May, 2009

Mindset Makes The Difference

I stopped by Morning Joe this morning before my segment on Today to talk about The Difference and how you can turn this economy into an opportunity. The main takeaway? It’s all about your attitude, both when it comes to saving and when it comes to looking for a new job. Check out this video for more:

Preparing for the Future

Saving – both for retirement and for college – seemed to dominate this week’s installment of Money 911 on Today.  Watch the video below to see our take on 401(k) rollovers, 529 plans, and whether the money in your investment accounts is safe.

And One More Thing

I have been in two top-notch hotels in the past two weeks and I want to register a complaint.  The shower caps are gone.  

Now, I may be one of the last people on earth who still uses shower caps.  I can blow out my hair and it’ll last 2 to 3 days.  It’s a gift, I know.  But as a result, particularly when I’m on the road, I not only rely on the plastic little shower caps to save me 20 minutes in the morning, I get annoyed — and find myself running late — when they’re not there.

I can live without the nail files, the free toothpaste, the little baggie with the q-tips and cotton balls.  I don’t need shampoo from Bliss Spa (a drugstore brand is just fine).  But bring back the shower cap.  Please.

Sorry, Wrong Number?

For years, me — and many other people like me, i.e. financial experts and reporters — have given the following advice: If you want a lower interest rate on your credit card, simply pick up the phone and dial the toll-free number on the back of that card, talk to the customer service rep that answers the phone and ASK.  If you don’t ask, I’d say, the answer will always be no.  And surveys (most notably from US PIRG) showed that asking actually worked in about 50 percent of the cases.

Recently, though, I’ve heard from a number of people who have called their card companies and gotten precisely the sort of results we weren’t looking for.  They were told their credit limits were being cut, their interest rates hiked, their cards shut down.  And I started to wonder: Is calling the card companies triggering the negative reaction?  Are the card companies assuming people picking up the phone are, in fact, so desperate that they need to take these measures to protect their corporate selves?

So….I did some digging. Here’s what I have to report:

More…

Stashing Cash?

For the past few months, more and more people have been telling me that they’re keeping their cash at home.  I’ve been wondering, is this actually anecdotal or is it just a trend?  Let me know how much cash you’re stashing at home by answering the poll below.  Your response is anonymous and I will post the results in a couple of weeks.

What’s influencing your decision to keep or not keep your cash at home?