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Nontraditional Ways to Find Funding When Banks Won't Help 11/16/2015 07:00pm • A woman approached me a few weeks ago with a question about how to get approved for a credit card with a subprime credit score. This woman, we'll call her Allie, had a short-term cash flow problem. She'd soon earn income working for a volunteer organization, but she needed $1,500 to relocate for her Tips from the Postal Service on holiday shipping 11/16/2015 12:14pm • WASHINGTON — Who better than the U.S. Postal Service to give advice on mailing holiday packages? John Budzynski, consumer advocate for the United States Postal Service, Budzynski, tells WTOP it’s USPS' busiest time of year, and the new emphasis on online purchases and shipping means that it's How to get home for the holidays without breaking the bank 11/16/2015 11:30am • Traveling during the holidays can be costly. Commercial travel and lodging prices tend to be higher during peak travel times like Thanksgiving, and the hustle and bustle of the season often lends itself to higher spending in other areas like meals. Here are five ways you can keep travel costs low The unconventional guide to Black Friday shopping 11/15/2015 07:00pm • The thrill of staying up all night shopping with your friends, drinking massive amounts of coffee and getting hyped up on adrenaline to find that deal of the century is often what Black Friday shopping is all about. Many shoppers skip their Thanksgiving dinners to wait in line for days to get an ine 5 great gifts for investors 11/14/2015 05:00pm • No matter who they are, most investors love gifts that reflect their passions and interests. But what do you get the investor who can buy anything? "The best gift to get an investor who has everything is something meaningful as it relates to the investor's philosophy or history," says Mike Bor How to make fine dining more affordable 11/12/2015 02:10pm • Has frequent restaurant dining been eating up your budget? Instead of banning yourself from eating out entirely, make fine dining fit into your approved expenses category with moderation and strategic planning. Though many upscale establishments do not offer regular coupons, there are still plenty o 5 Simple Ways to Rack Up Rewards Points This Holiday 11/11/2015 07:00pm • Frequent flier miles and hotel loyalty points aren't just for road warriors anymore. Even if you're not a frequent flier with top-tier status and hundreds of thousands of miles under your belt, you can still collect lucrative perks and points in outside-the-box ways, from using shopping portals to d 5 Questions Newlyweds Should Be Able to Answer About Their Finances 11/11/2015 07:00pm • When you were single, you were afforded the luxury of your own spending habits, saving and investing on your own terms. Managing your individual finances was all about you. When you fell in love and got married, your personal finances and investments transitioned from "my money" to "our money." You How to Win Black Friday 11/10/2015 07:00pm • Holiday shopping season is upon us, and this year, it's going to be capital-B Big. The average American plans to spend, on average, $1,128 this season, according to a recent survey by RetailMeNot. Broken down, that's $141 per person for eight people total. Translation: Expect your friends and neig 7 best rewards credit cards for holiday shopping 11/10/2015 02:00pm • From presents for the kids to special food for family get-togethers, holiday traditions have the potential to put a significant dent in your wallet. However, you can take the sting out of that spending by earning rewards for every purchase. Rewards credit cards come in many flavors, with some off Oops! 6 Holiday Costs We Forget to Budget For 11/09/2015 07:00pm • The National Retail Federation predicts that the average spending on food, gifts and other holiday costs this year will reach $805.65 per person, just slightly higher than last year's average of $802.45. Whether you're planning to spend more or less than average, forgetting to factor in extras like 9 ways to save when holiday shopping with credit cards 11/09/2015 07:00pm • The gift of credit card perks. Your holiday shopping plan may need to include a credit card strategy, too. That's because buying with some credit cards gives you purchase protection, a refund if the price drops, an extended return period or a longer warranty. Plus, card issuers may have deals wit Study: Gift cards become more secure while fees go down 11/09/2015 08:31am • WASHINGTON — Gift cards are already a convenient choice for holiday gifts, and a new study says they’ve become more consumer friendly. Bankrate.com says that half of gift cards now offer the ability to set a security code, up from 35 percent last year. That can help protect balances if the ca The Best Deals of Veterans Day 2015 11/08/2015 07:00pm • Retail stores, restaurants and a host of other businesses are banding together on Veterans Day to give back to those who have given to our country -- and to give some big discounts to everyone else.We've rounded up our top picks for the 11 best sales and deals that shoppers can find, including a few 4 Surprising Facts About Your Credit Score 11/08/2015 07:00pm • Around one-third of all marriage proposals are made between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, according to several wedding surveys. But guess who's statistically likely to be left on one knee without a "yes," or left out of the action entirely? People with bad credit. Half of couples in an Experian s