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Senate Has it In for Credit Cards

by Flexo

An item in today’s Marketplace Morning Report started out with this condemnation: Credit cards. Aren’t they evil? A convenient, maybe even necessary evil, perhaps, but such a temptation. They reported that the Senate’s Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee heard testimonies from consumer advocates today who want to see more regulation of the credit card ... Continue reading this article…

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College Savings Plans Still Tax-Free, For Now

by Flexo

When I signed up for Upromise a few years ago, my intent was to start savings the rebates in a fund for higher education expenses for a hypothetical child I might have some time in the future. At the time, 529 accounts were new. They provide investments with tax-free earnings if the money if eventually ... Continue reading this article…

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The Real Estate Cartel?

by Flexo

The Consumer Federation of America issued a report declaring that the real estate brokerage industry acts as a cartel to set prices unfairly. Here’s the full report [PDF]. “Many traditional real estate brokerage firms, and their organizations, function as a cartel that tries to set prices and restrict service options,” said Stephen Brobeck, CFA’s Executive ... Continue reading this article…

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Getting Paid for Changing Your Flights

by Flexo

I’ve heard stories about people receiving various perks from airlines in return for giving up their seats on overcrowded flights. I never attempted this myself, but now I know there is a method to perk offerings, I may try to work the system if I find myself on a tight flight. Here are the tricks ... Continue reading this article…

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Some Online Reviews Are Fake

by Flexo

Shocked? Before I make a large purchasing decision, like determining which notebook computer or other technology equipment to buy and where to get it for the right price, I check various websites to find reviews written by owners. For a company like Best Buy or Amazon.com, allowing users to create product reviews is a great ... Continue reading this article…

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More Clarification on the Carnival

by Flexo

Yesterday I posted about the removal of some future Carnival of Personal Finance hosts from the schedule. I don’t want to stir up a debate about whether it’s “better” to post small blog entries several times per day, like two sentences about receiving a tax refund, or long blog entries only when the mood strikes ... Continue reading this article…

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The Penny Costs More Than One Cent

by Flexo

It costs the government 1.5 cents to produce each penny. Why continue making pennies with the current zinc-copper composition? Some want to retire the penny altogether. Is the zinc industry lobbying to keep the penny in existence, or do people just want to hold onto the coins? If we can make money out of paper, ... Continue reading this article…

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Thinking About The Future

by Flexo

Most of my investing is for the future — the far future. While I can’t predict what the future will bring, other people have some good ideas. Take global warming for instance. Sure, there’s a lot of political disagreement about the science, but all sides agree the Earth’s climate is changing regardless of the causes. ... Continue reading this article…

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