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Credit Cards: How to Protect Yourself in 2011
Tweet Share on Facebook November 30, 2010 Comment (1)Credit card issuers have had plenty of time to find ways around the restrictions imposed by the Credit CARD Act of 2009. What's next on the horizon as the Fed looks to close some of the existing loopholes? What can card issuers do next, and how can customers protect themselves?
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7 Best Holiday Gifts for Travelers
Tweet Share on Facebook November 30, 2010 CommentIf there is a traveler in your life, whether a friend or relative, any gift you buy for him or her should be portable. I like knowing that the gifts I buy for my favorite travelers will be used, so here are my best travel-related Christmas gift ideas—or gift ideas for any holiday or occasion. With one of these suggestions, travelers will not want to leave your gift behind.
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5 Cheap and Easy Ways to Protect Your Credit
Tweet Share on Facebook November 30, 2010 Comment (1)Your credit score is becoming more important to businesses than ever before. Not only does it help you secure loans, but now many insurance companies, cellular carriers, and employers view your FICO score as a higher standard. Whatever philosophy you hold on credit, everyone can benefit from a few cheap ways to protect it. You certainly don’t have to go into large amounts of debt to safeguard your credit score.
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Cheap Ways to Give Back at the Holidays
Tweet Share on Facebook November 29, 2010 Comment (1)Shopping is a national sport. The National Retail Federation estimates that consumers will spend nearly $450 billion during the 2010 holiday season. But our shopping talents can also create seasonal generosity.
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5 Holiday Shopping Tips That Will Save You Money
Tweet Share on Facebook November 24, 2010 Comment (2)With Black Friday within reach and Christmas right around the corner, many people are starting to think about holiday shopping. Whether or not you plan to brave the storm this Friday, here are some tips to help you come out on top this holiday shopping season.
1. Create a holiday shopping budget.
Hopefully, you have been saving up for the holidays. If not, don't worry, just do your best this year and plan to do better the next. Whether or not you have money earmarked for gifts, you should create a holiday shopping budget. Make a list of people that you want to present with a gift and write down the gift ideas along with the amount you want to spend for each person. Be realistic with what you can afford! Now tally everything up and you’ll have your total cost. If the total is too high, either scale back on all the gifts, or make the tough decision of giving to fewer people this year. Whatever you do, create a realistic budget that you won't regret after the holiday season is over.
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7 Steps to Quality Car Insurance at Affordable Rates
Tweet Share on Facebook November 24, 2010 Comment (1)Finding good car insurance is easy. Finding it at a price you can afford—not so much. Here are seven steps you can take to make sure you get the best policy for the best price.
1. Buy the Right Amount of Coverage
The amount of liability coverage you carry is your only protection when you cause an accident. If possible, buy as much liability insurance as you can afford. You will save money in the end by carrying a higher level of liability insurance because you will be able to cover the costs of injuries and repairs in almost any collision situation.
2. Online Quote Comparisons
Modern technology has made it much easier to shop around for car insurance using the internet. You can visit an online quote site and fill out a simple form to receive direct quotes from several insurance companies at once. It is critical that you take the time to compare quotes from multiple companies so you get the coverage you need at the best possible price. Using online quotes also allows you to have a solid understanding of your coverage options before you ever contact an insurance agent to discuss purchasing an insurance policy.
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Should You Rent Out Your Home?
Tweet Share on Facebook November 24, 2010 Comment (3)You've had your house on the market for what feels like an eternity. And that "For Sale" sign? It's been out front for so long that you can't remember what the lawn used to look like without it. And if you've already moved out, you might be wondering if you should just go ahead and rent your house out. After all, renting it out would be a great way to generate a passive income opportunity stream to cover your mortgage. But, is it worth the hassle? Can you even afford it?
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5 Holiday Shopping Mistakes to Avoid
Tweet Share on Facebook November 24, 2010 Comment (1)With the holiday season now in full swing, it's easy to get caught up in the hype and fall for a few expensive shopping mistakes. Sure, we all want to give our loved ones a holiday to remember, but there's no need to deck the halls with boughs of money to have a happy holiday.
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The 3 Best Ways to Increase Travel Rewards
Tweet Share on Facebook November 24, 2010 CommentI've been spending more time traveling lately. Most recently, I've been spending the time surrounding Thanksgiving visiting my family on the opposite side of the country. It's always important for me to make sure I'm optimizing the benefit I receive from my spending, so a few months ago, I researched and switched from cash-back rewards to travel rewards credit cards.
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Budget Rehab: Prioritize Your Purchases
Tweet Share on Facebook November 23, 2010 CommentPeople's budgeting efforts tend to go awry when they are unable to distinguish between their needs and their wants. Oftentimes, we lump as "needs" those very items that are actually wants; as a result, we can no longer work within our budget as they end up getting stretched to accommodate a lot of extras we may not really need. Understanding that you need a budget is not enough. You also need to understand how to make a budget that works. This goal will likely take some trimming and adjusting, along with a lot of discipline and tough love on yourself.
