Every Penny Counts--another thought
by Ron DebtSmart Reader
Thanks for your most recent newsletter article, Every Penny Counts. I am also of the mind that every penny does count, and that leads me to responding today. Since buying & reading your books, I've tightened my finances back up, and have a plan to get my cards paid off once again.
Money Saving Holiday Gift Ideas
by Scott Bilker
The holiday season is here! If you went shopping last Friday, Black Friday, then I’m sure you noticed the rush to spend money! Since you will have to spend, you need to spend smart. Spending smart to me means getting a high quality gift at a great price. You don’t have to empty the bank to deliver expensive gifts to family and friends. It is the thought that counts. That being said, here are some suggested gifts for this season.
Three Reasons You Should NEVER Own a Debit Card
by Scott Bilker
Debit cards have become a very popular way to pay for everything from fast food to rental cars. The Federal Reserve reports that debit card transactions have been growing more than 20 percent annually and have surpassed credit card transactions.
Negotiation Success in Dubai
by Ria Mendoza
I never thought I'd be emailing you because sometimes I find that the tips and tricks you send out do not apply to me because it seems more complicated than my actual finances. You see, there are no taxes here in Dubai, no 401k-funds either but I enjoy reading your money tips and tricks and how-to’s on dealing with banks.
Household Math™: Cash Advance Savings
by Scott Bilker
Scott, I have an offer to write a check in any amount at 1.99% APR with a 3% fee of the check. I would like to make a transfer to a credit card for $3,400.00 on which I am now paying 11.24% interest. I’m currently paying $100.00 per month toward this debt. After adding the 3% fee, how much I will save by doing this? I would appreciate any help or insight to my question. Thank you. Sandra
Debt Free: How I did it
by Cindy Campbell
About three years ago I sat down and knew for sure I was in debt. I had credit cards that were over the limit, due to me charging and charging, but not paying. I use to write checks at the grocery stores, for cash back, knowing I was going to be paid within a day or so, so I knew the money would be there when the check cleared, just not at the time it was written. I was so deep in debt.
Discover Card Consumer Survey Shows we're Upbeat about our Personal Finances, but…
by Curtis Arnold
In May, Discover launched a new research program, the "Spending Confidence Monitor," with Rasmussen Reports, a well-known, independent survey research firm. Together, they're planning to survey lots of us every month--they interviewed 500 consumers daily (15,000 total) in August alone.
DebtSmart Reader Tips: Page 1
by Scott Bilker
Track Spending: For at least thirty days, write down every penny you spend and why it was spent. Be as specific as possible. This way, you can categorize what you spend money on on a daily basis and make constructive changes accordingly.--Joe [Financial tips that work, submitted by DebtSmart Readers like you! While you're here, be sure to leave a financial tip for others.]
The TRUTH About Credit Repair
by Scott Bilker
Ads abound almost everywhere (online and off) selling books, systems and secrets to help you fix your credit in a hurry. Many of these programs have claims, which read like the covers of supermarket tabloids, "In 3 hours my credit score jumped from 580 to 676!"..."Erase bad credit and smash your debts with just 2 Magic Letters!"..."Create a completely new credit file in 24 hours!" Are these types of claims ALWAYS too good to be true? The answer is "Yes and...no."
I've been gouged for $99! Are bank charges negotiable?
by Scott Bilker
Hi Scott, This just happened to me in the last few weeks. I spoke to my bank (Bank of America aka BOA) about overdraft protection, which they said was a free service. I wrote a check, which would have caused an overdraft but since I had the overdraft protection, they took out 3k on our Visa account. Now we got the bill from Visa, which has both a transaction fee finance charge of $99.00 and a periodic rate finance charge. Is this a charge that I might successfully have waived?Thanks in advance. Marv
Subscribe FREE and start
finding new ways to save
money and pay off your debt.
"The DebtSmart Email
Newsletter is packed with
cutting-edge strategies for
solving credit problems. I
highly recommend it."--Gerri
Detweiler, radio host and
author of The
Ultimate Credit Handbook
