Personal finance from around the Web:
Posting a nasty review on a consumer review Web site like Yelp may do more than just help you vent your frustrations. You could score refunds or discounts from a vendor eager to get back into your good graces. [Los Angeles Times]
Editors at USA Today and CNET tested out TurboTax, H&R Block and TaxAct. TurboTax looks like the winner, but you can check out more MORE
Beth Braverman - Feb 26, 2010 1:24 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Think your credit score doesn't mean much? Think again. Over your lifetime, a poor one could cost you $200,000. [It's Your Money]
If you live in Chicago and need your car fixed, good luck. You'll need it. AutoMD.com sent mystery shoppers to car repair shops in 50 markets to rank which ones had the fairest quotes. The cities with the lowest rankings -- based affordability, price MORE
Ismat Sarah Mangla - Feb 25, 2010 4:46 PM ET
"What if I get audited?" Even the most conscientious taxpayer probably asks himself that question just as he's sending in his return. It's a common nightmare, this possibility that you'll be called into the office of a bloodthirsty Internal Revenue Service agent so he can rip apart your 1040 and inflict more financial pain on you: More than 60% of taxpayers recently told the IRS Oversight Board that fear MORE
Beth Braverman - Feb 25, 2010 3:04 PM ET
Q: Our sons are in their late 20s and have good jobs, but they never pay for anything when they're with my husband and me (they live on their own). Whether it's a family vacation, a dinner out or popcorn and a movie, Tim and Nick automatically expect us to pick up every tab. My husband says he's sick of their sponging and wants to "change the rules." But since MORE
Jeanne Fleming, Ph.D., and Leonard Schwarz - Feb 24, 2010 1:52 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
New-home construction may be edging upward, but sales aren't keeping pace. New-home sales fell 11.2 percent in January, as reported by the Commerce Department, hitting a record low. [The New York Times]
Exploding Ford Pintos, lead-laden toys -- take a trip down memory lane with "the worst product recalls of all time." This gallery might just take your mind off of your Toyota anxiety. [The Huffington MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Feb 24, 2010 1:03 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Cuban cigars are not immune to the recession, but Cuba's cigar distribution company hopes it can improve sales by getting more women to light up. [Economix]
Foreclosures in Nevada are causing census-related nightmares. Every uncounted person brings a loss of about $900 for the state. [Las Vegas Sun]
The Small Business Administration this week is offering Webinars (Web-based seminars, that is) to educate teenagers about entrepreneurship. Oddly MORE
Ana Patricia Ferrey - Feb 23, 2010 1:26 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Two Bloom Boxes can power the average American home. What is a Bloom Box? A device, unveiled on 60 Minutes Sunday night previewed by Fortune Brainstorm Tech last Friday, that allegedly uses a new kind of fuel cell that is entirely self sufficient. [Huffington Post] A new survey produced by the National Association for Business Economics forecasts job expansion and sustained growth in the next two MORE Tania Chen - Feb 22, 2010 2:28 PM ET
It's a big day for consumers: Sweeping reforms regulating the credit-card industry go into effect today. Among them: Your card issuer won't be able to increase the interest rate on an existing balance or charge you fees for over-the-limit transactions without your permission. (The Fed summarizes the changes here.) All major victories for cardholders.
But if you think the world of credit cards is going to be all rainbows and unicorns MORE
Ismat Sarah Mangla - Feb 22, 2010 1:14 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Score one for the cardholder. Capital One Financial will reimburse $775,000 worth of fees to customers following a settlement with U.S. bank regulators. [Reuters]
How to not unintentionally disinherit your grandkids, and how to prevent other estate planning mistakes. [Morningstar]
Social networking is free, right? One writer argues that we pay with privacy in order to enjoy the perks of sites like Gmail and Facebook. [Newsweek]
For borrowers MORE
Beth Braverman - Feb 19, 2010 4:08 PM ET
Is it OK to cheat on your taxes? 13% of Americans think so. [Economix]
And if you're hoping not to get audited by Uncle Sam, you'll want to avoid these 10 things. [Consumerism Commentary]
The new credit card rules take effect on Monday. So the White House is hosting a live town hall at 2 p.m. EST with economic adviser Austin Goolsbee, who will answer your questions about the reforms. [CreditCards.com]
Thinking about MORE
Ismat Sarah Mangla - Feb 18, 2010 1:58 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Economic (re)construction? Housing construction activity was up 21.1 percent last month from the previous year -- and the most prolific it has been since July 2009. Could be a hopeful sign for a key pillar of the US economy. [The New York Times]
Does cutting costs have to mean sacrifice? Sure, recession time is all about trimming here and there. But there may be ways MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Feb 17, 2010 12:41 PM ET
The bulk of the CARD Act goes into effect on Monday--and the industry backlash is well under way.
Last summer, Citibank started testing a new annual fee for some of its cardholders: Customers would have to pay anywhere from $30 to $90 a year for the privilege of using their Citi credit cards. If they charged $2,400 a year on their card, the fee would be refunded.
It looks like the tests MORE
Ismat Sarah Mangla - Feb 17, 2010 10:56 AM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
With the number of elderly on the rise, new med schools are cropping up to make more doctors. Will it help to ease the exploding cost of care? Maybe not. [NYTimes]
As Olympic medals make their way into athletes hands, here's a look at the tax implications of winning. [TaxProf]
Turns out the lifetime earnings advantage of going to college isn't as big as we thought. MORE
Ana Patricia Ferrey - Feb 16, 2010 1:38 PM ET
If you were to go by the headlines, you might think happy days are here again for 401(k) investors. Employer matching contributions are coming back. Account balances have recovered (mostly). And workers are continuing to save. So, you can look forward to a smoother ride from here to a dream retirement, right?
If only. Truth is, even with a newly restored match and stronger stock market, 401(k) retirement plans still won't MORE
Penelope Wang - Feb 16, 2010 8:00 AM ET
The college admissions process is already a crapshoot without throwing in the financial aid game. Subsidized Stafford loans, unsubsidized Stafford loans, Pell Grants, DirectPLUS loans -- it all adds up to a bewildering tangle for which families of prospective students are turning to financial aid consultants to sort out.
And now, making the task of financing a recession-era college education even more difficult, colleges are withdrawing generous no-loan policies MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Feb 12, 2010 1:45 PM ET
.
