Labor Day: What’s closed

Federal offices: closed

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Woodside boss to chair Africa group

WOODSIDE Petroleum boss Peter Coleman will head a new advisory group on Africa as the federal government trumpets investment over aid.

Source NEWS.com.au | Business http://ift.tt/1JD6ity

Rock 'n' roll exe touts Las Vegas for eco-tourism

If the electronics industry can come together to showcase its products at the Consumer Electronics Show and draw 170,000 visitors to Las Vegas every January, perhaps the endurance, fitness and eco-tourism industries can do the same.

Source Business http://ift.tt/1XnFSpe

Call for Uber drivers creates traffic jam — PHOTOS

Prospective Uber drivers got their first road tutorials Thursday — how to maneuver through heavy traffic in a tight parking lot. And that was just to get to the briefings and question-and-answer sessions.

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Silverstone Golf Club closed; future uncertain

Silverstone Golf Club course employees and homeowners living around the northwest valley course on Thursday confirmed it had been sold to a Southern California buyer and closed as of Tuesday morning.

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Comscore: Smartphone Penetration Now Above 77 Percent In US

The July smartphone numbers are out this afternoon from comScore. According to the measurement firm smartphone penetration has reached 77 percent in the US market. While there are some modest shifts in share (i.e., Android slightly down) the relative positions of Apple, Google and Microsoft’s...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Tesla's Musk says lithium deal doesn't rule out Nevada

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says criticism from some Nevada lawmakers of its conditional agreement to pursue lithium from a mine in Mexico is unfounded and does not mean the company won't look closer to home for the critical metal.

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Marketing Day: Facebook’s Immersive Mobile Ads, AOL Buys Millennial Media & Native Gmail Ads

Here's our recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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The Marketing Land App Now Live For iOS & Android

Download the new Marketing Land app, plus the Search Engine Land sister app for iOS and Android devices now.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Facebook Starts Testing Immersive Mobile Ads

Gatorade, Mr Porter, Michael Kors and Carrefour are trying out the new format, which enables the creation of full-screen, interactive experiences within the Facebook mobile app.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Labor union wants FTC scrutiny of GLPI-Pinnacle deal

A national labor union wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate a proposed $4.75 billion gaming industry merger that the group claims is fraught with antitrust implications.

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Data-Driven ROI & Avoiding the Creep Factor – September 10 Webcast

How data can help strengthen customer relations without crossing the personal privacy line.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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How to Build Credit Without Credit Cards

The credit card industry may rather you not, but it can be done.


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What Simple Living Looks Like to 5 Retirees

It seems like everyone wants to cut the excess and live more meaningfully. Here's how a few retirees have done just that.

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How to Pick the Right Medicare Part D Plan for You

Take advantage of the annual open enrollment period and look at all the costs when selecting a Medicare drug plan.

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Google Launches Stand-Alone Street View App For iOS And Android

Google’s Street View has been somewhat challenged in the transition to a mobile-centric world. It’s available through the Google Maps and Google Earth apps but it hasn’t really been well showcased on the small screen — until today’s launch of the stand-alone Street...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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10 Online Business Resources

There are many tools at your disposal that can help when starting an online business. Learn about 10 online business resources at HowStuffWorks.

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10 Online Business Resources

There are many tools at your disposal that can help when starting an online business. Learn about 10 online business resources at HowStuffWorks.

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Labor Day Gas Cheapest in Years

There's good news for travelers hitting the road this Labor Day weekend. AAA projects that gas prices will be at their lowest level in a decade.

Source CBN.com - Finance http://ift.tt/1JPMW8d

October’s The New December For Mobile Marketers

As more shoppers complete their holiday shopping by October, columnist Anthony Bursi says it's critical for mobile marketers to get their holiday strategy in place.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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How Investors Should Play Oil's Decline

Large integrated companies and refiners represent investors' best chance for bargains in the oil industry.


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How a Buy-Sell-Hold Strategy Works in a Bear Market

Moving a large chunk of one's portfolio to cash is a defensive strategy – and a controversial one.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1QaQFOw

The Power of the Backdoor Roth IRA

Here’s how to get money into a Roth IRA when you earn more than the income limits.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1hWWOTj

How to Afford to Quit Your Job

Preparing in advance for a big income reduction can help make it possible to walk away.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1VyVmov

Tips for a Cheap Labor Day BBQ

If you're ready to host a party this weekend, think about making the event a potluck.

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How to Get a Job if You Haven't Worked in a While

Tips for explaining the employment gap in résumés and cover letters.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1OcdrEA

Tell Fido It’s Time to Earn His Keep: 5 Jobs for Dogs

Owning a dog can be expensive.

We spend an average $269 per year just to feed our pooches, according to the American Pet Products Association. When you factor in in grooming, boarding and other expenses, you’re looking at a total of between $500 and $1,000 per year, depending on where you live.

But when you need to offset these costs, pocket a little extra cash or even find a steady stream of revenue, man’s best friend may be your best bet.

Here are five ways your dog can earn money — unless, like mine, he’s too busy napping to contribute to his upkeep.

1. Social Media Star

Trotter’s owner, Sonja Yu, doesn’t talk about how much her wig-wearing French bulldog earns for her, but the hip pup with more than 209,000 Instagram followers is a brand ambassador who has appeared on The Today Show and Good Morning America.

Trotter obviously earns a little something, in addition to raising money for local animal shelters.

Even if your dog doesn’t go viral like Trotter, with enough followers, you can benefit financially.

Baldwin Cunningham says he’s received the equivalent of $5,000 in products for in-kind sponsored content featured on his Labradoodle’s 17,800-strong Instagram account (plus one small monetary payment). Product obviously isn’t cash, but if you don’t have to buy a new leash or the next bag of dog food, it’s the next best thing.

All it takes is a camera, an Internet connection and a personable pup to get started and help your dog become an online sensation. (It doesn’t hurt to be a professional photographer, like Yu, either.)

2. Model

Bodhi, the 5-year-old Shiba Inu known as “Menswear Dog,” got his start modeling men’s clothes on Tumblr and Instagram, but he’s more than just a social media sensation today — he actually models extra-small male attire for name-brand clothing lines.

It’s definitely profitable. Between photo contracts, guest appearances and sponsored content, Bodhi earns $10,000 to $15,000 per month for his owners, David Fun and Yena Kim, who quit their full-time jobs to focus on his career.

While there isn’t much of a call for clothes-wearing animals, your dog can earn money as a model in advertisements for anything from dog food to a family vacation. To find work, register online with a reputable agency like Le PAWS or Lucky Dog Models, and be prepared to provide professional photographs.

The typical photo shoot pays as little as $100 per day, minus the agency’s cut, so in the end, you won’t make a lot of money. But you’ll have the bragging rights that come with having a model in the family!

3. Actor

It takes a special dog to be an actor, but if your pooch has what it takes, acting in commercials, television shows and movies can be even more profitable than modeling.

Expect to earn $200 to $300 per day, unless your dog becomes a star and you can negotiate for more. (Keep in mind that even household names, like Eddie from the television show Frasier, earned far less than their human counterparts.)

Many of the same agencies that work with dog models represent dog actors, so if you register your dog to model, chances are he’s already in the running for acting jobs.

Or, you might get lucky like Gary Castelle, who was spotted by a German film company walking his dog, Junior, in Manhattan. The director loved Junior so much he created a part for him and paid Castelle $250 per day.

Another option: If you live in a city where a lot of filming takes place, like New York or Los Angeles, you may be able to get work for both of you. Productions often put out calls for background actors who can walk their dogs in film and TV scenes. The pay is usually $100 to $150 per day.

4. Fur Producer

Does your dog seem to shed his weight in fur every day? You’re in luck! There’s a market for Chiengora (pronounced she-an-gora), or dog-hair yarn.

It’s not as simple as sweeping the floor, and you probably won’t get anything for your dog’s hair if you simply list a bag of it on eBay.

However, you can turn the hair into yarn and either sell the yarn or use it to knit sweaters, scarves and other products to sell. This throw pillow made from Chiengora fabric is listed for $150, and tons of sellers on Etsy list socks, hats and more.

5. Performer or Athlete

Depending on the competition, you might actually lose money trying to make your dog a champion.

That’s because most dog shows award, at most, $100 for Best in Show. Even the Eukanuba National Championship’s grand prize of $1,000 barely covers entry fees, grooming services, handler fees and travel expenses to the show, and money from product sponsorships and stud fees are usually far less than you might think.

You’ll have a better shot at agility, field and other performance-based competitions. The prizes are still small — USDAA’s Grand Prix of Dog Agility World Championships awards $1,000 to each first-place winner — but you don’t have to pamper your pet quite so much.

Whatever competition you enter, you’ll have to put in countless hours in training and performing, so weigh whether the return is worth your investment.

Your Turn: Has your dog ever worked for his kibble? Tell us about it in the comments!

Teresa Bitler is a freelance writer whose German Shorthair Pointer spends his days sleeping under the desk. He has never earned a dime.

The post Tell Fido It’s Time to Earn His Keep: 5 Jobs for Dogs appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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11 Fun Things to Do That Actually Earn Money

Do you enjoy photography? Why not try selling your photos? Photo: Hernan Pinera

A couple of weeks ago, I posted an article entitled “40 Free (or Extremely Low-Cost) Things I Genuinely Enjoy Doing – and You Might, Too!” I received several pieces of feedback on the article, mostly positive, but one in particular stuck out at me. Alex writes:

Your list of free things to do was cool, but I am more interested in hobbies I can take up that could actually earn a little. Do you have a list of “things you enjoy doing that earn money”?

Well, let’s do just that!

First of all, I excluded things that require significant training in order to be able to pull off. Almost anyone can make a passing attempt at any of these things almost any time. Sure, they might not be very good, but you can actually do them and you will get better with practice.

There are a lot of things you can do if you have specialized skills: record music videos and put them on YouTube, write smartphone apps, get change from the bank and look for rare coins, and so on. For the most part, I’m excluding these things and sticking with stuff you can start doing pretty quickly with only an online guide or two to help you when you’re starting.

Second, I excluded things that require a lot of equipment that you may not have. You might be able to make some money if you have a 3D printer, for example, but many people do not. I have a friend, for example, who has made some money printing off miniatures from a 3D printer, but that’s not accessible to most people. If you have an airplane, for instance, you could take people on airplane rides to make money – but who has an airplane? Some of the things below do require a few pieces of equipment, but they’re either really inexpensive or they’re things that people already have.

Third, I also excluded location-specific things. For example, in the area where I grew up, people used to hunt for geodes to earn some extra money. They also used to hunt for morel mushrooms – something I still dabble in. Those things really require you to be in specific areas to be able to pull them off, so I’m not including them, either.

Ready to pick up a new hobby and make a few bucks along the way? Let’s do it!

1. Make homemade movies.

All you really need to make a cool and memorable movie that’s perfect for becoming a YouTube sensation is a camera and a cute idea. You don’t need props. You don’t need a perfect script. You just need a camera and a good idea, nothing else.

Trust me, anything flies. There are videos out there depicting people’s cats being cute. There are videos out there of some guy dressed up as Batman doing ordinary dad stuff. There are infinite videos out there of clever hidden camera situations. There are videos out there of water balloon pranks. All of those have been hits in the past.

In the end, all you really need is a cute idea and a rough vision of how to turn it into a video. Turn on the camera, make it happen, upload it to Youtube, and share it with your friends. It probably won’t go anywhere… but it might.

You’ll never know, though, until you spend an afternoon with a camera making a video.

2. Record a podcast series.

Podcasts can be incredibly enjoyable, both for the person listening and the person recording. I’ve been on both ends of the equation many times and both are enjoyable.

All you really need to record your own podcast is a computer and a microphone. You can even record one using just your smartphone if it’s a simple solo show without much editing.

You can host your podcast for free using BuzzSprout as you’re getting started, then upgrade to other plans if your podcast becomes popular. Of course, when it becomes popular, you can actually start making money with it.

Making money from a podcast is a bit tricky, but once you start raising an audience on your own, you can look into the possibility of joining a podcast network, which often serves as a collective for finding and negotiating with advertisers for the purposes of raising money.

Not only that, podcasting is a great way to get involved with the online community of whatever topic you’re into.

3. Raise a garden.

Raising a vegetable garden is a really enjoyable and engrossing hobby. It’s wonderful to take a plot of ground, plant some seeds in it, care for that ground by removing weeds and adding nutrients, and seeing the plants grow and produce fruits and vegetables. Not only that, if you’re using heirloom varieties, you can save the seeds and plant them again next season.

So, how does this make money? For one, you can take the food and eat it yourself, eliminating the cost of meals or meal ingredients and keeping that money in your pocket. You can also take the extras and sell them. Post what you have for sale on Facebook or take them to a farmers market. Put them on a table in front of your house with a jar and a “take what you need, pay what you can” card. Look into selling the extras to local grocers. You get the idea.

Obviously, the bigger the garden, the more food you produce, and the more food you produce, the greater the proceeds. It’s all about how much you enjoy the hobby and how much time and energy you’re willing to invest.

4. Bake some bread or make some other handmade good and take it to the farmers market.

At our local farmers market, many of the booths go beyond selling just fresh produce. There are also people selling their fresh baked goods from their own kitchen, their own home-canned preserves and jams and jellies, and so on.

The thing is, I’ve made all of that stuff in my own kitchen. I’ve baked countless loaves of homemade bread. I’ve made many jars of jelly and jam. I’ve made homemade salsa. I’ve made handmade soap. I’ve made homemade laundry soap. I could sell all of that stuff at a farmers market without any issues.

Obviously, you need to check with the rules of your local farmers market regarding what you can make yourself and are allowed to sell, but it’s certainly an opportunity for you if you enjoy making things like this at home.

5. Play a free video game and stream it.

There are a lot of free computer games and low-cost video games out there, such as League of Legends and Defense of the Ancients 2 (Dota 2), that offer incredible gameplay depth and fun. They also attract a surprisingly large online viewing audience, people who just love to tune in and watch people play and hear their commentary through sites like Twitch.

If you enjoy playing video games, stream them! You can set up streaming pretty easily from an Xbox One, a PS4, or a PC and stream out your games. The ability is built into the consoles; you can get OBS for free to stream from your computer. You can also record commentary as you play if you have a microphone and, in my experience, that’s the best way to build an audience is through fun commentary as you’re playing.

One great strategy is to just play through niche games that are considered classics and make lots of jokes while playing, just like you were playing with your friends. Remember, you don’t need to be competitively skilled, just interesting.

6. Take photographs and sell some of them to stock photography sites.

For many people, the process of taking photographs of people, objects, and nature is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Perhaps you’ve already invested in some photography equipment and maybe you’ve even dreamed of doing it professionally, but have never been able to turn that corner.

This is a perfect situation for stock photography. Simply take interesting photos and then upload them to a stock photography site like iStockPhoto. They’ll take care of the rest. Over time, some of your images will be sold and used in publications and in other places and when that happens you’ll earn a bit of income.

There are many, many services for this online – Shutterstock, BigStockPhoto, and so on. Almost all of them have arrangements for photographers to sell their images.

If you think a fun afternoon is taking hundreds of photographs and finding two or three that are gems, this is a great way to translate that “fun” into an income stream.

7. Start a blog on a topic you enjoy and put some ads on it.

What are you passionate about? What excites you? What do you love doing and talking about? Those are the things that would make a great blog.

It’s pretty easy to start one using a service like Blogger, WordPress, or Squarespace. All you have to do is sign up, pick a template, and start writing. I recommend focusing on two things with each article – make it informative and make it entertaining. I find that articles that manage to do both, mixing information with interesting anecdotes and stories, are the ones that grab me, no matter what the topic.

So, how do you make money here? There are many ways. You can put advertisements on the site using Adsense. You can put affiliate links to Amazon on the site. If you have a lot of writings, you can bundle them into an ebook. You can also use the blog to promote other things you’re doing, like the other ideas in this article.

Each of those things has the opportunity to earn you some real money.

8. Make crafts and sell them on Etsy.

Do you have a particular crafting skill that you’d love to share with others? Maybe you’re good at sketches and can make custom sketches for people from photographs. Perhaps you’re a good fantasy artist (like this old friend of mine) and would like to sell some of your art. Maybe you make handmade metal signs or keychain fobs. Perhaps you like to knit scarves.

Whatever it is that you like to make, you can sell it on Etsy.

It’s pretty easy to open a store on Etsy; you mostly just list yourself on there and then list a few items you’re selling, along with photographs of those items and a reasonable price for them. Describe those items well and people who are searching for interesting decorations or items to buy will find it.

• Related: How to Make Money Selling Handmade Items on Etsy

Not only that, once you have items listed on Etsy, you can discuss them elsewhere. Post those items on Facebook for your friends to see and share them on other discussion forums you participate in related to your hobby.

9. Buy stuff at yard sales or thrift stores (or find it while dumpster diving) and sell it on eBay or at your own yard sale.

This is something that the father of one of my closest friends does for a living. He simply checks out dumpsters and roadside curbs during peak periods – when students move out of dormitories at the nearby university, for example – and scavenges anything of value, then sells that stuff at his own yard sale.

I even do this to a certain extent. I’ve been known to go to thrift stores looking for items that I can accurately price and then resell on eBay or at a yard sale. Occasionally, I hit gold – I once bought a board game for $3 that I resold for $120.

You can easily do this, too. Look in places where there is little financial risk – dumpsters after a moving day, thrift shops, and so on – and try to identify items that would have value if brought before the right person. Then, take the effort to put them in front of the right person, either through eBay or your own yard sale.

• Related: Beyond eBay: Six Other Ways to Buy, Sell, and Trade Stuff Online

There’s not much financial investment at all. If you find someone who wants the item, you can make money. If you can’t, then just get rid of the item again – it’s not a big investment, after all.

10. Start a video podcast/blog on YouTube and enable ads.

This one’s really simple. If you have a video camera on your laptop or computer, just record a video of yourself discussing something that you’re passionate about. Save that video, edit it a little if you so choose, and then post it to YouTube. Enable ads on that video. Over time, you’ll earn a trickle of money from each video you post.

Just as with blogging, the real value comes from recording a lot of videos so that people who find you and are interested will stick around, watching more of your videos.

This is a great way to channel your thoughts into something that can earn a little bit of money, particularly if you’re not strong at converting those thoughts into the written word. Video challenges an entirely different set of skills.

11. Play music.

Do you enjoy sitting around and playing songs on your guitar or piano? You have fun, but you’re not quite good enough to play professionally?

That shouldn’t stop you from recording it and selling it. There are a lot of things you can do to make some money off your music.

For one, you can simply play a song (ideally, one you’ve written yourself to avoid copyright issues) and list that song on online music stores. You can also make a video for that song and post it on YouTube (with ads enabled, of course). That way, you can make at least a bit of money from your recording.

For another, you can give lessons, teaching others how to play. You can advertise on places like Craigslist for music lessons face-to-face, but you can also do things like record videos of your lessons and post them online.

Finally, if you live in a city or a town with a compact downtown, you can try busking — performing in the street or a subway station. (Subways or narrow streets work best if you don’t have an amplifier.) Tourists and commuters alike may appreciate the ambience, and tips of a dollar or quarter at a time can add up quickly. At the worst, you’ll get some valuable practice performing in public; but you can make some decent money, too. Just remember to research whether you need a permit to play in a certain spot.

• Related: How Will Dailey Makes a Living as a Middle-Class Musician

12. Final Thoughts

The key thing to remember is that, usually, these avenues won’t cause you to become rich. What they will do, though, is let you do something you enjoy and probably make enough to pay for at least some of the costs related to that hobby, or perhaps earn a trickle of income.

Even a little bit of income can make a difference. For one, if it comes from a hobby, that means the hobby is income-positive rather than income-negative, meaning it puts money in your pocket rather than taking it out. That can make budgeting a lot easier. Even if your hobby remains income-negative, it’s not as income negative as it once was, again helping with your budgeting.

Not only that, an income-generating hobby like one of these has the potential to grow into something big, provided you strike a chord with your audience and promote it well. This usually does not happen, but it can never happen if you don’t give it a try.

If you’d like a few more ideas along these lines, I wrote about income-positive hobbies a few years ago, sharing ideas that share some overlap with this list.

Good luck!

The post 11 Fun Things to Do That Actually Earn Money appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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AOL Buys Mobile Marketer Millennial Media For Roughly $240 Million

This morning AOL announced that it was buying mobile ad platform Millennial Media for roughly $240 million. A deal had been rumored for the past couple of months as Millennial has struggled as a public company. In addition to solving problems for Millennial the deal gives the Verizon-owned AOL...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Consumer First: What It Means And Why It Matters

If you want your brand to truly succeed, it's time to put the customer first. Columnist Scott Rayden discusses how you can step up your consumer experience strategy.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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6 Conversion Principles You Can Learn From The Mere-Exposure Effect

Columnist Jeremy Smith explains why increasing your exposure leads to familiarity, which results in a big improvement in conversion optimization.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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5 Tips for Packing Cheap (And Healthy) School Lunches

Cut the cost of your child's lunchbox with these hacks.

Source U.S. News - Money http://ift.tt/1KLxyus

Cookie ‘Black Friday’ Instagram Users With Facebook Custom Audiences

In this week’s edition of aimClear’s Psychographic Targeting Hot House, Rachel Malone-Olson, Social Account Manager, delivers Black Friday cookie pools wrapped and ready for promotion. Facebook delivered mid-August with Website Clicks and Mobile App Install campaigns that are able to display ads in...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Make $50 – $150 an Hour Participating in Focus Groups

By Holly Reisem Hanna I remember the first time I got called to participate in a focus group. I was a sophomore in college and money was tight. It was for a radio station that had gathered my name from a sweepstakes that I had previously entered. The 2 hour segment required me to sit […]

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The 5 Best Cities for Freelancers: Did Yours Make the List?

Where should you live if you want to be a successful freelancer?

We already know you can do freelance work from anywhere, whether you’re working while parenting, writing from a college campus or traveling overseas, but it turns out some cities are much better for freelancers than others.

NerdWallet recently developed a list of the best cities for freelancers based on an analysis of the 100 largest U.S. cities. (Sorry, small-town freelancers; this list won’t be for you.)

To rank the best freelancing cities, NerdWallet considered five big factors:

1. Percentage of freelancers
2. Average income earned by freelancers
3. Percentage of people with direct-purchase health insurance
4. Health insurance costs
5. Median cost of rent

Did your city make the list? Let’s find out.

The Top 5 Cities for Freelancers

Scottsdale, Arizona earned the top ranking. To quote NerdWallet:

The self-employment rate is above the national average, but what really sets the city apart is at an income of $66,309, it is home to the highest average freelance income of all cities we analyzed. Scottsdale also has the highest percentage of people with direct-purchase health insurance of all 100 cities, and the cost of that insurance is lower than average.

Coming in second is Los Angeles, California. This should be no surprise to anyone who’s ever visited — or lived in — LA; the city is full of freelance writers, actors and screenwriters. However, be prepared to put a significant amount of your freelancing income towards LA’s median rent of $1,200 a month.

Portland, Oregon comes in third, followed by Austin, Texas. Both cities are known for their freelance-friendly communities, and are welcoming to people who lead unconventional lives. We’ve all seen the “Keep Portland Weird” and “Keep Austin Weird” T-shirts, right? (Yes, both cities use the same slogan.)

Bringing up the Top Five is Boise City, Idaho. With a low median rent of $789 and an average self-employment income of $35,300, freelancers in Boise City can spend roughly 27% of their pre-tax income on rent and still have enough left over to save.

Use Your Freelance City to Find Your Tribe

A lot of freelancers don’t choose a city. Instead, they start freelancing from their current address. However, if you have the option to choose a city from which to freelance, use NerdWallet’s list to find a new home in a place likely to help you succeed.

One of the most important elements of freelancing success, after all, is finding your tribe. These are the people who know where the work is, who help you out when work is low and who introduce you to people who can help grow your career.

A lot of us find this tribe online, with sites like Carol Tice’s Freelance Writers’ Den or groups of fellow freelancers we meet on Twitter and Facebook.

But living in a city full of successful freelancers can also help you find your own freelance network — and for some of us, it might be worth the move.

Want to learn more? Read the full story at NerdWallet.

Your Turn: Do you live in a great city for freelancers? Tell us about it in the comments!

Nicole Dieker is a freelance writer focusing on personal finance and personal stories. Her work has appeared in The Billfold, The Toast, Yearbook Office, The Write Life and Boing Boing.

The post The 5 Best Cities for Freelancers: Did Yours Make the List? appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Beware 'extortionate' Argos, Burton and Miss Selfridge store cards

Tom Wilson

storecards.jpg

Store cards have been criticised for charging consumers "extortionate" interest rates, with Argos, Burton and Miss Selfridge named and shamed as the worst offenders.

Store cards have been criticised for charging consumers "extortionate" interest rates, with Argos, Burton and Miss Selfridge named and shamed as the worst offenders.

At 29.9% APR, the three cards are almost five times more expensive than leading credit cards. Next charges 24.99% APR, making it around four times as costly.

Beware 'extortionate' Argos, Burton and Miss Selfridge store cards

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Store cards have been criticised for charging consumers "extortionate" interest rates, with Argos, Burton and Miss Selfridge named and shamed as the worst offenders. At 29.9% APR, the three cards are almost five times more expensive than leading credit cards. Next charges 24.99% APR, making it around four times as costly. By comparison, Lloyds Bank, Bank of Scotland and Halifax all offer credit cards with a 6.4% APR, and they let you spend anywhere, rather than just with the issuing retailer. The high interest rates charged by store cards can significantly inflate the purchase price. For example, someone repaying the minimum balance on a store card for a £450 washing machine at 29.9% APR, would end up paying £43.87 a month, or £526.40 in total. That's £76.40 in interest and 17% more than the list price. Even a more modest purchase, like a £100 winter coat would cost £9.75 a month – based on the same 29.9% APR – or £116.98 in total. Again, this is 17% more than the original selling price. Worse still, only make the minimum payments and you'll see the purchase price soar. The washing machines would end up costing £1,138.34 and take more than 12 years to clear the balance, according to estimates from Moneyfacts. Complete scandal Moneyfacts' personal finance expert Rachel Springall says: "Store cards are a complete scandal for customers if they don't pay off the balance as soon as they have made their purchase, because these cards charge extortionate interest rates compared with other reasonable credit cards on the market. "Shoppers are likely to be persuaded at the till to take out a store card … but they should never assume that they are getting a good deal. "For example, the lowest interest rate they could achieve on a normal credit card is just 6.4% APR – and that's before we even get to cards that charge 0% interest on purchases for a limited period." Since 2011 retailers have been banned from paying commission to staff for getting customers to open store cards and from offering shoppers an instant discounts as an incentive to take out a card. Shops can only apply a discount on an account after a seven-day period. However, many retailers still off staff a range of 'benefits' linked to store card account openings but insist jobs are dependent on store card sales.

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Source Moneywise http://ift.tt/1ED6Q6m