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1. How Some Consumers Slash Energy Bills 20%. Consumers in 18 states (including Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Texas and most Northeastern states) can often switch their electricity provider to an alternative-service provider and save around 20%. It's not difficult, but it does take some time to investigate them: it can be done through the Public Service Commission in your state (click here to begin.) Ask about any fees added to the basic rate: taxes may or may not be separate from the quote. Alternative natural gas providers are a different matter: they are unregulated and sometimes unreliable. 2. 5 Tips: How To Sell A House In A Buyer's Market. House prices are falling in many places. To sell, make sure you (1) don't set a wishfully high price, (2) get a feel for the market by looking at other houses for sale, (3) make it an easy "turnkey" buy, (4) offer incentives like mortgage financing help and (5) don't get greedy. 3. Time Management Facts and Figures. Here is a fine collection of statistics that helps us rethink how we use our time. To quote the author, "Time Management is not doing the wrong things quicker. That just gets us nowhere faster. Time Management is doing the right things." 4. How To Get Scholarships. About 7% of students get scholarships, averaging $1,982 a year. Even "B" students can get them, especially if they do well on the SAT. Encourage kids to volunteer, take part in activities and do well in school -- and keep track of it all in a portfolio. To increase your chances, apply for lots of them. Be proactive and follow up: write letters and get interviews. If you get an award, ask your college's financial aid officer about the best way to combine it with other aid programs. 5. How To Choose A Financial Adviser. Some financial planners work partly for commissions rather than working for you. The "CFP" (Certified Financial Planner) label doesn't necessarily prove adequate competency. Try to get a "registered investment adviser", the highest standard for financial advisers. 6. Declare Your Financial Independence. In 2005, Americans actually spent more money than they made. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, here's an article that shows you how to break free from this demoralizing cycle. Learn how to build a financial foundation of solid cash savings, track your expenses and cut costs, budget wisely, escape the credit card trap and read Kiplinger's "Ultimate Savings Guide". 7. Women May Get Shorted In Financial Planning. Women are sometimes less tolerant of risk, which can reduce their investment returns in the long run. And financial planners tend to avoid recommending to them investments with higher returns that carry a little more risk. 8. 5 Ways to Monitor Your Credit Reports. There are five ways to monitor your credit to prevent identity fraud: credit freezes, fraud alerts, do-it-yourself credit monitoring, credit monitoring services, and bank credit monitoring services. Credit monitoring is the most effective, but costs about $50 per year. No other method works perfectly; do-it-yourself monitoring is the best way for most people. 9. How To Choose a College Savings Plan. This is part of a series of articles at The Motley Fool that discuss the various types of college savings plans: the Coverdell Education Savings Account, the 529 prepaid tuition plan, and the 529 college savings plan. The pros and cons of each type of savings account are covered. 10. Some Signs Of A Bad Loan Proposal. Don't sign on to a loan if the lender offers a "shady" deal, pushes a loan you don't need, doesn't disclose the APR, isn't upfront about closing costs, or asks you to sign blank forms. Bad lenders also want to get you in between a rock and a hard place, afraid that you'll lose out if you don't sign. And the mortgage industry as a whole tends to resist legislation to correct these problems. Remember: "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is." 11. Is It Time To Downsize Your Home?. Homes are one of the costliest expenses. Many Americans have much more home than they need or want. By moving into a smaller place, they cut home maintenance costs, property taxes and energy bills by 50 percent or more. Years ago, people wanted more space -- now many prefer to look for luxurious new features, such as a Jacuzzi.
2006 Consumer Action HandbookThe 2006 Consumer Action Handbook covers many subjects. Part I "Being a Savvy Consumer" covers shopping tips, anti-telemarketing methods, protection against ID tehft, buying new cars, using credit wisely, health care tips, housing scams, insurance advice, and utilities. Part II "Filing a Complaint" tells you how to resove disputes and if necessary go to small claims court. Part III "Consumer Assistance Directory" lists many institutions you can ask for help if you have a problem or complaint.Preview at: http://www.consumeraction.gov Order by mail: http://www.consumeraction.gov/caw_orderhandbook.shtml Download now: http://www.consumeraction.gov/pdfs/2006revisedCAH.pdf (1.4 MB) Free Guides From State Tourism AgenciesState tourism agencies usually will send you free maps or guides by mail, hoping to encourage a visit. Each state decides what to send out, which may include:
Two lawyers enter a bank, and armed robbers suddenly burst in. While several of the robbers take the money from the tellers, others line up the lawyers and the other customers against a wall and start rifling through their pockets. While this is going on, one lawyer presses something into the other lawyer's hand and whispers "Here take this, it's important!" He takes it and without looking down whispers, "What's this?" "It's that $500 I owe you."
Explore Your Happiness: The Happiness Inventory is a questionnaire by the authors of How We Choose to Be Happy, Rick Foster and Greg Hicks. You'll see areas of your life that you can improve upon to make yourself happier. It doesn't tell you how to be happy-- but perhaps it's better that we explore that for ourselves according to our individual needs.
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1. 101 Tips For Traveling on a Budget
2. Home Security: How To Protect Your Family And Your Property
Suze Orman: New Rules For Retirement Accounts. The Pension Protection Act of 2006 allows higher contributions to retirement accounts. Suze recommends a Roth 401(k), especially for young people. Make sure you diversify your account, and if your employer gives matching contributions, take maximum advantage. There are also advantageous new rules for 401(k) beneficiaries and contributions from 401(k)s to charity. Robert Kiyosaki: Only the Rich Survive. Most Americans are on "a collision course with financial disaster" Robert contends. We can't change the government, so we need to change ourselves. Liz Pulliam Weston: 7 Roads To Financial Ruin. Do not (1) carry credit card debt, (2) let fixed costs (your living expenses) swell, (3) use retirement savings to pay debts, (4) use payday loans, (5) live in an unaffordable house, (6) rely only on a debt consolidation loan, or (7) ignore the need for an emergency fund when hard times suddenly come. Gary Foreman: Just Say "No". In the 1980s there was a campaign to stop drug abuse labeled "Just Say No". The same advice applies to many financial decisions: Just Say "No" to buying too many material things, to buying too much house, to high-pressure sales tactics, to "keeping up with the Joneses" and to dreams of getting rich quick. Kimberly Lankford: Why "529" College Savings Plans Make Sense. 529 plans have improved recently: earnings are now tax-free for college costs, more states offer income-tax deductions, and they'll help you get more financial aid from government. But don't overfill your 529, or you'll suffer tax consequences.
Best Reminder/To-Do Program: Easy To-DoEasy To-Do has features such as single appointments, recurring reminders, audible and visual alarms, a snooze button and more. It calls reminders "tasks", which can be used for anything but is an odd word to use for anniversaries for example. It works on all Windows systems.Download at: http://www.xanadutools.com/ (1.2 MB)
Shopping: Get your flu shot October sales Get free firewood Taxes: October 15: Final IRS extension ends Home: Clean the fireplace Store garden tools Check smoke detectors Remove garden hoses Service your furnace Inspect vents Clean patio furniture Rake and compost leaves Service window screens Power down air conditioners Service heat radiator Trim trees and bushes Store planters Drain outdoor pools Do "fall" cleaning Financial: October 1: "Mark Twain effect" begins October 14: Earnings season begins Make mutual fund investments Order a free credit report College: Possible SAT deadline Work on essays
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