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

June 2007

Still Having Problems With TIAA-Cref? Talk to the Press!

by Luke Landes

I am still receiving comments from people who are having technical issues with TIAA-Cref, even almost a year and a half after my first problem with their system in January 2006. I’ve recently received a notice from a reporter who is looking to follow up with this story. If you are still having customer service ... Continue reading this article…

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Really Inexpensive DSL Service From AT&T

by Luke Landes

I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this website, you are connected to the Internet at a speed faster than a dial-up connection. Perhaps you’re reading from work on a T-3 or you’re reading from home on a cable or DSL connection. Perhaps you’re at school and you’re sharing your college’s OC-12. If that’s ... Continue reading this article…

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Battle of the Riches: Good vs. Evil. Which Side is Money On?

by Luke Landes

In my review of Cash, Cars & College by Janine Bolon, I didn’t mention the author’s thoughts on the nature of money, which she included in the book. To expand on this section, Janine has offered the following guest post. Why Become Wealthy? Believe it or not, I’ve actually been asked this question by a ... Continue reading this article…

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Ben Stein: Invest or Pay Off Mortgage?

by Luke Landes

This is an age-old question. Does it make more financial sense to pay off your mortgage quicker by increasing or adding payments, or to use that extra money and invest in an index fund in the stock market? The simple answer is to choose the option that leaves you with the most money down the ... Continue reading this article…

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The 2nd Anniversary Carnival of Personal Finance: Wow!

by Luke Landes

J.D. from Get Rich Slowly did an awesome job hosting the second anniversary edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. I particularly like the theme he has chosen — bloggers’ “greatest hits.” Here we have a hundred or so of the articles bloggers have chosen as their favorites from the past two years. This Carnival ... Continue reading this article…

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Review: Cash, Cars & College by Janine Bolon

by Luke Landes

Cash, Cars & College: A Young Person’s Guide to Money Janine Bolon (6/10) When it comes to book reviews, I am usually contacted by the publishers, press agents, or public relations teams. When an author takes the time to email me directly, I pay more attention. I was contacted a few weeks ago by Janine ... Continue reading this article…

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Final Reminder: Take My Reader Survey

by Luke Landes

On Monday, I will close my reader survey and start compiling and analyzing the results. The survey has been helpful so far, thanks to everyone who has taken the few short minutes to provide their information and opinions. If you’re a regular reader of Consumerism Commentary and haven’t answered the survey yet, please do so ... Continue reading this article…

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Ben Stein: Your Suggested Portfolio

by Luke Landes

Ben Stein is one of my favorite financial writers. I don’t always agree with his political views, but I usually find him to be grounded in reality in money matters. Also, he’s a pretty funny guy when he wants to be. Here is what he suggests for a typical working American’s portfolio distribution, from a ... Continue reading this article…

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Weekly Blog Roundup, Cleaning and Packing Edition

by Luke Landes

For your reading enjoyment while I clean and pack this weekend, here are some interesting articles from my colleagues in the MoneyBlogNetwork as well as from other personal finance blogs. Would You Drive a Car That Cost Only $2,500 New? Mighty Bargain Hunter wonders if this price point is too low to cover quality engineering, ... Continue reading this article…

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Capital One’s New Breed of Debit Cards: Would You Use It?

by Luke Landes

Capital One has created a new kind of debit card, and the company is hoping it will replace traditional debit cards or even credit cards. This new debit card can be linked to any account at any bank and can be used for purchases or ATM withdrawals. There will be no fees, and Capital One ... Continue reading this article…

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Reader Question: Should I Have a Roth IRA?

by Luke Landes

While I like to answer readers’ questions to the best of my knowledge, please keep in mind that I am not a financial professional. If you have questions, feel free to contact me. Any questions for which I can’t provide a detailed answer, I often just open the conversation up for discussion, as I know ... Continue reading this article…

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Wall Street Journal: Managing Money in Public

by Luke Landes

My former boss at the company I currently work for knows that I have a side interest that involves personal finance and the web. Obviously, I do not supply too many details to him as I prefer to maintain some level of anonymity on Consumerism Commentary, considering the personal information I’ve been posting since 2003. ... Continue reading this article…

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Poisonous Toothpaste in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland

by Luke Landes

If you purchase Colgate toothpaste in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Maryland, take a good look at the packaging first. In some discount stores, counterfeit products are showing up. These fake products are said to contain a poisonous chemical. It should be fairly easy to tell whether the product is legitimate. The fakes include ... Continue reading this article…

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Rent Payment Options at My New Apartment

by Luke Landes

Reminder: So far there has been a very good response to the Consumerism Commentary reader survey. If you have not yet done so, please complete the survey so I can learn about you and improve this blog. Last night, I signed the lease for my new apartment. While doing so, I asked about payment options. ... Continue reading this article…

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My Struggle: Spending on Food is Really About Motivation

by Luke Landes

Donna Freedman’s MoneyCentral article reminds me of an issue with which I consistently fail each time I’ve made the attempt over the last few years. In the article, the author provides some success stories for those who have saved money by “brown-bagging” their lunch rather than buying each day. Here is one example: “I never ... Continue reading this article…

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Four Retirement Mistakes, Part Three: Taking a Check

by Luke Landes

When planning for the future, one or two small mistakes can undo years of progress. A recent article from Kiplinger takes a look at four very speicific mistakes that can be made in managing retirement accounts. I’ve already looked at the unintended consequences that early withdrawal and interrupting annual payments could have. This is the ... Continue reading this article…

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Net Worth of $100,000: Not Looking Good for This Month

by Luke Landes

When I reviewed my finances for the end of May 2007, I predicted I would be breaking the six figure barrier around the end of the first week of June. That didn’t happen, and it looks like I’ll be putting off that milestone for another month or so. Thanks to the fact I signed my ... Continue reading this article…

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Announcement About Carnival of Personal Finance #105

by Luke Landes

Next Monday, Get Rich Slowly will present the second anniversary edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. To celebrate the occasion, J.D. would like to host the edition differently to celebrate. Here are the details. Get Rich Slowly will host the second anniversary edition of the carnival next Monday. I want to make this one ... Continue reading this article…

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FICO Will Eliminate Common Way to Build Credit

by Luke Landes

One of the most common ways for young people, say teenagers, to build credit is to become an authorized user on one or more of their parents’ credit cards. This way, they immediately have a significant amount of available credit, and by the time they need a credit score after college, they might have a ... Continue reading this article…

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Four Retirement Mistakes, Part Two: Interrupting Annual Payments

by Luke Landes

Reminder: So far there has been a very good response to the Consumerism Commentary reader survey. If you have not yet done so, please complete the survey so I can learn about you and improve this blog. I’ve been reading a Kiplinger article outlining four retirement mistakes, and so far I’ve written a little about ... Continue reading this article…

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