Main | Next page »
 

Entry bubble Do Not Call List

By: Colleen | September 09, 2009 | Category: General

The condo I'm currently renting is for sale. Usually, whenever my phone rings with a number I don't recognize, I don't answer. But now, I get calls from randoms all the time telling me that they're coming to look at the apartment, thus inconveniencing my roomate and me and threatening to leave us homeless. But I'm not bitter or anything. do not call

It seems I'm not the only one getting unwanted calls lately. Statistics show that complaints about unwanted phone calls are up 11% over the past year. And these are from people already registered on the "do-not-call list."

The current economy is to blame for the increase. Beware of callers claiming to have solutions for housing foreclosure and credit card debt.

If you've not yet registered for the do-not-call list, you can do it online at DoNotCall.gov.

Solicitors- back off. Same to anyone who wants to buy my apartment.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   credit   do_not_call_list   foreclosure   unwanted_phone_calls  

 

Entry bubble AnnualCreditReport.com

By: Colleen | March 11, 2009 | Category: Money

I'll be the first to admit, I am a total sucker for a catchy commercial. The Madison Avenue marketing wizards know exactly how to reel me in. A certain lizard with an accent nearly had me purchasing insurance for a motorcycle...which I don't even have.

Other commercials use catchy jingles or funny circumstances to lure you into a service which-SURPRISE! You are actually entitled to for free.

Right now, with the economy in an uncertain state, everyone is doing their best to track their finances and keep their credit in order. Are you aware that thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are guaranteed access to a free credit report from each of the three nationwide reporting agencies—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion?

Recent ads featuring likable tunes and characters have people scattering to get a free credit report, not realizing they are being charged $14.95 in hidden fees for this service.

To combat this, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched their own set of ads promoting annualcreditreport.com—the only authorized source to get your free credit report under federal law.

Request your Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion report either all at once or separately throughout the year. By requesting the reports separately, you can monitor your credit more frequently. It's important to check and be sure there are no errors and that all your information is accurate, as this report is used to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, and renting a home.

Check out the FTC ads below. What do you think?

 

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: annualcreditreport.com   colleen   credit   credit_report   equifax   experian   federal_trade_commission   ftc   transunion  

 

Entry bubble How Are You Saving Money These Days?

By: Nancy | July 31, 2008 | Category: Money

Has your credit card been seeing less daylight lately? According to a new study on how Americans are handling their money in the current economic downturn, 37 percent of people surveyed said they're cutting down on how often they use their credit cards. They're either going to a cash or debit card basis or are just plain spending less.blog wallet The same survey says that 57 percent of respondents are being more careful about dining out and 46 percent are shopping more at discount superstores.

Some people I know are even going back to the old fashioned, pre-credit card era practice of envelope budgeting. It's low-tech wonderful. After working out their weekly and monthly budgets to find out exactly what their expenses are (and finding "leaks" in their budget—expenses that they weren't really aware were adding up) they take out cash and divvy it up into envelopes for each expense—insurance, rent or mortgage, food, utilities, etc. And when that money's gone at the end of the month, it's gone. No borrowing from another envelope and going into debt.

There are so many other ways you can save by auditing your lifestyle:

  • What are your phone habits? Are there cheaper plans that meet your calling needs better?
  • When you go grocery shopping, are you making a list before you go, sticking to it and shopping on a full stomach or do all the displays and smells get you to fill your cart with things you hadn't planned to buy?
  • Once you've paid off your car, are you setting aside some money every month to help pay for your next vehicle so your car loan will be smaller? If you're shopping for a car right now, are you armed with the info you need to get the best deal?

I could write a 10,000 word blog entry on all the ways to save. But my bosses nudge me nicely when I go over Gov Gab's 300ish word limit. And I'm over it now. We don't have any limits on blog comments though. So please help me out and share what you're doing differently these days to save more and spend less.

| View Comments [10] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cars   credit   nancy   phone   saving   shopping  

 

Entry bubble ATM Safety

By: Colleen | July 09, 2008 | Category: Money

I pretty much live in a cashless universe. It's a rare day when I have over two dollars in my wallet. ATM

I've been just fine using my credit/debit card for pretty much everything. In the rare occasion I need cash, I simply make a withdrawal (or "tap MAC" as Philly folks say) from whatever ATM is closest.

This was not something I ever thought twice about until recently when ATM safety came up in the news.

In an era of identity theft, we have to be super careful to protect all of our private information. Apparently, it's very easy for an ATM machine to retain your account information after you've swiped your card. This is particularly more common for machines found at convenience stores or bars and restaurants. Using an ATM at your bank's branch office is much safer, as they are videotaped and constantly maintained.

Another thing you must be mindful of is your PIN. It should be changed frequently (strike one for me) and a different number should be used for each account (strike two).

To protect yourself, it's important to monitor your account frequently. Keep ATM use to your bank. And always select the "credit" option over "debit" to minimize PIN usage.

Have you been a victim of ATM identity theft? Any pointers?

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: atm   colleen   credit   debit   identity   money   safety   theft  

 

Entry bubble Late Credit Card Payment Lament

By: Jim | May 28, 2008 | Category: Money

Ever have a problem with a credit card? I just did. When I got my most recent statement, it showed that the previous month’s payment was late -- by one day! Unfortunately, I misplaced the bill in the mess I call a desk and got my payment in the mail a little late. Even though it was my fault my payment was late, I was still a bit ticked that the company charged me a late fee and had half a mind to cancel the card. Geez, I’ve paid off my balance in full and on time for nearly 20 years. Couldn’t they cut me just a little slack!?

angry manAfter I was done being mad at myself for being late, I realized that canceling the card wouldn’t be good for my credit history in the long run. The longer you hold on to your credit cards and make payments on time, the better. The point being, you want to develop a history of showing that you pay your bills on time. This shows lenders that you are a responsible borrower and a good credit risk. Which means you can get better interest rates on credit cards and loans. Many people erroneously think that it helps improve their credit scores if they cancel cards they’ve had for a long time and don’t use much or need, this is not the case. Check out consumeraction.gov for more tips on how to manage your credit.

The late payment probably is a minor negative mark for my overall history, but I’ll worry about it all the same. Of course, I’ll be visiting the Federal Trade Commission’s annualcreditreport.com web site soon to get my free credit reports from the three credit reporting agencies. I’m hoping (probably in vain) that my report won’t get dinged.

There are a few other things I need to do while I’m at it. Like clean up my desk, so my bills don’t get misplaced. Better yet, I should just set up my accounts to that they can be paid by electronic funds transfer. Has anybody else out there had a problem with a credit card?

| View Comments [15] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: charge   credit   jim   late   loan   money  

Main | Next page »