Beware, the way it works like this, you pick the kind of car you want, then it will present you with the available local options, you bring it to your local dealer to pick up - but here is the chance for a good car salesman to upsell you more, don't fall into the trap. Just pick whatever you have paid for and drive away!
If you are shopping for a car, here is a new car buying site you can consider - TrueCar.com, negotiation has been done for you. Car dealers hate it, consumers love it.
Beware, the way it works like this, you pick the kind of car you want, then it will present you with the available local options, you bring it to your local dealer to pick up - but here is the chance for a good car salesman to upsell you more, don't fall into the trap. Just pick whatever you have paid for and drive away!
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Q. What are the best cash rewards credit cards for grocery shopping? A. Here are the top 3 best cash back credit cards for grocery shopping: #1: Blue Cash Preferred from American Express
#2: Blue Cash Everyday Card
#3: Barclaycard Rewards MasterCard (Excellent Credit)
Q. What are the possible options to consolidate and refinance my student loan? A. There are four key components for a student loan - principal, interest, term (duration) and payment. You have seven different ways to negotiate or refinance your student loan and get a lower payment amount: 1. Forgive a portion of the principal and keep the rate and term the same. 2. Reduce the interest rate and keep the principal and term the same. 3. Extend the term and keep the principal and rate the same. 4. Forgive a portion of the principal, reduce the rate and keep the term the same. 5. Forgive a portion of the principal, extend the term and keep the rate the same. 6. Forgive a portion of the principal, reduce the rate and extend the term. 7. Reduce the interest rate, extend the term and keep the principal the same. The above approach would work for any debt negotiations. Q. I am about to become 65 this year, where can I find a list of retail merchants' discounts that are exclusively available to seniors only?
A. Please see list below, this is a list of restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, travel deals and other types of offers giving various discounts with different age requirements. You may be surprised to see how many there are and how some of them start at the young age of 50. RESTAURANTS: Applebee's: 15% off with Golden Apple Card(60+) Arby's: 10% off(55+) Ben & Jerry's: 10% off(60+) Bennigan's: Discount varies by location(60+) Bob's Big Boy: Discount varies by location(60+) Boston Market: 10% off(65+) Burger King: 10% off(60+) Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee(55+) Chili's: 10% off(55+) CiCi's Pizza: 10% off(60+) Denny's: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members(55 +) Dunkin' Donuts: 10% off or free coffee(55+) Einstein's Bagels: 10% off baker's dozen of bagels(60+) Fuddrucker's: 10% off any senior platter( 55+) Gatti's Pizza: 10% off(60+) Golden Corral: 10% off(60+) Hardee's: $0.33 beverages everyday(65+) IHOP: 10% off(55+) Jack in the Box: Up to 20% off(55+) KFC: Free small drink with any meal(55+) Krispy Kreme: 10% off(50+) Long John Silver's: Various discounts at locations(55+) McDonald's: Discounts on coffee everyday(55+) Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations(60+) Shoney's: 10% off Sonic: 10% off or free beverage(60+) Steak 'n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday(50+) Subway: 10% off(60+) Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off(62+) Taco Bell : 5% off; free beverages for seniors(65+) TCBY: 10% off(55+) Tea Room Cafe: 10% off(50+) Village Inn: 10% off(60+) Waffle House: 10% off every Monday(60+) Wendy's: 10% off(55 +) Whataburger: 10% off(62+) White Castle : 10% off(62+) RETAIL & APPAREL: Banana Republic: 30% off(50+) Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month(50+) Belk's: 15% off first Tuesday of every month(55+) Big Lots: 30% off Bon-Ton Dept 15 % off on senior discount days(55 +) C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday(50+) Clarks : 10% off(62+) Dress Barn: 20% off(55+) Goodwill: 10% off one day a week(date varies by location) Hallmark: 10% off one day a week(date varies by location) Kmart: 40% off(Wednesdays only)(50+) Kohl's: 15% off(60+) Modell's Sporting Goods: 30% off Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday(55+) The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: Up to 50% off(55+) Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month(55 +) GROCERY: Albertson's: 10% off first Wednesday of each month(55 +) American Discount Stores:10% off every Monday(50 +) Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday(60+) DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday(60+) Food Lion: 60% off every Monday(60+) Fry's Supermarket: Free Fry's VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday(55 +) Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday(60+) Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday(60+) Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday(60+) Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week(date varies by location) Kroger: 10% off(date varies by location) Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday(60+) The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday(50 +) Publix: 15% off every Wednesday( 55 +) Rogers Markelace: 5% off every Thursday(60+) Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace: 15% off(62+) TRAVEL: Airlines: Alaska Airlines: 50% off(65+) American Airlines: Various discounts for 50% off non-peak periods(Tuesdays - Thursdays)(62+)and up(call before booking for discount) Continental Airlines: No initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations Southwest Airlines: Various discounts for ages 65 and up(call before booking for discount) United Airlines: Various discounts for ages 65 and up(call before booking for discount) U.S. Airways: Various discounts for ages 65 and up(call before booking for discount) Rail: Amtrak: 15% off(62+) Bus: Greyhound: 15% off(62+) Trailways Transportation System:various discounts for ages 50+ Car Rental: Alamo Car Rental: Up to 25% off for AARP members Avis: Up to 25% off for AARP members Budget Rental Cars: 40% off; up to 50% off for AARP membe rs(50+) Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off(50+) Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members Hertz: Up to 25% off for AARP members National Rent-A-Car: Up to 30% off for AARP members Overnight Accommodations: Holiday Inn: 20-40% off depending on location(62+) Best Western: 40% off(55+) Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off(60+) Waldorf Astoria - NYC:$5,000 off nightly rate for Presidential Suite(55 +) Clarion Motels: 20%-30% off(60+) Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off(60+) Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off(60+) Econo Lodge: 40% off(60+) Hampton Inns & Suites:40% off when booked 72 hours in advance Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off(62+) InterContinental Hotels Group: Various discounts at all hotels(65+) Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler's Discount(50+); 20%-30% off(60+) Marriott Hotels: 25% off(62+) Motel 6: Stay Free Sunday nights(60+) Myrtle Beach Resort: 30% off(55 +) Quality Inn: 40%-50% off(60+) Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off(60+) Sleep Inn: 40% off(60+) ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT: AMC Theaters: Up to 30% off(55 +) Bally Total Fitness: $100 off memberships(62+) Busch Gardens Tampa, FL: $13 off one-day tickets(50 +) Carmike Cinemas: 35% off(65+) Cinemark/Century Theaters: Up to 35% off Massage Envy - NYC: 20% off all "Happy Endings"(62 +) U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping(62+) Regal Cinemas: 50% off Ripley's Believe it or Not:@ off one-day ticket(55 +) SeaWorld, Orlando , FL : $3 off one-day tickets(50 +) CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS: AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $19.99/month(65+) Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service(50 +) Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month(65+). MISCELLANEOUS: Great Clips: $8 off hair cuts(60+) Supercuts: $8 off haircuts(60+) NOW, go out there and claim your discounts ---- and remember ---- YOU must ASK for your discount ---- no ask, no discount. Q. One of my new year's resolutions is to reduce weight, but it's not cheap to join a gym. What are the most common ways to get discounts on gym membership fees? A. Regular exercise is a great investment, its return beats a lot of other financial investments' returns! You can try the following ways to save on gym costs: 1. End of January often brings the biggest discount for gym membership fees. Pay attention to promotions from your favorite local gyms. 2. Surf Groupon, LivingSocial, GiltCity, your local gym's Facebook or Twitter pages and see if there are any discount deals going on. 3. Talk to the manager of the gym and see if you can get any discount. 4. Pay annual fee all once rather than by month, in this way you can often get an extra free month or no registration fee. 5. Take advantage any free trial period and make sure the gym you plan to attend fits your needs. 6. Check your medical plan provider and see if they provide any financial assistance, for example, some of the United Healthcare plans provide up to $240 annual incentive for gym memberships. Q. What are the drawbacks of withdrawing from 401K to pay down debts? A. Borrowing from your own 401k, 403b or pension plan to pay down higher interest debt is probably the cheapest way to consolidate and pay down your debt, as you pay the interest back to your own retirement account and there is no credit checking so it won't affect your credit scores. However, it comes with a few drawbacks: 1. If you can't pay back the loan, you will need to pay tax on the loan plus penalties. 2. Your money is not invested in the market which could generate higher return. 3. If you leave your current job, you need to pay back the loan shortly. 4. If you still have to file bankruptcy, you lose everything including your retirement assets. Q. I heard Microsoft's Bing now offers rewards for just using it, is it true? A. Yes, it's true. The search engine's new rewards program gives you points for just doing web searches at the site and trying new features. You can redeem points for Redbox rentals, earn money for charities, and get gift cards to use at Amazon, Starbucks and other major retailers. To get started, just go to: Bing.com/explore.rewards If you are researching which wearable activity monitor is the best, Consumer Reports has done the work. Based on its testing results, they ranked the wearable activity monitors in the following order:
Q. There are so many credit card offers on the market, what are the credit cards with the best reward programs? A. It could be very frustrating to try to keep track of all the different rewards cards' reward categories and percentages. Below is a very simple way to achieve absolutely the best results: 1. American Express Blue Cash Preferred Use this card to get 6% cash back on groceries and 3% on gas. 2. Fidelity Rewards American Express Put everything else on this card to get 2% back. The only problem is both cards are American Express cards which are not accepted everywhere. In that case, keep a Barclaycard Arrival World MasterCard, you can earn 2 travel miles for every dollar spent. Try the online credit card rewards calculator below and see how much reward you can get each year. Q. How to best take advantage of the various perks offered by credit cards? I don't even know what they are. A. You don't know what you don't know! Below are the 7 little known credit card perks that could bring you big benefits:
Q. What are the best online banks?
A. For checking accounts with no minimum balance requirements, try the following online banks:
For savings accounts, try these online banks:
Q. What are the advantages of joining a credit union? A. Credit unions are owned by members and provide a variety of services to members. Most importantly, they provide free ATM services, online banking, low rate loans, and higher rate savings accounts. For example, for new car loans, average bank's loan rate is 5.19%, but average credit union's loan rate is only 2.87%. Your deposit at the credit unions is safe too - you will have the same FDIC protection as bank deposits do. To find a credit union that is near you, visit MyCreditUnion.gov and search one. Q. I can't afford paying $250 an hour to hire a lawyer to write a contract for my side business. Is there a cheaper alternative? A. How about a free alternative? Try ShakeLaw, it's an app launched in Sept 2013, it guides you through a series of questions, just like Turbo Tax does when it helps you file your taxes, with options to create 6 kinds of contracts, including freelancing, renting, lending money and a write-it-yourself feature. The most convenient scenario could be you are selling something on Craigslist and meet someone at a parking lot for delivery, you pull out the app in no time you are done! You can bet things like ShakeLaw is just the beginning, more shake up to the law industry will come in the future. Q. Does closing an old credit card negatively impact my credit score? A. It's OK to close an older credit card account because credit bureaus typically leave them on your file for 10 years. So your good payment history on that older card will still be factored into your credit score after your closing it. But there is another factor you need to consider - your credit utilization rate, which is the amount of your balances on all of your credit cards divided by your total credit card limits. If the ratio is still below 20% after closing your older credit card, it won't hurt your credit score, this has been confirmed by FICO, the credit scoring company, based on a Consumer Reports report. So, do some math to calculate your current ratio before closing the older card. Q. Banking is boring, are there any new exciting features from commercial banks that are worth checking? A. Yes, try the following 5 smart banking perks that will make your banking activities more rewarding: 1. Electronic check deposits Ask your bank if they allow you to use the camera in your phone or iPad to photograph the checks you received and deposit them electronically by using a mobile banking app. You don't have to drive to the local branch anymore! 2. On the go account monitoring Most major banks should have mobile bank sites up and running, you can keep track of your balances, transfer funds, avoid overdrafts, etc. a lot of activities could be done at home now. 3. Send person to person payments Chase has QuickPay and Citibank has Popmoney, other banks may call it a different name, but they all do the same thing - allow you pay your friends or landlords online. All you need is a name and an email address to create a new payee. 4. Online budgeting tools If you use your bank's debit card for most of daily activities, the programs offered by most banks should help you manage your budget more easily. 5. Discount from retailers Some banks start offering their customers personalized promotions, while privacy concern is definitely a problem, it's good to utilize those discounts just by clicking on the go. Q. Which streaming hardware has the best value? A. To stream video you'll need either a TV or a device with Internet capability. But you don't have to buy a new set if you're otherwise happy with your TV. One of the cheapest, easiest options is to connect it to a set-top media player. What Is a Media Players Media players plug into an HDMI input on any newer TV. A few models have outputs that work with older sets lacking HDMI inputs. You connect the player to your home network to access your broadband service. All models can do so via Wi-Fi, and some offer wired Ethernet connections. Consumer Reports Testing Winner Consumer Reports tested all of the media players on the market. Every model they tested streams Netflix, a few other video services, and a music station or two. All but a few have apps for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and photo sites such as Picasa and Flickr. More services may be added over time. Some models have full Web browsers as well. The most widely sold set-top boxes are the Apple TV, $99, and the Roku series. Apple TV is a smart pick if you have lots of iTunes content. Roku is recommended if you want the most choice. The bargain champ in streaming is Chromecast, a $35 thumb-drive-sized device that plugs into a TV’s HDMI port. In addition to streaming several services, Chromecast can send your TV Web content from a PC or Mac using the Chrome browser. Q. I don't watch TV a lot, can you share some easy to do ways to save TV bills? A. Try 3 methods: cut the cord, downgrade to a lower priced plan, and use streaming service. Cut the Cord How to cut the TV cord? Easy, you can use a UHF-VHF antenna to get DTV. Consumer Reports has tested many of the antennas on the market and found the best ones are the RCA ANT 1650 ($32) and RadioShack 15-254 ($35). It also has a how-to article explains how to set it up. Get a Lower Priced Plan Time Warner Cable offers a $30-per-month "Starter TV with HBO" package with about 20 mostly broadcast channels plus HBO and HBO Go; Comcast has a similar channel lineup plus its Streampix streaming video service and high-speed broadband for $40 or $50 per month. You can call the provider to negotiate, just ask to speak to a customer-retention specialist whose job is to keep you as a subscriber. You can always mention you are thinking to switch to another provider, for example, a satellite TV provider or Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse service. Use Streaming Service This is a fast growing area with many options. Most services charge either a subscription fee, usually $10 or less per month, or several dollars for each movie or TV episode you stream. Subscription services save you money if you stream a lot. Renting a few movies and TV programs every week can get expensive if you have to pay for each one individually. YouTube It has a huge selection of free movies and TV shows, though it's known mostly for amateur videos. But video quality varies more than with the paid services, which usually offer very good quality on a decent Internet connection. Netflix It costs $8 per month, is the most widely available service on TVs, media players, and other devices, and it has a large library of movies and TV programs. (Newer titles might be available only as DVD and Blu-ray rentals, which require a separate subscription.) Amazon Prime It provides unlimited access to a portion of the Amazon Instant Video library as part of its $79-per-year, two-day shipping service. Hulu Plus It costs $8 per month, is weighted more toward TV programming than movies. Redbox Instant, a hybrid service, charges $8 per month for unlimited streaming plus four DVD rentals from its kiosks, $1 more for Blu-ray. Pay-per-view services such as Amazon Instant Video, Apple iTunes, Blockbuster OnDemand, CinemaNow, M-Go, and Vudu charge $2 to $7 a day to rent a movie or TV episode. The price depends on how new a title is and the quality you choose. Q. What is the return I could expect from Obama's MyRA? A. Based on what Mr. Obama outlined, the myRA will be backed by a security that is just like a savings bond, with variable (and better) returns just like the G Fund - a government securities investment fund in the Federal employees' Thrift Savings Plan. You will never lose money, and you pay no fee on the account. But don't expect spectacular returns, risk and return usually go together. For example, in 2012, the G Fund's return (the latest year with its numbers available) was 1.47%. Its annualized return from 2003 to 2012 was 3.6%. If you factor in inflation rate which was 2.08% in 2012, you actually lose purchasing power. Nevertheless, given myRA's limit is only $15,000, it appears to be a good place for people to put emergency fund, giving bank's checking or saving accounts' interest rates are negligible. If you have time (and money), GetGoing is a new innovative discount travel site worth looking into.
Like Priceline and Hotwire, it doesn't give you any details until after you pay. But the twist is you will have two places in the world to pick from. Of course you wouldn't know where you are going until you have paid. You see the price, but not the carrier or exact travel times. Be ready for some pleasant surprises! Q. I am a student, what's the best way for me to establish my credit history? A. There are two ways for a student to start a good credit history: 1. Start with a Student Credit Card Good options include: a) Discover it for Students b) Capital One's Journey Student Rewards. 2. Start with a Secured Credit Card This is for people with poor or no credit records. You will be required to deposit a few hundreds of dollars into your account first. Good options include: a) Capital One's Secured MasterCard b) First Progress Platinum Elite MasterCard. Once you had your first card, start with small purchases, and make sure you pay your bill on time every month. After 6 months, start applying for the traditional credit cards, and go from there. These little known tablet tricks can save you time and money. 1. Use as a monitor Look for a preinstalled "TV Remote" app to tap, or download one of the many free third party apps that can do the same thing. 2. Scanner on the go Try the Handy Scanner Free app for Android, it has optical character recognition, so it makes the text editable and searchable. 3. Access home pc remotely Try free apps such as Splashtop Remote Desktop to log in securely and remotely. 4. Use as a second monitor Try Avatron's Air Display to turn your tablet into a wireless display for your PC. 5. Use as a phone There are many free apps, such as ePhone, magicJack, NetTalk, Viber and others, that can enable you to make free VoIP calls. Q. Can I trust the top providers recommended on Angie's List? A. There are a few famous online service rating companies, such as Angie's List, Yelp, and Google Plus Local. But when you search on them, are those companies coming up at the top of your search list at those companies trustable? Unfortunately, based on a report by Consumer Reports, the answer is no! Typically the top of the list providers are all paid ones, Yelp clearly indicates it with a small sign on the top right of the company's information, but not on Angie's List or Google Plus Local. Plus, many of the reviews are bogus. In the end, the best route is to seek recommendations from someone you know or can verify. Q. Where can I get the maximum value from my used smartphone? A. It's best to compare across the following companies' prices for your second hand smartphone and decide which one pays the highest price. 1. Amazon 2. Bestbuy 3. Gazelle 4. BuyMyTronics 5. eBay Of these vendors, Amazon typically offers the best value, plus you probably already shop at Amazon, so you can easily use the points it offers. Let's use iPhone 4S 16GB as an example, see price comparison table below (note, these prices could change any time).
Q. I cannot fully deduct the IRA, should I invest in it or not? A. My opinion is, if your AGI is so high that you cannot fully deduct the IRA, do NOT invest in it, for the following reasons: Not flexible to use. When you need it, you find it hard to get. IRA has 10% penalty for distributions under age 59. Tough regulation on distribution When you don't need it, you may find you are under the gun of IRS because of the required minimum distribution rules (RMD). Higher tax Your gains will be taxed as ordinary income (chances are due to your high income, in your retirement stage, your annual income is still high, resulting in higher tax rates). So why for the benefit of deferred tax, you suffer these big drawbacks, especially considering if you invest the money in a diversified portfolio for the long term, your dividend payout will be taxed at a much lower 15% dividend tax rate? In addition, you have the freedom of using or not using the money at your will. Of course, if you are thinking of using the backdoor conversion to contribute to the non-deductible IRA then convert to Roth IRA, it will be another discussion, see our discussion here. Q. Which credit card offers 0% interest rate so I can pay my bills slowly, without interest charges? A. The following 5 credit cards are the most popular 0% rate credit cards, you can Google them and sign up by yourself. 1. Chase Slate No balance transfer fee. 0% for 15 months. No annual fee. 2. Chase Freedom 0% for 15 months. $100 cash back bonus if you spend $500 within 3 months of account opening. 1% cash back on any purchase, 5% cash back on selected items each quarter. No annual fee. 3. American Express Blue Cash Preferred 0% for 15 months. Very attractive cash back rates: 6% on grocery shopping, 3% on gas, 1% on everything else. Bad: 3% transfer fee, annual fee $75. 4. Discover Discover It 0% for 18 months. 1% cash back on everything, 5% cash back on selected items each quarter. 5. Citi Simplicity 0% rate for 18 months, but with 3% transaction fee. |
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