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Seven Great Gifts for College Graduates

by Flexo

If there is a college graduate in your life, he or she is about to receive a number of gifts. The first gift will be the realization that it can be difficult to find a job in this economy right now if the goal is to get a job in the same field of study ... Continue reading this article…

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Should We Eliminate the U.S. Postal Service?

by Flexo

I don’t bother checking my mailbox every day. Most of the paper mail I receive is junk, and I’m sure the same is true for most households. Unlike Gmail, I can’t create an automated filter to organize my paper mail, and there is no built-in junk-mail screen. As a result, 95 percent of what I receive ... Continue reading this article…

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AT&T Acquiring T-Mobile USA: Today’s Mobile Phone Options

by Flexo

This weekend, AT&T announced its plans to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion, pending regulatory approval. The new company would be the leading mobile telephone (and data) service provider in terms of customers. With the new AT&T soaking up 39 percent of the mobile market, and with Verizon Wireless at a close second at 31 percent, this ... Continue reading this article…

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Chase Increasing ATM Fee to $5

by Flexo

Chase Bank can’t seem to stay out of the news. Last week, I mentioned that the bank was considering limiting debit card transactions to $50 or $100 as a protest against the industry’s regulation of interchange (swipe) fees. Today, there is news that the bank has increased the ATM fee for non-customers to $5 in ... Continue reading this article…

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Fifth Third Bank Changes Debit Procedure

by Flexo

Some good news has come out of the class action lawsuits dealing with overdraft fees. The lawsuit against Fifth Third Bank still has one more hurdle to overcome, but most likely, customers who have paid overdraft fees for debit card transactions may see some or all of these fees refunded. Also as a result of ... Continue reading this article…

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Giving Your ZIP Code to Cashiers

by Flexo

One of my first jobs as a teenager, twenty-some years ago, was a salesperson at Radio Shack. Our point-of-sale system functioned on phone numbers for some reason, so whenever a customer wanted to purchase something, we asked the customer for his or her phone number. Even if the customer was buying a pack of AA ... Continue reading this article…

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H&R Block Online Tax Filing Review

by Flexo

This is a relatively long review of H&R Block’s online tax preparation and filing service. H&R Block has provided Consumerism Commentary with six coupon codes for H&R Block Premium Edition, the most complete service offered by the company. If you haven’t filed your household’s tax return yet, chances are taxes are on your mind. If ... Continue reading this article…

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Federal Taxes on Bonus Pay

by Flexo

With the holidays approaching, many companies are preparing their bonus checks, and employees who are looking forward to their bonuses are concerned about tax consequences. I gave up this “extra” part of my corporate pay for the benefit of working for myself when I left my day job last year. If this year were anything ... Continue reading this article…

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