MoneyWise

News Archive

2008

July

02
01
  • Student loan changes good for borrowers. Like your driver's license and your high school diploma, your first student-loan payment is one of those milestones that mark the journey from youth to adulthood. But if you graduated with lots of debt, this…

June

30
  • Carry-on luggage to get more scrutiny. Admit it. That chunky carry-on bag of yours would never fit into the sample box displayed outside the airport gate. Don't expect that bag to get a free ride for long. Checked bags are now…
  • Northeast braces for home heating oil increases. New Englanders struggling this summer to pay gas prices topping $4 a gallon should brace for more bad news — home heating oil costs next winter are expected to hit record highs. One retail heating…
29
  • Bring product placement into the open. I love TiVo. The ability to skip TV commercials is right up there with microwave popcorn as one of those life-altering advances that make the world a better place. Not surprisingly, though, broadcasters and advertisers…
  • The safe deposit box goes online. Say somebody steals your wallet while you're traveling. Wouldn't it be convenient to recover copies of crucial credit card information and other documents from any computer, anywhere? How about accessing a record of your will,…
  • All consuming problem: obsessive shopping. Shannon Hassemer went on a shopping spree when she got her first credit card in college. Tired of owning just one pair of tennis shoes, she quickly filled her closet with luxury items from designers…
28
  • Keep watch on your credit report—free. If you're thinking about buying a home or refinancing a mortgage, you may want to avail yourself of a forthcoming free service that could help you get a better mortgage rate. Under the terms of…
26
  • Beware, your credit score may have fallen. Just as Americans grow more reliant on credit cards to help pay monthly bills, they're being hit with a one-two punch: Card companies are reducing borrowing limits for tens of thousands of consumers, which then…
25
  • Citi may repeal change-of-terms pledge. Last year Citigroup made a promise to millions of people who flex its credit cards: “A deal is a deal.” The slogan was used to trumpet an announcement that the financial giant would no longer…
24
  • Soy joven, ¿cómo consigo empleo?. Soy joven... ¿Qué alternativas tengo para trabajar? En esta época del año muchos estudiantes se gradúan de la secundaria o empiezan sus vacaciones de verano, y quieren buscar opciones para ocupar su tiempo libre y…
  • Cómo sobrevivir a un despido. Perder el trabajo es uno de los momentos vitales que causan mas estrés. Se considera tan impactante en la vida de las personas como cuando se pierde una relacion importante o a un ser querido.…
23
  • Grads caught in health plan limbo get creative. This year, 1.4 million graduates are tossing their mortarboard caps into the sky and receiving bachelor's degrees. Almost immediately, many will face another rite of passage: getting dropped from their parents' health insurance. Most group…
  • Cable firms' ads leave fuzzy impression. Avery Axel was annoyed with his cable company, Comcast, and was considering switching to Verizon's new FiOS fiber-optic TV and Internet service. The picture on his TV would freeze now and then, and he had…
  • Cities fight foreclosures with unusual tactics. Just two months ago, Aaron Brokenbough had no clout and little say when lenders moved to foreclose on his home. His Philadelphia row house was scheduled for a sheriff's sale, the end of the road…
  • Can Congress really lower gas prices?. Will Congress do something to cut gas prices before you drive off to the beach this summer? Not a chance, energy experts say. The truth is that despite the flurry of bills being debated on…
22
  • Medicare cards may be targets of ID theft. Social Security officials, concerned about the risk of identity theft, are calling for immediate action to remove Social Security numbers from the Medicare cards used by millions of Americans. But Medicare officials have resisted the…
  • Gourmet eating for less. Marketing consultant Shauna Dawson likes good food and good deals, and that has turned her into a bold shopper. The 34-year-old Carthay Circle resident will troll a Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, checking to see…
  • Credit users can't afford lax management. There is no leniency. Credit card companies and banks are worried that people are drowning in debt and will fall behind on payments. With home values declining and banks wary of handing out loans, outlets…
  • Faithful customer dumped by wireless company. Tamara Granger got dumped by snail-mail. Despite a relatively drama-free, five-year relationship, the Dear John-esque letter Granger received this month gruffly informed her that things just weren't working. Avoiding blame, the letter oh-so-selflessly suggested that…
 
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