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/Five Common (and Costly) Consumer Money Mistakeshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/04/04/five-common-and-costly-consumer-money-mistakes/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/04/04/five-common-and-costly-consumer-money-mistakes/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/04/04/five-common-and-costly-consumer-money-mistakes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Making money mistakes will quickly dry up your savingsWhile we're doing a lot of things "right" these days (such as paying more attention to our credit card statements, shopping more frugally, and redefining our vision of retirement), we're still making quite a few mistakes. And some of them can be costly -- like these five common consumer mistakes:

1. Not Knowing Our Credit Scores

This is a really important number, looked at by everyone from lenders to landlords and even a growing percentage of employers. In fact, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, as many as 60% of employers now look at this number. And while lenders look at it to gouge your creditworthiness, employers look at it more as a way to check your character. They need to know that you're responsible with your finances, and that you're going to focus on your job, not your financial woes.

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]]>common consumer mistakescredit scoresloansretirementVera GibbonsMon, 04 Apr 2011 15:00:00 ESTRising Oil Prices and Your Wallethttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/28/rising-oil-prices-and-your-wallet/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/28/rising-oil-prices-and-your-wallet/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/28/rising-oil-prices-and-your-wallet/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Gas station signs reflect rising oil prices

Crude oil prices are at a two-and-a-half-year high, and if prices edge up further -- and stay there for a period of time -- this would not only be a drag on economic growth both here and globally (wreaking further damage on everything from hiring to housing to tourism), but it would also impact your wallet.

Here's a look at some of the more immediate effects:

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]]>airfareclothing pricesfood pricesgas pricesoil pricesrising gas pricesrising oil pricesVera GibbonsMon, 28 Feb 2011 13:00:00 ESTClaiming Tax Deductions for Weather Damagehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/22/claiming-tax-deductions-for-weather-damage/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/22/claiming-tax-deductions-for-weather-damage/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/22/claiming-tax-deductions-for-weather-damage/#commentsFiled under: ,

Home damaged by weatherDid your roof collapse under the heavy weight of the snow? Did lightning strike your guest house? You probably know that insurance can protect your home and possessions during damaging weather (which we've had a lot of this year), but did you know that you may claim tax deductions for weather damage?

Here are some key points that came out of a recent conversation with the IRS.

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]]>irstax deductiontax deduction for weather damagetaxesweather damageVera GibbonsTue, 22 Feb 2011 10:06:00 ESTPresidents' Day Sales: Where the Best Deals Can Be Foundhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/18/presidents-day-sales-where-the-best-deals-can-be-found/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/18/presidents-day-sales-where-the-best-deals-can-be-found/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/18/presidents-day-sales-where-the-best-deals-can-be-found/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

presidents day salesWhere can you find the best Presidents Day sales -- beyond cars and electronics? We asked retail expert, Dan Butler, the National Retail Federation's VP Merchandising and Retail Operations.

Here's his take -- and your expected savings (and here's our list of stores offering deals this weekend):

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]]>basics salesbeddingcarpetingcarpeting salesexercise equipmentflooringgym equipmentPresident Daypresidents dayPresidents Day Sakespresidents day salesalesshoppingwinter apparelVera GibbonsFri, 18 Feb 2011 08:00:00 ESTJob Hunting in a Weak Economyhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/09/job-hunting-in-a-weak-economy/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/09/job-hunting-in-a-weak-economy/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/09/job-hunting-in-a-weak-economy/#commentsFiled under:

Research are for pweople who are job huntingJanuary's employment report was grim, showing just 36,000 jobs added to the economy. And while everyone is blaming the weather for the poor report, the truth is that this recovery, in its early stages, is sluggish at best. In fact, of the 13.9 million Americans who were unemployed last month, about 1.8 million have been without work for at least 99 weeks. That's essentially two years -- and nearly double the number in January 2010.

So, what's a weary job hunter to do? We asked Anita Attridge, career and executive coach with The Five O'Clock Club and she offered these tips.

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]]>employmentjob huntingjob hunting advicejob hunting tipsjob searchjobsVera GibbonsWed, 09 Feb 2011 14:00:00 ESTHow the Crisis in Egypt May Impact Your Wallethttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/02/how-the-crisis-in-egypt-will-impact-your-wallet/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/02/how-the-crisis-in-egypt-will-impact-your-wallet/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/02/02/how-the-crisis-in-egypt-will-impact-your-wallet/#commentsFiled under: ,

Crisis in EgyptWith political tensions in Egypt on the rise, there are not only long-term worldwide ramifications -- particularly if the crisis continues and cannot be contained -- but shorter-termer implications for you and your wallet.

According to commodity expert, Eric Bolling, a former commodities trader and director of the New York Mercantile Exchange who is currently the host of Fox Business' Follow The Money, here's how - and where - you'll feel it:

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]]>4-dollar-gas4-gallon4-gasclothing pricescotton pricescrisis in egyptEgyptian crisisgas pricesgrocery priceshome heating oilhome heating pricesVera GibbonsWed, 02 Feb 2011 08:00:00 ESTThe State of the Union 2011 - and Youhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/26/the-state-of-the-union-2011-and-you/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/26/the-state-of-the-union-2011-and-you/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/26/the-state-of-the-union-2011-and-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

obama speaks at the 2011 state of the unionBy accounts, last night's State of the Union address was one of the more inspirational, optimistic speeches given by President Obama. (There were no boos or nasty shout-outs, as in speeches past). But what does all the rhetoric (62 minutes' worth) mean to you and your future?

Here's some of what President Obama called for -- and the takeaway.

More Innovation

Obama said we need to "out-innovate, out-educate and out-build the rest of the world." While it's all about competing better with developing nations such as China and India, innovation also means entrepreneurship and, ultimately, jobs. Because at bottom, Obama's success (not to mention his re-election) will stem from his ability to provide jobs and robust income growth for Americans.

But you have to wonder: If all of the high-tech manufacturing jobs continue to be shipped out of the U.S., how exactly is this innovation going to create millions of jobs?

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]]>corporate taxesCorporateTaxeseconomyobamaState of the UnionStateOfTheUnionVera GibbonsWed, 26 Jan 2011 14:30:00 ESTHow to Avoid Getting Nickel and Dimed With Feeshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/19/how-to-avoid-getting-nickel-and-dimed-with-fees/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/19/how-to-avoid-getting-nickel-and-dimed-with-fees/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/19/how-to-avoid-getting-nickel-and-dimed-with-fees/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

stack of quarters - nickel and dimingThese days, it seems as if everyone's trying to squeeze every penny out of us. From banks to colleges, American consumers are being nickeled and dimed like never before. Here are some of the biggest offenders, and your best defense against them:

Banks

As banks try to shore up their balance sheets to make up for the billions of dollars in revenue they stand to lose from new regulations this year, they're tacking on more and more fees. The nation's largest bank, Bank of America, which does business with half of all American households, gets an easy 12% of its revenue from fees, according to financial services firm Sandler O'Neill. From account service fees, transaction fees, surcharges to overdraft fees, consumers are paying through the nose. And it doesn't stop there. Banks are now raising fees on the old standbys (like stop payments and wire transfers, for example), and dreaming up new fees for 2011. Expect to see monthly fees on checking accounts (a hot topic right now), fees if you don't bank electronically, fees for paper statements, fees if you want to speak with a bank teller, annual fees on debit cards, and even monthly debit card fees unless you meet certain -- high! -- thresholds.

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]]>bank feescollege feescredit card feesfeesnickel and dimingsaving moneytravel feesVera GibbonsWed, 19 Jan 2011 16:00:00 ESTZillow CEO's Top Three Home Buying Tipshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/13/zillow-ceos-top-three-home-buying-tips/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/13/zillow-ceos-top-three-home-buying-tips/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/13/zillow-ceos-top-three-home-buying-tips/#commentsFiled under: ,

a home is sold - Zillow CEOWith home values down 26% since the market's peak in 2006, and mortgage rates still at historic lows, it's a great time to buy a home, says Zillow's CEO, Spencer Rascoff. I recently caught up with him in New York City, and he shared his buying tips:

1. Arm Yourself with Knowledge

Take full advantage of all the tools and information available online. Access listings information, see photos, learn what the seller paid for their home, view price reductions and days on market information, and see an estimate of what the home is worth (a great starting point is Zillow's "Zestimate"). Having a reputable real estate agent also helps, says Rascoff, but his main message is this: knowledge is power.

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]]>foreclosuresreal estatereal estate tipsshort salesSpencer Rascoff.ZillowZillow CEOVera GibbonsThu, 13 Jan 2011 16:30:00 ESTSave on Grocery Costshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/10/save-on-grocery-costs/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/10/save-on-grocery-costs/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/10/save-on-grocery-costs/#commentsFiled under: ,

grocery bagsWith grocery bills expected to rise 2%-3% this year -- due to an overall spike in commodity costs, from wheat to soybean to corn to oil -- there's never been a more important time to save.

Here's how:

Avoid impulse buys
Did you know that half of all shoppers go the grocery store three or four times a week and that more than half of all supermarket purchases are unplanned? It adds up: shoppers making a "quick trip" to a store usually purchase 54% more than they planned, according to a study published by the Marketing Science Institute.

The easy solution is to cut back on the number of times you go to the grocery store. If you go three times a week and spend $10 on impulse buys each trip, that adds up to $120 extra per month. But if you go only once a week, you'll spend $40 per month on impulse buys. That saves you $80 per month, or $960 per year. Simple as that.

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]]>appsfoodgroceriessavings on foodsavings on shoppingVera GibbonsMon, 10 Jan 2011 11:00:00 ESTSave Money at the Pumphttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/save-money-at-the-pump/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/save-money-at-the-pump/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/07/save-money-at-the-pump/#commentsFiled under: ,

man swiping card at pump - save at pumpWith today's gas prices now 41 cents higher than they were a year ago (now hovering in the $3-plus range), and growing talk about possibly hitting $5 by the end of next year (at least according to a former Shell executive), here's what you need to do to drive down the costs and save at the pump.

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]]>carsdrivinggas pricessave money on gastransportationtune-upsVera GibbonsFri, 07 Jan 2011 10:00:00 ESTThree Tips to Help You Stick to Your 2011 New Year's Resolutionshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/01/3-tips-to-help-you-stick-to-your-2011-new-years-resolutions/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/01/3-tips-to-help-you-stick-to-your-2011-new-years-resolutions/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/01/01/3-tips-to-help-you-stick-to-your-2011-new-years-resolutions/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

overweight couple sitting - stick to your new year's resolutionsWith more Americans making New Year's resolutions this year, here are three tips to help you stick to three of the most popular:

1. Get Fit/Lose Weight

Tip to Stick to it: Involve Money:
Diet and exercise are always at the top of the list, and while everyone has a plan -- "to fit into the jeans I wore in college," "to get down to the weight I was when I got married," "to drop 10 pounds for my high school reunion" -- reaching that goal is another thing altogether if there isn't money involved. In fact, according to a study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association, patients motivated to meet weight loss targets in order to win money -- or not lose it -- were up nine times more likely to meet their targets than those without such incentives.

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]]>lose weightNew Years resolution tipsnew years resolutionsNew Years resolutions 2011pay off debtquit smokingVera GibbonsSat, 01 Jan 2011 08:00:00 ESTFive Financial Freebieshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/17/five-financial-freebies/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/17/five-financial-freebies/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/17/five-financial-freebies/#commentsWhile you may be focused on taking advantage of free shipping deals today there are other freebies that you should be taking advantage of all year long.

Free Credit Score
Your credit score -- the numerical summary of how much you owe and how promptly you pay your bills -- is a three-digit number (from 300 to 850) that is looked at by everyone from lenders to landlords, employers to cell phone companies. In other words, it's important. And while there are several unethical sites that promise you this score - for free - only to gouge you after the fact, stick with the tried and true: quizzle.com or CreditKarma.com.

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]]>credit card perksEquifaxfinancial freebiesfree business advicefree credit reportfree credit scorefree financial advicefree portfolio checkstarting a businesstravel insuranceVera GibbonsFri, 17 Dec 2010 10:00:00 ESTFlexible Spending Accounts About to Get Less Flexiblehttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/15/flexible-spending-accounts-about-to-get-less-flexible/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/15/flexible-spending-accounts-about-to-get-less-flexible/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/15/flexible-spending-accounts-about-to-get-less-flexible/#commentsFiled under: , ,

lady looks at a bottle of pills -flexible spending accountsFlexible Spending Accounts, which allow you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for dental and medical expenses that aren't covered by insurance, have long been favored by budget conscious consumers. That's because money that goes into these accounts escapes income, Social Security and Medicare taxes, reducing your overall costs for your eligible expenses by about 20%, according to estimates from consulting firm, Mercer Health and Benefits.

But these accounts, known for their extremely generous list of eligible expenses and utilized by one in three employees, are about to get a lot less flexible in 2011. With new restrictions, designed to raise additional tax revenue to offset the costs of the health care reform bill, going into effect on January 1, here's what you need to do.

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]]>co-paysFlexible Spending AccountsFSAshealth care reformhealth insuranceover-the-counter medicationsVera GibbonsWed, 15 Dec 2010 10:30:00 ESTCreative Stocking Stuffershttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/14/creative-stocking-stuffers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/14/creative-stocking-stuffers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/14/creative-stocking-stuffers/#commentsFiled under:

Christmas stockingsFilling stockings with small, personal items is one of the most gratifying and pleasurable endeavors of the season. Here are some of WalletPop's favorite stocking stuffers:

MovieTickets
BulkTix; $7.49-$9.49
Buy discounted movie tickets in versatile four-packs. You'll find them online - for up to 40% off - at BulkTix.com. Passes are available for AMC, Cinemark, Landmark, Pacific, and Regal theaters. And they never expire. A win-win for you, and the recipient.

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]]>ChristmasChristmasShoppingholiday shoppingstocking stuffersVera GibbonsTue, 14 Dec 2010 16:00:00 ESTRegifting Etiquette 101http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/01/regifting-etiquette-101/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/01/regifting-etiquette-101/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/12/01/regifting-etiquette-101/#commentsWoman with giftWith more Americans regifting this holiday season, we thought we'd have The Emily Post Institute's Anna Post weigh in on regifting etiquette.

Here are the rules:

Good Gifts Only

Regifting is perfectly acceptable, yet while this is a practical solution -- especially in an economy that's as weak as this one -- you must give good gifts only, says Post. In other words, nothing from last year or two years ago. This is not an opportunity to clean out your closet. Think new items -- whether a sweater or a bottle of perfume -- that don't necessarily match your tastes, but would be perfect, say, for your mother-in-law.

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]]>Emily Post regiftingregiftingregifting etiquetteregifting rulesVera GibbonsWed, 01 Dec 2010 15:00:00 ESTWhy Women Should Stop Relying on These Five Retirement Crutcheshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/17/why-women-should-stop-relying-on-these-five-retirement-crutches/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/17/why-women-should-stop-relying-on-these-five-retirement-crutches/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/17/why-women-should-stop-relying-on-these-five-retirement-crutches/#commentsFiled under:

Cover of the book Does This Make My Assets Look FatWhen it comes to retirement, many women are losing confidence that they'll ever be able to afford it. Former managing director at JP Morgan Susan Hirshman, author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?, says in order to make retirement possible, women have to take a greater initiative and stop relying on anyone or anything beyond themselves.

"If you're unaware, you end up being part of the 'What if?' club, where you only wake up when something happens and you say, 'If only I knew," says Hirshman.

For women to regain control of their retirement savings, they need to stop relying on these five crutches:

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]]>financial planningpensionsretirementretirement crutcheswidowswomen and retirementVera GibbonsWed, 17 Nov 2010 14:30:00 ESTFive Ways Women Can Close the Retirement Savings Gaphttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/12/5-ways-women-can-close-the-retirement-savings-gap/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/12/5-ways-women-can-close-the-retirement-savings-gap/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/12/5-ways-women-can-close-the-retirement-savings-gap/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Come retirement age, women are typically in much worse financial shape than men. Even though women now account for about 50% of the workforce, they still make less than men (several hundred thousand dollars to upwards of $1 million less over a lifetime), and because women take time out of the office to care for kids and aging parents (women leave the office for an average of 12 years!), they have a difficult time getting back into the workforce and often must resort to part-time work. No benefits, no pensions.

All of that is compounded by the fact that women live longer than men - about five to six years longer, on average. That makes affording retirement seem downright impossible. But it doesn't have to be that difficult. Ken McDonnell, the director of American Savings Education Council (ASEC), offers his tips on how women can maximize their chances of retiring comfortably:

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]]>401kEBRIEmployee Benefits Research Instituteemployer-sponsored 401kIRAMedicarepensionsretirement tips for womenRoth IRAsaving for retirementSocial SecurityWomen and moneywomen and retirementVera GibbonsFri, 12 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST5 tips for turning a temporary seasonal job into full-time employmenthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/10/5-tips-for-turning-a-temporary-seasonal-job-into-full-time-emplo/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/10/5-tips-for-turning-a-temporary-seasonal-job-into-full-time-emplo/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/10/5-tips-for-turning-a-temporary-seasonal-job-into-full-time-emplo/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

First, the good news: John Challenger, chief executive of consulting firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, expects the holiday hiring season to be the strongest in four years, with as many as 650,000 positions created. Now, the bad: he expects only 10-20% of this year's crop of seasonal workers to go on to become full-time employees.

Here's how to improve your odds:

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]]>employmentgetting full-time employmenthiring outlookHoliday hiringJohn challenferJohn Challengerseasonal hiringseasonal jobstemp jobswork ethicVera GibbonsWed, 10 Nov 2010 15:00:00 ESTAvoid these common holiday shopping 'gotchas'http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/08/holiday-shopping-gotchas/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/08/holiday-shopping-gotchas/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/08/holiday-shopping-gotchas/#commentsFiled under: ,

man looks at loud SALe signs in shop windowAccording to the National Retail Federation, consumers are expected to spend about $700 this holiday season, on average, but we could easily spend more -- especially if we fall for holiday "gotchas" like these:

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]]>avoid holiday gotchasBlack Friday 2010Black Friday dealschristmas shoppingfake store salesliquidatorssalessaving moneyVera GibbonsMon, 08 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST