CompareSmart

Oil leak or economic catastrophe, the tunnel vision is the same

Irina — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:05:26 +0000

by Tobi Elliott Over eight weeks after the explosion, America and BP are still groping for answers on how to deal with the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. In President Barack Obama’s address from the Oval office Tuesday night, he vowed to keep fighting “this spill with everything we’ve got, for however long [...]

Is loan modification for you? Learn a little more about the HAMP program

Irina — Fri, 21 May 2010 19:24:10 +0000

by Tobi Elliott Current Housing Climate Mortgage analysts don’t know what to make of the current housing climate. An article in the New York Times Thursday this week carried this warning from Jay Brinkmann, the chief economist of the Mortgage Bankers Association. “We may be at a point where the market is changing for the better, but we can’t be [...]

2nd part of “Looking for help for your financial problems? Learn by copying the rich: Get together, be vulnerable and share what you know”

Irina — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:07:25 +0000

This is the second post on Money Clubs, by Tobi Elliott See first post here. …Or we could fess up, get accountable, tell someone that we don’t know what the heck we’re doing, and start a group to try and figure it out together. One group of Canadian women, calling themselves the Smart Cookies, did just that in [...]

Looking for help for your financial problems? Learn by copying the rich: Get together, be vulnerable and share what you know

Irina — Mon, 03 May 2010 21:32:31 +0000

This is the first of two blog posts by Tobi Elliott You don’t need to hang out with the very rich – or buy the books of those who claim they will “make you rich” – to start figuring out some financial truths. Just watch and copy what you think might work for you. Take TIGER 21, for [...]

Which should you pay first: Credit Card or mortgage bill?

Irina — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:00:39 +0000

Here’s something to think about: if you were strapped for cash, what would you pay of first, your mortgage or credit card bills? If you pick the credit card, then a recent study says that you’re not alone. Reuters gives the lowdown on a report by Translink that cobbled together the percentages of consumers who

Using your credit card on vacation

Irina — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:00:07 +0000

Yes, taking your credit card on vacation can pose a real risk, but not for the reasons you may think. I’m not suggesting you leave it behind so you can resist the temptation to splurge on a scuba lesson you hadn’t budgeted in, or from buying that pair of Manolo Blahnik knockoffs you really, really hadn’t planned on getting – although if you’re prone to spontaneous spending that might not

Credit Card Act: facts you need to know

Irina — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:05:25 +0000

I want to talk about the recent Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which came into effect on February 22nd 2010, and how it might impact your bill. In May 2009, President Obama passed legislation to limit and even eliminate some of the fees credit card companies have gotten used to charging. There are [...]

Welcome to CompareSmart’s blog !

Irina — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:02:56 +0000

Saving money is something everyone aspires to, and there are an abundance of ways to accomplish it. From small saving techniques like cutting coupons, buying store brands, buying local from the farmer’s market, to bigger strategies like making (and sticking to!) a budget, or re-financing your house, there’s always a way. But since everyone has different [...]