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

November 2011

$300 Gift Card Bonus from the Citi Forward Card

by Luke Landes

The offer you are interested in has expired. Read our review of the Citi Forward Card.

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Wal-Mart Offering Check Cashing Services

by Luke Landes
Wal-Mart

Many Wal-Mart locations around the country now have Money Center departments. These developments create an incredibly convenient way to take your paycheck into the store, have it cashed at the Money Center, and use your cash for your shopping trip. With Wal-Mart’s trend to become a one-stop shop for all household needs, including groceries, each ... Continue reading this article…

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New Capital Fund Pays Entrepreneurs’ Student Loans

by Luke Landes

A new venture capital firm is looking for a few — one hundred in the first five years — entrepreneurs from the recent crop of former students and people their age. Gen Y Capital Partners is looking for investment opportunities — “For Gen Y, by Gen Y” — to help start-up businesses grow. Any entrepreneur ... Continue reading this article…

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Citi Diamond Preferred Card Review

by Luke Landes

The Citi Diamond Preferred Card $200 Credit and 18 Month Balance Transfer Offer has expired. Read our review of the Citi Diamond Preferred Card.

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The Financial Planner Who Lost His House

by Luke Landes
Great Expectations - Carl Richards - Behavior Gap

Carl Richards is one of today’s best writers focusing on personal finance. Originally keeping a great blog at behaviorgap.com, The Behavior Gap has moved to the New York Times, and early next year, Carl will release his first book. Look for The Behavior Gap: Simple Ways to Stop Doing Dumb Things with Money on January ... Continue reading this article…

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Boost Your Human Capital: Publish Your Thoughts

by Luke Landes
Blogging and writing in a journal

Focusing solely on your net worth is an approach too narrow if you want to become financially independent over time. To increase your chances of being secure, think about your personal human capital, a set of skills and experiences that will improve your finances in the future. Establish yourself as an authority in your field ... Continue reading this article…

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Wealth Gap: Young Vs. Old

by Luke Landes
First Base

The wealth gap is growing, and if the Occupy Wall Street and its satellite protests are any indication, those not within the top one percent of income earners are not happy with their circumstances or the policies that help foster the wealth of those at the top. It’s been called class warfare, but there are ... Continue reading this article…

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Credit Unions Successfully Woo 650,000 New Customers

by Luke Landes

Bank of America has given into the pressure of losing more than just a few unprofitable customers, canceling its planned $5 monthly debit card fee. The damage, not just to Bank of America but to retail banking overall, has already been done. The Credit Union National Association has counted, state by state, a total of ... Continue reading this article…

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20+ Christmas Gift Ideas Under $100

by Luke Landes

While I’ve already offered my suggestions for this year’s best holiday toys, not everyone on your Christmas or gift-giving list is a child. You may have a special adult someone on your list who would appreciate something more useful. Although it’s early in the holiday shopping season, at least for me, some of the best ... Continue reading this article…

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Podcast 133: Laughing at Wall Street

by Luke Landes

Today on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, Bryan talks to Chris Camillo, author of Laughing at Wall Street: How I Beat the Pros at Investing (by Reading Tabloids, Shopping at the Mall, and Connecting on Facebook) and How You Can, Too. Chris advises avoiding standard Wall Street advice and focusing on social networks, personal shopping research ... Continue reading this article…

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HSBC Banking Network Down

by Luke Landes

Reports are coming in with many HSBC customers around the world experiencing declined card transactions, no website access, and no phone system. HSBC’s network in the UK is apparently unavailable at the moment, and other areas may be affected throughout the world. HSBC is the largest bank in the United Kingdom, and all HSBC card ... Continue reading this article…

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5 Reasons You’re Unhappy With Your Career Progress

by Luke Landes
Ladder

There have been times in my life, while working for other people or companies, that I’ve thought to myself, I should have more job responsibility than this, or, I should be getting paid more than I am. A disagreement with the boss over my skills, potential, and value to the organization created tension. For some ... Continue reading this article…

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Layaway Programs: How to Buy What You Can’t Afford (Yet)

by Luke Landes

In the midst of the economic recession a few years ago, layaway programs made a big comeback. Previously a great method for buying items that may have been on the expensive side in eras when credit was not available to many consumers, the same economic conditions returned when credit card offers became scarce recently. Layaway ... Continue reading this article…

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5 Saving Money Tips for Car Owners

by Emily Guy Birken
Rusted Car

This is a guest article by Emily Guy Birken, author of The SAHMambulust. In this article, she offers suggestions for cutting the costs associated with car ownership. Owning a car is an expensive proposition, but most of us never stop to consider the cost of each trip. Unless you live in a city with great ... Continue reading this article…

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10 Ways to Avoid Hotel Fees

by Luke Landes
Hotel

I’ve noticed over the past few years that the fees and surcharges that appear on my hotel bills are creeping steadily upward. I’m apparently not alone with this observation. According to a new study by Dr. Bjorn Hanson from the NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies, hotel fees and surcharges will account for $1.8 ... Continue reading this article…

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Slate from Chase Review

by Luke Landes

Earlier this year, Discover launched a no balance transfer fee credit card offer that was available for a full three months, an unexpected offer given the trend towards increased balance transfer fees following the recession. Credit cards with these attractive balance transfer offers are generally the least profitable for card issuers, and it had been ... Continue reading this article…

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Amazon.com’s Month of Black Friday Deals

by Luke Landes

When a sales approach reveals itself to be significantly profitable for a company, you can bet those who run that company will want to expand that approach. Last year’s “Black Friday” day-after-Thanksgiving sale on Amazon.com was popular, and this year the major online retailer is extending the event throughout the week leading up to Thanksgiving, ... Continue reading this article…

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We Did It: Bank of America Dropping $5 Debit Card Fee Proposal

by Luke Landes

After Wells Fargo, Chase Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Regions Bank dropped their plans for debit card fees yesterday, the largest bank in the United States, the only bank holding onto its policy of eliminating unprofitable customers by annoying them with inconvenient fees, dropped their own plans to enact a $5 monthly debit card fee in ... Continue reading this article…

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Tax Deduction for Time Spent Volunteering

by Luke Landes
Volunteer

I recently received reader feedback from a conscious saver who is planning to move his money from Wells Fargo to a credit union. She won’t make the Bank Transfer Day November 5 goal, because the credit union’s branch is planned to open November 7. This reader plans to be one of the new branch’s first ... Continue reading this article…

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