Ben Edwards's Blog: Money Smart Life, page 31

How to Save Money Checking Out Online

One of the ways that many consumers save money on their purchases is through buying on the Internet. Many items can be found for less online, and that can be good for a consumer’s wallet.

But you don’t have to rely solely on the lower online price for your savings. You can save evenmore when checking out online if you employ the following strategies:

1. Exhibit loyalty.

One of the best ways to save money at checkout is to join a loyalty program. You can earn points on your online purchases with...

10 Tools for Meeting Your Money Savings Goals

Are you looking for a way to boost your savings goals? Thanks to technology, there are plenty of tools out there that can help you reach your goals – no matter what you are trying to accomplish.

Here are some tools that can help you meet your money savings goals:

Mint : If you want to see where your money is going, as well as set up a budget and track your progress, Mint is the free way to do so. Millions of users have used Mint to begin getting back on track.
LearnVest : If you want to add an inv...

Citi Prestige vs. American Express Platinum

High-end reward cards can make sense for regular people, not just high spending big shots. Despite their high annual fees, these cards can offer even more valuable rewards and benefits. The American Express Platinum card is one of the most popular luxury travel reward cards available, while Citi recently introduced its Prestige card to compete for this market.

Let’s look at how these cards match up head to head:

The American Express Platinum Card

The current champion, the American Express Platin...

American Express Blue Sky vs. Capital One VentureOne

There are lots of reward credit cards that allow cardholders to earn valuable points, miles, and cash back. Yet most of the products come with an annual fee that can start at around $50 and go up to several hundreds of dollars per year.

But what if you are trying to maximize your credit card rewards while refusing to pay an annual fee? American Express offers its Blue Sky card while Capital One features its VentureOne rewards card, each with no annual fee and competitive rewards.

Let’s compare...

How to Re-establish Your Credit After Bankruptcy

If you are recently out of bankruptcy you’re going to face challenges, one of which will be to re-establish your credit. You might think that once you file for bankruptcy you’ll never borrow money again, but the reality of life in the 21st Century is that you will need credit at some point. And rest assured, even with a bankruptcy in your past, you will be able get credit again.

There will of course be some limitations, but you should be able overcome all of them in due time. Here some tips to...

Retirement Plans Aren’t Where They Should Be – What Should You Do?

Personal finance blogs, financial media, and financial advisors are awash and plentiful in advice on how to build the biggest retirement portfolio possible. But despite the subject’s incredible popularity, real world application isn’t living up to the hype. The numbers on 401(k) plans – the cornerstone of self-directed retirement planning – are not encouraging.

A good news/bad news report came out a few weeks ago giving the latest numbers on 401(k) plans, 401(k) Balances Hit Record Highs. The...

How to Buy a Car with Bad Credit and No Cosigner

Can you buy a car with bad credit and not have to use a cosigner? The answer is yes, however it is not nearly as clean and neat as buying a car with a conventional loan. You have to use your imagination, and prepare for a less comfortable situation. Here are some options:

1. The old standby: pay cash.

When all else fails, you can always pay cash for a car. That will limit your car options to the size of your bank account, but it will enable you to buy a car without either a loan or a cosigner f...

Capital One Venture Rewards vs. Barclaycard Arrival

There has been an airline mileage backlash brewing for some time as carriers have made it near impossible to redeem their miles for awards seats at the lowest levels. This backlash extends from the skies right down to our wallets as credit card holders no longer see nearly as much value in airline mileage cards as they once did.

In response, banks have begun issuing their own “miles” to credit card holders. And unlike the airline’s miles, these bank-operated programs allow customers to use the...

Citi ThankYou Preferred Rewards vs. Chase Sapphire

There are two ways for a credit card issuer to construct a rewards program. One is to offer customers points or miles with a partner such as an airline or hotel chain. The other is to develop a proprietary program. Banks run these programs, issue points, and choose the options cardholders have to redeem their points.

To this end, Citi has its ThankYou Points program while Chase offers several cards that allow customers to earn points in their Ultimate Rewards program. When looking for one of t...

Citi ThankYou Preferred vs. Chase Sapphire

There are two ways for a credit card issuer to construct a rewards program. One is to offer customers points or miles with a partner such as an airline or hotel chain. The other is to develop a proprietary program. Banks run these programs, issue points, and choose the options cardholders have to redeem their points.

To this end, Citi has its ThankYou Points program while Chase offers several cards that allow customers to earn points in their Ultimate Rewards program. When looking for one of t...