It can be boring to read stories about the problems created by Wall Street professionals who don’t want to own anything, but merely make money by moving money around. Once in a while, these traders — rightly called, derisively, speculators — get a little more attention, such as the gasoline [Keep reading]
You probably know by now that your credit card balance impacts your credit score. And you might know that even if you pay your bill in full each month, running up high balances can have a negative impact on your score. For example, maxing out a card can cost you [Keep reading]
Comcast seems hard at work making sure it collects all the monthly modem rental fees it can. I’ve already chronicled the firm sending out unwanted modems to consumers, and charging for them; and Comcast’s fee increase from $8 to$10. Here’s comes another fee-capturing technique to watch for: Comcast is conducting [Keep reading]
It’s perhaps not surprising that the older folks get, the better they are at handling money and avoiding penalty fees. But you might be surprised at how stark the difference is between younger and older generations when it comes to that super villain of financial penalties, the checking account overdraft. [Keep reading]
Fighting with a credit reporting agency over inaccuracies isn’t easy, and plenty of consumers simply give up, a new Federal Trade Commission study suggests. Nearly half of consumers engaged in an unresolved dispute with a credit reporting agency wave the white flag, according to a study published this week by the [Keep reading]
Fake debt collection scams are on the rise, and now rank among the top complaints scammed consumers file around the country, the National Consumers League says. The consumer advocacy organization issued a special warning about the scams, which generally involve a cold call from a would-be criminal trying to intimidate [Keep reading]
Free-credit-score-a-palooza has begun. Well, it continues. Millions of consumers with Citi-branded credit cards can now get a free peek at their Equifax-based FICO credit score just by logging on to Citi’s website. Citi had promised the move last year, and it comes just a week after the White House announced [Keep reading]
Each time Uber angers customers with another surge pricing incident, or angers a city by ignoring its laws, an army of fans jump to its defense (as if Uber needs the help) and cry “free market.” Then, self-congratulatory insults at stupid consumers or old fart city leaders are hurled, along [Keep reading]
Being late on one bill can’t hurt your credit score that much, right? Wrong! Not only can a single, small late payment slice 100 points off your credit score, it can take three years to recover from the damage. Look here if you’re trying on improving your credit score after [Keep reading]
It’s hard enough to make good financial decisions when you are young without finding out that your college is out to get you. Or at least is encouraging bad decisions through unseemly agreement with banks. Not long ago, credit card issuers crowded American’s college campuses, offering free pizza in exchange [Keep reading]
Bob Sullivan