Archive for March, 2012
5 Questions to Ask About Zero-Percent Card Offers
I review dozens of credit card offers each week to find the best deals. I’m not paid by a credit card company and I’m not selling anything. My goal is simply to help you use credit cards to build and protect your money and credit. Check out more of my stuff on our credit card page. When you’re mired in [...]
5 Mistakes Home Sellers Make
If you’re trying to sell your home right now, you face two big problems: Prices are at rock-bottom, and when you do find buyers, they can’t find financing. As the National Association of Home Builders explains, more than three-quarters of homes sold between October and December “were affordable to families earning the national median income [...]
Why a Massage Is Money Well Spent
I had three massages in eight days. The circumstances were unusual and will likely never be repeated. But for a while, I knew how the super-rich must feel: really relaxed. Usually I try for an appointment once a month, but in this case, I had some social-buying vouchers that would’ve expired while I was on [...]
Unemployment No Longer the Stigma It Once Was
If you’ve ever been unemployed or underemployed – working for lower pay at less responsibility just to make ends meet – you already know what it’s like to be perceived as damaged goods… Your friends and family are supportive but uncomfortable around you. You apply for jobs and don’t get called back, even though you’re qualified. [...]
Ask Stacy: Roth or Regular IRA?
If you’re just sitting down to do your taxes, you may be doing what this reader is attempting: finding ways to reduce the bite. Here’s his question… Hi Stacy: Love your site! Seems like every day you offer advice that I can actually use. Here’s my question: I hear a lot about IRAs as a way [...]
5 Places to Turn Spring Cleaning Clutter Into Cash
I’m old-fashioned. After I purge my house of what I no longer wear or need each spring, I itemize it and give it away to Goodwill in exchange for a tax write-off. But these days, cash in the bank now can be more attractive than a tax break later. Fortunately, the Internet has made it [...]
Composting: Green, Easy, and Profitable
The following post comes from Debra Karplus at partner site The Dollar Stretcher. Why pay for fertilizer? You can magically transform your garbage into rich organic fertilizer that you put in your garden to help it thrive. Even if your property only has shrubbery, homemade compost has many benefits. Making good compost is amazingly simple. You don’t have [...]
Today’s Deals: Kids Clothes, Movies, and a Free Sub
I subscribe to the promotional emails of hundreds of companies so you don’t have to. I sift through 1,000 deal-touting emails every week. Most are worthless. But some offer valuable coupons, promo codes, sales, and freebies – which I collect and organize here and on our deals page. Note: Expiration dates are in brackets. Arts [...]
What Happened When My Identity Was Stolen
Several weeks ago, I became a victim of identity fraud. Luckily, it wasn’t a big deal. Of course, I didn’t think that at the time. I had logged into my bank account and saw a pending charge on my debit card for $470.25. It was from a website I’d never heard of – DHGate.com. As [...]
7 Tips to Pay Less for Health Insurance
Money Talks News now features an Insurance Shopping Tool that allows you to compare rates on Auto, Health, Home and Motorcycle insurance. Check it out! Last week was the second anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – “health care reform” to its supporters, “Obamacare” to its detractors. This week, the Supreme Court [...]