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Find the Best Interest Rates on Savings Accounts
Are you looking for a place to park your savings that will earn a respectable rate of interest, such as 6 or 7 percent? You can stop looking. Nothing close to that exists in this economy. Readily available are savings accounts with 0.5 annual …Read more.
Pet Health Insurance? Get Real!
If you have pets, you know that animals come with unavoidable expenses. But the day-to-day expenses to own a healthy pet are a drop in the food dish compared with what you'll spend if you decide your pets deserve the latest and greatest medical …Read more.
This Desperate Situation Requires Drastic Measures
Dear Mary: I've been reading your Debt-Proof Living newsletter and blog for some time now. The problem I continually run into is where to begin. I don't have enough money to pay all my bills each month. So how do I begin to save money? My bills come …Read more.
How To Trick Yourself Into a Big Savings Account
Now and then, a great reader tip washes up on my desk that causes me to wonder, "Why didn't I think of that?" It makes so much sense: Think of your paycheck as 100 percent savings. Then, as you must, transfer into your checking account …Read more.
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How To Disinfect Cold-Water Laundry
Dear Mary: How can I disinfect my colors when I launder them in cold water? I don't want the colors to run, but I want to make sure that the bacteria are killed. Because the colors are dark, I can't use bleach. — Mary H., Florida Dear Mary: Household ammonia, white vinegar and Pine-Sol are all disinfecting agents you can use in place of bleach to kill germs and bacteria in laundry. Hydrogen peroxide is another disinfectant, but it's also a natural bleaching agent, so I wouldn't use it on colors. And try adding one cup of white distilled vinegar to that last rinse as a softening agent. The acid in vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to dissolve the soaps and detergents so they rinse away more easily. Dear Mary: Should spouses have their own credit card accounts? My husband and I have one account for which I am the "authorized user." Are spouses who only have cards as authorized users jeopardizing their future credit scores and possibly setting themselves up for other problems if the primary account holder dies? — Dana, e-mail Dear Dana: The answer to both of your questions is yes. If your husband is carrying a balance on his credit card account and he dies owing money, the entire balance will become due and payable. As an authorized user, you will have no rights on that account. You will not have the option to make payments on the outstanding balance, creating a problem at a time that is already stressful. If you have not done so recently, order your credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com so you can begin to monitor your credit history. Do you have a question for Mary? Send it to mary@everydaycheapskate.com. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.debtproofliving.com and author of 16 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." To find out more about Mary and to read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2007 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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