Friday Linkfest

It's a real estate themed Friday Linkfest!

• Three key steps to selling your house online - Sell it yourself. Real estate agents are way overpaid. When their fees come down to reality, maybe they'll be useful.
  
• General Electric to sell WMC - GE dumps its mortgage division. It's subprime of course.
  
• Mortgage rates at 2nd highest this year - 6.73%. The subprime owners wish they had a rate like this. Still about the same as the rate this time last year. Somehow they manage produce entire articles every time the rates go up or down a few base points.
  
• If housing's down, why are rates up? -
  
• GE profits rose despite subprime woes - Still not enough to keep them from selling WMC.
  
• Ameriquest to pay $325 million to homeowners - For ripping them off, yet Ameriquest denies to wrong doing. Each homeowner gets about $800...likely far less than what Ameriquest scammed them out of. Ameriquest wins!
  
• Brand names houses?! - MBH's opinion on the new Martha Stewart homes.
  

Friday Linkfest

How to go green on a budget - Personally I feel being "green" is mostly marketing hype. Does paying double for a head of lettuce that wasn't sprayed to keep bugs from ravaging the crops save the world?
Supreme court okays price fixing - So retailers can no longer offer discounts on certain products below the manufacturer's suggest price? Another great reason to buy used!
New era for cable subscribers - Regulators now force cable companies to allow you to use your own cable boxes and offer a "CableCard" to insert into them. Possibly worth it? I think you'd have to have the same cable/DVR for a while to break even, and no doubt they will becoming out with newer and better versions every few years. Personally, I prefer to just plug the cable right into my TV, good old analog.
Cellphone company finds profits in latin America - Will their customer service be outsourced to the US staffed by rude Americans with accents they can't understand?
More woes for housing - I'm not expecting housing to recover any time soon. But at least if the value of my house crashes I can dispute my tax appraisal!
Lose your 401k? - A Roth IRA and a traditional IRA fall under the same yearly caps. No 401k available? Options are to work on the side and fund your own as a self-employed individual, invest in other tax-efficient funds, or convince your employer to offer a 401k.
iPod mania spreads across the country - People are lined up outside to get them in my town.
Inflation tame as income, spending miss forecasts - Maybe everyone was saving up for the iPhone?
Why does adoption cost so much? - I've always wondered the same thing, you'd think the government would be happy to offer adoptions for a small administrative cost.
Credit score confusion reigns - You bet it does! The big problem is that the credit bureaus don't list anywhere on their site how to just buy a one time credit score, I'm guessing you have to call up and ask for it directly. If you don't already know they offer it, they don't seem eager to tell you. And Experian/Transunions FICO scores? They offer Vanguard, but they have another score they won't let you get without some product - like "Credit Monitoring" - which is a ripoff (unless you believe you are a victim of identify theft). myFICO.com offers credit monitoring, but their descriptions of what everything includes is completely vague - their "standard" $15 package should just be the scores, but who knows, it doesn't say for sure (and then it says you can "choose" from one of the credit unions, so $15 only gets you one score?). Could they make it any more difficult?

Friday Linkfest

13 great fuel efficient cars - Is CNN getting kickbacks from the auto industry? Their 13 fuel efficient cars includes a couple of hybrids and a MINI Cooper. The rest are vans and trucks. No mention of the Yaris, Camry, Suzuki Reno, and many other cars that are actually fuel efficient.
Consumer groups decry debt collection horror stories - Why is it not the collectors burden to prove a debt is owed and correct? What good do signed documents/contracts do if a company can turn around and say you owe any amount of money with nothing more than their word, or some internal document? It is outrageous that our government allows consumers to be scammed in this way.
Reusable grocery bags - Grocery bags for $800. There is a hungry child crying somewhere over this stupidity.
Congress probes delays in enforcing credit reports - More on the house financial services committee meeting.
10 things your bartender won't tell you - My solution? Stick to beer and make the fancy drinks at home. Last time we went out for a drink my wifes martini was so bad we went home and made them ourselves!
Consumer protection laws - Not an article, but a series of links with some basic info, but useful.
12 credit monitoring strategies - One good one I hadn't thought of, staggering your 3 free credit reports throughout the year. Anything really bad should show up on all 3.
Economics of solar power - Great article, plus a link to an online estimator that can tell you if solar power will work for you (and how much it would cost/save).
Debt settlement could cost more than you think - A good read for anyone who may be considering this route. My opinion? Educate yourself about your rights, build good financial management skills, and then all the work on your own.
Internet radio sites to protest in silence - Many of your favorite web radio stations may be going off the air, if only temporarily. I really don't blame them; the music industry is ripping them off.

Friday Linkfest

In celebration of Father's Day, this Friday's linkfest contains all of the fluffy (or not so fluffy) dads day pieces.

• Women in business: here's to dads - Here's to dads, an article about how women are struggling in the workforce...wait a minute...
  
• Many employees see CEO as father figure - But its a bad thing.
  
• Working moms and dads - Not surprisingly, dads wish they could take more time off with kids, but can't or are pressured not to.
  
• Make room for mom - What if dad wants to move back in? Taking care of dad isn't a bad thing, but suggesting people refinance their house with expensive remodeling jobs is bad! Also, suggesting dad use his social security income to pay for a remodel on YOUR house seems pretty out of whack to me.
  

Those were the only articles I could find that weren't directly trying to convince you to buy something.

Friday Linkfest

• Where can my kid learn about money? - Some resources for teaching kids about money.
  
• Home prices grow at slowest pace in 14 years - Maybe I should forward this to my local county tax office, because they insist my property value has increased 8% since last year.
  
• High gas prices burn April factory orders - Car demand down 3.3%. Wake up auto industry, maybe its not that we don't want to buy new cars, but that the only efficient cars you are giving us are overpriced hybrids or matchbook sized hatchbacks that don't get any better mileage than they did 20 years ago. We know you can do better.
  
• Insurer tattles on kids who speed - Great concept, but I'm not sure about having it run by my insurance company. How long until they start raising your rates when they notice your children are speeding?
  
• Fed rate cuts gone - More good reasons to stay away from debt and save for the things you want to buy.
  
• GM CEO hypes green alternatives - A car company insists moving from gasoline is the way to go, the same company that DID it 10 years ago, then yanked the cars away and crushed them. Sorry, GM, your green reputation is crushed. I'll be keeping my eye out for what Honda and Toyota may have to offer.
  
• Steer clear of those 5 car rental traps - Good advice. Renting a car is downright criminal in regard to the extra fees they add and do not tell you until you come to pick it up. Fortunately most websites are disclosing the fees, but there may be others hidden. You can usually find the specific fees that apply to you, if you know what you are looking for and scrutinize their various 'fees' and 'terms' pages long enough.
  
• Cost of borrowing money creeps up - More of the fallout from high defaults I imagine. The solution isn't to make borrowing more expensive, its to make credit less attainable!
  
• Get used to gas price runups - Blame seems to have narrowed onto the refineries, their lack of capacity or their limited numbers. Expect seasonal gas increases? I already do, and my own gas spending tracking shows a calculable trend.
  
• McDonalds sale surge - Of course they do, assign any lovable character to any product and it will instantly sell. Marketers know this. What does Shrek have to do with unhealthy junk food? Not the toy you get in the happy meal. Greed, plain and simple.
  
• No buzz for Starbucks - Is this really any surprise? Starbucks is an overpriced luxury beverage, one that is consumed by its customers on a daily or more basis and that has a dramatic impact on their budget. With high gas prices and costlier credit, consumers are going to be looking at their frivolous coffee spending first, and likely they will conclude that its an easy place to cut costs.
  

Friday Linkfest

• What's your magic number for retirement? - Tips on saving for retirement.
  
• Fixing Walmart - Some good points, but they missed the boat. My suggestion for Walmart? Slash 90% of your workforce, increase salaries by 10% across the board, rehire back to full staff with people that can actually smile, say hello, and bother to know where things are in the store, then hire cleaning crews and restockers 24/7 to keep your stores from looking like garbage dumps.
  
• Get 50mpg in your own car - Yeah right, but they do have good tips for conserving gas as you drive.
  
• Flying Solo - Save money by vacationing alone. Great idea if you need alone time at a spa, but what's the point of going away if you can't share the experience with someone?
  
• Credit Cards not a game - The game LIFE recently added charge cards to the game and changed the rules a bit. The distinction is between debit cards and credit cards, and the author argues kids don't know the difference. Well, I say its a good opportunity to teach them, then. A debit card is just about the same as a checkbook (and most checks are cashed electronically now anyway), or at least it is used the same. What's interesting is that the new LIFE, to win, you need to earn the most 'life points' a combination of wealth and experience. Saving money isn't as important in LIFE anymore.
  
• Don't get risky with late retirement saving - You need to save early, but a lot of babyboomers have little to no retirement money stashed away. Fortunately most of them can dip a bit into social security, but the young generations won't have that option. Start saving now.
  

Friday Linkfest

• To get rich, start saving in your 20s - This should be stuff taught to college students, but it amazes me how many recent grads don't even participate in a matching 401k with their employer.
  
• The truth behind gas prices - An interesting article about why gas is so expensive.
  
• When the credit bubble goes 'pop' - Forecasting the end of easy credit. This is a bad thing?
  
• Best Buy guilty of bait-and-switch? - I'm going to give BB the benefit of the doubt, and say this is probably the result of some upper management brain-dead idea of having 2 identical internal/external websites. There are bound to be problems trying to synchronize prices with a store like BB that sells thousands of products and prices change almost daily. Intentional, no. Are the liable? I think so.
  
• Free PS3 Upgrade - Have a Playstation 3? Be sure to get the upgrade Sony is offering for free.
  
• Picking a financial planner? - I believe everyone needs a financial planner, but find one that gives you advice for a fee, and then do all the leg work yourself. Of course, finding one you can trust is the hard part.
  
• As higher education costs rise, so do debt loads - Are there any parents out there who still refuse to start a 529 savings fund for their kids?
  
• Pressure on IRS to stop using bill collectors - Absolutely this practice needs to stop. I understand the IRS wants its money, but tax payers have certain rights under law and it is the duty of the IRS to protect and inform citizens of those rights and treat them fairly. Anyone who's dealt will collection agencies knows that honesty, integrity, and informing citizens of their legal rights is precisely the opposite of the tactics they use.
  
• The true cost of owning a home - A good read if you are a first-home buyer in the market.
  
• Lawmakers take on gasoline - More ethanol in gas? Great, but ethanol reduces mileage, which means we'll be buying more of it. They also want to raise efficiency standards from 22-27mpg to 40mpg by 2020. Funny, weren't we supposed to see hydrogen cars by that time?
  
• It pays to be the top executive - No liability, millions in severance regardless of performance, and 7-figure salaries on top of it all? This is a great job?
  

Friday Linkfest

• Debit cards: A good deal... - I've never been hit with a debit fee, but its good to hear these are all but gone. Are we going to see better rewards programs for these cards in the future?
  
• Credit card rewards go green - Some cards are jumping on the environmental bandwagon to draw in more customers.
  
• FCC approves the iPhone - We knew it would happen, but who is going to pay $500 for one?
  
• Local gas prices - Check out what your local prices are compared to other states.
  
• Fed crackdown on abusive mortgages
  
• US workers get less paid vacation - But I bet you already guessed that.
  
• How to Make Money from 0% APR Balance Transfers - Worth the effort?
  
• EPA rules would bar some hybrids from HOV lanes - HOV lane special access should be given by how much mileage your car gets (allow Yaris, Metro, etc) not expensive technology.
  
• Getting past the Prius - Once again, people look at expensive $20k+ hybrids for fuel efficiency, when the Toyota Yaris and upcoming Smartcar with plain Jane engines blow them out of the water. Look out for Honda's fuel cell vehicle and lease one (it is only for lease - deja vu!) if you have a sick desire to see your car crushed in a few years.
  

Friday Linkfest

• Your 5-minute guide to credit scores - More basic stuff everyone should already know.
  
• Fed stays focused on inflation
  
• Higher bills for less electricity - Inflating the price to let the market adjust for more efficient electric use...except, the $14 extra a year they propose doesn't sound too threatening, just profitable.
  
• A promising new screening for prostate cancer - Because it probably won't hit news anywhere else.
  
• You'll never be able to buy a home - Rates up in the UK.
  
• Allstate will stop insuring California homes - Another insurance company bails on home policies. Will there be any companies left at all insuring homes in a few years?
  
• $45 million invested in Internet TV - Internet TV, in my opinion, is going to revolutionize how we get our entertainment. Wait for news reports when the cable company is going to want a cut of it.
  
• 12b-1 mutual fund fees - Do you even know all of the fees your investments are being charged?
  
• Fuel fears hamper consumer confidence - No kidding.