Stock Investing

I started organizing all of my tax documents, and while I was gathering all of my 1099s, I realized there are several accounts I am no longer using and which I should close. One of those happens to be my SmartyPig account. When SmartyPig burst onto the scene a couple years ago, they promised to revolutionize the savings industry. And in a way, they did. For awhile, anyway.

SmartyPig added a social element to saving, and turned it into something of a game. To top it off, they added some of the best interest rates in the nation (at the time), and the opportunity to save toward a goal at high interest rates, then redeem your money for discounted gift cards, which in effect, would increase your savings even more.

Eventually, the depressed interest rates caught up with SmartyPig, and they had to continually lower their interest rates.

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Although most of the customers are absolutely peeved with the way the banks have been hiking up the fees on their checking accounts and also phasing out the debit card reward programs, one group in particular seems to be enjoying a whole lot of benefits and perks – the college students.

As students are heading back to their campuses this year, banks are enticing them with products that have better terms such as a longer duration on the zero-interest promotional offers on credit cards, flexible debit card rules, and no-fee checking accounts. Most of these perks and benefits are designed for college students exclusively and are attached to checking accounts and credit cards that are meant for them. T

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Robert Miller with the main City and business news as many Asia markets are shut for the Chinese New Year Europe’s bourses hope for a speedy resolution of the terms for an orderly Greek sovereign debt default; the week-end attacks in Nigeria that claimed 200 lives have not yet affected the price of crude oil, despite the fact that the country is Africa’s largest crude exporter; the founder and largest shareholder in EasyJet, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, tells the Sunday Telegraph he will vote against the senior directors’ pay awards and UK dividends hit a record in 2011 and could top £75bn this year.

Hi Erica,

What is the difference between Chapter 7 and 13 when it comes to the impact on your credit history? I dont want to get another credit card, but fear that, if I do not have one to deal with an emergency, I could be in trouble. I hated to file bankruptcy, but, even with two jobs, I was drowning. So I ended up with a Chapter 13. Im looking at retirement in 10 years. Will I have to wait that long for an improved credit rating? Dan

Dear Dan,

I’m glad you wrote, not only because I want to clear up your confusion, but also because bankruptcy is a fascinating subject. For instance, do you know that, when America was formed, its estimated that nearly two out of every three entering Europeans owed money in their native lands? T

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New York – The U.S. Department of Labor reports that the nation’s unemployment rate in December fell to 8.5%, an increase of 0.2% over November’s 8.7%.

212,000 jobs were added to the U.S. labor force in December, compared to 120,000 jobs in November.  Overall, economists were forecasting a 150,000 increase in the unemployment rate for December.

The average work week rose to 34.4 hours in December, compared to 34.3 in the prior month.  Wages increased 0.2%.

While the news is encouraging, the U.S. economic recovery remains on a slow pace while the present administration in Washington continues to play party politics and Congress remains in a stalemate between Parties over economic stimulus and burgeoning U.S. bu

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