Not every merchant goes by the mantra, "The customer is always right." Therefore, even if you've received a fraudulent charge or want to return a piece of merchandise, they may not let you -- and you may not get your money back.
Fortunately, ...
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5 Tips for Budgeting In Retirement on a Fixed Income
So you're planning to retire soon? First of all: congratulations! Now, it's time to ensure that your money outlasts your life and that there's some left over for your children.
You can do that by setting up, and following, a realistic ...
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5 Ways to See Disneyland or Disney World on a Budget
For most people who don't live in California or Florida, a trip to Disney is a rare treat. Even if you only do it once a year, or once every few years, a full Disney vacation can be expensive; sometimes prohibitively so.
Thankfully, it is possible ...
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6 Good Habits You Can Employ to Improve Your Finances
Did you make a new year's resolution to improve your finances this year? Fortunately, it only takes a few good habits to meet that noble goal. Even better, most good financial habits are so easy to implement that it's just a matter of getting ...
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7 Great Careers That Don’t Require Much Experience to Start
Are you looking for a career that doesn't require many years of experience? It can be discouraging to look at job postings where all you see is "five years of experience needed" or "experienced personnel only."
Fear not, though. It turns out there ...
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5 Ways to Get Rid of Your Unwanted Christmas Gifts
Christmas is the season of giving. In some cases, that can include giving away. No matter how many gifts you receive, there may be a few items in your haul that you neither need nor want.
It may seem like a delicate place to be in: how do you deal ...
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5 Ways Smoking Negatively Affects Your Personal Finances
It's not likely you'll be able to find anyone in the United States who has escaped the message that smoking is hazardous to your health. After all, there's a Surgeon General's warning on every pack. And children learn about the negative effects of ...
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8 Tips for Keeping Your Thanksgiving Meal as Inexpensive as Possible
Thanksgiving is filled with family, friends, good food and football. But it can also be filled with expenses -- especially if you're having Thanksgiving dinner at your house.
No need to worry, though. The Thanksgiving holiday also offers ample ...
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5 Ways You Can Save Money on Groceries This Week
For many people, the grocery bill is one of their largest monthly expenses. Fortunately, you can easily save money on groceries this week -- and every week after that -- with a little pre-planning and a lot of creative frugality.
Nix the ...
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6 Costly Mistakes People Make with Their 401k Plans
If you're interested in saving for retirement, a 401k plan can't be beat. These employer-sponsored plans let employees save tax-free and choose from a range of investment options. The tax-free savings effectively lower your taxable income, which may ...
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Is Pet Insurance Really Worth It?
Pets enrich our lives by providing welcome companionship and loyalty through our toughest days, as well as our happiest ones. What would you do if yours got sick? Are you prepared to bear the financial burdens of veterinary visits and the associated ...
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5 Frugal Tips for Family Fun During the Fall Season
Just because summer is over doesn't mean you have to stop having family fun. With the kids back at school, bills due and a chill in the air, it feels hard to find affordable activities the whole family will enjoy.
We all know that fall heralds a ...
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4 Really Dumb Ways to Pay Down Your Debt
Debt may be a part of life, but that doesn't make it suck any less. If you've got lots of debt, you're probably always looking for ways to pay it down, either in its entirety or at least enough to make your credit report look better. Whatever the ...
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8 Things Employers Are Looking for Beyond a College Degree
You're about to graduate from college, or maybe you already have your degree and are looking for employment. Be proud of your degree -- you earned it through several years of hard work. Hopefully, that translates into a good job in your field of ...
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Comparing the Flat Tax, Fair Tax, and Progressive Tax Systems
If you dread filing your taxes every year, it's good to know there are multiple taxation systems besides the current progressive one here in the United States.
If you've heard the terms "flat tax" or "Fair Tax" then you may be wondering what they ...
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5 Basic Chores Your Kids Can Do to Earn Money
When did you learn the value of money? For many of us, it begins the day our parents dole out chores for the first time. A week's worth of completed chores meant we earned allowances that we could spend right away or save for something we really ...
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How to Get a Higher Credit Score No Matter How Bad Your Finances Are
Imagine being so rich you never had to borrow money!
If you're wealthy enough to pay cash for any car or home you like, then you have no need to read about how credit scores are determined -- but most of us have to borrow money from time to time. ...
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4 Ways Social Media Use Makes You Vulnerable to Identity Fraud
Most of us use at least one form of social media to stay in touch with friends and family we don't get to see every day. From Facebook to Snapchat, social media gives us the ability to share updates with all our friends and followers at once.
But ...
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Reverse Mortgage Pros and Cons That Every Homeowner Needs to Know
The reverse mortgage is a financial option that has been around for decades, but relatively few people ever use them. However, the truth is, many people in their sixties and older end up with a majority of their wealth tied up in their home, while ...
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What’s the Best Way to Give a Financial Gift?
When it comes to gifts, we all know it's the thought that counts -- which is why there are certain self-described gift-giving mentors who don't encourage financial gifts. Of course, those same folks have probably been on the receiving end of monetary ...
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