.
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How Twenty-Somethings Became Debt Scapegoats
Tweet Share on Facebook August 23, 2010 Comment (7)It’s time for someone to stand up for twenty-somethings. For years, we’ve been labeled “generation debt.” This week’s New York Times Magazine asks, “What Is It About 20-Somethings?” before delving into all the reasons we have failed to “grow up.” And last month, Parade magazine lambasted us for draining our parents’ retirement accounts through our over-dependence on them.
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How Your Favorite Retailer Is Spying on You
Tweet Share on Facebook August 20, 2010 Comment (13)Do you ever feel like your favorite retailers are watching you? If so, your paranoid tendencies are right on target, because they are.
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Bad Credit? Your Options Are Getting Better
Tweet Share on Facebook August 20, 2010 Comment (1)Today’s guest post comes from Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO and Founder of CardHub.com, an online marketplace for credit card offers.
One of the many impacts of the recent recession has been an increase in the number of people with bad or damaged credit. People with bad or damaged credit have never had great options when it comes to getting a credit card, but the new credit card law (CARD Act) has made some improvements.
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How to Create Your Back-to-School Budget
Tweet Share on Facebook August 18, 2010 Comment (2)If you’re like most parents, you’re trying to spend less on school supplies this year. But creating a back-to-school budget isn’t an easy thing to do. That probably explains why about 44 percent of respondents in the Chase Slate-U.S. News Consumer Monitor survey said they maintain a written budget, but only half of that group said they “strongly agree” that they are able to stick to it each month.
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How to Save on Back-to-School Shopping
Tweet Share on Facebook August 16, 2010 Comment (2)Back-to-school season means new classroom butterflies and the end of lazy summer days. The transition can be made a little easier with the perfect first-day outfit, shiny new computer, or cool backpack. With four in ten shoppers reporting a smaller back-to-school budget than last year according to the new Chase Slate-U.S. News Consumer Monitor, nabbing discounts is key. Here’s a guide to some of the best deals, sorted by category:
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Home or Wedding? Couples Choose the House.
Tweet Share on Facebook August 9, 2010 Comment (3)Why do big life events – marriage, birth of a child, graduation – always seem tied to huge financial events, such as buying a new house or new car? It means that we experience major emotional upheavals just as we’re trying to navigate a new money challenge.
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Alpha Consumer
Kimberly Palmer, senior editor for U.S. News & World Report, writes about making smarter financial decisions. She’s the author of Generation Earn: The Young Professional's Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back.
Generation Earn
Senior editor Kimberly Palmer’s book, Generation Earn: The Young Professional's Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back, is now available.
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