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No bank account? Get your tax refund on plastic
AP - A new Treasury Department program to give people without bank accounts faster access to their tax refunds will help some avoid costly short-term loans. But careless consumers could end up racking up fees and padding bank profits. (Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:18:39 GMT)
Why It's Harder to Be a Clueless Consumer
U.S. News & World Report - American consumers hate being told what to do, and to prove it, we routinely make choices that are irrational and counterproductive. We make impulse purchases we can't afford. We build bigger houses than we need, chaining ourselves to an onerous mortgage for years. We drive rugged, four-wheel-drive vehicles even though we never leave the pavement. We buy Snuggies. (Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:54:10 GMT)
5 Ways to Simplify Your Personal Finances
U.S. News & World Report - If you're combining your life with a new spouse, moving from one house to another, or just frustrated with the amount of documentation you have filed (or unfiled) in your basement, it's a good time to simplify your finances. Simplification is not only practical, it is beautiful. This is the concept of kanso, a Japanese aesthetic usually applied to gardens. Through a stretch of the mind, we can apply this beauty to our lives and our finances. (Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:42:10 GMT)
Mortgage applications rise 2.7 pct on low rates
AP - Mortgage applications rose 2.7 percent last week as more borrowers took advantage of the lowest rates in decades to reduce their monthly loan payments. (Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:41:27 GMT)
The Great Value Investors Are Heading West
The Motley Fool - When Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A - News) was buying railroad company Burlington Northern last December, Warren Buffett told Matt Rose: "I've seen what's been done here [in the U.S.]. I think I know how the country is going to develop. I think the West is going to do well. I'd rather be in the West than the East. So I really don't have much of a worry about that." (Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:26:07 GMT)
The True Risk of Bond ETFs
The Motley Fool - In coming up with ways to protect their portfolios, many investors draw on lessons learned from their most recent mistakes. Unfortunately, most people right now are taking the lessons they learned from the 2008 bear market and buying bonds, which could easily prove to be far riskier than they thought. (Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:14:48 GMT)
Downsize for a More Affordable Retirement
U.S. News & World Report - Most people think retirement planning is about saving, investments, and the timing of retirement account withdrawals and Social Security benefits. Ensuring you have sufficient income is definitely one of the most important aspects of retirement planning. But so is controlling your expenses. One way you can do that is by downsizing your current lifestyle. Here is how controlling costs can help you prepare for retirement and still enjoy a nice standard of living. (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:48:29 GMT)
Ron Paul: Financial Reform Solved Nothing
The Motley Fool - "The American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes. There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts. Period."-- President Barack Obama, after passage of financial reform legislation (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:48:21 GMT)
Summary Box: AIG's sale of Taiwan unit on rocks
AP - NO WAY: Taiwanese regulators have rejected Primus Financial Holdings' planned purchase of AIG's Taiwan life insurance unit. (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:46:42 GMT)
Taiwan rejects Primus purchase of AIG unit
AP - Taiwanese regulators on Tuesday rejected Primus Financial Holdings' planned purchase of AIG's Taiwan life insurance unit amid concerns that the Cayman Island-based firm may be backed by funds from rival China. (Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:12:04 GMT)
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