It's official: The fee you hate more than all the others in your life is the one for checking your luggage when you take an airplane trip.
Following up on a story in the July issue of MONEY about 15 irritating fees — and how to avoid them — the More Money blog spent the past two weeks asking readers to pick what they thought were the most frustrating surcharges out MORE
George Mannes - Jun 30, 2010 4:18 PM ET
Vanguard announced last week that it is dramatically expanding its lineup of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by adding 20 new entries. The newcomers will include an ETF version of its $19 $91 billion Vanguard 500 Index fund (VFINX) — the very first index fund for individual investors — which has been long delayed due to a licensing dispute with Standard & Poor's. With that issue evidently resolved, this ETF will MORE
Holly Gilbert - Jun 28, 2010 11:46 AM ET
Well, here we are, folks. It's time for the frustrating-fee finals. The summation of our surcharge smackdown.
Following up on a story in the July issue of MONEY about 15 irritating fees — and how to avoid them — the More Money blog has asked readers to pick what they think are the most frustrating surcharges out of all the fees levied by banks, airlines and other companies that people do MORE
A Money Editor - Jun 25, 2010 12:42 PM ET
Hate getting nickel-and-dimed by fees? You've come to the right place.
Following up on a story in the July issue of MONEY about 15 irritating fees — and how to avoid them — the More Money blog has embarked on a quest to find the most frustrating surcharge out of all the fees levied by banks, airlines and other companies you do business with. Last week, visitors to the blog voted MORE
A Money Editor - Jun 24, 2010 8:00 AM ET
When it comes to getting nickel-and-dimed, there are minor irritations and there are major league champions. Welcome to the big leagues.
Following up on a story in the July issue of MONEY about 15 irritating fees — and how to avoid them — we here at the More Money blog have embarked on a quest to find the most frustrating fee out of all the fees charged by banks, airlines or MORE
A Money Editor - Jun 23, 2010 9:25 AM ET
At this stage of the summer, many city dwellers are starting to head out to warm-weather weekend retreats — and realizing that the interiors need serious attention. But who wants to spend a bundle redoing a summer house, especially if the place is just a simple cottage?
If you'd rather save your money for more important things — yet refuse to live amid water-stained throw rugs, ratty upholstery, and shorted-out lamps MORE
Beth Fenner - Jun 19, 2010 4:23 PM ET
It was only a decade ago that the U.S. stock market was considered the place where average Joes could achieve the American Dream, much like workers viewed Detroit's once-gleaming auto industry. But after the technology bubble burst in 2000, the market's reputation was tarnished — and folks started to favor flashier foreign stocks instead.
That may have been understandable back then, since U.S equities weren't just laggards following the tech crash; MORE
Paul Lim - Jun 18, 2010 9:22 AM ET
What's the most irritating fee charged by banks, airlines or other businesses? The time is winding down for letting us know.
Following up on our story about 15 irritating fees — and how to avoid them — MONEY is on its way to crowning the biggest loser: The Most-Hated Fee of All. This week, we've been asking you to narrow down the field of 15 outrageous fees by picking your least-favorite MORE
A Money Editor - Jun 17, 2010 11:22 AM ET
When out to dinner with friends, what's the most polite way to get the heavier drinkers to pay proportionately more for their share of the check? --J., New York City
Lighten up. Sometimes you order chicken, sometimes steak. Sometimes your friends eat pasta, other times pork chops. What kind of friendship can't survive a few dollars here and there? On your deathbed, will you care more that you didn't save MORE
A Money Editor - Jun 16, 2010 5:55 PM ET
Lately my company has shown slight gains in revenue, and we're starting to hire again. I haven't had a raise in three years. When can I ask for one? --S., Littleton, Mass.
Don't make it personal. It would be better to ask if the company plans to resume raises this quarter or next. --Scott Walker, Cheyenne
What's your advice to this reader? Post your comment below.
A Money Editor - Jun 16, 2010 5:47 PM ET
Is there a good way to collect on a debt from a relative who hasn't paid up? --R., Chico, Calif.
With kindness and respect in a conversation or letter, try to find a workable solution. Maybe you can offer your relative a longer time to repay or take goods or services in lieu of cash. --Amanda, Beaverton, Ore.
You can resort to legal remedies, but if you'll face this person MORE
By the time my son graduates from college, I'll be nearing retirement. I'm willing to pay for his BA but not grad school. Am I being selfish? --S., Birmingham, Ala.
Your son can take out a loan; you pay the interest until he finds a job after graduation. Then he can pay the loan (and maybe even repay you). This should take the pressure off him and you. --Tom, Boston MORE
A Money Editor - Jun 16, 2010 4:49 PM ET
I may be selling my condo. A neighbor's cigarette smoke is sometimes noticeable in one of my bathrooms. Am I obligated to tell potential buyers? --N., Alexandria, Va.
If an odor from an adjacent unit penetrates your home, contact your property manager and demand that it be fixed. In all likelihood, there's a small hole somewhere in the bathroom that allows this odor to transmit from one unit to another, MORE
A Money Editor - Jun 16, 2010 4:45 PM ET
Is it ethical to check on a spouse's credit card balances? --M., Sioux City, Iowa
Your spouse could have bought you a gift and you'd spoil the fun. But if you really want to see the card balance, I would ask and set a time to go over all of your statements together. --Angela Kidwell-West, Louisville
If you're curious, ask your spouse. Otherwise it's up there with reading a personal MORE
A Money Editor - Jun 16, 2010 4:36 PM ET
My mom is 87 and in poor health. My sister lives nearby but has little contact with her, while I'm very involved with her care. Am I entitled to a larger share of her estate? --R., Ohio
Here's how we resolved a similar situation: My sister-in-law is paid a mutually agreed upon sum from her mom's account for the care she provides. That way there are no hard feelings, and MORE
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