Sometimes it is hard to know what information to trust online. There is so much information out there and we all have so little time to sift through it all.

For those of you in the market for a new and improved long distance telephone plan, we found a highly informative article entitled Long Distance Deals.

This article is published on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) site. The FTC works to educate consumers and also to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices.

Long Distance Deals covers such topics as what type of information to seek before signing up or switching to a new long distance phone carrier and what to look for in the fine print when choosing a long distance plan.

Once you know what you are looking for in a new long distance plan, you can compare long distance providers and find a carrier and plan that fit your specific needs.

Posted in Long Distance | Permalink

In the most basic terms, a balance transfer is a way of moving a debt from one credit card to another credit card. Transferring a balance is often done to save money, as the new credit card may have a lower interest rate (APR) than the old credit card.

Occasionally, credit cards have promotional balance transfer rates that can last from 3-15 months. For example, a credit card may offer a 0% APR on all balance transfers for the first six months of cardmembership. Promotional rates do end, though, so be sure to completely understand a specific balance transfer offer before applying.

It is important to find out how long the balance transfer rate will last and if there are any one-time balance transfer fees involved. Example: A credit card may offer a 0% promotional APR on balance transfers but may also charge a one-time balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount transferred.

It is also important to check whether or not a balance must be transferred within a specified amount of time in order to receive the promotional rate. Example: A balance must be transferred within the first three months of cardmembership to obtain the rate mentioned in the specific offer.

Every credit card is a bit different and promotional offers often change, so be sure to thoroughly look over the terms and conditions for each specific credit card before applying online.

· Compare balance transfer credit cards now and apply online if you find a credit card that fits your specific needs.

Posted in Credit Cards, Personal Finance | Permalink

Cash Back credit cards give cash rewards to cardholders for making purchases with the card. A cardholder accumulates cash rewards based on the dollar amount of his/her purchases with that particular credit card over a period of time.

A typical cash back rate hovers around 1%. However, some cards offer a higher cash back percentage with increased usage and some offer a higher cash back percentage on select products or at select merchants or locations.

It is important to keep in mind that many cash back credit cards offer cash back rewards on new purchases made with the credit card but do not offer cash back rewards on balance transfers or cash advances made with the card. Be aware of this.

Each cash back credit card is a bit different, so be sure to read the terms and conditions to find out what cash back percentage you can expect, whether there is a limit on how much can be accumulated in a year, etc. Be sure to thoroughly look over the terms and conditions for each specific credit card offer.

· Compare cash back credit cards now and apply online if you find a credit card that fits your specific needs.

Posted in Credit Cards, Personal Finance | Permalink

One thing that customers can overlook before signing up with a dial-up Internet service provider (ISP) is to check whether or not that ISP offers dial-in access numbers that are nearby. Read this for a brief explanation about dial-up ISPs in general.

Whether or not you will incur any additional phone charges (like long distance charges) depends on the access numbers that you choose. ISP’s do not benefit from additional phone charges - your phone company or long distance provider does. Before signing up with an ISP, browse its list of access numbers and hopefully you will find a couple of local numbers that you will be able to utilize.

The best way to decrease the probability of incurring any additional phone charges is to sign up with an ISP that owns a lot of access numbers. If you want to be extra careful, write down some of the possible numbers before signing up and contact your local phone company. They should be able to tell you if you will incur any long distance charges (or any other fees) by accessing those particular numbers.

Compare ISP’s and check out the latest deals in your area now. If you have any further questions, check out our ISP FAQs for more information about all kinds of ISP-related topics.

Posted in Internet Service, Long Distance | Permalink

Yes, it is that time of year. Time to sit down, gather all of the information that you can and … pay your taxes.

You’re in luck, because we compiled a list of tax products and services that can help to make paying your taxes a much smoother overall experience.

In our Deals of the Month section, we posted a short list of some of the most reputable online tax services out there. Check it out before you file, it could save you a lot of time, and hopefully some money, too.

Posted in Miscellaneous, Personal Finance | Permalink