Farnoosh Torabi's Blog, page 63
August 22, 2012
Today Show: Money 911
[image error]On this morning’s Money 911 on the Today Show, we tackle some of your biggest financial questions, including how to accelerate your mortgage pay-off and ways to protect your child’s identity. Check out the clip, in case you missed the segment.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
July 31, 2012
How to Unspoil Your Kids
Who can resist this face? Rules on how to UNSPOIL your kids from the very wise Susan Beacham, founder of Money Savvy Generation, in this week’s Financially Fit show.
July 26, 2012
Don’t Apologize to Your Kids, Secrets to “Having it All”
Can women truly “have it all?” It’s an ongoing debate in our culture, but for entrepreneur Rosie Pope, who’s juggling both a fast-growing family and career, the answer is a resounding yes. She admits it’s a constant work-in-progress that takes confidence, commitment and, not apologetically, lots of coffee.
For this week’s Financially Fit video I sat down with the wife, mom (to three young children, baby Vivienne just 8 weeks old!), and maternity fashion designer and star of Bravo’s Pregnant in Heels for her take on managing life and money.
July 24, 2012
Frugal to a Fault?
Sometimes our attempt to save money backfires. Ever drive around for miles to find the cheapest gas, but really just waste time and money in the process? It happens to the best of us.
In my latest Financially Fit video on Yahoo!Finance, we explore 5 common ways we tend to be frugal to a fault.
July 10, 2012
Remake America: $175,000 in Student Loans
[image error]On this week’s Remake America, meet a couple with $175k in student loans and major trust issues. What advice would you give them?
Cederia and her husband Richarde owe $175,000 in student loans. When financial expert Farnoosh Torabi sat down with Cederia to help figure out how to handle her debt, she discovered that this couple not only has a hard time communicating about money, they don’t even share a bank account.
Strange But True Ways to Earn $1000+
[image error]There are a lot of get-rich quick scams out there, so my team at Yahoo!Finance and I wanted to explore some legit ways to make some modest cash on the side to help with monthly bills, debt reduction and savings. We met one guy who cashes in on his celebrity impersonations. Check out my latest Financially Fit video – hope you’ll be inspired!
June 6, 2012
June Deals
The arrival of summer promises lots of great deals on certain products, as well as family activities and travel.
FAMILY FUN
Movie Tickets
With the arrival of summer and kids out of school, some movie theatres roll out deals. Regal and United Artists Theatres, for example, has been running its Summer Movie Express program for years, a great way for families to save on movies. It’s a 9-week festival and it offers a selection of G or PG rated movies for only $1 on Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 10am.
National Park Visits
While there are everyday ways to make a trip to a national park exceedingly affordable, there are a handful of days each year in which more than 100 national parks offer free admittance. June 9 is one such occasion, as it celebrates Get Outdoors Day, an event that encourages “healthy, active outdoor fun.” Notable natural wonders like Yosemite and Yellowstone will be gratis on this day.
CLOTHING
Lingerie
It’s usually this month that Victoria’s Secret unveils its famed Semi-Annual Sale, and last year, deal aggregator site Dealnews.com saw prices as low as $3 for panties and $12 for bras. Moreover, the site’s researchers saw excellent markdowns in June from aerie by American Eagle, Frederick’s of Hollywood, Macy’s, Soma Intimates, and Figleaves.
Suits
Since purchasing a new suit is the last thing on someone’s mind in the summer, now is a great time to shop. Retailers will be fighting for your business, so use that to your advantage. In fact, according to ShopItToMe, which is an online comparison shopping site there are more online sales in June than any other month throughout the year (52%-off on average compared to 47%-off the rest of the year). That’s thanks to the hiring season actually picking up as recent graduates start interviewing, with promotions catered to this audience. Retailers are also clearing inventory to make room for new fall styles that often land in stores in July/August. (The specialty retailers like Loft, Banana Republic, J.Crew often make a big suiting push in the fall so they probably want to get rid of excess inventory so they can have room for the new styles).
TECH DEALS
Laptops
Again, Apple is putting pressure on the tech market. The company is rumored to unveil a new MacBook Pro this month at the Worldwide Developers Conference, and ahead of the rumored launch date, analysts think the new rollouts will take market share away from other PC vendors. As a result, expect to see other PC makers slash their prices this summer. Negotiate for free accessories to sweeten the deal. You can find deals right now at Best Buy, Amazon and Dell.com.
Refurbished Tablets
Tablets continue to shine in the tech spotlight, and if you’re looking to get in on the still-strong trend, consider shopping for a second-hand option. The majority of the top-shelf iPad and tablet deals we’ve seen recently have been on refurbished or used models. Last month saw Apple again cut prices on refurbished iPad 2 models, slashing its starting price to $319. Meanwhile, we saw all-time low prices on used and refurbished Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and BlackBerry PlayBook models over just the past month.
TRAVEL
Cruises
Recent negative incidents involving cruise ships — including a capsizing in Italy, passengers being robbed on a shore excursion in Mexico and a disabled ship being towed to port in the Indian Ocean — have conspired to drive down demand as well as prices.
Plus, a mild winter in most of North America is suppressing demand to escape the cold and resulting in a unsatisfactory wave season for the industry. It seems to be a perfect storm going on in this business right now. It’s just been one thing after another.
You’ll see the lowest prices in shorter, inexpensive cruises that usually attract new cruisers who are going to be turned off by the bad PR.
To get a cruise deal search a metasearch site such as KAYAK for flights and search a flash sale such as SniqueAway, Jetsetter. The site’s next cruise sale launches on June 13. All aboard Variety Cruise Lines for a Classic Tour of Greece. Jetsetter’s price will be about 40% off! Price is excellent thanks in part to troubles in Greece.
The Caribbean
Summer is Caribbean’s shoulder season when prices go down due to the hurricane season, which officially starts June 1. However, the big hurricanes typically hit in August/September, so you can enjoy shoulder season pricing in June and July and will likely only put up with a rainy day or two.
Again, check flash sales for hotel deals and for flights, I recommend Kayak and Spirit Airlines (which specializes in Caribbean flights) for deals. It may also be worth it to speak with a travel agent for any big trips. We just used a travel agent to book our honeymoon and I can certainly say we saved 50% on our plane tickets, cheaper than any rate I saw on any websites.
June 5, 2012
Money 911
[image error]From student loan consolidation to paying off credit card debt, Jean Chatzky, David Back and I tackle your financial questions on this morning’s Money 911 on TODAY. Watch the clip!
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
June 4, 2012
Best Buys in June
[image error]From summer movies to travel and lingerie, the deals are a’plenty this month. Check out our consumer segment on this morning’s Today Show for all the details.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
May 30, 2012
Today Show: Money 911
[image error]This morning on Money 911 we tackled all sorts of financial questions related to small business loans, mortgages, short sales and Roth IRAs.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
