Posts tagged as:

tips & tricks

Tips for refinancing your mortgage

June 30, 2009

Bad news: property values are way down, to the point where many people are sitting on mortgages at or above what they paid for their house.
Good news: mortgage rates are low, making it a great time to refinance. You can also install energy efficient appliances to put some money in your pocket.
But before you refinance—be sure to [...]

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Save big on your cable bill

June 22, 2009

Cable companies, perhaps more than any other product providers love to entice new subscribers with new packages at low rates. Existing customers tend to get nothing—other than frustrated.
Maybe that has changed.
I use Comcast—for cable ($60/month) and internet service ($45/month). I saw a recent promo for cable and internet for $69.99 for 6 months, called and [...]

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How to make a Black and Tan

March 17, 2009

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! A day that should be a national holiday. Now for some useful advice:
Take 1

Take 2

Mark Ireland is a consumer rights lawyer of Irish descent, and will be posting at Caveat Emptor until March 20, 2009.

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Produce the note!

February 26, 2009

Sometimes the court system actually works. The AP has an interesting article on homeowners who are forcing lenders to <gasp> produce the note—the proof the lender issued a mortgage. Apparently some people are having some success in delaying or stopping foreclosure by simply asking whomever is trying to foreclose to produce the original mortgage note. [...]

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Save Bundles of Cash by Buying Eyeglasses Online

February 22, 2009

Save Bundles of Cash by Buying Eyeglasses Online | Lifehacker

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Debt collectors think consumers knowing their rights is “ominous”

February 3, 2009

Yesterday, on Consumerist, I criticized an article in the Washington Post for sounding like it was written by debt collectors. Apparently, it was prompted by a dispatch from the Associated Press, which distributed “Six Tips for Dealing With Debt Collectors” on Friday. (The “6 tips” are good tips, by the way, although the WaPo article [...]

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How to buy a new car in any economy

January 28, 2009

Now is not the time to run out and buy a new car if yours works perfectly well. But if you are in the market, you can look forward to some great deals, as cars are piling up in storage lots and dealers are anxious to move inventory.
Whether the economy is bad or good, there [...]

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5 Legal Tips for Peace of Mind

September 2, 2008

5 Legal Tips for Peace of Mind | Zen Habits

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Direct Line Takes You Straight to an Operator

August 31, 2008

Direct Line Takes You Straight to an Operator | Lifehacker

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Debt Reduction Snowball Calculator

August 26, 2008

Great tool for using the “snowball” method to pay off your debt. Debt Reduction Snowball Calculator | Vertex42 (via Consumerist)

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Got bills? Attack the stack

August 25, 2008

“Debt collection can be a stressful, terrifying experience. Know your rights to protect yourself.” Got bills? Attack the stack | ka-Ching!

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8 Tips That Will Keep Your Refrigerator Healthy And Your Bills Low

August 19, 2008

8 Tips That Will Keep Your Refrigerator Healthy And Your Bills Low | Consumer Reports (via Consumerist)

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What to do when a debt collector calls

August 15, 2008

Getting a phone call from a debt collector can be very upsetting. Often, they ask for more money than you think you owe or call about a debt you may not remember. But whether or not you owe the debt, there are a few important steps you need to take to make sure you protect [...]

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How to buy a car without getting screwed

August 13, 2008

Top 10 How To Videos | Lifehacker

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Celebrity Money Mistakes

August 13, 2008

Celebrity Money Mistakes | AOL (via Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog)

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Credit repair DIY: fix errors on your credit reports

August 11, 2008

Under federal law, consumers can challenge inaccurate information on credit reports and other consumer reports (such as tenant screening reports). It is free, usually quick, and relatively painless. Plus, there are a lot of great how-to guides on the web.
I have mentioned the FTC guides before. The excellent Building a Better Credit Report manual is [...]

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Olympus phone recording device makes it easy to record phone calls

July 25, 2008

The Olympus TP-7 Telephone Recording Device (clever name, eh?) is probably the easiest way to record phone calls (from an abusive debt collector, for example) that I have seen. You stick it in your ear, plug it into a recorder, hold your phone normally up against your ear with the earbud in it, and it [...]

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Stretch Your Food Dollar: Rethinking Meat

July 23, 2008

Stretch Your Food Dollar: Rethinking Meat | Queercents

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