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

Search: chase

Sallie Mae Bank Savings Account Opening Review

by Flexo

At the beginning of March, the banking arm of Sallie Mae, a publicly-traded corporation whose main business is student loans, began offering high-yield savings accounts. As I’ve mentioned before, “high-yield” is currently a joke; just a few years ago, you could deposit cash in high-yield savings accounts and count on slightly beating inflation. It is ... Continue reading this article…

20 comments Read the full article →

When It Makes Sense to Chase Savings Interest Rates

by Flexo

I’ve been closely tracking changes in high-yield savings account interest rates for a few years. Having a high-yield savings account is an essential part of being in control of your finances, and it’s the perfect vehicle for the bulk of your emergency fund. There is a possibility of having too much of a good thing. ... Continue reading this article…

12 comments Read the full article →

Scarlett Johansson’s Home For Sale at $2 Million Loss

by Flexo

The market for Hollywood Hills homes of the stars hasn’t been immune to the real estate downturn. Although she purchased the house for $7 million in 2007, the asking price is now $4.59 million. Judging from the photographs on CNN Money, the villa looks like a great place to live. CNN Money often profiles houses ... Continue reading this article…

0 comments Read the full article →

Consumer Reports’ Best Cars of 2010

by Flexo

When Consumer Reports tests new cars, their staff shop just like consumers. They stop into dealerships and buy cars without giving any indication they intend to test the cars for a major magazine. Rather than receiving specially tuned or improved vehicles, the magazine takes to its test center the same cars ordinary shoppers would buy. ... Continue reading this article…

28 comments Read the full article →

Smithee Debt Update, February 26, 2010

by Smithee

It’s been a couple of weeks since I shared details of my push to get rid of the credit card debt. I’ve been diligently taking out exactly $100 from the ATM to spend from Saturday morning through Friday night. That’s just for daily, personal purchases that don’t contribute to the house as a whole, though. ... Continue reading this article…

7 comments Read the full article →

Quicken Essentials for Mac Released Today

by Flexo

Today, Intuit officially launched the first new version of Quicken for Mac in years. I do not own an Apple computer, so I have not seen this software for myself. I do know from reading many reviews that the Mac versions of Quicken in the past have lagged in quality behind the equivalent Windows-based software. ... Continue reading this article…

6 comments Read the full article →

Needs Versus Wants: The Great Spending Debate

by Kelly Whalen

This article is presented by Kelly Whalen, Consumerism Commentary staff writer. It’s fairly straightforward to figure out the difference between a need and a want. Needs are basic: food, shelter, clothing, water, warmth. We can also add to that our emotional needs: love, friendship, and care. Wants seem easy to define. Wants are all the ... Continue reading this article…

7 comments Read the full article →

Take a New Inventory of Your Credit Cards or Pay New Fees

by Flexo

I’m growing more concerned about my relationship with credit card issuers. We’ve been getting along mostly well for several years. I charge many of my expenses, pay my bills on time, collect some rewards, and they don’t levy any additional fees. These companies are certainly making money off of me through the interchange fees they ... Continue reading this article…

30 comments Read the full article →