I’m not sure why my opinion on that matters, but personally, I am against using credit scores as part of the hiring process, with a possible exception for those people seeking jobs where they handle other people’s money. I can see where it might be beneficial for someone who handles other people’s money as I would be…

Yes, there will be a lot of people out there with no credit or bad credit that the HOA and condo fee part will not help as they do not pay those. But the other recent changes that allow regular bills to also contribute towards building credit will help these people. This is just an extension of that program. Having…

If you do not want to worry about a credit score or having people report on you, then feel free to use only cash and live off the grid. This new change is intended to be helpful to those people who regularly pay their bills on time but cannot otherwise qualify for credit elsewhere. There are many people out there who…

If you can take it home or to another shop then that is not as bad. I have zero experience when it comes to inspections as I have never had to have one done, so I am going purely by what I read in the article. Again, if it is something that truly needs repair such as brakes, then no I would not count that as part of…

Good to know for next time. I was ok with paying a little for the GAP insurance as the time right after the purchase is when it would be needed the most. They offered the same lower interest rate if we added an extended warranty and other stuff. That part I can do without, especially since the car was still under the…

Adding on to what you said about dealer financing, use the competition between your bank and the dealer to your advantage. When we bought my wife’s car, I went back and forth between my credit union and the dealer, with each one trying to beat the other’s interest rate. Started out with an interest rate close to 4%…

I would agree except for what Doug points out sometimes happens when you bring your car in for an inspection. If the shop decides to prevent your inspection from passing until you pay them for a repair that may not have to be done right away, then I would say you would have to factor that price into the annual cost of…

Yes, but is it as cheap once you factor in inspections and any necessary repairs? I’m in Florida as well and pay less than $50 each year for registration renewal. It’s a little more if you have a specialized plate, but still not more than $80 for the year.

I didn’t really negotiate my salary at my first job, but I knew going in about what they would offer as my friend had interviewed for the same position, was offered the job and turned it down to work elsewhere. At the time, I desperately needed a job as I was without any substantial job for 6 months out of college…

Yeah, lowing my credit card rates is somewhat pointless as I pay off the statement balance each month. The only credit cards I carry a balance on are ones that have a promotional 0% interest period. I make payments on those so that the balance will be paid off in full before the promotional period ends, so I will not…

I am a fan of having multiple accounts, but I like to keep mine with only a couple banks. I do not want to have to remember where I have money saved and for what purpose. With Ally, you can open as many accounts as you want, which I have done. I have 6 or 7 savings accounts with Ally, all for specific purposes…

It also does not have to be a full switch either. I still have an account at a local credit union that is my primary account. That is where paychecks go and what I use to pay most bills. I then transfer from that account to my various online accounts. Having the local branch is important to me so I can have quick…

Per Ally’s help center:

As this month’s challenge will not work for everyone, myself included, I think it should also include increasing your savings interest rates if possible. Many brick and mortar banks offer incredibly low interest rates (0.01% at Bank of America for example). You can easily get interest rates that are 10-100 times…

One thing to note. You mentioned that one of the arguments for buying is that once the house is paid off, your housing expense is eliminated. This is mostly true, but there are still annual expenses to owning a house. You are correct that your monthly mortgage payment is gone and you can choose to forgo homeowners…

My problem is that it’s Brighthouse or nothing. Sure I can get satellite for TV, but I live in Florida, so the daily summer thunderstorms would surely cause signal problems. And I would still have to pay Brighthouse for internet as they are my only option. And separating the services would make the total more…

I wish my house was part of the 67% of America that has choices when it comes to ISP. For me, I only have one option, Brighthouse. AT&T has started laying fiber in my neighborhood and I cannot wait until they are up and running if only to provide some competition for Brighthouse. Right now, I am paying a reasonable…

Unfortunately, I am guilty of this one. We rushed into buying a house and were not only at the top end of what we were approved for by the bank, we actually had to get them to raise it when we went to pick out the interior finishes for our house (new construction). When it came time to close, the appraisal came back…

Somewhat related to your article. With the amount of loan defaults going up, I’m sure that the number of repossessed cars available on the used market is also going up. Are there any concerns a prospective buyer should have if looking at a car that was repossessed? I am starting the process to find my next car and…

Or you can just look for the little sticker that is usually somewhere around where the door opens that clearly calls out the wattage.