As featured in The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, and more!

March 2007

Apologies for Poor Site Performance

by Luke Landes

I have a quick message for a Friday afternoon after a day I’ve been running around quite a bit. If you’ve been visiting (or trying to visit) Consumerism Commentary but you’ve been greeted by server error messages, I apologize. I’m working on the situation and I’ll hopefully I’ll come up with a solution that’s not ... Continue reading this article…

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Question for Readers: Closing an Old Capital One Account

by Luke Landes

A reader wrote to me with a question, in response to my entry regarding how Capital One credit cards hurt your credit score. She is concerned with Capital One’s bureau reporting tactics and their junk mail, but it’s her oldest account, so she doesn’t know if closing the account is the best thing to do. ... Continue reading this article…

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ING Direct Offering 10% APY Promotion… In Spain

by Luke Landes

According to BlogAhorro, ING Direct is offering existing customers 10 percent APY for one month. Here is a rough translation: ING Direct has sent a letter to its customers offering a 10 percent APY for its Orange Savings Account for one month. In order to qualify, make a deposit from any other bank before April 5, 2007. ... Continue reading this article…

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February Heating Cost Way Up

by Luke Landes

My electricity bill from February was a bit of a shock. I have a one bedroom apartment, approximately 700 square feet. To heat this space (and to use any electronic devices) last month, I’ll have to pay $236. That must be the highest amount I’ve ever paid for electricity in one month. The bill provides ... Continue reading this article…

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How Easy is it to Beat the Market?

by Luke Landes

On one hand, we have brokers, or salespeople, who sell financial products designed to put the most money in the hands of the people who manage and sell said products. On the other hand, we have financial advisors who swear that for long-term investing, index funds will provide the best and safest return. The brokers ... Continue reading this article…

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Quick Update to Interest Rates

by Luke Landes

I’ve updated the list of online savings and checking account interest rates. This list includes some of the more popular “online banks” as well as a few high-interest accounts from brick-and-mortar banks designed to compete with those online banks. Let me know if you have a favorite online money market account that isn’t listed.

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Best Cars of 2007: Consumer Reports vs. Car and Driver

by Luke Landes

Consumer Reports released its top picks for 2007, which lists the organization’s favorite cars in several categories. Here is their methodology: Our Top Picks are recommended vehicles that have met our stringent requirements in three key areas: Testing. Of the more than 250 vehicles we’ve recently tested, each Top Pick has scored at or near ... Continue reading this article…

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Soylent Synvisc: It’s Birds!

by Luke Landes

Television commercials for pharmaceutical products — drugs — fascinate me. Usually they do little to explain what the drug really does, but they certainly make it sound as if everyone should be taking it on a regular basis. All narrators are sure to say, “Ask your doctor if you should take [insert market-tested brand name].” ... Continue reading this article…

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How to Withdraw Money from Upromise

by Luke Landes

Upromise is a loyalty rebate program which rewards its members by investing a percentage of purchases into accounts for education expenses, namely 529 College Savings Plans. Just register your credit cards and your supermarket membership cards and the different rebates are credited to your account to be invested at a later date. These rebates are ... Continue reading this article…

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Weekly Roundup, Fibonacci Edition

by Luke Landes

Here are some articles that caught my attention this past week. Think of this as my own personal Carnival of Personal Finance. 1. How to Improve Your Credit Score (Free Money Finance) 1. 1907 Salaries and Today (Blueprint for Financial Prosperity) 2. Time to Sell Your House and Rent? (Mighty Bargain Hunter) 3. Yesterday’s Market ... Continue reading this article…

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Problems With TIAA-CREF Continue: One Reader’s Issue

by Luke Landes

My Roth IRA and SEP IRA are held at TIAA-CREF. I’ve had some problems with them in the past, which I’ve outlined a number of times. Most recently I noticed that my contributions for 2005 were included on my 2006 tax form. Their explanation was simply that 2005 contributions made during 2006 would appear on ... Continue reading this article…

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This Week in the Archives

by Luke Landes

Throughout the year, I’ll be linking to articles on Consumerism Commentary from previous years. I’m using this as an opportunity to point out any interesting or well-discussed posts that newer readers and occasional visitors might have missed. Here are some from March 1-7, 2006: * Mar. 2: New $10 Bill Circulates Today (3 comments) * ... Continue reading this article…

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Yesterday’s Winner of You Call the Shots: mnc From My New Choice!

by Luke Landes

The final winner of You Call the Shots by Cameron Johnson (reviewed here) is mnc from My New Choice. His comment on my latest income statement post was selected randomly. Thanks to everyone who participated! If you were hoping to win a free copy but didn’t, I suggest purchasing the book from Amazon.com or checking ... Continue reading this article…

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What I Did With My Bonus

by Luke Landes

After taxes, my bonus amounted to about $2,000. The funds arrived in my checking account this morning, but thanks to an automatic transfer, the entire sum has been whisked away to a savings account at ING Direct for “relocation.” This account contains the funds that should be used towards my next move, whether a down ... Continue reading this article…

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Yesterday’s Winner of You Call the Shots: tmg!

by Luke Landes

Congratulations, tmg! Your comment on my post about reaching the 5 year anniversary at my job was selected randomly, so you won my fourth copy of You Call the Shots by Cameron Johnson (reviewed here). I am very happy about being able to spread this book around; I enjoyed the stories Cameron has to share. ... Continue reading this article…

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Monthly Reminder: Susbscribe to Consumerism Commentary

by Luke Landes

Here’s a great way to ensure you won’t miss anything at Consumerism Commentary. It’s easy to subscribe to our RSS feed in your favorite feed reader, like Bloglines, or get newest blog entries in your email inbox. It’s all about convenience. And by the way, the RSS feeds contain full entries so you never even ... Continue reading this article…

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Personal Income Statement, February 2007 (Net Income: $3,057)

by Luke Landes

February was another positive month, little thanks to the day job. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have a steady job where I’m appreciated and benefits are provided at low cost. Even though I’m keeping my expenses down, I’m still relying on my side income to get me through the month. I also received ... Continue reading this article…

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Personal Balance Sheet, February 2007 ($77,994, +3.66%)

by Luke Landes

February wasn’t as nice to me as January was, particularly thanks to the stock market issues in the last days of the month. So while overall I’m only up 3.66 percent in the last month, my non-invested accounts are up 7.23 percent. Here are some notes. I’m now including a line for my company stock purchase plan ... Continue reading this article…

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By This Time, You are a Seasoned Executive

by Luke Landes

Yesterday, I received an email from the corporation I work for congratulating me on reaching my first milestone, the Fifth Anniversary, and asking me to choose a gift. It’s a bittersweet feeling because of the strange path that led me here. Working at a corporation was never part of my grand scheme. Five years is ... Continue reading this article…

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Wage Insurance?

by Luke Landes

Chuck Schumer, a senator from New York, wants to introduce a bill that will provide a “wage insurance” federal benefit. For example, if a worker earning $80,000 is laid off and can only find a job earning $60,000, half of that difference will be paid by the government. The amount of the benefit could be ... Continue reading this article…

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