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Extreme Couponing: Woman Arrested for Stealing Newspapers

by Flexo

I’ve spoken out against the concept of “extreme couponing” a few times already. In search of ratings, television shows — and in particular, “reality” television shows, use creative editing to make practitioners seem crazier than they are, but the concept has caught on so well, some people, in real reality, stop at very little in ... Continue reading this article…

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Wells Fargo Fined For Misleading Customers and Falsifying Documents

by Flexo

It always pays to shop around. If more mortgage customers didn’t choose to borrow from the trusted institution that held their savings and checking accounts without question, it seems that these customers could have found lower interest rates, particularly if these borrowers were customers of Wells Fargo. The Federal Reserve is alleging that between 2004 ... Continue reading this article…

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Extreme Couponing Fuzzy Math

by Flexo

I’m a big fan of saving money on necessary spending. Grocery shopping is expensive, and food and household staples present an excellent opportunity to find coupons and save money with every visit. The savings can be substantial if you’re willing to put in the time to find the right coupons, dumpster-dive to collect other people’s ... Continue reading this article…

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Excellent Credit, Denied Mortgage

by Flexo

Even with a credit score above 800, it’s still possible to be denied for a mortgage. Looking at the mortgage industry as a whole, for a period of time, lenders were too lax, offering mortgages practically regardless of qualifications. The pendulum has swung the other way, and even qualified individuals and families are having a ... Continue reading this article…

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The Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit, May 2012

by Flexo

For consumers with a poor credit history, the options for new lines of credit are limited. Far too often, lenders take advantage of people with poor credit by charging high interest rates and fees. Rather than improve their credit, the added debt only makes things worse. The world can be a much uglier place when ... Continue reading this article…

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$300,000 on Credit Cards and an 815 FICO Score

by Flexo

The choice to use credit cards tends to be more personal than financial. While credit card use can be the gateway to a lifetime buried in debt, it doesn’t have to be. Most people are Type A credit card users. Type A credit card users see credit cards as a tool for buying anything for ... Continue reading this article…

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Paying Children for Good Grades

by Flexo

I always encourage parents to find interesting ways to teach their children about responsible money management. When I do, I always lean toward behavior modeling. Children who, even at an early age, see their parents engaging in a positive relationship with money will subconsciously take what they observe to heart more than any explicit lessons ... Continue reading this article…

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Free Triple Credit Score with GoFreeCredit.com

by Flexo

Recently the FTC cracked down on companies advertising free credit reports. These companies — the credit bureaus — created confusion between the government’s truly free AnnualCreditReport.com and their own websites that advertised free credit reports but sometimes nefariously charged customers’ credit cards after a trial period expired for a service they didn’t realize they signed ... Continue reading this article…

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