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4 Reasons Why You Should Read Your Bill Every Month

by Ray on November 11, 2009

in Personal Finance

Over the next couple of weeks, six finalists will be auditioning for the opening of “staff writer” at Consumerism Commentary. Each will be providing two guest articles to share with readers. After the six writers have shared their guest articles, readers will have an opportunity to provide feedback before we select the staff writer.

This article is presented by Ray, the owner and primary author of Financial Highway, where he discusses investing, saving and practical money management concepts.

I hate going through bills and statements every month, but the Mrs. on the other hand is very particular about it, she goes through all of the bills and checks items off “what a waste of time” I used to think until I recently. The few minutes it takes to check your bills can save you a lot of headache in the future.

Fraudulent charges

The most obvious reason you should take the time to check your statements is to check for unauthorized charges. This happens more frequent than you would think, if there is a large fraudulent charge it would be easy to detect but it’s the small amounts that can go unnoticed for a long time. This could also be charges that are not necessarily unauthorized but certain fees that you are unaware of, often you have between 60-90 days to dispute these charges so it is important to check regularly and report such charges immediately.

Mistakes

Yes mistakes happen, sometimes you are charged for things you are not suppose to be charged for, maybe a promotion ended or maybe a new fee was placed on certain things and you may miss them. By checking your bills regularly you will be aware of any extra fees or mistakes on your accounts, again taking early action will help you rectify these issues.

Accounting

Although I am a big fan of putting your finances on autopilot, you still need to keep track of your spending and budgeting. Going through your bills and statements will enable you to keep track of your expenditures and see if you are staying within your budget. It will also help you keep track of who you owe and how much, doing this on monthly bases will save you a lot of time at the end of the year and during tax filling.

Promotions and changes

Every now and then I notice some promotional offer being available from the company, for example recently I noticed that we can get a free upgrade on our TV package for six months, I love free! Checking the bills you may be able to find a few good promotions, which can go a long way. Companies also notify their customers of any changes in their terms and conditions when they send out the bills, you may miss important changes if you do not go through them which can end up costing you in the end.

I used to hate going through bills, but now I realize that those few minutes can save me a great deal of headache and run around later on. Not to mention the potential of saving money.

Do you go through your bills? Any other reasons why one should go through their bills on regular bases?

This is a guest article by Ray, one of six finalists interested in being Consumerism Commentary’s staff writer.

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Reader Question: Can You Write “See ID” Rather Than Signing Your Credit Card?

by Flexo on November 11, 2009

in Credit

I can’t remember the last time I’ve signed the back of a credit card, and I use my credit cards (one for personal travel and big expenses, one for all other personal expenses, and one for business expenses) almost every day. It has never caused me any problems with cashiers; at the most, I might get a dirty look or I might have to show my license, but almost always the cards are accepted without much thought.

A lot of retailers have terminals where customers can swipe their own card, so many cashiers don’t even get the chance to check for a signature on the back. Even those who ask to see the card take no more than a quick look at the back. Most do nothing but punch in the last four digits into their point-of-sale computer and hand the card back.

It’s fairly common to write “See ID” or “Ask for ID” in the signature block on the back of credit cards but not every retailer reacts the same way when encountering this request. Here is a question I received from a Consumerism Commentary reader, Ryan:

I was recently told by a retailer that they would not accept my debit/credit card because I had not signed the back and wrote “SEE ID” instead. I was told the card was not valid and I was required to sign it in order to use it. I have done this same practice for over twelve years and have never been asked about it before now.

I was told they were cracking down… So the sale was denied and the charges reversed. First, is a signature truly required? If so, how can online and “swipe-less” transactions with my card be legal?

If you ask Visa or MasterCard, the policy is clear. For all in-person transactions, a signature on the card is necessary. If a signature is not on the card, retailers are instructed to require the customer to sign the card and provide identification.

Here is the related section of the Rules for Visa Merchants:

The final step in the card acceptance process is to ensure that the customer signs the sales receipt and to compare that signature with the signature on the back of the card… While checking card security features, you should also make sure that the card is signed. An unsigned card is considered invalid and should not be accepted. If a customer gives you an unsigned card, the following steps must be taken:

  • Check the cardholder’s ID. Ask the cardholder for some form of official government identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. Where permissible by law, the ID serial number and expiration date should be written on the sales receipt before you complete the transaction.
  • Ask the customer to sign the card. The card should be signed within your full view, and the signature checked against the customer’s signature on the ID. A refusal to sign means the card is still invalid and cannot be accepted.
  • Ask the customer for another signed Visa card.
  • Compare the signature on the card to the signature on the ID.

If the cardholder refuses to sign the card, and you accept it, you may end up with financial liability for the transaction should the cardholder later dispute the charge.

Some customers write “See ID” or “Ask for ID” in the signature panel, thinking that this is a deterrent against fraud or forgery; that is, if their signature is not on the card, a fraudster will not be able to forge it. In reality, criminals don’t take the time to practice signatures: they use cards as quickly as possible after a theft and prior to the accounts being blocked. They are actually counting on you not to look at the back of the card and compare signatures — they may even have access to counterfeit identification with a signature in their own handwriting.

“See ID” or “Ask for ID” is not a valid substitute for a signature. The customer must sign the card in your presence, as stated above.

MasterCard’s rules are similar, and most agreements between merchants and third-party payment processors reflect these rules.

You might think that would be the end of the story, but in reality these rules are almost never followed. The banks that offer credit cards on Visa’s network or MasterCard’s network, like Citi and Bank of America, may not even be fully aware of the signature requirement. I called Citi to speak to a customer service representative to try to gauge the bank’s preference. The person I spoke with seemed unfamiliar with MasterCard’s rule. She mentioned that it’s quite common for customers to write “See ID” on the back of the card and for those cards to be accepted. The representative understands most retailers will ask for identification and complete the transaction without requiring a signature.

According to the customer service representative the retailer has the authority to decline a transaction if the signature is missing even though most retailers don’t. Although Visa and MasterCard would like to require a signature, most retailers are willing to bend the rules to make the sale and remain customer-friendly.

Ryan also asked about online or “swipe-less” transactions. It certainly is legal to use credit cards for online or telephone-based purchases. In these cases, the “card-not-present” situations in which retailers can’t view the signature on the card, retailers are supposed to implement more security features such as the following:

  • Pre-authorize the transaction
  • Ask for the card’s expiration date
  • Ask for the card verification code (CVV2 or CVC2), the three digit code on the back of the card, or the four digit code on the front of American Express cards
  • Verify the card holder’s address (AVS)

It is up to a retailer how secure they want to make the transaction process. Making the process easier for customers, by not verifying address or not asking for a CVV2 code for example, also invites more fraud. Fraud results in chargebacks to the merchant, and merchants really do not enjoy dealing with chargebacks. (This is what happens when you call your credit card to dispute a charge you may or may not have made.)

You are at the mercy of the retailer or cashier when it comes to acceptance of credit cards. If a cashier won’t accept your card without a signature, you could try asking for the manager but don’t be surprised when a retailer won’t complete the sale without a signature. Not many are this strict, but those who do require the signature are sticking to Visa’s and MasterCard’s rules.

Readers: Do you sign the back of your credit and debit cards, leave them blank, or write “See ID?” Have you encountered any push-back from cashiers?

Photo credit: Ciaran McGuiggan
Rules for Visa Merchants, November 10, 2009

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The Trouble With Target Date Funds

by J.J. on November 10, 2009

in Investing

Over the next couple of weeks, six finalists will be auditioning for the opening of “staff writer” at Consumerism Commentary. Each will be providing two guest articles to share with readers. After the six writers have shared their guest articles, readers will have an opportunity to provide feedback before we select the staff writer.

This article is presented by J.J., a financial adviser and published financial author.

Target date funds are under scrutiny in Washington as lawmakers figure out if they work the way they’re supposed to.

Also known as lifecycle funds, these funds become less risky as time goes on. They’re popular in 401(k) plans and other retirement plans because they make diversification easy. You select one target date fund from your plan’s menu, and that fund spreads your money among numerous underlying funds.

Most people are told to select the fund that has a number closest to their retirement year. Plan to retire soon? You might choose the “2010 Target Date Fund.” If you’re 26 years old, you might select the “2050 Target Date Fund.”

These funds are also common in 529 college savings programs where they may be called “age based” funds. The concepts are the same, so we’ll talk in terms of retirement for now.

For some, especially those who will not put time and energy into studying their investments, target date funds are a fine choice. They offer diversification and continuous re-balancing. They may have exposure to things (alternative strategies, commodities, or sector funds) you can’t find on your plan’s menu or that you don’t have enough money to buy into.

However, they’re far from perfect. Let’s cover a few of the major problems and what you can do about them.

What’s the right mix?

There are dramatic differences in how they’re constructed. For example, consider two funds with a target year of 2010. This would be a fund designed for an older investor — planning to start spending the money within a year — who presumably does not want to take much risk.

Fund Company A’s 2010 fund might have 26% in stocks, but Fund Company B’s 2010 fund might have 72% in stocks. Indeed, that’s exactly what happens. Morningstar published a study showing equity exposure in 2010 funds, and results are all over the board. Do most 65-year-olds want 72% of their money in the stock markets?

Critics suggest fixing this problem by standardizing equity exposure for each target year, or at least requiring more understandable charts showing the fund’s risk level. Some investors may be comfortable with high risk portfolios, but they should at least know what they’re getting into.

Who’s running the money?

Target date funds are made up of 10 to 30 underlying funds. Are those funds any good?

Critics argue that some fund companies put poor funds into their target date funds to feed money into those poor funds. If that’s the case, the Large Cap Value portion of your target date fund may be run by an under-performing manager or team. Of course, this is less of a risk if the fund company only uses index (or passive) funds.

The best target date funds are probably multi-fund-family funds. For example, T. Rowe Price’s target date funds are composed entirely of T. Rowe Price mutual funds. John Hancock uses different money managers to subadvise pieces of their target date funds. This lets them use best-of-breed managers for some portions of the portfolio and index funds for other portions.

Note that I have nothing against (nor do I endorse) either of the above companies; this is just food for thought.

What about fees?

It’s always hard to tell how much you’re paying with a mutual fund. Target date funds are especially tricky because they’re made up of many underlying funds. Most companies disclose “overlay” fees, the fee for creating the mix of investments and managing it over time, in a prospectus, but few investors look under the hood.

Multi-fund-family funds may have arrangements that create potential conflicts of interest. Why is one manager used instead of another? Hopefully it’s because of superior management, but you know it’s not always that simple.

Finally, some say that target date funds have excessive equity exposure because equity funds generate more revenue. That may help explain why a 2010 fund has 72% in stocks.

What can you do?

Target date funds are designed to make life easy, so requiring you to do homework kind of defeats the purpose. However, they’re out there and they may be your only option (or the best option available to you). It pays to know how they work and how you can improve your chances:

  • Ask for help. Your 401(k) provider, financial advisor, or DIY investment company should be able to help you figure out what you’re investing in.
  • Look under the hood. Understand how much is in stocks, bonds, foreign assets, and other assets. Are you comfortable with that mix?
  • Make changes. If you don’t like what you see, use something else. If you’re limited to your employer’s retirement plan menu, consider using other investments. Talk to the HR department about your concerns.
  • Bend the rules. Target date funds are designed for you to put 100% of your money into a fund with a target date near your retirement date. You can always use a different year to increase or reduce risk, or you can put 80% into the target date fund and 20% into another fund.
  • Lean on regulators. Let them know what’s important to you or hope for the best.

Tell us about your experience with target date funds. Why do you use them or avoid them?

This is a guest article by J.J., one of six finalists interested in being Consumerism Commentary’s staff writer.

Photo credit: eyeliam

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“What Works For You” Can Be a Trap

by Flexo on November 10, 2009

in Personal Finance

One of my favorite bloggers, and likely one of yours, is J.D. Roth. He has been writing about personal finance at Get Rich Slowly for some time now, and I was a fan of his writing at foldedspace when “blog” was still a new word. He is working on a book now, which I can’t wait to get my hands on (and read), and at the same time, he has been working on a blog series condensing his thoughts about personal finance into thirteen core tenets.

This is one of J.D.’s favorite mantras when offering financial advice or support: Do what works for you.

I think this is a great philosophy, and I can see how it is appealing to intelligent people who are capable of thinking independently, performing objective analysis, and making decisions based on empirical data and other established facts. It cuts directly to the core of personal finance: that money is personal and not every solution is universal. Different people require different answers, and what works for one person might not necessarily work for another.

The spirit of “What Works For You” is the important aspect: there are many paths to success and one should find the path that fits personally, using experimentation and consideration as a guide.

There are many open questions in personal finance but few concrete answers. What is a good investment? What will the stock market do tomorrow? Will I be able to afford college for my children in ten years? health care for myself next year? Uncertainty can lead to frustration, and when people don’t know what to do, they want to stick with something that feels comfortable.

I think it’s easy for the spirit of the “What Works For you” philosophy to be lost as one spreads the message, because the philosophy implies a search for comfort and is therefore subject to a number of psychological traps.

“What Works for You” grants a license to ignore criticism

itsatrapOne thing I remember about the time I was required to listen to a day-long Landmark Education seminar is the leader’s ability to silence anyone who didn’t accept their philosophy. If you disagreed with one aspect of their nonsense, a Landmark follower simply claimed you had a “racket” and you were immediately dismissed. The “What Works for You” argument does the same thing.

If you are focused on doing “What Works For You,” there is no room for opposing viewpoints. We are given the opportunity to selectively ignore facts that don’t fit our world view. Consider credit cards that offer rewards when you use them. I use a cash back credit card and never pay interest or late fees. That sounds like a great deal, and I often suggest this as a good way to make the credit card companies work for you. But according to consumer studies, on average, people like me spend more using credit cards than they would with cash. Even the rewards earned, particularly as credit card companies find ways to keep reducing these rewards, don’t make up the difference due to increased spending.

But many like me continue to use credit cards because it works for us. We say that we are spending less than we earn and we’re winning the battle with credit cards. But unless we have conducted our own experiments to determine how our own behavior, as an individual or family, is affected differently through using credit or cash, we have silenced criticism from cash-only advocates with a nothing more than a wave of the hand and the contentment that since we don’t see any surface damage on our finances, our behavior works for us.

“What Works For You” invites analysis that could be far too simple

Notice that the philosophy is not “What Works Best For You.” Whether something works is a binary state: either something works or something does not work. The only answers are yes or no. There is no gray area, no sliding scale, no room for judgment.

The Debt Snowball is often touted as the best method to pay off debt. There is no doubt this method, which calls for paying off your credit card debt from the card with the lowest balance to the highest, works for many people. And its popularity leads people to believe that it’s not worth considering another choice.

But many people who have succeeded paying off debt with the Debt Snowball would have succeeded with the Debt Avalanche, which offers similar psychological benefits but saves money and time. It’s important for someone embarking on the journey to pay off debt to be presented with options and be allowed to make their own decision. If you look only for “What Works For You,” you could be missing something that works better.

“What Works for You” accepts mediocrity as a way of life

I have been around enough high-achievers to be jaded with the constant strive for excellence and the endless desire to be the best in whatever activity happens to be involved. Determination to be the best is how some teams win world championships but others live in misery with failure. Thankfully we don’t all have to be the best in the world at what we do.

But that’s not an excuse for refusing to seek improvement. Since the 1970s, there has been a new focus on self-esteem, which after many years of filtering from psychologists through to popular culture, has resulted in an environment where “everybody is a winner.” Everyone in Little League gets trophies, even the team with the worst record. Consideration of self-esteem is important to a point, and the placement of that point is debatable; before too long, people should be rewarded for something more than just participation, something beyond just the minimum.

“What Works” is just the minimum. Do more than that. Do what works and look for something that works better. Don’t just stop buying daily $5 lattes, stop leasing expensive cars every three years. Don’t just start putting 5% of your salary into a savings account, put 10% into a great savings account, contribute the maximum to your Roth IRA, and get at least the maximum employer match in your 401(k).

It’s important, in dealing with personal finance, to just start somewhere but that’s not an excuse to stop doing or to stop thinking.

The spirit of “What Works For You” is a good philosophy. Personal finance is personal. You should be free to make your own choices based on the best information and experiences and find the path that works best for you. I will submit that it is also important that while searching for your personalized version of a financial plan that you don’t fall into the above traps.

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House Approves Expediting Credit CARD Act

by Smithee on November 10, 2009

in Credit

We reported just a few days ago on the passage of a measure in the House of Representatives to expedite the Credit Card reforms passed earlier this year.

Unfortunately, I left out some of the story, as I’m still figuring out the intricacies of how laws are made, and there were some amendments made to the bill before it passed. In addition to pushing up the enactment date to December 1, 2009 and the other changes we reported, the House version would also:

  • ensure that changes to a credit card agreement that reduce a customer’s interest rate or other fees can be implemented immediately, instead of being subject to the 45-day waiting period required under the CARD Act of 2009 — in other words, the bad things require a delay, the good things do not
  • dictate that any card issuer that imposes a moratorium on increases in rates, fees and terms and conditions of a contract would be exempt from the accelerated date for the provision requiring an issuer to apply a customer’s payment in excess of the minimum amount due, to the highest rate balance — the Credit CARD Act of 2009 fixes the industry abuse of extending a balance by applying payments insincerely. If banks play along and start a moratorium, they can have until Feb. 22 to fix the balance-payment problem.
  • prevent the closure of a credit card account in response to the imposition of a new fee from negatively impacting a consumer’s credit report or credit score

As before, the Senate version includes no additional measures, only moves up the date to Dec. 1. There’s a general sense in the news media that the Senate version would have trouble passing (sound familiar?), but I’m not sure where the pessimism comes from, as the original Credit CARD Act passed with 90% in the Senate.

Here’s the govtrack page to track the Senate version.

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Couponing Makes Cents

by FruGal on November 9, 2009

in Frugality

Over the next couple of weeks, six finalists will be auditioning for the opening of “staff writer” at Consumerism Commentary. Each will be providing two guest articles to share with readers. After the six writers have shared their guest articles, readers will have an opportunity to provide feedback before we select the staff writer.

This article is presented by FruGal, a consultant for a prominent online educational program.

Chances are, I have something in common with either you or someone you’re close to. That’s right, I recently found myself unemployed. After a five-year employment with a steady organization and what I thought was a prosperous future, I woke up one morning to find myself blindsided by the news that I no longer had a job. Luckily, being a financially-conscious individual, I’ve always been wise about investing a percentage of my earnings in various places, such as high-interest savings accounts. While this left me with enough money to “survive,” I knew that there were some concrete steps I was going to need to take in order to ensure I was making the most of my hard-earned dollars and, in believe it or not, cents.

Cents you ask? Yes, cents. Coupon-clipping has changed my life. What has long been considered a hobby of a let’s say, more “seasoned” individuals (a.k.a. senior citizens) has truly become all the rage with today’s average consumer. As a 28 year-old single female, I may not be your “average” coupon clipper, but my point is coupons are a smart move, no matter who you are.

Coupons have long fascinated me, but it wasn’t until recently that I began to master the art of this ever-growing practice. Spend just a few minutes online, and you’ll probably find quite a few useful web pages where people dedicate their whole site to the art of coupon clipping, complete with weekly store deals, coupon links, and much, much more.

I’m excited to share with you just a few simple steps you can take TODAY (well, maybe this Sunday) to STOP seeing your hard-earned money dwindle each week, and START seeing incredible savings in your everyday expenditures.

1. The good old Sunday newspaper is an excellent place to begin your new-found hobby of clipping coupons! On Sunday morning (or perhaps Saturday if the early edition is available where you live like it is In my city), head out to your local grocery store or gas station and pick up a copy of the Sunday paper for generally around $2 or less. Your $2 will go far based on the incredible savings you find inside. (Also check out your local paper on Thursday, as they often have coupons and promotions.)

Inside your $2 treasure, you’ll find a wide array of coupon inserts from companies such as SmartSource, PGBrandSaver, and others. Note that your coupon inserts may vary from ones you’d find in other cities, but regardless, you’ll find endless deals inside.

2. Now that you’ve got your coupons, what do you do with them? Get out your scissors and start clipping! There are tons of different organization systems that you can use, such as keeping a three ring binder with inserts. What I find works best for me is a plastic file folder organizer with tabbed letters of the alphabet. You can find these at any office supply store, and again, the couple of dollar investment you make will be well worth it in the long-run.

Once you’ve clipped all of your coupons it’s time to file them into your folder. I clip just about everything, even if I think I might not use it, because you never know. You also might find yourself giving coupons that don’t apply to you to your friends and family members. Find a system that works for you, but I usually file by the brand name of the item, rather than the general category. That way if I’m going through my sales circular for next week (see the next step) and see that Cheerios are on sale, I can simply flip to the “C” section and pull my coupon!

3. The key to successfully using your coupons is in the timing. You don’t want to go to the grocery store and simply buy items because you have coupons for them. Instead, check out your local grocery stores’ sales papers ahead of time. Prior to your weekly grocery store trip, go online to your store’s website. Most stores I’ve ever shopped at post their weekly circulars on their site. Some of them even have copies of the next week’s sales circular just past the checkout near the exit, so pick it up on your way out to start planning for the next week. Once you know what’s on sale, match up those items that are on sale in the circular with those items you have coupons for.

Of course, you won’t have a coupon for every item you want to buy, but you’ll definitely begin to see some significant savings in your weekly spending. Once you become a coupon-clipping “expert” you’ll begin to see your grocery bills decrease more and more, with strategies such as clipping coupons on the web, taking advantage of stores that double (and sometimes even triple!) your coupons, buying multiple copies of your Sunday paper, and using online resources to plan out how to maximize your coupons at different stores each week if you’re super ambitious.

Since I’ve begun steadily clipping and using coupons, I’ve seen my grocery bills more than cut in half each week. Not only does this give me some degree of personal satisfaction, but it also lets me know that I have a bit more money that particular week to go out with friends, or buy that bestselling novel I’ve been wanting to read. Or better yet, maybe I should just get it from the library for free.

So, Consumerism Commentary readers, what do you think? Are you an avid coupon-clipper like me? Do you have any tips to share on how to stretch your dollars and cents even further at the grocery store? If you get a little thrill from looking at the bottom of your grocery store receipt and seeing your savings, I’d love to hear from you!

This is a guest article by FruGal, one of six finalists interested in being Consumerism Commentary’s staff writer.

Photo credit: Roadsidepictures

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How to Avoid Excessive Airline Fees While Traveling

by Flexo on November 9, 2009

in Travel

My recent experiences traveling across country gave me more appreciation, or disapproval, of the lengths airlines are now gong to empty the wallets of travelers. The flight industry once positioned itself as luxury travel, with a variety of free amenities, but the industry takes the opposite approach now.

Yes, it is true that airlines compete mostly on airfare. I understand companies need to recover the cost of airport real estate and fuel in other ways. The airlines find it easy to hide the many varieties of fees. Travelers who are rushed — and the security process ensures more people will feel rushed — are more willing to pay for something rather than argue or look for other options. Additionally, it seems like every month an airline decides to begin charging for something that has traditionally been free.

Here are some ways to avoid getting nickel-and-dimed by the airlines.

1. Bring your own food. While you can’t bring much liquid through security, you can bring food with you from outside the airport. Once you enter the airport, the food you will find in the restaurants and shops will be over-priced. If you wait until you are on the plane, not only will the options be more expensive, there will be fewer options. Make something at home, add some snacks to quell your appetite, and bring an empty water bottle to fill at the fountain once you pass security.

2. Pack light. Several airlines now charge if you check a bag. Try to travel with only a carry-on bag if possible. If not, don’t let your luggage exceed the weight limits. And check in online before hand; checking a bag in person can often cost more than checking a bag online.

3. Arrive to the airport early. Leave more than enough time to proceed through security and relax at the gate before boarding time. Avoiding stress at the airport will prevent you from taking the easy way out on choices and buying things with which you can live out.

4. Bring your own pillow and blanket. If you are used to the free blanket and pillow traditionally offered for free on long flights, you’ll be disappointed to find they are not available in all cases, and when they are, often you will have to pay. If you can pack a small pillow and blanket your own in your carry-on bag or live without them, your wallet will thank you.

5. Bring your own headphones. Airlines are offering more entertainment for free. Almost every flight I’ve been on for the past two years have featured a monitor in the back of the seat in front of me with a variety of channel options. Most flights will charge you for headphones for listening to the programming, however. In almost all cases, your own headphones or iPod ear buds will work just fine. Even on Continental Airlines flights, where the audio is delivered with two mono jacks rather than one stereo jack, you can use your own headphone and experience half of the audio.

6. Bring your own entertainment. Listen to your own music or watch your own movies on your computer. While many airlines do have some free entertainment, they will want to offer you more for a fee. Even though I had access to free television shows on Delta, the better shows and movies would have cost several dollars. I stuck with the free entertainment provided by the airline as well as my own equipment.

7. Don’t use curbside check-in. If you are dropping off bags to be checked, bring them inside. Curbside check-in may save some time, but if you arrive at the airport early enough, you can save money by dropping your bags off inside the terminal.

8. Use your own internet access. With my BlackBerry, I already paid for a tethering service. While I was sitting in the terminal waiting to board my flights, I could connect the phone to my computer to access the Internet. Some airports have free WiFi now, but not many. If you want to access the Internet while waiting, you may have to pay a fee to access a proprietary Wifi network. Better yet, if your life and work don’t involve constantly being online, try to avoid the Internet completely while traveling.

9. Don’t be picky about your seat selection. I have found that more airlines are charging for reserving an exit row or bulkhead seat in advance, if they allow the practice at all. Thanks to SeatGuru, it’s easy to find the best seats on any airplane, and the airlines want to charge premiums now that everyone wants the best seats. If you would be comfortable wherever they place you, don’t pay any extra money for better placement.

10. Complain to Congress. If Congress was able to force credit card companies to stop their anti-consumer policies of over-charging and double-charging, perhaps they would have some luck with the airline industry as well. Keep in mind, when one door closes another one usually opens; companies usually find a way to get around restrictions and continue making life difficult for customers to protect the bottom line and shareholders.

What other airline fees have you discovered and how do you avoid them?

Photo credits: paalia, georgeparrilla

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The True Cost of a Motorola Droid

by Flexo on November 9, 2009

in Consumer

I have been looking forward to replacing my Blackberry 8830 World Edition for several months now. The phone, even with ample extended memory, is sluggish and does not have the same capabilities other modern phones have.

With the release of the Motorola Droid, I decided this was a good opportunity to upgrade. On my way home from work on Friday I stopped by the Verizon Wireless store, confirmed I was happy with the phone, and walked out of the store with my purchase including some accessories.

It was an expensive evening, but I’m happy with the purchase so far. The good news is I’ll be paying less per month for a while. But here’s a breakdown of what it would cost to own a Motorola Droid on Verizon Wireless.

The first thing you will notice is the price of the phone. If you start or re-start a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless, the phone costs $299.99 with a $100 rebate available. If you buy the phone in person, you will have to send in your receipt to receive the rebate in the form of a debit card, but if you buy the phone online, the rebate is instant. I also had my “New Every Two” rebate, reducing my cost by $50.

The phone comes with a regular charger but if you want a car charger, Verizon sells the necessary micro USB charger for $29.99 in the store but you can find less expensive options are available on Amazon.com. Verizon also wants you to buy a multimedia docking station. I did not find this necessary, but I did buy the car mount, $29.99 at the store. The navigation features on the Droid rival the best GPS devices, and the car mount makes those features convenient.

The cheapest monthly plan at Verizon Wireless is $39.99 for unlimited nighttime and weekend minutes and 450 anytime (any other time) minutes, but any “smartphone” requires a data plan in addition to the voice plan, so you’ll pay another $29.99. At this time, using the cell phone as a computer modem is not supported on the Droid. I did have “tethering” with the BlackBerry, so I will be saving $30 per month by canceling this feature until Verizon offers it on the Droid early next year.

Verizon Wireless wants to ensure that Droid users don’t abandon the network before the end of their contract. Phones are sold at a loss by the company with the expectation that they will make back the cost of the phone, and profit, through monthly fees. Full retail price of the phone is $559.99. To protect itself further, and to encourage customers to purchase sooner rather than later, on November 15 Verizon will be doubling the early termination fee on for Droid purchasers to $350 from $175. This fee drops by $10 every month of the contract, but it is still a gutsy move when early termination fees have already been judged illegal in California.

Total cost of owning a Motorola Droid on Verizon Wireless

Assuming you don’t go over your minute allowance, here is what buying a Droid could cost you.

Motorola Droid after $100 rebate $199.99
Car charger accessory (optional) $29.99
Car mounting accessory (optional) $29.99
24 months voice plan 450 minutes $959.76
24 months data plan $719.76
24 months 500 text msgs (optional) $240.00
18 months tethering (optional) $540.00
Total $2,719.49

You’ll pay more if you want more accessories, like the multimedia dock or a Bluetooth headset. Many of the applications you can install on the phone require a small fee, and some, like the visual voicemail app, disappointingly carry a monthly charge. However, Google Voice is a good, free option, and it integrates seamlessly with the Droid. There are many other useful apps that are free.

So far I like the Droid. It is a major improvement over the BlackBerry 8830. For those who like AT&T, check out the true cost of the iPhone 3G.

Photo credit: allaboutgeorge

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