DailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comDailyFinance.comhttp://o.aolcdn.com/os/df/2013/img/2-dailyfinance_logo_m.pngDailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Banking Online? The Five Worst Mistakes You Can Makehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/04/01/banking-online-the-five-worst-mistakes-you-can-make/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/04/01/banking-online-the-five-worst-mistakes-you-can-make/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/04/01/banking-online-the-five-worst-mistakes-you-can-make/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mistakes in online bankingMany consumers have been banking online for some time now, so the last thing you probably think you might need is a refresher course on just what boneheaded things you shouldn't be doing. On the other hand, it's online banking veterans who may need this list the most -- after all, when you do something over and over again, you can become complacent. Lazy. Less guarded.

That's why we're offering our list of the five worst mistakes you can make while doing your banking online.

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]]>bankingonline bankingonline banking mistakesonline banksGeoff WilliamsFri, 01 Apr 2011 13:00:00 ESTThree Critical Things You Need to Know About Emergency Fundshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/28/three-critical-things-you-need-to-know-about-emergency-funds/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/28/three-critical-things-you-need-to-know-about-emergency-funds/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/28/three-critical-things-you-need-to-know-about-emergency-funds/#commentsFiled under:

Woman at a bank windowEveryone talks about how important it is to have an emergency fund, but few people talk about what kind of emergency fund that should be.

After all, there's a big difference between stuffing money in a shoe box for a rainy day and setting up a savings account. Take it up a level, and there's a big difference between letting your money hang out in a standard savings account and investing in a no-penalty CD or money market account.

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]]>emergency fundmoney market deposit accountsavings accountGeoff WilliamsMon, 28 Mar 2011 11:15:00 ESTHow to Avoid the Latest Bank Feeshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/24/how-to-avoid-the-latest-bank-fees/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/24/how-to-avoid-the-latest-bank-fees/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/24/how-to-avoid-the-latest-bank-fees/#commentsFiled under:

Man at a bank windowIn case you hadn't noticed yet, you will sooner or later: Bank fees are changing.

In fact, in just the past week alone, JPMorgan Chase has received a lot of ink from personal finance writers. They're experimenting with $5 ATM fees for non-customers and considering limiting the amount people can charge on a debit card.

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]]>bank chargesbank feesbanksGeoff WilliamsThu, 24 Mar 2011 11:00:00 ESTThe Three Worst Things to Say When Asking for a Personal Loanhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/18/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-when-asking-for-a-personal-lo/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/18/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-when-asking-for-a-personal-lo/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/18/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-when-asking-for-a-personal-lo/#commentsFiled under: ,

couple applying for a loanLanding a personal loan has never really been easy, but since the recession began, it's been harder than ever, despite the fact that some types of lending, like auto loans, have started to make a comeback among banks.

The funny thing is, most of what goes into a bank decision to give you a personal loan has little to do with you personally. You may be the nicest person in the world and be immediately turned down for a loan -- or the meanest jerk in your neighborhood and have bankers falling all over themselves to give you money.

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]]>creditcredit scorelenderloanloan officerpersonal loanGeoff WilliamsFri, 18 Mar 2011 13:00:00 ESTWoman Uses $10,000 From Debt Solutions Contest to Get Back on Trackhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/16/woman-uses-10-000-from-debt-solutions-contest-to-get-back-on-tr/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/16/woman-uses-10-000-from-debt-solutions-contest-to-get-back-on-tr/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/16/woman-uses-10-000-from-debt-solutions-contest-to-get-back-on-tr/#commentsFiled under:

Debt Solutions contest helped get Cheree Miller out of debtCheree Miller has a cautionary tale for anyone in debt -- and for anyone without an emergency fund.

Miller, 52, lives in London, Ark., (population 925) with her live-in, college-attending son, Nick, and is the caregiver to her 47-year-old sister, Tina, who has Down syndrome. Until last December, Miller, right, was also taking care of her 83-year-old mother, Millie, who passed away from complications due to Alzheimer's disease. She works about 19 miles away, in Russellville, managing a two-doctor veterinary practice.

And last year, Miller was buried in debt -- $30,674.60 of it, to be exact.

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]]>debt contestInCharge Debt Solutionspay off debtpay off debtsGeoff WilliamsWed, 16 Mar 2011 16:00:00 ESTThe Three Worst Things You Can Say to a Financial Aid Officerhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-a-financial-aid-officer/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-a-financial-aid-officer/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/11/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-a-financial-aid-officer/#commentsFiled under:

Student in her dorm roomWhile some parents may be thrilled to help their teenagers plan and pack up for college, other moms and dads are having something closer to an anxiety attack. It's not just that time is passing and that the most important, cherished people in their lives are about to move out and on with their lives. There's also that dreaded question: How the heck am I going to pay for this?

Of course, some parents don't plan to pay for any of it; they figure they've gotten their kids this far in life and now it's time for their children to step up and take over. But for the parents who do plan on paying for some or all of their child's college education, they're likely going to find themselves across the desk from a financial aid officer, trying to figure out just what to say to afinancial aid officer to get their hands on those much-needed funds.

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]]>financial aid officerstudent loansGeoff WilliamsFri, 11 Mar 2011 16:00:00 ESTThe Three Worst Things You Can Say to an Auto Lenderhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/07/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-an-auto-lender/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/07/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-an-auto-lender/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/07/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-an-auto-lender/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

auto dealership - auto lenderHeading to the car lot to pick out a new ride can be a lot of fun. Talking to the auto lender, however, can feel a bit like a hostage negotiation. After all, you're trying to get the best car you can get for the best price, while the dealer simply wants to make as much money off you as possible.

And unless your bottom line is truly bottomless, you don't want to leave the lot knowing that something else in the budget -- like groceries -- will have to be sacrificed in order to afford that new, monthly car payment.

So before you go car shopping, be forewarned. These are the three worst things you can say to an auto lender.

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]]>auto lenderauto lendersborrowingbuying a carcar buyingcar loannegotiating car loansGeoff WilliamsMon, 07 Mar 2011 16:00:00 ESTThe Three Worst Things You Can Say to a Mortgage Lenderhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/01/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-a-mortgage-lender/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/01/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-a-mortgage-lender/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/03/01/the-three-worst-things-you-can-say-to-a-mortgage-lender/#commentsFiled under:

Mortgage lendersBuying a house, to put it mildly, is hard. There are a rash of decisions to be made, from deciding what community you want to live in and choosing a real estate agent to determining just how much house you can afford and how much you want to put down. It's a nerve-wracking experience, to be sure.

But everything we've just mentioned can be a picnic compared to the conversations you're going to have with your mortgage lender.

Mortgage lenders might disagree -- after all, they're just like you and me -- but in their office, behind their desk, wearing that smart suit or tie ... well, they have power. A lot of power. And that can make anyone nervous.

So before you meet with your mortgage lender, open your mouth and regret the words that spill out, take a look at our list of the three worst things you could say to a mortgage lender.

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]]>housingmortgagemortgage lenderreal estateGeoff WilliamsTue, 01 Mar 2011 09:00:00 ESTDivorce and Debt: What You Owe and What You Don'thttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/25/divorce-and-debt-what-you-owe-and-what-you-dont/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/25/divorce-and-debt-what-you-owe-and-what-you-dont/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/25/divorce-and-debt-what-you-owe-and-what-you-dont/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Cherie Kerr - Divorce and debtBy the time Cherie Kerr and her ex-husband finally went their separate ways, her ex had run up $89,000 in debt during the divorce proceedings alone. She knew that if she didn't take action fast, that debt would scar her financial life forever.

In a way, Kerr knew the marriage was over before it began. Her husband, a home builder, almost immediately asked to borrow $100,000 on Kerr's house to finance his business "and I stupidly agreed," says Kerr, who owns a publicity firm in Santa Ana, Calif.

He said he'd pay her back in six months, but after five years, when the marriage was crumbling -- in large part because Kerr says she didn't trust her husband -- he still hadn't paid her back. He finally managed to do so a few months before the divorce papers were to be signed, and Kerr breathed a huge sigh of relief. Yet, a few weeks later, Kerr learned that her husband had taken out a $150,000 line of credit in both of names and had already spent $89,000 of it.

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]]>debtdivorcedivorce and debtdivorcingGeoff WilliamsFri, 25 Feb 2011 15:00:00 ESTFive Lame Excuses for Not Saving Moneyhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/14/five-lame-excuses-for-not-saving-money/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/14/five-lame-excuses-for-not-saving-money/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/14/five-lame-excuses-for-not-saving-money/#commentsFiled under: , ,

saving moneyWhy aren't we saving more money?

According to a Harris Poll released early this month, 27% of Americans have no personal savings and 34% have nothing saved for retirement.

Of course, not all the news is bad. As a country, we're beginning to spend more than we did just a year ago when we were in the grips of the Great Recession, as The New York Times recently pointed out.

According to the same article, we were also saving more last year (in the second quarter of 2009, Americans socked away 7% of their disposable income, versus only 5.3% in December of 2010), the question is, why aren't we still saving? Clearly, we all can -- we just don't. Here are some of the excuses we typically offer up to explain why we don't save more. Let's see if we can't debunk them.

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]]>debtexcuses for not saving moneysaving moneysavings accountGeoff WilliamsMon, 14 Feb 2011 12:00:00 ESTPaying Off Your Debt: Woman Gets Part-Time Job for Full-Time Debthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/12/paying-off-your-debt-getting-a-part-time-job-for-a-full-time-de/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/12/paying-off-your-debt-getting-a-part-time-job-for-a-full-time-de/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/12/paying-off-your-debt-getting-a-part-time-job-for-a-full-time-de/#commentsFiled under:

Paying Off Your Debt This is the fourth installment in our Paying Off Your Debt series that looks at how real people beat their debt for good.

Gerri Helms, 61, was nursing wounds from a divorce, up to her ears in $32,000 of debt and considering bankruptcy. But instead of taking that fateful step, the Orlando, Fla. resident chose to do something that sounds easy enough in practice but really isn't: she found a part-time gig -- on top of her full-time job -- and dedicated her paychecks from that part-time work to kill off her debt.

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]]>comedy traffic schoolcredit cardsdebtgetting out of debtpart-time workpaying off your debtways to get out of debtGeoff WilliamsSat, 12 Feb 2011 07:00:00 ESTPaying Off Your Debt: How One Woman Climbed Out of a $46,000 Holehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/27/paying-off-your-debt-climbing-out-of-a-46-000-hole/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/27/paying-off-your-debt-climbing-out-of-a-46-000-hole/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/27/paying-off-your-debt-climbing-out-of-a-46-000-hole/#commentsFiled under: ,

Sandy Reid - paying off your debtThis is the third installment in our Paying Off Your Debt series that looks at how real people beat their debt for good.

Sandy Reid, 41, got into debt the way a lot of people do -- with help from a spouse. "My husband and I were living large on a small income," says Reid, who has been divorced for a little over 10 years and debt-free for about six months.

How large? "We probably ate out for dinner five times a week," Reid says. "He was an avid golfer and needed all the newest toys for that. When we got married, we spent two weeks in Jamaica, which cost over $10,000. We felt that we deserved these things and didn't pay attention to the cost."

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]]>credit cardsdebtpaying off your debtGeoff WilliamsThu, 27 Jan 2011 09:00:00 ESTSurvey Finds That Being in Debt Is No Funhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/25/survey-offers-snapshot-of-what-debt-filled-life-is-like/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/25/survey-offers-snapshot-of-what-debt-filled-life-is-like/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/25/survey-offers-snapshot-of-what-debt-filled-life-is-like/#commentsFiled under:

couple worried about debt - being in debtBeing in debt isn't fun. While that's hardly groundbreaking news, that's the bottom line of a survey released last week by GreenPath Debt Solutions. Obvious or not, the survey still has some interesting nuggets about what it's like to be in debt, useful information to anyone who knows they're in trouble but wonders just how much trouble that debt is going to be.

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]]>being in debtcredit counselingdebtget out of debtGreenPath Debt SolutionsGeoff WilliamsTue, 25 Jan 2011 10:00:00 ESTFive Ways to Stretch Your Money on a Lean Budgethttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/20/five-ways-to-stretch-your-money-on-a-lean-budget/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/20/five-ways-to-stretch-your-money-on-a-lean-budget/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/20/five-ways-to-stretch-your-money-on-a-lean-budget/#commentsFiled under: ,

lean budgetThe sluggish economy is still a cloud over many of our heads. And for those still unemployed, paying a mortgage on an underwater house or desperate to get out from under credit card debt, a lean budget may be more than just temporary.

If you're trying to make money stretch further in 2011, here are five tips and strategies.

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]]>debtlean budgetlive on a budgetmoney is tightGeoff WilliamsThu, 20 Jan 2011 12:00:00 ESTNine Cheap Ways to Get Into Shapehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/18/nine-cheap-ways-to-get-into-shape/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/18/nine-cheap-ways-to-get-into-shape/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/18/nine-cheap-ways-to-get-into-shape/#commentsFiled under:

Two people who need to get into shapeSo we're deep into the month of January, and if you're like me, you've already fallen off the wagon when it came to your New Year's resolution to lose weight.

But maybe some people are still hanging in there, trying hard to get in shape.

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]]>eat betterexerciseget into shapeNew Years Resolutionsnutritionwork outGeoff WilliamsTue, 18 Jan 2011 13:00:00 ESTPaying Off Your Debt: How One Woman Paid Off $30,000 in Credit Card Debthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/12/paying-off-your-debt-one-womans-struggle-with-credit-card-debt/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/12/paying-off-your-debt-one-womans-struggle-with-credit-card-debt/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/12/paying-off-your-debt-one-womans-struggle-with-credit-card-debt/#commentsFiled under:

Lori Meyer credit card debtThis is the second installment in our Paying Off Your Debt series that looks at how real people beat their debt for good.

Lori Meyer has been debt-free for more than two years. For the 37-year old former teacher, it's a feat she once thought impossible. "Between credit cards, student loans and car payments, I was $30,000 in debt with no hope of ever paying it off," says Meyer, who now lives in Los Angeles.

Meyer's debt didn't happen overnight. It was a slow-growing, painful process. "I'd been in debt continuously since I was 23," says Meyer, pictured at right, "and it just kept growing and growing and growing."

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]]>credit card debtdebtdebt settlementGeoff WilliamsWed, 12 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST10 Things Bank Customers Have to Be Happy About in 2011http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/10-things-bank-customers-have-to-be-happy-about-in-2011/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/10-things-bank-customers-have-to-be-happy-about-in-2011/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/10-things-bank-customers-have-to-be-happy-about-in-2011/#commentsFiled under: ,

Customers outside a CitibankIn a lot of ways, 2010 ended up being a pretty good year for anyone with a bank account. For instance, the Federal Reserve stepped in and offered up some regulations that somewhat tame the overdraft fee situation. The best part of the new regulations? If you want your debit card to be declined because there's not enough money in your account for the purchase you're about to make, you can direct your bank to do that. No, it's not fun to be turned away by a cashier, but a lot of people see it as much more preferable to being stuck with one or more $30-something overdraft fees.

So what do we have to look forward to in 2011?

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]]>banking changes 2011banksbanks 2011checking accountsnew in banks 2011Geoff WilliamsFri, 07 Jan 2011 16:00:00 ESTPayoff.com Helps People Achieve Goals, Fund Dreams, In a Crowdhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/05/payoff-com-helps-people-achieve-goals-fund-dreams-in-a-crowd/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/05/payoff-com-helps-people-achieve-goals-fund-dreams-in-a-crowd/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/05/payoff-com-helps-people-achieve-goals-fund-dreams-in-a-crowd/#commentsFiled under: ,

couple pays down debt via computer - payoff.comIn this age of social media, Payoff.com makes a lot of sense.

That comment isn't an endorsement, nor am I about to embark on a snarky post. I'm just saying that the newest financial money management site seems perfect for our times.

If you haven't heard of Payoff.com -- and you probably haven't because it made its debut on the Internet today, January 5, 2011 -- the site is the latest in a long line of financial money management sites aiming to help people get smart about their money.

You've probably heard of a lot of the others, many of which we've written about before on WalletPop: Mint.com, JustThrive.com, Buxfer.com and Mvelopes.com, for instance.

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]]>Facebookmoney management siteonline money managment toolpay off debtPayoff.comGeoff WilliamsWed, 05 Jan 2011 16:30:00 ESTPaying Off Your Debt: One Man's Struggle With Credit Card Debthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/04/paying-off-your-debt-one-mans-struggle-with-credit-card-debt/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/04/paying-off-your-debt-one-mans-struggle-with-credit-card-debt/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/04/paying-off-your-debt-one-mans-struggle-with-credit-card-debt/#commentsFiled under: , ,

John Citrone got out of debt, so can youIt's a familiar time of year for many of us: We're making New Year's resolutions, even as we're getting hit with the annual holiday shopping hangover. Many of us come to the conclusion this month that perhaps we spent a wee bit too much last year on gifts, holiday decorations, eating out with friends and family, and other not-so-necessary expenses.

In the spirit of getting inspired to make some changes in your financial life, we thought we'd take a look at some people across America who've gone from being considered deadbeats to beating debt, people who were once defined by their debt, but are no longer. This is the first story in our series.

John Citrone, 43, came into his debt the way many people his age did: at college. But it wasn't a matter of racking up student debt -- in fact, his parents, hard-working, blue collar folks, paid for his higher education. No, he started traveling down the road to debt a quarter of a century ago when he was an 18-year-old freshman, an architecture major at the University of Florida. During freshman orientation, he encountered some credit card company reps on campus.

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]]>being in debtcredit cardsdebtgetting out of debtGeoff WilliamsTue, 04 Jan 2011 09:00:00 ESTDebt Settlement Companies: The Still and Ever Present Dangerhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/28/debt-settlement-companies-the-still-and-ever-present-danger/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/28/debt-settlement-companies-the-still-and-ever-present-danger/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/28/debt-settlement-companies-the-still-and-ever-present-danger/#commentsFiled under:

couple looking worried over debt - debt settlementDebt settlement companies can be very useful tools when it comes to reining in an out-of-control debt spiral. Unfortunately, a number of individuals, some criminal and unethical, others just inept and inefficient, have set up companies that end up making a consumer's debt problems worse rather than better. In this series, WalletPop takes a look at the debt settlement industry, explaining how it works and talking to some of its players. This is the fourth and final installment in our debt settlement series.

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]]>CareOne Servicescredit card debtdebtdebt settlementdebt settlement companiesDebtGoalGeoff WilliamsTue, 28 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST