“Monday's Personal Finance stories - Marketwatch” plus 3 more |
- Monday's Personal Finance stories - Marketwatch
- Your Personal Finance Advisor: New Rules for Tax Season - The Epoch Times
- Mint.com Users Have a New Way to Get Satisfaction - TMCnet
- March events at Indigo Books and Music - CNW Group
| Monday's Personal Finance stories - Marketwatch Posted: 22 Feb 2010 01:07 PM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it.
Alert
Email
Print
By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: More provisions of the new credit-card law go into effect today, but most of the news lately is about how card issuers are finding new ways to skirt those consumer protections. Is anyone surprised? The new law crimps some major sources of revenue for card companies; of course they're going to come up with new ways to make money. And the new law isn't causing card issuers to hold back. Read Jennifer Waters' story today on how companies are ramping up their credit-card solicitations again. It's just like the good old days! Only, these offers come with vastly different terms, including higher interest rates and higher fees. To my mind, most consumers have two tasks ahead of them: Assess whether your cards are fixed-rate or variable-rate, because variable-rate cards aren't protected in quite the same way under many of the new provisions. (See this Federal Reserve page for all the details and exclusions.) The other task? Pay down that debt. No matter what consumer protections are in place, you are paying a steep price for the pleasure of letting that debt ride month to month. Of course, given the financial difficulties many people are facing, some may be turning to credit cards as a last resort that can't be avoided. But for the rest of us, new law or no, it's never a good idea to carry that kind of high-rate debt. -- Andrea Coombes, Personal Finance editor Credit card offers abound, but terms have changed
For the first time in three years, credit-card issuers are ramping up their mailbox solicitations, but don't expect to see your father's credit-card appeals. Variable interest rates, higher annual fees and a host of new charges will be hidden in the fine print of these offers.
The new credit-card traps
A new federal credit-card law that takes effect Monday could erase billions of dollars a year in fees and interest charges paid by consumers. But card issuers are already deploying new tactics that could prove costly for even the most cautious cardholder.
New rules for credit cards
New laws regulating the disclosure of credit fees and rate increases took effect. Mary Pilon discusses the ways consumers and credit companies will be affected.
Build credit with gas card
Looking to establish or rebuild your credit? Consider charging some gas. Using private-label gas credit cards, which can only be used at gas stations, can help you establish a positive payment history.
CARSToyota president to face congressional grilling
Toyota President Akio Toyoda goes before Congress this week to explain his company's handling of a rash of auto safety recalls.
Toyota touted savings from limited 2007 recall
A U.S. congressional investigation into Toyota Motor Corp. has turned up documents revealing that the auto maker saved more than $100 million through negotiations with U.S. safety regulators that helped limit an equipment recall in 2007, according to news reports Monday.
2010 Nissan Altima
It does not seem possible that the Altima has been around for 17 years, yet it is long enough for Nissan to sell more than 3 million of them. It does, however, back up my experience that those who have owned an Altima like them and tend to come back for another.
HEALTH CAREObama attacks health-care costs in detailed plan
American families would get increased tax credits to make their health insurance more affordable and the federal government would get new power to oversee insurance rates under a wide-ranging health-care plan released Monday by the White House.
A closer look at Obama's health-care plan
With a high-stakes bipartisan "summit" ahead, President Barack Obama unveils a detailed blueprint for overhauling the U.S. health-care system. Here is a look at how this election-year document would change that system in several key areas.
Health-care shocker: Policy premium rises 69%
While lawmakers and President Barack Obama are lamenting premium hikes of up to 39% that Anthem Blue Cross of California plans to charge policy-holders, Lori Creasey says that's nothing. Try 69%.
BANKSWhich bank executives are turning down bonuses?
Lent began last week, and, in the spirit of the times, several bank CEOs are forgoing -- or accepting drastically reduced -- 2009 bonuses. See how your favorite bank chiefs did in 2009.
Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Your Personal Finance Advisor: New Rules for Tax Season - The Epoch Times Posted: 22 Feb 2010 09:18 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. Few things induce more anxiety this time of year than the looming April 15 tax return file deadline. As you begin the process this year, keep in mind that changes to the tax rules could affect your tax liability and possibly make you eligible for new tax reduction opportunities. More details can be found at the Internal Revenue Service Web site irs.gov or by talking to your tax adviser. Here are some of the more prominent changes that could affect your final 2009 tax bill: Homebuyer Tax Credit. This has been one of the most highly publicized changes of the past year. First-time homebuyers—that is those who have not owned a principal residence for the three years prior to purchase—may be eligible for up to $8,000 in tax credit. (A credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax bill.) Generally, the purchase must have been completed in 2009 to qualify for the tax credit on your 2009 return. However, the credit will continue to be available for new home purchases under written contract by April 30, 2010, and closed by June 30, 2010. A special election exists to claim the 2010 purchase on your 2009 tax return. A similar credit of up to $6,500 is available for existing homeowners who purchased a replacement home. This credit applies only for purchases made after November 6, 2009, and by the above deadlines. To qualify, existing homeowners must have owned and used the same home as their principal residence for five consecutive years in the eight-year period prior to the purchase of a new home. Note that income and other limits apply to qualify for both credits. If your tax liability is less than the amount of the credit, you still qualify to receive the entire credit in the form of a refund. Tax Credit for Post-Secondary Education. A tax credit of up to $2,500 per student attending a four-year college is available (for taxpayers who meet income and other requirements). If the credit is more than your income tax liability in 2009 and 2010, 40 percent of it can be returned as a refund. To learn more about the American Opportunity Tax Credit, visit the Web site irs.gov. Making Work Pay Tax Credit. Many employees saw a slight reduction in the amount of tax withholding from their paychecks earlier in the year, an adjustment made due to the Making Work Pay Tax Credit. The credit amount is 6.2 percent of the taxpayer's earned income up to a maximum of $400 for a single tax filer and $800 for married couples filing a joint return. The credit must be claimed on your tax return. If the credit has not already been reflected in your paycheck or if you are self-employed and have not accounted for the credit, you will adjust the amount of your tax liability as you complete your 2009 tax return. Income limits apply to qualify for the credit. Sales Tax Deduction for the Purchase of New Vehicles. If you purchased a new car, motor home, light truck, or motorcycle between Feb. 16, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2009, the sales or excise tax amount you paid can be deducted from your income even if you do not itemize deductions (a deduction reduces your taxable income and as a result, the amount of tax you pay). Energy Tax Credits. Various credits tied to making homes more energy efficient are available. These include a tax credit valued at 30 percent of the amount paid for qualified solar water heating equipment, solar electric equipment, small wind energy property, or geothermal heat pumps installed in your U.S. residence. A similar credit with maximum credit limits exists for the installation of qualified fuel cell property in your principal residence. Also, 30 percent of the cost, up to an aggregate of $1,500, is provided for energy-saving home improvements such as qualified windows, outside doors, insulation, roofing, high-efficiency furnaces, water heaters, heat pumps, biomass fuel stoves, air circulating fans, and central air conditioners that are placed in your U.S. principal residence in 2009 and 2010. Other Pointers as April 15 Approaches. As you prepare for the tax filing deadline, here are a few things you can do today to help make the process easier:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This column is for informational purposes only. The information may not be suitable for every situation and should not be relied on without the advice of your tax, legal and/or financial advisors. Neither Ameriprise Financial nor its financial advisors provide tax or legal advice. Consult with qualified tax and legal advisors about your tax and legal situation. This column was prepared by Ameriprise Financial. Financial planning services and investments offered through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA & SIPC. Investment products, including shares of mutual funds, are not federally or FDIC-insured, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. © 2009 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Mint.com Users Have a New Way to Get Satisfaction - TMCnet Posted: 22 Feb 2010 08:56 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it.
|
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Mint.com users have a new, easier way to talk to each other - and to the company's product team. Mint.com, a leading online personal finance service from Intuit (News - Alert) Inc. (Nasdaq:INTU), now incorporates a new Get Satisfaction customer community as part of its award-winning product. Get Satisfaction lets Mint.com users obtain answers, share ideas, and connect with each other and with the Mint.com product team -- all without leaving their account.
"Customer feedback helps improve Mint.com," said Aaron Forth, product director of Intuit's personal finance group. "Get Satisfaction is the next step in customer relations and support. It encourages customers to provide open and transparent feedback, and we're eager to see how they respond, especially as we welcome Quicken Online and TurboTax users and others following the recent Intuit acquisition." With the Mint.com user base approaching 2 million people, Forth said it's crucial to establish a seamless platform for dialogue. Get Satisfaction's open API enabled the Mint.com product and customer service teams to create a custom solution within the product. As a result, customers avoid time-consuming, one-on-one e-mail support and get help in a friendly online forum, both from employees and from other customers. "We've already received more than 50,000 suggestions from users since launching Mint.com. That's a staggering amount of community participation," said Forth. "We expect Get Satisfaction to help our community become even more engaged. It's built specifically to encourage the kind of participation we want as we grow." Customer feedback has been essential to Mint.com's unprecedented growth in the financial software space. Frequent product upgrades and dedication to user-experience-driven design principles help people save and do more with their money. By responding directly to customer needs, Mint.com has created a product so effective that more than 90 percent of users say they have changed their financial habits as a result of using the service. "Mint.com's integration with Get Satisfaction is a natural fit," said Thor Muller, chief technology officer at Get Satisfaction. "We're both committed to creating friendly and compelling online user experiences and we're delighted to be able to provide Mint.com with a way to scale up and serve their customers with a tight integration of Get Satisfaction." Mint.com customers can access the Get Satisfaction community directly from the help section on Mint's Web site at https://wwws.mint.com/support.event. About Mint.com Mint.com, is a leading online personal finance service from Intuit Inc., providing more than 1.7 million users a fresh, easy and intelligent way to manage their money. And it's free. Launched in September 2007, Mint.com has quickly grown to track nearly $200 billion in transactions and $50 billion in assets and has identified more than $300 million in potential savings for its users. Mint.com's innovation is in applying advanced technology to deliver breakthrough ease-of-use. Using patent-pending technology and proprietary algorithms, Mint.com allows users to see all their financial accounts in one place, makes it easy to set and keep to budgets, and helps identify money saving ideas. For more information on Mint.com's free online personal finance service, visit http://www.mint.com. About Intuit Inc. Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax®, simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit's leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. The company's financial institutions division, anchored by Digital Insight, provides on-demand banking services to help banks and credit unions serve businesses and consumers with innovative solutions. Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.2 billion in its fiscal year 2009. The company has approximately 7,800 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.
About Get Satisfaction
Get Satisfaction is revolutionizing customer service by applying the principles of crowdsourcing and community to the customer-service experience. Companies who use the Get Satisfaction social CRM platform significantly reduce support costs while increasing customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty. How? By providing an authentic, engaged, and thriving customer support community. Join the conversation at http://getsatisfaction.com
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6187407&lang=en
Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| March events at Indigo Books and Music - CNW Group Posted: 22 Feb 2010 10:15 AM PST Message from fivefilters.org: If you can, please donate to the full-text RSS service so we can continue developing it. TORONTO, Feb. 22 /CNW/ - From an exclusive interview hosted by Indigo CEO Heather Reisman to Spring Break Events and book signings across Canada, Indigo and Chapters stores nationally host FREE, interactive events for the whole family through the month of March. IN CONVERSATION --------------- INDIGO CEO HEATHER REISMAN IN CONVERSATION WITH ANNIE LEONARD In the Story of Stuff, environmental activist Annie Leonard tracks the life of everyday "stuff" to illuminate the impact of consumer-driven economies. Indigo CEO and Chief Booklover Heather Reisman sits down with Leonard to discuss the highly anticipated book based on Leonard's animated short film viewed online by more than six million people. Book signing to follow. Indigo Manulife, 55 Bloor Street West (at Bay Street), Toronto, ON Friday, March 12th, 7:00 pm SPRING BREAK ------------ INDIGO AND CHAPTERS STORES NATIONALLY HOST FREE SPRING BREAK EVENTS Indigo's Spring Break Events offer an opportunity for kids and their parents across Canada to enjoy FREE, all-ages, in-store activities together during Spring Break week. Mondays: Get in the game with Hasbro classics like Twister - all ages Tuesdays: Tweens can make their own Wimpy Kid journal - kids 6 years and up Wednesdays: Enjoy Olivia-inspired activities - kids 3 years and up Thursdays: Make colourful friendship bracelets - all ages Fridays: Storytime and crafts with Puffin - kids 5 years and up Daily Events hosted at Indigo and Chapters stores across Canada begin at 2 pm. Event dates vary by province. March 1-5 - QC, NB March 8-12 - BC March 15-19 - ON, NS, PEI March 29-April 2 - AB, MB April 4-9 - NF, SK Chapters Pointe-Claire, Indigo Brossard and Indigo Laval stores will feature francophone fun with Chester the Cat and children's classic Alice in Wonderland. For more Spring Break event details visit www.chapters.indigo.ca/springbreak. NATIONAL EVENTS --------------- BOOK SIGNING WITH BESTSELLING TEEN AUTHORS BECCA FITZPATRICK & LISA MCMANN Meet bestselling young adult fiction authors Becca Fitzpatrick and Lisa McMann as they sign copies of their most recent releases Hush, Hush and Gone. Indigo Yonge & Eglinton, 2300 Yonge Street, Toronto ON Wednesday, March 3rd, 7:00 pm BOOK LAUNCH AND SIGNING WITH LOCAL THRILLER AUTHOR MICHAEL SLADE Indigo and Chapters present the launch of BC thriller author Michael Slade's newest novel Red Snow with a book signing. Indigo Grandview Corners, 2453 - 161A Street, Surrey BC Saturday, March 6th, 12:00 pm Chapters Strawberry Hill, 12101 72nd Avenue, Surrey BC Saturday, March 6th, 2:00 pm CHAPTERS ST. JOHN'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS FEATURES FAMILY FUN Chapters St. John's hosts activities for the whole family to celebrate 10 years in the community. Booklovers will also enjoy 10% off all regularly priced books, bargain books and gifts and irewards(TM) members will receive an additional 10% savings. Chapters St John's, 70 Kenmount Street, St John's NL Saturday, March 6th, all day BOOK SIGNING AND Q&A WITH PERSONAL FINANCE AUTHOR GARTH TURNER In Money Road, former Member of Parliament and personal finance author Garth Turner explains why the global financial crash did not end in 2010 and offers Canadians a hands-on guide to navigate personal finance today. Book signing will follow Q&A. Chapters North London, 86 Fanshawe, London ON Tuesday, March 9th, 7:00 pm Chapters Kitchener, 135 Gateway Park Drive, Kitchener ON Wednesday, March 10th, 7:00 pm INDIGO EXCLUSIVE BOOK SIGNING AND DISCUSSION WITH BESTSELLING AUTHOR JODI PICOULT Jodi Picoult is the author of seventeen novels, including Handle With Care and My Sister's Keeper, now a major motion picture. Picoult discusses and signs copies of her latest novel House Rules at this Indigo exclusive. Indigo Manulife, 55 Bloor Street West (at Bay Street), Toronto, ON Thursday, March 11th, 7:00 pm BOOK SIGNING AND DISCUSSION WITH MYSTERY AUTHOR KEVIN SYLVESTER Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders is a hilarious, fast-paced murder mystery with a culinary twist. Book signing will follow discussion with author Kevin Sylvester. Indigo Yonge & Eglinton, 2300 Yonge Street, Toronto ON Sunday, March 14th, 2:00 pm BOOK LAUNCH AND SIGNING WITH FASHION PUBLICIST AND REALITY TV STAR KELLY CUTRONE Fashion publicist and reality-television celebrity Kelly Cutrone built her own fashion PR firm from the ground up and has mentored women in one of the most competitive industries in the world for many years. With her first book, If You Have to Cry, Go Outside, Cutrone offers a frank guide for aspiring professionals and anyone looking to reinvent themselves. Book signing to follow. Indigo Eaton Centre, 220 Yonge Street, Toronto ON Monday, March 15th, 7:00 pm BOOK SIGNING WITH HUMORIST AND PARENTING AUTHOR KATHY BUCKWORTH Humorist and parenting author Kathy Buckworth signs copies of her most recent book Shut Up and Eat - a must-read for moms that applies her razor-sharp wit to the family meal. Chapters Square One, 189 Rathburn Road West, Mississauga ON Saturday, March 27th, 1:00 pm For further information: and media pre-registration, please contact: Lisa Huie, Manager, Public Relations, (416) 646-8926 Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Personal-Finance - Bing News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment