|
Featured Article Can Leasing a Car Save You Money?Purchasing a used vehicle is often perceived as buying someone else’s problems. As a result, when it’s time to get a different car most people prefer a new one. Once the choice to get a new car is made there is still one more decision to make: buy or lease. Owning a Vehicle With an [...] |
||||
Bank of America “Add it Up” Cashback Program
I’m a customer of Bank of America and didn’t know that they offered cashback when using a Bank of America check (debit) card or credit card. The service is called the “Add It Up” program. Cashback ranges from 1% to more than 10%. Bank of America also offers a ton of coupons and discounts to many major retailers which can save you some significant money.
To get the discount, you must be a Bank of America customer and then apply for the program. You then use your Bank of America check card or credit card when you shop through their website which is linked to participating retailers.
The cashback is credited into your checking or credit card account of your choice. The service is simple and free to Bank of America customers.
Below is a screen shot of some of the better cashback deals. There are a ton of them.
Bank of America Cashback Discounts
For more information visit BankofAmerica.com/shop.
Get Cashback Using Microsoft Live Search for Shopping
Microsoft has created a new incentive program to encourage consumers to use Live Search for shopping. The incentive is that you get cashback savings by using Live Search to find deals on the products you want from the stores that you know and trust.
Here’s how Live Search cashback works:
- You first search for cashback deals at Live Search cashback. Each time you click a Live Search cashback listing, you’ll find deals on the product you chose. Your results will list the cashback savings you’ll receive off the store price, and your final bottom-line price that includes tax and shipping costs.
- Second you compare and sort products by the bottom-line price. Click the best deal to go to the store. Everything you buy during that store visit will be eligible for Live Search cashback. On your first time using Live Search cashback, you will be asked for an email address so you can be notified of how to quickly set up your free cashback account.
- Each time you use Live Search cashback you then continue to save money. Every time you make a qualifying purchase, an email is sent to you to confirm your Live Search cashback savings. Usually 60 days after your purchase (although this time period may vary for some stores), and when your cashback account reaches a balance of at least $5, you can claim your cash.
For more information visit search.live.com/cashback.
MSNBC 10 Tips to Save on Your Cell Phone Bill
MSNBC today reported that the average cell-phone user spends about $600 a year on cell phone service, while families that talk, text, or use other phone features spend about $1,800. The larger the bill, the higher are the service taxes and surcharges, which can add an additional 14.5 percent to the bill.
However, if you are diligent you can end up trimming your cell phone bill, per the following recommendations (See news video below):
1. Go prepaid
2. Don’t overbuy minutes
3. Don’t buy unneeded services
4. Buy enough of what you use
5. Check for employee discounts
6. Make temporary adjustments
7. Have your usage analyzed
8. Get local service
9. Choose the best carrier
10. Say no to phone insurance
Visit Today.MSNBC.Com to read full article.
Video: Trimming Your Cell Phone Bill
Manage Your Health with the Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Mayo Clinic and Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of Mayo Clinic Health Manager, a privacy- and security-enhanced online application that provides people with a place to store medical information and receive individualized health guidance and recommendations based on the clinical expertise of Mayo Clinic.
This interactive functionality extends the capabilities of traditional personal health records, using an individual’s health information to generate customized recommendations on which they can act to better manage their health and the health of their families.
People can organize health information for themselves and their loved ones, access the information from a single location, and take a proactive role in managing their health with the individualized guidance. Powered by Microsoft HealthVault, Mayo Clinic Health Manager allows users to store copies of their health records obtained from their providers, health plans, pharmacies, schools, government, or employers; upload information from home health devices like blood glucose monitors and digital scales; and share information with caregivers.
The service provides access to products and services to help improve their health. It uses this information to deliver reminders and recommendations specific to each family member’s life stage and health status. As users enter more personal health information, Mayo Clinic Health Manager delivers more specific and customized recommendations.
Mayo Clinic Health Manager is easy to use, with features designed for busy parents, adults who are managing the health concerns of aging parents and patients managing chronic conditions and multiple medications. Since the data is stored in Microsoft HealthVault, people can access their information whenever they need it – regardless of whether they change doctors, clinics, jobs or insurance plans.
In its initial offering, Mayo Clinic Health Manager will include tools and features that help manage: pediatric wellness, including immunizations, adult wellness, pregnancy and asthma. Additional features will be incorporated in the upcoming months that will help users manage Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Mayo Clinic and Microsoft will work to add new functionality and health guidance.
The health guidance was developed, reviewed and approved by a team of healthcare experts at Mayo Clinic, and will be updated regularly to reflect best practices in healthcare. The technology was built on the Microsoft HealthVault platform, a security-enhanced online environment.
Consumers can learn more about Mayo Clinic Health Manager and create their accounts at healthmanager.mayoclinic.com.
Video: Banks Battle Congress to Stop Credit Card Rules
Below is a video produced by The American News Project (ANP) highlighting how banks employ numerous bank lobbyists to stop Congress from banning the credit card industries worst abuses. While there are only 3 consumer lobbyists trying to lobby Congress.
Video: Credit Card Industry Defeated for Now
Should You Move Your Investments to Cash?
We are all tempted to shift our assets out of stocks into cash, especially in our 401K plans where most of us have taken a beating over the last several months. However, remember when investing in stocks and mutual funds it’s never a realized profit or loss until your sell. If you sell now, you’ll lock in your losses. But if you shift to cash in a bear market, you are likely to miss out on an eventual rally. Rallies tend to occur quickly and compressed.
The best way to survive a bear market is to stick to your plan no matter how far the market falls. Keep contributing to you employer-sponsored retirement savings plan and allocate your assets in bonds, stock, and fixed income based on when you will retire.
Below is a graph that shows the outcome of a hypothetical portfolio worth $100,000 at the market’s peak on January 1, 2001. That chart shows that if the hypothetical investor had moved to all cash at the market’s bottom, the investor would have missed out on a substantial growth opportunity. After 3 years, the investor would have missed out in $33,197 in gains after 3 years and $55,200 in gains after 5 years had the investor moved his money in cash.
Chart: Move to Stocks vs. Stay in Stocks
Source: T. Rowe Price
Remember that over the past 80 years, through all the bear and bull markets, stocks still returned about 10% yearly, on average. One hundred dollars invested in stocks at the start of 1926 would have grown to $324,600 by end of 2007, despite the Great Depression, World War II and 14 bear markets.
Get Your Free Financial Software at Gnucash.com
If you are looking for software to manage your money you don’t have to spend a dime. Forget purchasing Quicken or Microsoft Money who forces you after 2 to 3 years to upgrade by paying even more money.
Consider Gnucash.org which is a free open-source desktop that helps you to manage personal and small-business accounts, create detailed report graphs, categorize cash flow and downloads stock quotes via the Internet.
Gnucash can import QIF files from Quicken and comes with an online-banking feature that allows you to reconcile your credit-card and bank statements without entering the data manually.
Keep in mind that there are Internet-based applications also available for free that can also help you track your online banking, credit cards, loans and investment accounts.
Free online financial applications can be found at:
