Most debit card fees come by way of “overdraft protection,” in which banks allow customers to spend more than what’s in their accounts—and then customers are smacked with fees of around $35 each time they do so. Here’s a real shocker: Very few people actually want that sort of protection.
Saving & Spending
Q&A: Money-Saving Tips from Eversave.com’s Chief Savings Officer
Chief Savings Officer. Who knew that such a job title existed? Every household—and every government office, for that matter—should have one or more of these people, whose job it is to see that money is saved whenever possible, and spent efficiently when purchases are necessary.
Discussion Point: What Do You Hate Most About Holiday Shopping Season?
Call it the war against Christmas lasting six months. The Scrooges and Grinches are surfacing early this year, mainly to complain that the winter holiday shopping hubbub is surfacing so early this year.
Prepaid Debit Cards: Buyer Beware, Be Really Aware
Prepaid debit cards are attractive to certain consumers—immigrants and low-income people in particular—because they can be purchased quickly and easily in drugstores or Wal-Mart, and there’s no I.D. or paperwork necessary. What people who use these reloadable cards often fail to understand is that they’re …
Mastering the McDonald’s Monopoly Game
The McDonald’s monopoly game starts up this week. If you’re going to play, why not play to win?
The Plain English Campaign: Waging War Against Gobbledygook
Why are government documents and the fine print in bank agreements and credit card offers littered with undecipherable phrases like “collateral debt obligations” and “sector-specific benchmarking” and “amorphous challenges”? Perhaps because the organizations creating these ugly phrases are purposefully trying to confuse consumers and taxpayers.
It’s a Deal: $800 Worth of Gift Cards and Services for $30
The best part: All of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. The Big Bundle, as this special offer is being called, includes gift cards and certificates to vendors like Papa Johns and ShoeBuy.com, subscriptions to services such as Zagat.com, and discount coupons to retailers like The Gap and Nordstrom. The value totals just …
Barter Bonanza
Swapping your stuff for someone else’s has never been easier. There are now fairly simple ways to barter for home appliances, video games, clothes, even car leases and the services of accountants and hair dressers.
It’s a Deal: Two Kids Eat Free at Boston Market
Through October 31, two kids’ meals (for children up to age 14) will be given away free of charge for each adult purchase of $6 or more at Boston Market. No coupon necessary, but kids must be present to get the freebies. More details here.
Will the Recession Effect Last?
For now at least, cheap is cool. Frugality is viewed as acceptable, sensible. The assumption is that this “Great Recession,” which has thrown the nation (and our retailers) all for a loop, will have lasting effects. Here’s why it won’t.
Ten Ways the Mall Has Changed During the Recession
The shopping mall, that wonderfully iconic, most American of places, is changing, and the economic downturn bears a lot of the responsibility. Store names that were once ubiquitous have disappeared. Vacancy rates are seriously high. And just about everybody is discounting merchandise and looking for new ways to connect to consumers.
It’s a Deal: Free Coffee at Starbucks Now to October 5
From today, October 2, through October 5, if you go into a Starbucks and taste VIA, the company’s new instant coffee, you’ll get a free brewed coffee as thanks for your time. More details here.
