Filed under: Banks, Bargains, Credit, Debt, Shopping, Recession
Even if your credit card company refused to cut you a deal on your credit card balances just a few months ago, you might want to try again. The New York Times reported today that some credit card companies have changed the rules and are giving front-line customer service reps the right to cut your principal balance, as well as interest and penalties, if your balance is past due.
Filed under: College
If you owe more in student loans than you earn in a given year, you must, must, must drop everything and watch the video below.
Log-on to IBRInfo.org for more information.
And now for a special announcement for current college students and their families: This is a great program for graduates who got themselves in over their head with poor college financing decisions but it is not something you should count on when applying for and financing college. These programs can lose their funding at the drop of a hat. When signing up for student loans, it’s better to assume the worst. If you can’t afford the monthly payments, go back to the drawing board.
Filed under: Bargains, Budgets, Debt, Entrepreneurship, Saving, Technology
This is a round-up of the most popular finance links from Tip’d, the social news site for finance, in the past week. This week’s stories include tips on reducing overhead by using Google Apps for business, another take on the old adage “spend less than you make’” (which we honestly cannot hear enough), and the President’s credit card statement.
Filed under: Debt, Kids and Money, Health, Wealth, Recession
Women are having a tougher time with the financial crisis and are more likely to struggle to stay on top of their finances, according to a new report. Twice as many women (68%) as men (32%) sought help with their finances between January 1 and April 30, says Financial Finesse, a financial education company. Financial Finesse reviewed calls to its financial helpline service that is available to over 500,000 employees at more than 300 organizations, as well as usage of its online learning center.
Filed under: Banks, Credit, Extracurriculars
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York asked CitiBank, Wells Fargo and two smaller banks to freeze approximately $30 Million of funds in accounts owned from offshore poker sites such as PokerStars.net and FullTitlPoker.com.
Filed under: Bargains, Debt, Real Estate
In a piece on the surge in mortgage rates over the past couple weeks, BankRate.com gets this brilliant bit of wisdom:
(Continue the story…)
Filed under: Retire, Career, Recession
Retirees from Molson Brewing Company in Canada are learning that their retirement benefits are being cut and the worst news is that they can’t even cry in their beers about the change.
Filed under: Insurance, Tax, Health, Recession, Stimulate US
Currently, tax-free health benefits from employers are the largest tax break in the nation. The estimated 2010 cost of this tax advantage is $155 billion and is projected to increase to $924 billion by 2014, according to the White House office of Management and Budget.
Filed under: Insurance
The Associated Press reports that “Driven to desperation, a growing number of financially strapped car owners are torching, sinking or ditching their vehicles and then reporting them stolen to cash in on the insurance.” In Las Vegas, car insurance fraud cases are up more than threefold and other police departments are reporting smaller but still meaningful increases in the crime.
If you’re reading this and thinking about setting your car on fire or driving it into a ditch and reporting it stolen, please, please, please don’t do that. You might get away with it, but you might not. And if you don’t, you could end up in jail for a long time — and that, combined with penalties and legal fees, won’t exactly help your financial situation. (Continue the story…)
So you think you’re a good credit card holder? You live within your means, you don’t have too many cards, and you pay your bill every month?
You might have the virtue of a nun, but the credit card issuers will still find a way to to take a swipe at you. Here are six things that even regular paying cardholders should look out for. (Continue the story…)