Bill Fixers: Let Someone Else Haggle Your Cable and Phone Bills For You

Successful haggle update, April 2016. Shortly after the NY Times profile of Bill Fixers came out, I submitted a request for them to help me lower my Time Warner cable bill. I had haggled with Time Warner in the recent past, but was currently back … [Read the rest]

WreckCheck App – Auto Accident Checklist

While doing the research for my auto premium comparison post, I noticed that several of the state websites promoted an app called WreckCheck. Created by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), this free mobile app for iPhone and … [Read the rest]

Big List of Auto Insurance Premium Comparisons for All 50 States

The standard advice for saving money on auto insurance is to shop and compare prices. You could use a comparison website, but they may not include every insurance carrier listed in your state. A lesser-known fact is that auto insurance is … [Read the rest]

Morningstar Individual Investor Conference 2016

Morningstar is holding a free online event this Saturday, April 2nd called the Individual Investor Conference. Starting at 9am Central, according the full agenda there will be six live streaming video sessions from their staff. You can chat … [Read the rest]

Bank of America Overdraft Fee Refund

Updated. Although I originally wrote this post a few years ago, it (unfortunately) still gets regular traffic. Bank reforms instituted in 2010 made overdraft "protection" only applicable on an opt-in basis on ATM/debit card usage. Despite this … [Read the rest]

Free FICO Score from Bank of America Credit Cards

This post provides updated information and instructions regarding the free FICO score that is available to Bank of America credit card holders. (Thanks to reader Andy for the tip.) Background. Bank of America started rolling out free FICO scores … [Read the rest]

IRS Estimated Taxes Due Dates 2016

If you have self-employment or other income outside of your W-2 paycheck this year, you may need to send the IRS some money before the usual tax-filing time. Here are the due dates for paying quarterly estimated taxes in 2016; they are supposed to … [Read the rest]

OpenSignal and Sensorly: Free, Crowdsourced Cellular Coverage and Data Speed Maps

A common frugal tip is to lower your cellphone bill by switching to a cheaper provider. Many of the cheaper options use the T-Mobile and/or Sprint networks, which in general have fewer cellular towers and coverage density. But what should really … [Read the rest]

Book Review: Money for Something – A Free Investing Primer

There is always a demand for starter books on investing and personal finance, especially as graduation season is coming up again. Although they often cover similar topics, the execution varies widely. For example, I found Tony Robbin's "7 Simple … [Read the rest]

Pay Taxes With Credit Card: Lowest Fee Rates and Limited-Time Promotions

We all know that personal income tax filings are due soon, but so are the first round of quarterly estimated taxes for 2016. Many of us with freelance or side-gig income must makes these payments in order to avoid a tax penalty at the end of the … [Read the rest]

New JetBlue Card Review from Barclaycard

JetBlue has announced two new consumer credit cards - the JetBlue Card (no annual fee) and the JetBlue Plus card ($99 annual fee). These are both issued by Barclaycard, as JetBlue recently ended its credit card relationship with American Express. Are … [Read the rest]

Top 10 Financial Advisor Firms With Highest Misconduct Rate

There is a famous quote that Charlie Munger uses as an example of the inversion technique: Tell me where I’m going to die, so I won’t go there. Instead of focusing on things we should to help us, we can also simply avoid doing things that will … [Read the rest]