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How to Safeguard Your Financial Accounts from Hackers
Tweet Share on Facebook October 10, 2012 CommentIs the password for your bank account the same as the password for an account at another website? If so, you are part of the 61 percent of consumers who reuse a password for multiple sites, according to a recent study by security firm CSID. That habit could put your finances in harm’s way.
Many consumers can recall the string of recent data breaches at websites that they visit often— LinkedIn, Zappos, Dropbox. When the password databases at these companies are compromised, cybercriminals obtain login credentials that can be used to access financial accounts.
Funds can be moved out of savings, checking, and brokerage accounts. Retirement accounts can be left in shambles. Fraudsters could also access retailer accounts (e.g., Amazon and Apple) and retrieve sensitive personal information that could easily lead to identity theft.
As more aspects of our daily lives move to the Internet, digital security becomes more important than ever.
Here are some practices that will help safeguard your financial accounts on the Web:
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5 Easy Ways to Save on Auto Insurance
Tweet Share on Facebook October 10, 2012 CommentAs we all look for ways to trim the fat in our budgets and live as leanly as possible, one area that is often overlooked is auto insurance. After initially signing on with a carrier, people tend to get complacent, excusing any premium increases as a given. But if you view your car insurance as a fixed cost, it's time to rethink that idea. With a little persistence, there are discounts to be had. Here are five ways to grab them:
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5 Credit-Score Disasters to Avoid
Tweet Share on Facebook October 9, 2012 CommentHaving a credit score of at least 720 will give you a chance to secure some of the best financing options on the market, get preferred interest rates on loans and credit cards, and have more negotiating power when you’re talking terms with a prospective lender. Checking your credit score and credit report at least once a year can help you stay on track and take care of any errors, mistakes, or omissions before you apply for credit. A clean credit report can also provide some benefits when potential employers, cell-phone providers, and landlords want to check your credit history.
Keep your credit report in good shape by avoiding these five credit-score disasters:
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5 Ways to Get Your Small Business Prepared for the Holiday Rush
Tweet Share on Facebook October 5, 2012 CommentThe winter holidays will be here before you know it. Every year, more and more consumers turn to online shopping to fulfill their holiday gift-shopping needs. According to a recent reporter by eMarketer, online shoppers will spend nearly $55 billion this holiday shopping season in the United States alone. That’s up from almost 17 percent from last year, proving that online sales during the holidays are on the rise.
Ecommerce holiday sales are expected to make up a quarter of all online sales made over the entire year. This trend of shoppers turning to online stores for their holiday shopping presents a promising opportunity for small business e-retailers to increase their profits during the end-of-year holiday shopping rush.
Even though online holiday shoppers may wait till the last minute to make their purchases, small businesses should prepare for the influx of shoppers and sales now before the holiday rush begins near the end of November. Here are five ways your small business can prepare for eager holiday buyers:
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16 Things You Need to Know About Government Debt
Tweet Share on Facebook October 4, 2012 CommentThe U.S. government owes over $16 trillion. For most of us, that number is hard to imagine. Let's examine the 16 things you need to know about the government’s debt:
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5 Ways to Decorate Your Home on a Dime
Tweet Share on Facebook October 3, 2012 CommentWhile I’m a single mom who's on a seriously tight budget, I still want a well-decorated home. I’ve always loved looking at decorating magazines, but would quickly get discouraged knowing I don’t have a lot of extra money to spend on decorating. Over the years, however, I’ve found inexpensive ways to decorate my home and still have it look like I’ve spent a small fortune.
From creating my own artwork to taking on projects I thought only the experts could manage, I’ve done it all on a budget. The good news is you can, too. Here are five ways to decorate your home without breaking the bank.
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Consider Campus Crime When Evaluating Colleges
Tweet Share on Facebook October 3, 2012 CommentTo a high school senior, certain factors may be more important than others when choosing a university. Extended meal plans, Greek life, male-to-female ratio…college crime? Unfortunately, college crime rates are usually overlooked in the selection process, but they’re still an important factor when choosing a home for the next four years.
What makes this even more difficult is the fact that college crime statistics can be confusing, inaccurate, and often misinterpreted. This may leave students (or even more so, their parents) with misconceptions about a university’s reputation—or, worse, a false sense of security.
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Why Home Equity Isn’t Worth Buying a Home
Tweet Share on Facebook October 2, 2012 CommentIf you’ve ever thought about buying a home, you’ve heard the song and dance on home equity plenty of times. You know that home equity can help your credit score. It can be leveraged for borrowing. It is forced savings and will boost your personal net worth. Most importantly, you know that in getting a mortgage, you pay yourself back with every payment.
While home ownership is a good financial decision for many families, the benefits of home equity are frequently overrated by homeownership proponents.
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5 New Ways to Save if Groupon Closes Up Shop
Tweet Share on Facebook October 2, 2012 CommentGroupon’s shares slid 9.87 percent September 17 down to $4.75, off the release of a new study that found that 39 percent of merchants said they were not likely to run another Groupon deal in the next few years. The same survey found that a third of Groupon merchants were also “unsatisfied” or “very unsatisfied” with their experience.
After a slight rebound, Groupon’s woes continued the next week as well. The Chicago-based daily deals giant saw its stock drop again on September 25, down 7.21 percent to $4.82. What caused the steep decline? A new article by the Chicago Sun-Times on Groupon’s brain drain again sapped investor confidence in the long-term viability of the company. Groupon’s been accused of being a Ponzi scheme frequently in the past, so consumers have every right to be concerned that the daily deal site won’t last forever.
So what’s next for shoppers? If Groupon stumbles, the company’s huge discounts will be missed, but there are other, easier ways to save.
Enter the card-linked offer. Card-linked offers are coupons loaded directly onto your debit or credit cards. When you swipe your card at checkout, your savings are placed directly back on your card’s account. There’s no confusion at the register, no holding up the line, no clipping paper coupons, and no printing online ones.
Because of the growing popularity of the card-linked offer, the industry is littered with high-growth companies and new programs. Here’s a list of some of the interesting programs currently out there, along with some tips on how to best take advantage of these discounts:
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6 Ways to Save Money on Home Repairs
Tweet Share on Facebook October 1, 2012 CommentWhether you’re planning to do some remodeling before the holidays, or you want to invest in a fixer-upper you just purchased, make sure you’re getting the best deals on those costly home repairs. Finding reputable contractors in your area is only half the battle. You need an idea of how much materials cost and how much time you are able to invest in DIY projects before having to pay even more to hire someone to fix a botched job.
Here are some of the best ways to save money on home repairs:
