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What Do You Need to Know About the New Vantage Score 3.0?
Last updated: April 15, 2013
First created in 2006 by the big three credit bureaus - Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion - the Vantage Score has been redesigned with a new credit scoring model.
Do You Have Good Savings Habits?
Last updated: March 4, 2013
According to the sixth annual national survey assessing household saving, only about 50% of Americans have good savings habits. The survey results, released during America Saves Week, provides a look at savings habits and how they compare over the last several years.
Read the full news item.
Will You See a Credit Card Surcharge at the Checkout?
Last updated: February 2, 2013
As of January 27, 2013, merchants, online and off, can add a surcharge to every purchase made with a Visa or MasterCard credit card. They can't add the surcharge on debit card purchases. Note that state laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, and Texas prohibit or restrict credit card surcharges.
What Will the Fiscal Cliff Agreement Mean for Your Finances?
Last updated: January 5, 2013
Although all implications of the bill for ordinary taxpayers is not yet clear, the following information and analysis from a variety of sources may provide you with a clearer picture.
Don't Fall for Mortgage Modification Scams
Last updated: December 15, 2012
Homeowners who are financially distressed can be targets for scammers.
In particular, scammers have recently focused on the federal Making Home Affordable Program, which provides many options to help homeowners with their mortgage challenges.
Do You Know That Disasters Bring Out The Scammers?
When disasters occur, such as Hurricane Sandy, scams appear almost immediately. The scams include fake charities, home repair rip-offs, contractor scams, fake disaster officials, and many more.
Can You Spot These Social Media Scams?
Recently some Twitter users have received direct messages that have fake Facebook links. Clicking the fake link could cause you to download malware.
Social networks are favorite targets of scammers, so here are some tips to help you protect yourself.
New Car Crash Test Announced—Why's it Important?
Recently the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced an addition to their testing suite, the small overlap frontal test. This test is designed to simulate what happens when the front corner of a car hits another vehicle or an object such as a utility pole or tree.
More Passwords Stolen
A list of 450,000 usernames and passwords from Yahoo's "Contributor Network" has been posted on the Internet. The passwords were not encrypted. Yahoo has confirmed that usernames and passwords were compromised. An analysis of the data by a security site determined that the list also contains username and passwords for other online services.
Do You Use LinkedIn? Then Change Your Password Today
A list of 6.5 million stolen encrypted passwords has been posted on the Internet. LinkedIn has confirmed that some of those passwords belong to its members. LinkedIn has disabled the passwords on the compromised accounts and will send emails to those members with instructions for resetting their passwords. The emails will not contain any links.
Calling out Medicare Scams
Medicare scams come in many forms. A very common scam offers "free" medical equipment or services but you have to provide your Medicare number. The most recent scam of this type targets people with diabetes.
Car Shopping? Be Aware of This Sales Ploy
“We’ll pay off your loan no matter how much you owe.”
Have you seen auto sales ads, often online, that promise this? This promise to pay off the balance of any loan you have on a vehicle you plan to trade-in is often misleading, the Federal Trade Commission warns in a recent alert. Why?
Concerned About Google's Privacy Policy Changes?
As of March 1, 2012 Google's new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service have taken effect. The updated policy replaces the separate privacy policies for all of their services except Google Books, Google Wallet, and Google Chrome. If you use Google Services such as Gmail, Google+, YouTube, Picasa, Docs, and Calendar, you have a Google Account and are affected. If you only use Google Search, you are not affected.
What can you do about it?
Facebook's Timeline is Being Pushed to All Users
Facebook's Timeline is a new profile format that displays all of your postings in chronological order, making it easier to see items from the past. While the Timeline has been optional since the middle of December, it will now replace the current profile page for all users. Over the next several weeks, everyone will be switched to the Timeline.
Thinking of Using a Prepaid Debit Card?
Prepaid debit cards are being touted as a way to manage your money and stay out of debt. With a prepaid debit card, you can only spend the amount of money that is on the card. But that's good, isn't it? Maybe. These cards can be more expensive than you think. These cards may be useful for travel or providing funds for a college student. Some people use them to help them budget.
Is Your Whole Life Going on View on Facebook?
Facebook and Carrier IQ have been making news lately. How does this news impact you? Here's what you need to know. Facebook Timeline is now available to everyone. The Timeline was announced back in September but wasn't available to everyone until now.
Donating to Charity This Holiday Season? Read These Tips First.
During the holiday season, there are many charities asking for donations to help the less fortunate. While there are many legitimate charities that do good work, there are also some phony ones. Here are some tips to help you make sure that your donation benefits the people and organizations you intended.
Shopping on Black Friday? Check out these tips before you go.
Black Friday offers lots of bargains as well as deals that aren't much of deal. Here are a few tips to help you find the best bargains.