Posts Tagged ‘ Credit Cards ’

Fast Food :: Pay For Frills

Fast Food :: Pay For Frills

The typical American consumer is accustomed to unwrapping a hamburger from their favorite fast food establishment and finding â’the worksâ’: lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and a few packets of ketchup on the side. However, according to John Stanton, Ph.D., chair of food marketing at Saint Josephâ’s University in Philadelphia, the â’frillsâ’ that come with fast food or restaurant meals could become a thing of the past. â’In an environment where food companies are reducing the size of packages and charging more for products, consumers can expect to pay for what they used to get for free.â’ This trend has become...

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Layaway Programs :: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Layaway Programs :: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Retailers like Kmart and TJ Maxx have experienced a sharp increase in customer demand for their layaway programs, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Holiday consumers see layaway as a payment alternative at a time when credit card companies are reducing purchase limits and access to loans is tightening amid the countryâ’s ongoing financial crisis. â’People are shying away from credit cards, because maybe their limits have been reduced or they simply donâ’t want to carry any debt ahead of an economic recession,â’ said Bob Robicheaux, Ph.D., chairman of the UAB Department of Marketing and Industrial...

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Technology :: Kindle Alternatives

Technology :: Kindle Alternatives

Oprah Winfrey (a daytime diva and one of the richest women in the world) recommended the Kindle, Amazon.com’s digital-book reader. An Oprah Winfrey called the Kindle “life changing” and her “new favorite device.” Life changing?  Wow.  But at $350 initial investment is the Kindle a smart solutions?  Note: There is a $50 discount to people who keyed in the code ‘OprahWinfrey’ to make the Kindle a cheap $309.  Is there something better? Alternatives to Kindle Using your existing cell phone, PDA or Smartphone.  There is no reason to go out and spend for another gadget.  There are in fact free...

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Surf Sunday :: Personal Management Tools

Surf Sunday :: Personal Management Tools

The internet can be a great tool to management money more efficiently and portable.  With the economy going downhill it is more important to manage and monitor your money.  There are three options: Control Freak : This is best for those who have to keep hourly track, and monitor spending habits on a daily basis and it is always about making a profit. Monitor and Master : This is for those who likes to pay their bills on time, monitor, manage their spending habits monthly and who are trying life efficiently within their means. Careless and Delay : This...

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Box Store Cheats People, Should We Be Surprised?

Walgreens has paid the United States and Minnesota and three other states nearly $10 million to resolve allegations of falsely billing Medicaid and over charging customers. Illinois-based Walgreens charged Minnesota, Florida, Michigan and Massachusetts as if some Medicaid customers were uninsured.  Walgreen, was entitled to a copay, but instead charged the difference between what the insurance companies paid for the drugs and what the Medicaid programs would have paid if the members were uninsured.  After which Walgreens billed Medicaid, as and received a higher reimbursement. Walgreens spokesman Michael Polzin faulted the problem on “inadvertent billing errors” and “unique requirement...

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