Banking & Credit
All of the best ways to save money on your bank accounts (checking, savings), credit cards, insurance, investments and more. Find the best advice on saving on major expenses like buying a home, paying for college education, or getting a new car.
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- Maximize your employer "match" for bonus retirement money | Investments
Check with your HR/benefits department to see if your employer offers a 401(k) match program where they add onto your retirement savings. If they do, think of it like a free money bonus for your retirement and try to maximize that match (i.e., put [...] - Consider Free Tax Filing Options | Taxes
Paying taxes is frustrating enough, but paying to pay your taxes makes it feel even worse! If you're getting a head start on filing your 2010 taxes, you'll want to consider some free filing options. Generally speaking these services offer free [...] - Do the math to pick the right type of IRA | Investments
Since the tax laws for IRA conversions changed in 2010, now is as good a time as ever to consider which type of investment will make the most money for you in the long run.
The basic types of IRAs are Roth and Traditional. A key difference [...] - Tax refunds are actually bad investments | Taxes
It's fun to get a tax refund each year, but really you are just getting your money back from the government who has been keeping it (and keeping the interest you should have gained) all year long. Check your withholdings to try to keep more money [...] - Plan investment transactions carefully to minimize taxes | Investments | Taxes
The difference between short term (less than 1 year) and long term capital gains taxes, the tax you pay on any gains on your investments, can be significant especially in higher tax brackets. Be smart about when to sell - if you are close to the [...] - Don't forget to claim tax benefits on home energy improvements | Taxes
Improving your home's energy efficiency saves money each month on your utility bill, and can also mean a free bonus from the IRS. Check out the list at Energystar.gov for the latest credits which can offset your purchase costs. Check with your [...] - Take advantage of Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) | Taxes
If your employer offers health insurance, check if you can take advantage of an FSA. These accounts let you take a tax deduction on money you put aside for health care. Since you are going to spend the money anyway, this is a great way to cut back [...] - "Invest" in paying down debt, for high "returns" | Investments
If you are paying high interest rates on debt, beyond what you stand to earn on your investments, you might come out ahead by redirecting those investment dollars towards debt reduction. Consider that if you are paying 20% a year on your credit card [...] - Savings bonds often pay more, with less tax, than savings accounts | Checking & Savings | Investments | Taxes
Savings bonds aren't just for kids; they can provide anyone with a low risk investment alternative to savings accounts, CDs or high-yield checking accounts, and are less restrictive than you might think. Plus, they often pay higher interest rates [...] - Need a new credit card? Start here to compare rates, rewards and more | Credit Cards
While getting approved for a credit card is harder than it used to be, there is still a wide variety of offers out there.
If you want 0% balance transfers and no annual fees, you can find that. If you want cash (or airline miles or points) back [...] - Rack up free cash and bonuses with multiple new credit card accounts | Credit Cards
This tip is not appropriate for someone with bad credit scores, lots of debt or a shaky loan, or who has trouble keeping their spending in line. But for the brave and credit strong who have solid financial "self-control" there are [...] - Pick the right time to cash in on "save X% now" offers at your favorite stores | Credit Cards
Many retail stores will offer you a percentage off your total purchase when you sign up for a store credit card on the spot (10% is common). Stores often get paid by credit companies for every new person they sign up so they have plenty incentive. [...] - Maximize your payback by picking the credit card rewards that match your spending | Credit Cards
There is no one "perfect" credit card for everyone. In fact, a trick in the credit card industry is to offer an exciting promotion on a very specific category of purchases, say 5% on gas or 3% on grocery stores, but then cut back on other bonuses. [...] - Get paid just for opening an account | Checking & Savings
Online banks and the websites of many major banks will sometimes offer free money just for signing up for an account online, and/or referring a friend. Always check before you open the account; once you do it's usually too late to collect. You can [...] - Cut out the fees from your account for services you don't need | Checking & Savings
There's no sense paying for something you don't want or need, so look over your bank statement to see where you are getting hit with fees and contact your bank to get rid of them. Some examples include "check image fees" (for seeing cancelled [...] - Use AnnualCreditReport.com for your free annual credit report, to avoid unexpected fees
The three major credit reporting agencies - Experian, Transunion, and Equifax - set up AnnualCreditReport.com for people to request their free report each year, if they meet certain criteria. Other websites that promise free reports might cause a [...] - Any time is a good time to search for cheaper insurance, you don't have to wait until your term is up
Typically people pay upfront for certain periods of insurance coverage, but that doesn't mean you have to wait that long to consider switching to a lower cost plan. If you have prepaid say for the next 6 months, you should receive a check back for [...] - Double up and save on insurance policies when you buy from the same company
Shop around for the best prices on insurance like anything else, but be sure to factor in any multi-line discounts an insurer may offer. Ask them to price auto and home separately for the coverage you need, but then get the prices with the [...] - Sometimes you save more by not collecting on your insurance
The upside of filing an insurance claim is obvious, though keep in mind any deductible on your policy which will limit the payout. The downside is that certain claims, or a certain number of claims, will cause your premium to rise and potentially [...] - Be mindful about free trials and automatically renewing credit services, the fees can really add up
Every credit reporting agency offers a credit tracking service which can cost you $10 or more per month. If you feel you need this kind of protection, keep in mind that you will be billed automatically and the charges will keep adding up - it could [...]
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