FitSugar

Weight Watchers Points Calculator Online

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 07:30:00 PST

While I don't personally follow Weight Watchers, I know a lot of you do so I thought you'd be interested to learn about this nifty little points calculator online.

All you have to do is fill in the calories, fat, and fiber and the calculator will tell you how many Weight Watchers Points it equals. Pretty easy if you ask me. Check it out here.

10 Really Surprising Things That Hurt Your Credit Score

LearnVest — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:15:05 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most people know the typical credit no-nos:

Don't make a late payment. Don't allow an account to go into collections. Avoid tax liens, bankruptcies and foreclosures.

And of course, paying off credit card debt should be one of your top financial priorities. (To find out your other top financial priorities, use this simple tool.)

But there are also lesser-known ways you could unintentionally damage your credit score.

Here are ten actions-from least to most harmful-that could make your number take a plunge.

10. Renting a Car With a Debit Card

While many rental agencies require that you pay your deposit with a credit card, some will accept your debit card instead. However, agencies typically have a clause in the contract stating that they can pull your credit report if you choose to pay with a debit card. That credit check causes a hard inquiry, which will ding your score a few points.

A hard inquiry is when a lender, credit card issuer or other financial institution requests a credit check in order to decide whether or not to extend a line of credit to you, such as a credit card or home loan. Each hard inquiry usually drops your credit score by a few points and will remain on your credit report for two years. The other kind of inquiry, soft inquiries, are made by people who don't intend to take action, such as your landlord checking your credit, and won't have any effect on your credit score.

Read on to find out more.

Getting Back on Budget: How to Escape a Downward Spiral

LearnVest — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:15:02 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

I recently fell off my budget-or, rather, got pushed off by a large, unexpected expense at the dentist’s office.

I negotiated a payment plan so I wouldn’t have to pay more than $1,000 all in one go, but that night, as I was walking home, I became really irritated about the payments I’d have to make for the next few months.

Then, I saw-and was lured into-one of my favorite New York City institutions, the Strand bookstore, whose memorable tagline is “18 Miles of Books.”

That’s 18 miles of used books. Used books are cheap, right? Cheap.

That’s what I told myself as I proceeded to walk out with $75 worth of new reading material.

As I walked home, I thought, “I’m so far down the hole already anyway, what’s another $75?”

It turns out that this is a common way of thinking-about budgets, diets (“I already gorged on that cake last night, so what’s a little cookie?”), exercise (I already missed two workouts, who cares if I miss a third?) and more. But a few easy tricks-and our easy-to-use, goal-setting calculator below-can lift anyone out of a damaging downward spiral. If you want to jump right in to calculating how you can undo any damage you’ve done, scroll down.

First, let’s figure out why so many of us fall prey to downward spirals in the first place.

Why We Dig Ourselves Deeper in a Hole

Carmen Wong Ulrich, personal finance expert and author of “The Real Cost of Living,” says that once people fall off their budgets, they feel helpless. “You’re beyond the point of seeing yourself getting out. The pit is so big, it’s exhausting to look at, and that exhaustion wears down your ability to make a good decision.”

It’s a sad fact: Once one financial defeat saps our energy and willpower, we tend to make yet another bad decision, which makes us feel even worse, engendering yet another budget-busting decision, and so on. (A lot of it comes down to the psychology of sunk costs.)

So, how do you reverse course?

Read on to find out.

How Wanting It All Can Make You Unhappy

LearnVest — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:15:27 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Are you ready for this?

Back in the ’70s, all we wanted was to “have it all.” A happy marriage, a good job, healthy kids - and a little bit of work/life balance. Ever since, working moms have put up the good fight, struggling to juggle a career and a home life without dropping the ball (any ball!).

Now a new study suggests women who want it all - and believe it’s possible to achieve - are actually unhappier. According to a study out of the University of Washington, working mothers who profess that their home and office lives can be seamlessly juggled are at a greater risk for depression than their more realistic colleagues.

In other words, the happiest working moms are “willing to let some things slide,” reports Katrina Leupp, a sociology graduate student and the study’s author.

How We Got Here

The study has tracked the same set of 1,600 married women - a mix of stay-at-home and working mothers - since they were between the ages of 14 and 22. Way back when, researchers started by asking for their reactions to a series of provocative statements, such as:

“A woman who fulfills her family responsibilities doesn’t have time for a job outside the home.”
“The employment of wives leads to more juvenile delinquency.”

Now, as adults, Leupp analyzed the women’s answers, as well as their comparative levels of depression (while controlling for marital happiness and hours worked). Her calculations turned up two key findings: First, the research confirmed earlier studies, which have shown that moms who are employed generally report better mental health than their stay-at-home counterparts. On the other hand, working moms who attempt to achieve Supermom status-in other words, those who try to have it all, without admitting that it’s difficult - are more likely to exhibit symptoms of depression.

Read on to find out what it means.

5 Credit Card Mistakes to Avoid

Kiplinger — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:40:05 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Whether due to confusion or carelessness, credit card mistakes are all too common. The fallout can be costly, no matter what the cause. Even a single slip-up can result in higher interest rates, lower credit limits, unwanted fees or dings to a credit score.

New rules put in place by the Credit CARD Act of 2009 and the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 help, as does the formation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which monitors the credit-card industry. But ultimately it’s up to you to use credit wisely.

Take a look at 5 of the most common credit card mistakes and learn how to avoid making them.

Paying Bills Late

Late payments are the “biggest foul” when it comes to credit cards, warns Ben Woolsey, director of marketing and consumer research at CreditCards.com. The consequences can include late fees, jacked-up interest rates and a lower credit score.

Take Chase Bank’s Sapphire card, for example, which has a current annual percentage rate of 13.24%. If you make a late payment, the APR could jump to 29.99%. Plus, you’ll be hit with a late fee of up to $35. If you miss two or more consecutive payment dates, the late fee can soar to 3% of the outstanding balance.

Late payments, especially those more than 30 days overdue, can hurt your credit score. Payment history accounts for 35% of a FICO score, the most common credit score, which ranges from 300 to 850. A single 30-days-late payment can drop your score by 60 to 110 points, according to CreditCards.com.

The lesson: Pay your bills on time, every time. The CARD Act requires banks to mail your statement at least 21 days before the due date. Mark your calendar, and allow enough time for postal delivery. Or better yet, pay bills online.

Read on for more credit card mistakes.

Get Fresh, Organic Fruits & Veggies Delivered to Your Doorstep

Heather Dale — Fri, 20 May 2011 02:22:46 PDT

Living in California - the fruit and vegetable capital of the US - I've never really considered ordering produce and having it shipped to my house. Usually I just head to my local farmers market and pick up the veggies that I'll need to sustain me throughout the week. But with hectic schedules, and not making it to the market as often as I'd like, I'm realizing that these organic produce delivery services are a great way to stay stocked with healthy fresh vegetables, while still supporting your local farmers.

Find out more about these delivery services and how to sign up for one in your city!

3 Easy Steps to Becoming a Mileage Pro

Emily Co — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:30:53 PDT

I've never really gotten into the whole frequent flier miles game, but I'm starting to think I should. It's just that I fly on so many different airlines (depending on which one gives me the most bang for my buck!), so it's quite overwhelming to organize. However, I just had a mileage lightbulb moment after I read this piece by The Frugal Traveler. He shares some great tips on how to start workin' your miles:

Organize to Maximize: The first step to start making sense of your miles is to be organized, and you can do it easily online with sites such as AwardWallet.com and UsingMiles.com. It's kind of like the Mint.com for air travelers. The best thing about these sites is that you get to manage all your other rewards accounts, which includes hotels, credit cards, retailers and car rental companies.
Learn to Earn: There are plenty of other ways to earn miles besides buying a plane ticket. To learn how to get miles without stepping foot on a plane, you need to first pick one airline that you're keen on racking up miles from; one that you often frequent would be ideal. For example, I picked American Airlines, and discovered the different ways I can earn miles from The Points Guy blog. It's hard to comb through all the material, so The Frugal Traveler recommends to go directly to your airline's category such as American or Delta. I found out about the AAdvantage eShopping mall, which will give me miles along with my purchase from any of its partner retailers. I also learned that if you sign up for an eShopping mall account before May, you'll get 500 miles for free! Keep yourself updated on all the offers available from the airline through the blog or subscribe to your airline's offer alerts.

Read on to find out how to use your miles like a pro.

7 Smart Tips For First-Time Homebuyers

Elka Karl — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:30:42 PDT

When it comes to major investments, buying a home definitely tops the list. There are many ways you can get a jump on preparing for your first home purchase, including starting a savings plan. But there are plenty of other smart strategies you can also implement to make your dream home a reality. Check out these seven tips from MyBanktracker.com founder and personal finance expert Alex Matjanec for improving your finances and strategies when buying a first home.

A strong credit score can save you thousands "Did you know that applying for a home loan with weak credit can lead to higher interest fees, and smaller loans? Leverage properties such as Credit Karma or myFICO to know where you credit stands. If you plan to apply for a home loan with your spouse, make sure both of your credit scores are strong, as the lender is subject to use the lower credit score. As an example, having a credit score below 660 will cause you to pay much higher fees or require a larger down payment. According to FICO, a 100-point difference on your score could result in a $25,000 savings over a 30-year mortgage on a loan of $300,000 Start boosting your credit now by not applying for any additional credit. Try to break 740 for the best savings. When it comes time to apply for a loan, ensure you have very little debt with less then 1/3 of the credit is being used."
Know what you can afford "With banks now forcing down payments as much as 22 percent, with scheduled monthly payments on top of that, saving becomes even more essential. It is also important to not forget closing costs (average of $3,500) and standard upkeep costs of as much as three percent. Before you become super frugal, take the time to get a sense of what you can afford. That way you can calculate what you’ll need for a down payment and future payments. For monthly payments, a good strategy in setting expectations is being prepared to apply up to 31percent of your before tax income to your mortgage. To avoid a massive change to your lifestyle, begin saving as soon as you can."
Make a budget, open a savings account, and automate "Once you have determined how much you need to cover the initial and future cost, open a high interest savings account at a national or local bank. It is important that your budget is realistic and accurate. If you can, try for a higher the down payment, this will help you lock in a lower interest rate and monthly payment. Though savings account rates are much lower than they were three years ago, you should look at this account as a safe haven or unavailable cash for your house. This will mean avoid dipping into as an emergency fund. Set up automatic transfers of funds to your home savings account. This way your savings will grow without you noticing the contribution being moved each week."

Keep reading for more tips!

What’s Your Hour Worth?

LearnVest — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Forget the whole “time is money” thing. The key isn’t that time can generate money, but the other way around-time is our most important (but limited) resource, and money can be a means to gain more of it. We face these decisions all the time: is it worthwhile to spend an hour surfing the internet for a discount code in order to save $10? Should you hire someone to clean your place, or do it yourself?

It Depends

Figuring out what your time is worth isn’t about what you are worth as a person, and how much you make at work is just the starting point. We’ve created a calculator to help you estimate that magic number - whatever it is - so that you have a gauge to keep in mind when you’re making decisions on the fly.

How Did You Get This Number?

If you don’t have a lot of disposable income, your time “value” goes down because you are better served saving money. If you have less time, your time value is higher than if you have a lot to spare. Finally, your current priorities matter. All these factors weigh into our algorithm. (These calculations are based on working a 40-hour week, 50 weeks a year. If your hours differ greatly and you would like us to crunch your hourly value, email us your stats).

Find out how knowing your hourly value helps you make daily financial decisions after the break.

Savvy Ways to Get More Out of Your Bank

Guest Writer — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:15:59 PST

Editor’s note: We are thrilled to introduce a new guest blogger, Kimberly Palmer. The author of Generation Earn: The Young Professional’s Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back, and personal finance columnist at US News & World Report will be joining us for a monthly series with tips and advice on all things Savvy. Take it away, Kimberly . . .

In the wake of the recession, most of us are more suspicious of banks than ever. In fact, a recent survey by Aite Group found that more than one in five 20-somethings say they trust banks less than they used to. The good news is that just like a bad boyfriend committed to redeeming himself, banks are working hard to earn back our trust. As customers, we can take advantage of that.

Here are five steps banks are taking to win back customers:

They are teaching us about money. Some of the biggest financial institutions out there have launched financial literacy websites designed to make it more fun to learn better money habits. SunTrust’s LiveSolid.com offers a magazine-like approach to learning about money, with articles on how to be happier, meal planning, and how to improve your credit score. The site also offers free calculators that get into the nitty-gritty of saving for retirement and annuities, too. ING Direct offers wethesavers.ingdirect.com, which covers economic news as well as pop culture. The frequently updated blog features the voices of customers as well as chief executive Arkadi Kuhlmann. Many credit unions, such as the Texas Dow Employees Credit Union, are doing the same. TDECU’s www.youngfreetexas.com is full of videos, contests, saving tips, and blog posts, designed to appeal to its 20-something customers.

They are offering up free tools and resources to help us save. Many banks now offer free online spending analysis, which makes it easier to see where your money is going. Designed to compete with free software such as Mint.com, these free tools are accessible whenever you log in to your online account.

To see more ways on how you can get more out of your bank, read on.