At some point during the mortgage process, you’ll be faced with this mysterious item known as “title insurance.” There are actual two types of title insurance. If you’re getting a mortgage, you’ll be required to get the first type. You may also opt to get the second type. Title Insurance Defined Title insurance offers protection …
You’re probably familiar with the warranties your electronics came with – those convoluted promises it’s impossible to make a claim under. A home warranty is not exactly the same, and it can be issued on a house of any age. If you’re a new owner, you should get one. Current owners should consider it. What …
After a three week break due to traveling, the weekly blog carnival roundup returns! This week I have four carnivals to share. The first is The Carnival of Personal Finance #165 hosted by No Debt Plan. In addition to my post about a new car repair estimates tool, you might also enjoy Save and Conquer’s instructions for changing a car …
The Olympics is Going Back to School in the Carnivals Read More »
Another week, another three blog carnivals to share. Hopefully you’ll find some great tips like I did. First up: Money Hacks Carnival #39 hosted by Moolanomy. In addition to my post about travel games, I also recommend Christian Personal Finance’s tips for saving money while eating out. Sometimes there’s no avoiding eating out, especially when holiday travel is involved. …
Smiling through the Recession – at the Carnivals Read More »
A few months ago, I posted that I loved Everbank for its high rates and good customer service. Well, the bloom is off the rose, as they say. This weekend while reading Consumerism Commentary, I learned that they increased their minimum monthly balance to $5,000 and raised the monthly low-balance fee to $8.95. I checked online, and it …
Welcome readers of US News’ Alpha Consumer blog! If you want to know more about our budgeting system, I’ve linked to a few budgeting posts about halfway down this post. If you’d like to learn more about how we paid off $40,000 in debt in one year, I detailed it last September. This morning I heard a story …
It’s the beginning of the year, which means the IRS is busy sending out all sorts of tax changes and alerts. Let’s break them down. Deadline Extension First, let’s start with a bit of good news: Your taxes aren’t due until April 18. That’s because there’s a little known holiday in Washington, DC that will …
This year, that is the question. Do you give someone a gift card because it’s easy, but run the risk that the store will go out of business before they spend it? Or do you give them cash and then wonder if they bought something fun or used it to pay bills? There’s no right …
I don’t think I’ve spent as much time visiting hardware stores as I have in the last eight months. Our local hardware store is an Ace, which we use for small parts and screws. It’s a bit pricier than the big box stores, but it’s also only a half mile from our house. We also …
A computer backup isn’t a document, per se, but it’s still something you should include in your emergency preparations. Once you get in the habit of backing up, it’s a quick and easy way to make sure that your data is safe in case your house burns down or your computer blows up. Set a …
