personal finance

Financial Institutions: Building Trust via Customer Service Marketing

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What makes marketing financial institutions very different today than ten years ago?  Trust. Ten years ago, trust was assumed.  The stock market was booming,successful dot-coms were popping up everywhere and jobs were plentiful. But then September 11th happened.  And  the dot-com “burst.” And let’s not forget about the stock market crash, the fall of Lehman [...]

June 24, 2010 4 comments CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

Ramit Sethi’s Solution to the Post-Christmas Blues: Earn More Money

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The title of Ramit Sethi‘s latest post couldn’t be more timely for me. It’s simply called “Earn More Money in 2010.” My week started out in a panic when I faced the doom of my credit card balances on Monday. Things got out of hand over the holidays, and, as a Catholic girl who was [...]

January 6, 2010 3 comments CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

Routine: Think Less, Accomplish More

Routine: boring or amazing? I always thought it was boring.  Lately I think it’s amazing.  This is the perfect time of year to take an honest look at your routine.  You probably have some goals for 2010.  Maybe you want to lose 15 lbs, save $5,000 or pay off $3,000 in credit card debt.  Our daily habits become [...]

December 28, 2009 7 comments CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

Warning: FreeCreditReport.com Isn’t Free

By, Ashley Crimaldi In case you haven’t heard, The Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) is going after company Experian (the geniuses behind FreeCreditReport.com, and those clever commercials) for misleading Americans into believing FreeCreditReport.com’s credit report services were actually free of charge. In actuality, users are prompted to enter their credit card information before receiving their credit [...]

November 5, 2009 1 comment CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

Start Planning for the Holidays Now to Avoid Debt!

By, Nicole Crimaldi As you put away your Halloween decorations for the year, it’s time to start thinking about the holiday season. I know you’re thinking, “Why?! It’s only November 2!” Exactly. Most Americans rack up tons of debt on holiday gifts because they fail to plan ahead. If you get paid bi-weekly that means [...]

November 4, 2009 1 comment CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

Mid-Month Update

By, Nicole Crimaldi It has been 14 days since I have last sinned. And WOW this is more fun than I thought it would be! Mostly because I haven’t had to deal with buyers remorse, guilt or worrying that my checking account is getting too low. It also feels amazing to know that I haven’t [...]

October 14, 2009 2 comments CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

“When I’m not ‘allowed’ to spend money, I’m a lot more creative!”

Submitted by “Don’t Go Over in October” participant Leah P. Here’s something I’ve learned this past week in regards to money: When I’m not allowed to spend it, I’m a lot more creative. For example, a really good friend was broken up with this week. Normally, I would have taken her out for drinks or [...]

October 8, 2009 5 comments CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

Shop Your Closet!

By, Nicole Crimaldi In preparation for my spending boycott in the month of October, I summoned the absolutely fabulous Whitney Middleton of fauxshionable.com to come throw a party in my closet. I started a new job at the beginning of October, so the temptation was strong to go out and spend money on new work [...]

October 8, 2009 0 comments CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

First comes “Why,” Then Comes “How”

By, Nicole Crimaldi It seems that there are thousands of books written about how to properly manage one’s personal finances. These books and experts preach about how much of your income you should be spending vs. saving, what investments will make you the most money, how to ideally set up your accounts, etc. etc. etc. [...]

October 6, 2009 1 comment CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

How Much House Can You Afford?

By, Nicole Crimaldi Considering buying your first home in the next few years? If so, there are several things to think about well before you begin house hunting with your realtor. The most important question to begin with is, how much house can I afford? Most lenders require that the mortgage applicant does not exceed [...]

September 29, 2009 0 comments CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE →