March 29th, 2011
Are You a Returnaholic?
**Today’s guest post is contributed by LearnVest.**
Last holiday season, retailers lost over three billion dollars to return fraud. That’s why according to the National Retail Federation, 17% of stores last year tightened up their return policies.
If you have the habit of returning items again and again, you might eventually be rejected, thanks to something called the Return Activity Report, which tracks where and when you make returns.
But, don’t be alarmed quite yet: Retailers still accept 99% of consumers’ returns, according to The Retail Equation, a company that helps retailers monitor returns.
Returnaholic Or Smart Shopper?
The other 1% are referred to as returnaholics—consumers whose chronic return behavior points to fraud or abuse of the system (like if someone buys a dress, wears it once, then tries to return it; retailers call this “wardrobing”). This is based on the frequency of returns, the dollar amount of returns, purchase history, and whether these customers have receipts or not.
March 8th, 2011
Who Do You Love? Banks Battle It Out With Flashy New Ad Campaigns
Banks these days just aren’t what they used to be. The numbers prove it.
A new study shows that the banking industry experienced minimal growth in 2010 as compared to 2009.
So, banks are combating the negative buzz with some new, out-of-the-box marketing strategies.
February 16th, 2011
Obama’s Budget: What You Need To Know
See, even the president has to budget. Earlier this week, President Obama presented a $3.7 trillion budget blueprint with his plan to cut our gigantor national debt and maintain vital government programs. See what these major changes could mean for you.
November 22nd, 2010
The Big Squeeze – Newest Bank Fees To Watch Out For
Issuers and bankers are shelving their typical credit traps and pitfalls and sending a fresh new wave of charges that consumers must watch out for.
What are consumers to do? Be aware and stay vigilant, so read ahead.
October 19th, 2010
What The Recession Taught Us About The Real Estate Market
Guest post from LearnVest! - A great deal of consumers don’t understand about why the real estate bubble burst in the first place.
The real estate downturn wasn’t one massive collapse, but many. We’ll look at some major factors so that, if a curve ball like that comes around again, you’ll know how to hit it.
October 12th, 2010
Why Oppose The Foreclosure Moratorium?
Read more in this special LearnVest guest post!
September 21st, 2010
2010 Hits Record of 125 Failed Banks… So Far.
Six banks closed this past weekend, bringing the year’s tally of bank closings to 125.
It’s gotten so bad in 2010 that some in the banking industry call the end of the work week, “Friday Night Lights Out,” reports the Herald Tribune.
September 14th, 2010
Meflation: What’s Next For The U.S. Economy?
Which is the greater evil: inflation or deflation? Well, that depends who you are.
Which one should we expect to see? Depends how it goes.
The economy is full of vague answers and inaccurate predictions... and the new buzzword is "meflation".
September 10th, 2010
For Underwater Homeowners, Will The New FHA Short Refinance Program Save You?
The government is stepping up (again) to help underwater homeowners with the FHA’s new Short Refinance program. However, ghosts from past government housing efforts threaten to sink this program before its barely gotten underway.
September 7th, 2010
Is It Okay To Crack Open Your 401(k) Nest Egg?
When stormy economic conditions are present—like nowadays—more and more people are doing the financial equivalent by cracking open their 401(k) nest eggs, and even more people are wondering whether that’s okay. The short answer is… NO!
