Personal Finance from around the web:
Workers in financial services don't appear to be suffering as much people employed in other businesses. Average weekly salaries for bankers and the like have spiked in recent months, leaving the rest of us behind. [EconomPic]
Steve Jobs's introduction of the iPad can teach us a lot about the danger of getting tricked by the manufacturer's suggested retail price. [MintLife]
Thinking about visiting a coin-counting machine to MORE
Ana Patricia Ferrey - Apr 6, 2010 1:31 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Remember that bond-fund manager who got ousted from TCW in a dispute that, uh, reeked of pot and porn? Well, on Tuesday his new firm will be launching two new mutual funds. [DoubleLine Funds]
An 8.2 percent rise in NAR pending home sales index indicates that more Americans are looking to buy homes. [The Atlantic]
In return for a small pay cut, employees could avoid layoffs with MORE
Tania Chen - Apr 5, 2010 5:04 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
A simple trick to cut your spending: Estimate the annual cost of what you're buying. [Debt-Proof Living via Free Money Finance]
Fearful of fraud? Of course, you are. In fact, it's is a sign of successful messaging on the part of the IRS, which seems to make an annual push for publicizing tax fraud cases as the calendar year approaches April 15th. [Economix]
Say goodbye to the MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Mar 31, 2010 1:28 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Do you find yourself telling the kids to be careful who they hang out with? Turns out the same advice goes for you, online. Creditors are turning to your social networks to help determine whether or not you will make a good customer. [PC World]
The ever-capricious housing market defied economists predictions of a 1.9% increase in new-home sales for February, instead dipping 2.2 percent. [The MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Mar 24, 2010 1:50 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
In the wake of the credit card law passed last May, understanding all the new regulations that apply to consumers has gotten confusing. A consumer-law professor tries to untangle the legal mumbo jumbo, offering advice in parts one and two. [Bucks]
Beer Market: Even St. Patrick's Day won't do much to boost lagging brew sales. Turns out Americans are more likely to celebrate the USA MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Mar 17, 2010 2:09 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Bernie Madoff's two sons ask a judge to dismiss civil complaints against them because they are just two more victims of their father's terrible crimes. Judging from the tone of one blogger's response, they should expect some pushback. [DealBreaker]
In January, reporters from NPR's Planet Money bought $1,000 worth of toxic assets. Will they make money with this distressed mortgage-backed security? They've gotten one-third of MORE
Ana Patricia Ferrey - Mar 16, 2010 2:57 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Homerbuilders' shares suggest that the housing market is ready to fly solo without the assistance of stimulus programs. [Bloomberg]
No free lunch...at 30,000 feet: Continental, the last major US airline to serve free in-flight meals, will begin charging for food in coach class on domestic flights. [The Wall Street Journal]
Federal prosecutors allege that Park Avenue Bank president Charles Antonucci "made material and false statements" MORE
Tania Chen - Mar 15, 2010 2:37 PM ET
The state of the housing market has long reached a point where it's good news to hear, "It's not getting worse." Unfortunately, according to a firm that tracks borrowers behind on their mortgages, you can conclude at best, "It's getting worse, but less quickly."
Lisa Gibbs - Mar 15, 2010 10:57 AM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Banks in Los Angeles now have a new incentive to make loan modifications, open branches in poorer neighborhoods and invest in the city. Those banks that rank lowest in community investment will lose access to nearly $30 billion in city savings and pension funds. [The Huffington Post]
Think you might be eligible for a 2010 homebuyer tax credit? Follow this chart to find out. [The Consumerist]
As MORE
Beth Braverman - Mar 12, 2010 3:03 PM ET
Personal finance from around the web:
A 46-year-old Pittsburgh woman is suing Bank of America for mistakenly repossessing her home and confiscating her prized pet parrot. The woman's mortgage was up to date, but she says it took her a week to recover her beloved bird and six weeks to get BofA to clean up the mess it left. As foreclosures rise, mistakes like this become more frequent, experts say. [ABC MORE
Ismat Sarah Mangla - Mar 11, 2010 2:03 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Who on television is a surprisingly prolific dispenser of wise personal finance advice? You won't, ahem, view her on the investing channels -- it's Whoopi Goldberg. [WalletPop]
Can't get any credit? It's not because you don't have "Rockefeller" as a surname. Even America's affluent business owners and entrepreneurs are having a hard time wrangling money from traditional lenders. [The Wall Street Journal]
LifeLock, the identity-theft-protection company MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Mar 10, 2010 12:45 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Here's another way the rich are different from everybody else: The more money you have, the more options you have to avoid taxes. [TheStreet.com]
The Chilean and Haitian earthquakes provided a powerful reminder of the devastation a tremor can cause. So why are 88% of insured homes in California not covered with an earthquake policy? Because the policies are really expensive. [Los Angeles Times]
Congress has made MORE
Beth Braverman - Mar 5, 2010 1:04 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Banks 1, Consumers 0? Many in Washington are crying foul after this morning's buzz about a bipartisan compromise in the Senate Committee on Banking which would nix a proposed independent consumer finance agency by incorporating it into the Fed. [Bloomberg]
What vehicles reaped the benefits of Toyota's recall mishap? Hint: they're built "Ford tough." A list of February's top-selling vehicles. [WalletPop]
Social Security saviors: your wife, sister-in-law MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Mar 3, 2010 1:55 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
The Warren Buffett Channel: The Baron of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) was all over CNBC this morning talking about the economy, healthcare, Obama and earthquakes. Here's your guide to the juicy bits. [The Big Picture]
Buffett's in the spotlight because Berkshire Hathaway released its annual letter to shareholders this weekend. While as interesting and entertaining as always, the essay also contains a weak argument for the company's MORE
George Mannes - Mar 1, 2010 12:15 PM ET
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
