by admin on March 10, 2010
Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Dish, and Verizon all want the FCC to force the media companies to stop pulling their channels during negotiations or disputes, removing their main bargaining chip from the table. The AP says fourteen companies and a consumer group made the request. Absent, of course, was Comcast which may soon become owner of one of the networks that may be threatening to pull its programming soon. Guess that gives you an idea of what to expect should the merger go through, huh? Should The Government Stop Companies From Pulling Their Channels? polling Cable, sat TV firms ask gov’t to stop TV blackouts [Google]
by admin on March 10, 2010
For us residents in California, we’re used to seeing budget cuts applied to a lot of things. The financial crisis in California is particularly apparent when you see its effects on the public school system. Well, this article from my local paper just made me wince, because as you can see, the story describes just another example of how our government (this time, at the state level) has been handling its finances. Well, here’s the latest expose and more fodder on the California budget crisis — apparently, government employees have made off with pretty huge paychecks here in California, simply by NOT taking vacation time. Their unused vacation time translates into big six figure payouts, with the top 25 checks reportedly ranging from $203,921 all the way to a dazzling $815,736. Wow. Imagine this — those state government positions can be a gold mine, with overtime paying off for a whole lot of people. Here is an image that portrays this predicament ( Click this link or the image below for a larger picture. ): And here’s a breakdown of vacation pay amounts across California agencies: Small wonder California is broke. Want to Attend A Suze Orman Event? On another note, I’d like to inform you about a personal finance event that’s coming to Club Nokia in downtown L.A. this Sunday, March 14. Suze Orman is slated to speak at this club at an event called “Waves of Inspiration: Women and Money” . The seminar will feature Suze and other ladies and personalities who will talk about personal finance, self-growth and empowerment. For the curious, TD Ameritrade is the sponsor for this event. If you end up attending, you’ll also receive a free annual all-access pass to Suze Orman’s “Save Yourself Retirement Program” (reg cost: $40) . There’s also a planned Q & A at the end of the seminar. You can purchase tickets from Ticketmaster.com, or if you’re interested in picking up a complimentary ticket, let me know ( contact me here ) — I may have a couple to give away (while it lasts). Here are the event details: WHAT: Waves of Inspiration: Women and Money with Suze Orman WHEN: March 14th, 2010 at 2PM WHERE: Club Nokia, 800 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015 Have fun! Great Personal Finance Articles Wise Bread: Worried About Debt? Tips On Managing Your Loans Studenomics: Why Parent’s Shouldn’t Pay For Their Kids’ College Education Free Money Finance: Top Personal Finance Experts Lazy Man And Money: Build Your Financial Home Brick By Boring Brick Frugal Dad: Implementing PAYGO Rules For Personal Finances Million Dollar Journey: Canadian Income Tax Deadline Mighty Bargain Hunter: Would you out a friend’s spending patterns on Facebook? Miss Thrifty: The Festival of Frugality Simply Forties: Carnival of Personal Finance Don’t Mess With Taxes: Carnival of Taxes FIRE Finance: The Festival of Frugality Vacation Pay for Unused Vacation Time? Plus A Suze Orman Event
by admin on March 10, 2010
The same crappy weather that has Wendy’s declaring a only-if-you-ask-for-them tomato policy has made Tropicana pull out ye olde Grocery Shrink Ray, reducing their half-gallon Pure Premium OJ jugs by 5 oz. to 59 oz. In addition to shrinking the half gallon to a half-ish gallon, Tropicana is going to raise the price of the gallon-size Pure Premium containers by 5. We’re assuming the gallon will still be 128 oz. The reduced size/increased prices will begin in May. “We have now fully reviewed the extraordinary losses that the Florida citrus industry has suffered — the most devastating winter freeze and the smallest crop in 20 years,” said Tropicana in a statement earlier today. Because of the unpleasant weather in Florida this winter, the Dept. of Agriculture estimates that this year’s orange production is down 12% from last year. Tropicana Raising Prices on OJ [WSJ]
by admin on March 10, 2010
Sudden unemployment can really help you think creatively. The OC Register has a profile of a guy who lost his condo after being laid off from his 6-figure corporate development job — and is now living out of his leased BMW and a storage unit — and using his rewards points to survive. “I’m not going to claim I was cheated out of my house,” Kennedy says several times. “I didn’t pay my mortgage.” Now the former frequent flier from his days working in IT and finance is living off those rewards – airline loyalty programs and hotel points. His clothes and everyday supplies packed into his leased BMW, the single Kennedy stays a few nights here, a few nights there, always running the numbers of how many points he will use and trying to stick to a self-imposed $5-a-day food budget. His life is up in the air. “I’m on hold but time keeps going. That part’s frustrating,” Kennedy said. “I should be in major-dollar earning years and I am losing major-dollar earning years, which I will not get back. That part is frustrating and a little scary.” This week, Kennedy is at the Holiday Inn Express in San Clemente, where he converted his United Airlines miles. He brought down the 7,000-points a night cost to 5,000 by adding $100 for his four-night stay, so it costs him $25 a night. But there’s an added benefit because he can expand his food budget with the free breakfast. It’s also convenient, as he can drive up the 5 Freeway to get his mail at the Mailboxes Plus in Irvine – he has a post office box because he has no address. It’s here he gets his unemployment checks, which he and 147,000 other jobless people in Orange County are using for survival. He seems to be keeping a positive attitude and isn’t giving up. We wish him luck! Homeless man lives off hotel points from former life [OC Register] (Thanks, kimdog!)
by admin on March 10, 2010
A Pennsylvania man died last Friday in a freak fire at a gas station. Authorities say that the fire was sparked by static electricity on the man’s body, and he died of inhalation of superheated gases. While this type of fire is very rare and fatalities even rarer, they do happen. To prevent them, you should do something terribly mundane: do not ever get back in your car while fueling, and make sure to touch a metal surface before fueling. Built-up static electricity can be discharged as a spark, igniting the gasoline. But in this case, authorities are unsure what could have ignited the fire. State police fire marshal Eric Keebaugh, who investigated the fire, said several things could have happened to discharge the electricity and spark gasoline vapors. After he got out of his car, Byers might have closed the door with his elbow or his shoe, which would have insulated his body and not allowed him to “ground” any electricity, Keebaugh said. Some clothing also is more prone to lead to the buildup of static electricity, he said. Renkes said he knows of one fire that resulted after a man put on a windbreaker. “There was a perfect alignment of the conditions to create this tragedy,” Williamson said . Here’s a disturbing statistic: 80% of static electricity/gas pump fires happen to women, who are apparently more likely to climb back in our cars to comb our hair or fix our mascara or something. This video shows a fire that started in a similar way, but did not result in serious injuries. Gas pump death a warning [Lancaster Online]
by admin on March 10, 2010
A Pennsylvania man died last Friday in a freak fire at a gas station. Authorities say that the fire was sparked by static electricity on the man’s body, and he died of inhalation of superheated gases. While this type of fire is very rare and fatalities even rarer, they do happen. To prevent them, you should do something terribly mundane: do not ever get back in your car while fueling, and make sure to touch a metal surface before fueling. Built-up static electricity can be discharged as a spark, igniting the gasoline. But in this case, authorities are unsure what could have ignited the fire. State police fire marshal Eric Keebaugh, who investigated the fire, said several things could have happened to discharge the electricity and spark gasoline vapors. After he got out of his car, Byers might have closed the door with his elbow or his shoe, which would have insulated his body and not allowed him to “ground” any electricity, Keebaugh said. Some clothing also is more prone to lead to the buildup of static electricity, he said. Renkes said he knows of one fire that resulted after a man put on a windbreaker. “There was a perfect alignment of the conditions to create this tragedy,” Williamson said . Here’s a disturbing statistic: 80% of static electricity/gas pump fires happen to women, who are apparently more likely to climb back in our cars to comb our hair or fix our mascara or something. This video shows a fire that started in a similar way, but did not result in serious injuries. Gas pump death a warning [Lancaster Online]
by admin on March 10, 2010
Jen wrote to Consumerist to let us know that the number we posted in August for student loan servier Sallie Mae’s Customer Advocate Unit is still valid and staffed with extremely helpful people.. She cut through the nonsense of regular customer service who were unable to help, then hung up on her. Hey, I just wanted to express my thanks for posting the number for Sallie Mae’s Customer Advocate Unit . I had called the main number for help after I couldn’t register online to get a copy of my 1098-E (apparently, they’re only sent out automatically if the interest paid is over $600). The first guy I spoke to, “J” was talking in circles, so I asked to speak to a supervisor to clarify a few things. He promptly hung up on me. I called back and managed to speak to a guy named “M” who claimed to be a supervisor. He kept asking me if I had created an online account, I kept telling him that I wasn’t able to do so because the website claimed my loan account number didn’t match up with my birthdate or some such. Rinse and repeat about three times. When I asked him to go ahead and snail mail a copy of the form to my home, he hung up on me. I found the Sallie Mae CAU in your archives and gave them a call. They were closed for the day, but when I got home from work this afternoon, there was a message from them, asking me to call. I did, and I got ahold of a wonderful woman named Jocelyn. She listened to what I had to say, took my information and looked up the call. She apologized, and made a note in the file, and made sure I was able to get the form I needed. Not a huge deal, but she made me feel like she cared about why I was calling. So, let your readers know, that yes, that number still works with good results. That number, if you’re a Sallie Mae customer in need, is 888-545-4199.
by admin on March 10, 2010
Jen wrote to Consumerist to let us know that the number we posted in August for student loan servier Sallie Mae’s Customer Advocate Unit is still valid and staffed with extremely helpful people.. She cut through the nonsense of regular customer service who were unable to help, then hung up on her. Hey, I just wanted to express my thanks for posting the number for Sallie Mae’s Customer Advocate Unit . I had called the main number for help after I couldn’t register online to get a copy of my 1098-E (apparently, they’re only sent out automatically if the interest paid is over $600). The first guy I spoke to, “J” was talking in circles, so I asked to speak to a supervisor to clarify a few things. He promptly hung up on me. I called back and managed to speak to a guy named “M” who claimed to be a supervisor. He kept asking me if I had created an online account, I kept telling him that I wasn’t able to do so because the website claimed my loan account number didn’t match up with my birthdate or some such. Rinse and repeat about three times. When I asked him to go ahead and snail mail a copy of the form to my home, he hung up on me. I found the Sallie Mae CAU in your archives and gave them a call. They were closed for the day, but when I got home from work this afternoon, there was a message from them, asking me to call. I did, and I got ahold of a wonderful woman named Jocelyn. She listened to what I had to say, took my information and looked up the call. She apologized, and made a note in the file, and made sure I was able to get the form I needed. Not a huge deal, but she made me feel like she cared about why I was calling. So, let your readers know, that yes, that number still works with good results. That number, if you’re a Sallie Mae customer in need, is 888-545-4199.
by admin on March 10, 2010
For some reason, Chase bank decided to take a second look at the $6,200 an unidentified person removed from Bronx retiree Ernest Nitzberg’s checking account. It just might have been the outcry after he shared his story with a global audience on the Huffington Post. Chase had told the 78-year-old that he fit the profile of a credit card cheat, and would not receive a refund of the $6,200 spent using a debit card that Nitzberg says he never received. The NYPD opened an investigation on the incident, but the crooks were just too talented. A Huffington Post staff member contacted a Chase representative, and then justice happened . Nitzberg said a bank rep called him to say he’d get his $6,200 back: “We examined the account and we saw no reason we should have disbelieved you and the money will be in your account this afternoon.” A Chase spokesman confirmed the refund to HuffPost: “We reviewed the case again and we were able to make a refund of the customer.” Nitzberg is glad to have his money back, but not exactly gleeful. “[The bank rep] expected me to thank her profusely and prodigiously, and I did not,” Nitzberg said. “I said, ‘You have caused me enormous aggravation.’” Hooray for the Internet! Chase Refunds $6,200 To Complaining Customer [Huffington Post] PREVIOUSLY : Chase Tells 44-Year Customer He Fits Fraud Profile, Stole $6200 From Himself
