MAKE MONEY ONLINE POSTS: 05/18/16

الأربعاء، 18 مايو 2016

New overtime rules force businesses to make hard choices

NEW YORK (AP) — The government's new rules requiring overtime pay for millions of workers have small business owners facing some hard choices.The regulations being issued by the Labor Department Wednesday would double to $913 a week from $455 the threshold under which salaried workers must be paid overtime. In terms of annual pay, the threshold rises to $47,476 from $23,660. The rules take effect Dec. 1.Many businesses like restaurants, retailers, landscapers and moving [...]

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Jock N’ Jill’s menu is for the dogs

The gravy train has pulled in at Jock N’ Jill’s in Stroudsburg and, much to the delight of its owner, the restaurant is going to the dogs.The popular eatery has rolled out its summer menu and for the third time in as many years, it features what Jock N’ Jill’s owners and employees call a “special dog menu.”“We first developed the dog menu three years ago so that when people walk their dogs on Main Street they can have dinner with [...]

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If Your Salary is Less Than $47K, You’re About to Qualify for Overtime Pay

If you earn a salary, President Barack Obama wants you to make more money.

The U.S. Labor Department has finalized a new overtime pay threshold for people who work more than 40 hours per week.

Under the current rule, you’re only guaranteed time-and-a-half overtime pay if your yearly pay is less than $23,660.

The new salary threshold? $47,476.

The adjustment has been in the works since 2014, when the president announced a planned update to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Until now, most white-collar workers receiving a set weekly salary — regardless of hours worked — have been excluded from overtime rules.

“It doesn’t make sense that in some cases this rule actually makes it possible for salaried workers to be paid less than the minimum wage,” President Obama said.

“If you’re working hard, you’re barely making ends meet, you should be paid for overtime. Period.”

What Does the Change Really Mean for Workers?

If you’re already working more than 40 hours per week, the added bonus of time-and-a-half pay could be a nice bump for your paycheck.

But your boss is going to have to pay the price.

Your employer could give you a slight raise to bump you out of the threshold, or require you to stick to 40 hours per week.

The worst-case scenario, according to CNN? Your boss could actually lower your pay to make up for the overtime hours you might put in.

As long as employees are paid at least minimum wage — according to state and federal laws — the federal government can’t say much more, lawyer Tammy McCutchen explained to CNN.

The final overtime rule comes in the midst of several states and cities considering a required minimum wage of $15. While a higher minimum wage may help close the wage gap and make it easier to live in pricy cities, a salary-plus-overtime option is still better in most cases.

For example, if you work 40 hours per week at $15 per hour, you still only make $600 per week before taxes.

So, When are We Doing This Thing?

Mark your calendar for December 1, 2016.

Starting that day, if you make less than $913 per week before taxes, your employer is required to pay you time-and-a-half for any hour worked over 40 in a single week.

The rule will get an update every three years. In 2020, the adjustment will be determined based on census and national salary data.

Vice President Joe Biden noted that 40 years ago, 62% of workers had overtime protection; today, only 7% do.

We’ll see what that percentage jumps to at the end of the year.

Your turn: Do you receive overtime pay? Will you receive overtime pay thanks to the increase threshold?

Lisa Rowan is a writer, editor, and podcaster living in Washington, D.C.

The post If Your Salary is Less Than $47K, You’re About to Qualify for Overtime Pay appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Jock N’ Jill’s doggy menu is for the dogs

New ovetime rules force businesses to make hard choices

Whole Foods is Opening a Chain of Cheaper Stores. Will You Shop There?

Dear Regular People: Whole Foods has heard your snarky comments and biting nicknames. Its feelings are hurt, and it wants to win you back.

Next week, the organic food retailer will open a smaller store that specializes in cheaper, private-label groceries.

It’s called 365 by Whole Foods Market — you might recognize the name from Whole Foods’ existing label of affordable organic foods.

With the growing ubiquity of organic and natural foods in conventional stores, the pioneering grocer has seen falling sales for three straight quarters, reports Bloomberg. The new stores are an attempt to woo shoppers who have learned to dismiss Whole Foods as overpriced and overvalued.

“We want it to appeal to a wider audience,” Jeff Turnas, the company veteran who’s running 365, told Bloomberg. “This model allows us to compete with everybody in the market.”

The first store will open in L.A.’s Silver Lake neighborhood on May 25.

The company has also signed 19 leases for new stores around the country, including near Portland, Seattle, Houston and Cincinnati. Expect to see their doors open in the next few months.

If you don’t see a 365 location opening in your area, try these 23 money-saving secrets to save money at your local Whole Foods.

Or try these 22 ways to save money on groceries and still eat well — no matter where you shop.

Will You Shop at a Cheaper Whole Foods?

Unsurprisingly, critics think Whole Foods is grasping at straws.

Many shoppers have already figured out how to circumvent the expensive brand and eat healthy on a budget. The company expects 365 to appeal to younger shoppers, who are ostensibly still making up their minds about where to shop.

But can Whole Foods shed the cloud of elitism its brand has accumulated over the years?

“We’re all foodies, and 365 is about food,” said Turnas. “Yes, it’s our value format, and we’re going to compete on price. But we’re going to compete while keeping Whole Foods quality.”

Can they do both?

Your Turn: Will you shop at a cheaper Whole Foods store?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).

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Is Your Content Good Enough? 6 Questions to Find the Answer

What do you think of the content that your competitors publish?

My guess? It’s not great.

It’s easy to judge others, but tough to evaluate ourselves.

I guarantee that all your competitors think the same thing as you, that most content in your niche is junk.

And yet…they believe that theirs is the exception.

No doubt you think your content is pretty good too. Otherwise, why would you publish it?

I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just pointing out that we all have biases. Of course we’re going to think our own content is good.

The ideal solution would be to hire a professional marketer or editor to evaluate your content and compare it against competitors.

However, that’s rarely possible.

The next best solution, in any case, is to have a checklist of all the essentials of good content.

While you can make your own, I thought I’d start you off.

I’m going to tell you 6 questions that you should ask yourself before publishing any piece of content.

This is a list of essentials, but feel free to add to it afterwards.

1. Does it have a real purpose to the right people

There are 2 ways you can write.

You can write for yourself, creating something that you think is superb.

Or, you can write for your readers, creating something that is specifically crafted to help them.

Can you guess which one I prefer? It’s option number 2. Always write for your readers.

One mistake that many content creators make, especially newer ones, is writing something that they think is good.

They’ll write a rant, or some other post just to make themselves sound smart. But this doesn’t accomplish anything other than making them feel smart.

Here’s an example of such a post on Medium:

As you can see, the author wrote a public post that was essentially a rant directed towards her CEO.

You can read it if you want, but essentially it’s a whole lot of complaining. All about “me, me, me.”

As an interesting note, an edit on the post explains that she was let go shortly after (not necessarily related though).

The point is, that even if this content gets read by a lot of people, it’s not going to impact their lives.

All good content, from the viewpoint of content marketing, needs to leave a favorable impression of your brand in the minds of readers.

It should do one of the following:

Solve a problem – For example, a detailed step by step guide to patching up a wall.
Inspire action – When content is focused on the reader, it can inspire them to take action to improve their lives. At the end of most of my posts, I ask readers to take action on what I wrote, because they’ll remember me when they do.

Teach – Everyone loves to learn about the things they truly care about. Good content can focus on teaching an important concept. For example, a post about how Google’s basic algorithm works, written for beginner SEOs.

Go back to the question and answer it now.

Is your content written for your audience, and does it have value to them?

If the topic is good, but you were more focused on what you think is in a good article, go through it and edit it. Constantly ask yourself, “how can I make this clearer for my reader?”

You should be able to articulate the exact value that your content provides readers. If you can’t, it probably doesn’t have any (or much).

2. Are your claims backed up with credible sources?

The days are over when you could write whatever you’d like and be believed.

Many readers these days are skeptical. After reading so many lies, and hearing false promises, it takes a lot to convince them to take you at your word and take action.

And if you can’t get them to take action, you’re never going to claim that place in their email box or memory.

This is why I recommend backing up all your claims, with data when possible.

What’s more convincing? Saying:

Diabetes causes your hair to fall out.
Diabetes impairs your brain function.

They both sound possible, but they both sound like they could just be speculation. The difference, is that the second one links to a study in a respected journal.

As a reader, the second one leaves me convinced, the first one leaves me with questions.

What’s a credible source?: A key word in the question here is “credible.” If a reader clicks through to your source, and doesn’t trust it, you’re back where you started.

Here’s what I would say is a good rule of thumb for credible sources:

Studies (journal articles) are the best if possible
Data analysis posts
Government sites
Highly respected sites (like webMD)
Posts written by extremely well known authors (or interviews)

3. Do the images add more than just breaking up text?

I’m a big fan of visual content, which you know if you read my stuff regularly.

One benefit of including a lot of pictures is that they break up text, making it easier to read.

But if that’s the only thing the images in your content do, that’s a problem.

Images give you a unique opportunity to:

Clarify tough concepts
Provide additional insights
Present data that you can’t in text

All in a way that most readers enjoy.

But too many bloggers squander this opportunity on a regular basis, even good ones.

Here’s an example from a very popular blog that shall remain nameless:

I really don’t know what a molten chess piece has to do with becoming a brand publisher.

This factor isn’t the end of the world, but using the right pictures can take your post from mediocre to good, or good to great.

Take this post on the Ahrefs blog as an example. After going over a concept that is tough to explain, they presented a tiny infographic to illustrate it:

Even though you don’t really know the context of the article, I bet you already have a good idea of the point that was being stressed.

That’s an image that adds value to the surrounding text.

Just as every sentence should add something to the content, so should every image.

4. Do you have competition? (and is yours the best?)

Think of your content as a product (even if it’s a free one).

Just about all products have competition. Go to a grocery store, and you’ll find ketchup made by 5 different companies.

Look up a guide to SEO, and you’ll find not just 5, but thousands of competing pieces of content.

Before you publish, and even before you write, you need to know what you’re up against.

Usually, this means going to Google and putting in a few keyword phrases that describe your content.

For example, I would search for “is your content good enough”, or “how to judge content quality” for this article that you’re reading.

Next, go through at least the first page of results. More is always better.

Look through them and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Then, compare those strengths to your own.

If your content is worse in some areas, it needs to be improved before you publish it. No one switches to the new product if it’s worse than the old one.

There is one exception: There is no competition in a monopoly. A monopoly exists when a company can create a product that no one else can, either because of legal reasons or they lack the ability to create it.

It’s great to own a monopoly in real life if you ever get the chance from a business perspective.

If possible, you should try to create a content monopoly on the topic you’re writing about.

If you can approach a topic from an angle that no one else can replicate, you’re guaranteed to stand out.

For example, a few years ago I spent $252,000 on conversion rate optimization and published a post about it:

Anyone can write a post along the lines of “x lessons of conversion rate optimization.”

Very few can say they spend a few hundred thousand hiring the best in the industry, and then share what they learned.

5. Is your title AND opening gripping?

Your title can affect your conversion rate by 40% and plays a huge role in overall traffic.

It’s the part that most people read, and then decide if they are interested enough to read the actual article.

You should write down at least 20 different possible titles for each piece of content you create.

I know it’s a pain and takes a lot of time for just 10-15 words, but it is by far the most important part of your content.

Recognizing a great title takes practice, but essentially what you want to do is put yourself in your reader’s shoes, and ask yourself:

Do I really need to read this right now?

It’s important that they want to read it “right now,” because most people who say they’ll read it later will not.

And if you can honestly answer “yes” to that question, you need a better title. Do not rush this, it’s crucial.

Once you have the title down, move on to your opening 100-200 words. This is the second most important part of your content.

After the title draws in a reader, many will read the opening and then decide if they’ll read the rest of the content.

Again, ask yourself the same question. There needs to be a question that they just need an answer to, or a story they want the end of in order to compel them to read on.

This is hard.

If you’d like to see some examples, check out some posts on Smart Blogger, their editor makes sure that every post has a strong opening.

6. Is your content optimized for the average reader?

Content marketers are not the average readers. So what we think is good, isn’t usually good for the average content reader.

Research shows the readers only read an average of 20-28% of a post.

Most readers are skimmers.

They skim the content looking for anything that stands out. It’s important that you include elements that do stand out and invite readers to pay closer attention.

There are a few main aspects to consider.

Aspect #1 – Subheadlines matter more than you think: Open a new blog post and take a quick skim. What stands out the most?

Usually, it will be the subheadlines, since they are larger and usually darker than the rest of the text.

Just like readers judge your entire post by the title, they also judge each section by the subheadline.

Notice that I rarely use boring subheadlines in my posts. I always try to make some sort of interesting point that makes a skimmer curious. For example:

You don’t need to spend quite as much time on these as the overall title, but don’t just put the first subheadline that comes to mind either.

Aspect #2 – Readability: It’s important that you keep the basics of readability in mind. No one is going to read a post if it’s all one giant block of text.

Instead, keep the following in mind:

Write in short paragraphs – I use up to 3 sentences maximum.
Have a short blog width - Each line should have no more than 100 characters in it. Many say that 66 characters per line is ideal. Short lines keep the reader feeling like they’re making progress.
Use simple words - I rarely include complex words in my posts. You don’t want readers to have to go look up the meaning of words, which takes them away from your post.

Aspect #3 – Images: Images do break up text as we mentioned earlier, which makes content easier to read.

More importantly, they attract attention.

Imagine if you were skimming a post and saw that custom iceberg graphic from earlier, wouldn’t you read that section to learn more about it? Many readers will.

Images will always grab attention, and if they are interesting (i.e. not a basic stock photo), they can suck in a skimmer.

Conclusion

Being your own toughest critic will help you create great content that will win over readers.

But it’s hard to criticize yourself sometimes, and it’s easy to give yourself the benefit of the doubt.

I recommend going through this list of questions for all the content you’re about to publish. It ensures that you don’t skip over a glaring weakness that needs to be improved.

Keep in mind that this is a list of the essentials, but you may have other things you want to ask yourself before you publish something in order to ensure a high standard of content.

If you have any of those questions, I’d love it if you’d share them with me and everyone else below in a comment.

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One in three investors sitting on cash ahead of EU referendum

Gary Adams

dragon-hoarding-cash.jpg

The overriding view on the EU referendum re: the UK possibly leaving Europe in all the press, including us is one of uncertainty. Simply put, nobody really has any idea what will happen if we leave – both in the short-term and the long-term.

The overriding view on the EU referendum re: the UK possibly leaving Europe in all the press, including us is one of uncertainty. Simply put, nobody really has any idea what will happen if we leave – both in the short-term and the long-term.

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8 Experts Share Their Best Money Tips: Listen In on Thursday, May 19

Hey there Penny Hoarders!

We’re hosting our very first Twitter party called #MyTwoCents and we’d love for you to join in on the fun!

We’ve partnered with Capital One to highlight some ways their Quicksilver card has helped us save time and money. Some of our favorite personal finance experts will share their two cents about how to get a handle on your money.

You’ll learn tips and tricks for simplifying your finances, the ins and outs of how to use a cash-back credit card effectively, the best tools and services for managing your money, and much more!

During the Twitter party, we’ll give away one Amazon Echo, a tool that lets you interact with your Capital One financial information, such as checking your balance and reviewing recent transactions, just by talking to it. See the official rules for more details.

Here are the details:

When:

Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 1 p.m. EDT

How It Works:

Using the hashtag #MyTwoCents, we’ll ask our Twitter party panelists to answer a series of questions. Questions will come from our Twitter account (@thepennyhoarder) and we’ll mark them Q1, Q2, Q3, and so on.

Our panelists will respond to these questions with their own separate tweets and include A1, A2, A3, etc., along with the hashtag #MyTwoCents.

And, of course, we encourage you to participate as well! Feel free to use the hashtag #MyTwoCents to follow along with the conversation and contribute your ideas.

Our amazing panelists include…

Nicole Lapin, NYT best-selling author of Rich Bitch, @Nicolelapin
Erin Lowry, millennial money expert, @BrokeMillennial
Stefanie O’Connell, millennial money expert, @Stefanieoconnel
Cameron Huddleston, personal finance expert, award-winning journalist and GoBankingRates columnist, @CHLebedinsky
Rebecca Jarvis, ABC News Chief Business, Tech, Economics Correspondent; Host of Real Biz with Rebecca Jarvis, @Rebeccajarvis
Sarah Berger, general assignment reporter for Bankrate, @Sarahberger0408
Kerri Anne Renzulli, family finance reporter for MONEY, @Kerenzulli
Gerri Detweiler, head of market education for NAV, @gerridetweiler

We hope to see you tomorrow!

The post 8 Experts Share Their Best Money Tips: Listen In on Thursday, May 19 appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Here’s How Much It Will Cost You to Move to Canada if Trump Wins

The news has settled in for most of us by now: Donald Trump will be on the ballot as the Republican nominee for president this November.

As the businessman’s campaign has swept America over recent months, we didn’t think Facebook could become more annoying than your uncle posting bigoted pro-Trump memes at 6 a.m. and tagging all 75 of his friends.

But then came the hackneyed cry of the American electorate: the threat to move to Canada if [insert candidate here] wins.

Moving to Canada, Eh?

Canadians hear your cries, and they’re ready for you.

They’re ready every four years.

But you never go. (Seriously, please, just go, or stop talking about it.)

Americans seem to view our big little buddy to the north as some kind of haven of free health care, liberal politics, a beautiful Prime Minister and wide open spaces ready for the taking.

And it is … for Canadians.

(Except the Prime Minister. His beauty is for all of us to enjoy.)

It turns out, immigrating to a new country and soaking up all its benefits is hard.

(Someone should point that out to Trump — but I digress.)

In addition to the logistics of moving and dealing with the distance from your loved ones, you’ll face a slew of practical, financial issues on your northerly trek.

I’m not from Canada, but I have done my research, I know a Canadian and I grew up in Wisconsin, so I speak the language.

Here are some of the financial details you might be forgetting when you threaten that ‘cross-the-border move to soothe your Election Day blues.

You Don’t Actually Get Free Health Care

I’ll start with the biggie: Canada’s free health care.

Americans have been either praising or upbraiding our neighbors for decades for their free-love approach to health care.

And many Americans appear to believe that all you have to do to indulge in the all-you-can-eat buffet of medical treatment is set foot on Canadian soil.

Not true.

A Canadian resident must apply to and potentially pay a premium for public health insurance in their province or territory.

Once you apply, there’s a waiting period for your health insurance to take effect — usually three months.

But wait! To even apply, you must first be a citizen or permanent resident.

Becoming a Canadian Resident Costs Up to $800

Permanent Resident Application: $428-$817

The processing fee for a Canadian permanent resident application is CA$550 ($428). That’s if you apply as a skilled worker, which is dependent on your:

Skills

Work experience

Language (English and/or French) ability

Education

If you’re an investor or entrepreneur, or you’re self-employed, your fee will be CA$1,050 ($817).

And your application can take up to six months to process, during which time you’ll just be hanging out in America enduring the rule of President Trump.

After four years as a permanent resident, you can consider applying for full citizenship.

You’re Probably Going to Want a Job in Canada

Visa and Work Permit: $197

If you don’t want to jump right to residency, you could instead apply for a visa to live and work there temporarily.

You can apply for a Temporary Resident Visa for CA$100 ($77).

Once your application is accepted, you’ll probably need a work permit, which requires another application and another CA$155 ($120).

When you do get a job, expect paycheck deductions for taxes, pension and insurance similar to what you see in the U.S. — somewhere between 25 and 35% of your check.

Your visa will last a maximum of four years, after which time you’re going to have to leave the country and hope your least favorite candidate isn’t elected to a second term.

And You’ll Need Somewhere to Live …

Home: $393,000 to buy, or $4,470 a year to rent

The average selling price of a home in Canada is CA$508,567 ($392,822).

You might sell your home in the U.S. for the average price of $297,000 (based on 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data, adjusted for inflation).

Your home is likely to spend a month or two on the market before it sells. If you get it listed as soon as the polls close, you might get out before Inauguration Day — if you’re lucky.

If you want to save money, you might consider renting. Rent is a whopping 25% lower on average in Canada than in the U.S.

A three-bedroom apartment outside of a city center costs an average of about CA$1,450 ($1,120) a month, so if you shared with two new friends, your cost would be about CA$483 ($373) each month.

… and Food…

Groceries: $411/month

In fact, the overall cost of living in Canada is about 5% lower than in the U.S.

Note for your grocery budget: While overall costs look to be lower, you’ll pay a lot more per item in sales tax, depending on your province of residence.

The Canadian national Goods and Services Tax adds 5% to the price of most purchases. Most provinces add an additional 7-10% in Provincial Sales Tax.

Compare that total 12-15% with U.S. combined tax rates (local plus state), which range from 5.5% to 9.43%.

… And a Vehicle

Car Registration and Gas: about $50-$500

If you want to take your car with you — which, in a country with half the population density of Wyoming, you’ll probably want to do — you’ll have to have it inspected by the Registrar of Imported Vehicles and pay to register it in your province or territory.

Registering your vehicle could cost anywhere between CA$42-$258 ($32-$199), depending on where you decide to live and what kind of vehicle you drive.

Assuming you immigrate in that vehicle, you’ll also have to cover gas. Costs, of course, will vary with how far you’re driving and how much gas costs after the election.

I’ll estimate high: If I were to move from my Tampa Bay area home in Florida to Vancouver, B.C. — 3,228 miles — I’d spend about $300 in gas.

Hop the border from Seattle, and you’ll probably spend less than $50.

God Bless the U.S.A.

One final note before you take off: If you’re headed hastily to Canada without a job or authorization to work, you’ll have to prove that you can afford to live there.

A single person needs at least CA$12,164 ($9,400). If you’re a family of four, you must have at least CA$22,603 ($17,465).

When you start to break it all down… is the U.S. really so bad?

Your Turn: Do you know anyone threatening to move to Canada over 2016 election results?

The post Here’s How Much It Will Cost You to Move to Canada if Trump Wins appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Opportunity Cost, or Why Costco and Sam’s Club Aren’t Always a Bargain

Over the weekend, Sarah and I dug through our overstuffed food pantry in order to take stock of the items we had on hand as well as plan some meals for the upcoming week. What we found, more than anything else, was a lot of partially used bulk buys.

We found large bags of rice and beans, partially used. We found some quinoa, again, partially used. We found several rather large containers of dried spices that were simply not as aromatic as they once were. We found half-empty boxes of snack bars for our children’s backpacks (they’re still young enough that the school encourages us to send a small snack with them each day), as well as some juice boxes. There were some jars of pasta sauce, several boxes of pasta (that came out of larger jumbo packs), and several other odds and ends back there.

Thankfully, most of this stuff is still usable. A few items are past the “best if used by” date, but that doesn’t indicate that it’s something not to be used – it just means it might not taste as fresh or as good as other items. The herbs are definitely past their prime, but we can still use them, though we may use more than we normally would in order to impart an appropriate level of flavor – two teaspoons instead of one, for example.

There were a few items that were tossed. We came across a few snack items bought in bulk for picnics last summer that were… not good. There was a large jar of honey that had gone beyond what could be salvaged – it was practically one solid chunk of sugar and our usual tricks for recovering the honey didn’t work because it was so far gone.

It was painful, but some of that stuff hit the trash. It might seem like no big deal, but the truth is that every single item that went bad while it was sitting in our pantry is essentially money lost.

Naturally, I can’t help but wonder what I could have done with that money. When I tossed those items in the trash, I saw dollar bills and five dollar bills and ten dollar bills going in there. I could have done a lot of worthwhile things and a lot of fun things with that money…

The same thing happens when I spend a lot of time on a project intending to save money and then I realize I’m actually saving very little money for the time invested. A great example of that comes from clipping coupons, something I used to do faithfully until I realized I just wasn’t saving much money for the time invested. I was almost always better off just buying the store brands, as that would save me almost as much as most of the coupons and it didn’t involve digging through websites or paper flyers to clip coupons. When you burn an hour to clip coupons and find out that the coupons are just lowering the prices of items down to the level of the store brands, it really feels like a waste of time.

Whenever I find that I’ve wasted time like that, I have similar feelings. What could I have done with that time? When I see that an hour or two has passed without doing anything useful – not genuine leisure, not genuine productivity, just wasted hours – I feel regret. I can’t help but wonder what I could have done with that time.

In both of these cases, I’m referring to the concept of opportunity cost.

Opportunity cost, as Wikipedia defines it:

In microeconomic theory, the opportunity cost of a choice is the value of the best alternative forgone where, given limited resources, a choice needs to be made between several mutually exclusive alternatives. Assuming the best choice is made, it is the “cost” incurred by not enjoying the benefit that would have been had by taking the second best available choice.

A great way to see this is through an example. Let’s say I have $50 to spend on a board game. I decide to spend all of it on this great game that a friend of mine has just raved about… but the game turns out to be an utter dud. I actively don’t want to play it any more. So I spend some time trying to trade it or sell it and I end up only getting about $20 back out of it after shipping.

Basically, I spent $30 and several hours on one play of a game that I didn’t enjoy and then trading and shipping that game.

On the other hand, I could have spent just a bit of time doing some research on how to spend that $50 and ended up realizing that the game wasn’t for me. Instead, I might buy a different game that I loved much more … or maybe even two different lower-priced games or sale-priced games. Or maybe something else entirely.

That $50 represents a certain amount of opportunity. Even if I use it in the best possible way, I’m still going to miss out on the benefits of other ways I might use it. If I use it in a way that is worse, then I miss out on the best opportunities for that money.

Whenever you spend money, time, or energy, there’s a real opportunity cost there. It’s something that’s well worth thinking about because it provides an extra benefit to spending a bit more time to make sure you’re being as optimal as possible when using your time, money, and energy.

One quick note: while opportunity cost is a valuable concept to understand, it is something that you can overthink to your own detriment. The idea of opportunity cost should inform your decisions and refine your decision making process, not lock you down and keep you from making decisions.

So, what are some time-effective strategies for taking advantage of the idea of opportunity cost?

Be thoughtful about how you use your time and money. One thing that I like to do is to use my driving time to rethink my decisions on how I use my time and money. When I’m on my way to the library or driving back from dropping off a child at soccer practice, I’m usually thinking to myself about my choices and how I could have made better ones. I usually reflect on the opportunity cost of the choice that I made and I try to find any choices that could lower the opportunity cost and bring better results into my life. Surprisingly, I usually think mostly about the little choices, like choosing a store brand when I’m shopping, as I find that little missteps that are repeated frequently actually add up to a pretty big deal so it’s good to get them right.

Mistakes are okay; the perfect is the enemy of the good. No one is ever going to be perfect in terms of the decisions they make. We’re all going to make mistakes. We’re all going to choose suboptimal routes. We’re all going to sometimes let something go to waste. It’s part of being human.

What matters is that we take stock of the mistakes we’ve made and try to improve from there. We wasted something and that’s okay, but what can we do to make sure that the mistake doesn’t repeat itself?

It’s better to make a second purchase than to throw stuff away. This, right here, is where we get back to warehouse clubs. I find that my biggest mistake at warehouse clubs is a pure opportunity cost mistake: I buy jumbo bundles of some items at Sam’s Club or Costco and then end up not being able to use that jumbo pack in full, so the rest goes to waste. I skipped over the opportunity to buy the smaller amount for less money and the difference between the two went to waste, so it’s basically as if I threw money out the window.

What I’ve learned over the years is that unless I am 100% positive that I’m going to use the whole bulk purchase, I’m better off not buying in bulk. Instead, I’m better off buying a much smaller package, even if that means spending more per item.

That means I rarely buy fruits or vegetables at warehouse clubs. I rarely buy anything that can easily go bad at home. I just skip all of that stuff. The comparison between buying a bulk purchase of fruit at the warehouse club for a bit cheaper per fruit (while running the risk of some of it going bad) versus buying a reasonable amount at the grocery store (with almost no risk of waste) is strongly in favor of buying the smaller, more reasonable amount. There’s no good reason to pay good money for wasted food.

The question then becomes, do I still use warehouse clubs? The answer there is a resounding yes. I use them for nonperishable goods that I know I’ll use over time: trash bags, toilet paper, hand soap, and the like. I use them for bulk dry goods that will take a very long time to go bad, like rice and dried beans and so on.

Remember, a bulk purchase is only worth it if you’re absolutely dead sure you’re going to use all of it before it goes bad. If you have uncertainty about that, then buy a smaller package. It’s far better to buy the smaller package a second time if you must than it is to throw money away.

Good luck!

The post Opportunity Cost, or Why Costco and Sam’s Club Aren’t Always a Bargain appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Top 7 Best Auto Insurance Companies of 2016

If you want the best protection money can buy, buying an auto policy from one of the best car insurance companies is essential. Top 10 Best Auto Insurance Companies in the United States By buying a high quality policy from a reputable provider, you’ll gain both peace of mind and protection from life-changing financial losses.

While there are plenty of companies to choose from, the best car insurance companies offer certain features that help them stand out. In addition to policies that can be tailored to your unique insurance needs, they generally offer superior customer service, an up-to-date website where you can pay your bill or check your policy details, and a top notch claims process that makes recovering from an accident as seamless as possible.

Because car insurance has become such a competitive space, shopping around for the best car insurance rates is crucial. Where one company might charge higher rates due to your age or driving history, another might offer special discounts based on an entirely different set of criteria. Most of the time, the only way to find out how much you’ll pay is to apply for several quotes and compare them side by side.

Find the Best Auto Insurance Rates

Enter your zip code below and be sure to click at least 2-3 companies to find the very best rate.

This post was created to introduce some of the best car insurance companies in the business, plus provide an overview of how each business operates.

Best Car Insurance Companies in 2016

When your goal is finding the best policy at an attractive price, it pays to compare several of the highest rated companies side by side. When figuring out which companies to highlight, we looked at Reviews.com Auto Insurance Study and J.D. Power’s 2015 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study. From those studies, we handpicked several companies that received high ratings across the board.

Allstate Insurance
Amica
Auto-Owners Insurance
Progressive
State Farm
The Hartford
USAA

Allstate Insurance

If you’re looking for a company that offers high quality insurance policies with the opportunity for discounts, Allstate Insurance should be on your short list. Allstate received fairly high ratings across both studies mentioned in this article, with its highest marks received from customers who reported a positive rental car experience.

Allstate Insurance offers the best of both worlds when it comes to the user experience. With brick and mortar offices and agents placed all over the country plus a user-friendly and helpful website, customers have the opportunity to get in-person help or access information online at any time.

Why you might like Allstate:

Most areas have a physical office and local agents
Multiple opportunities for discounts for bundling, anti-theft devices, and passive restraint
Consumer-friendly website

Why you should keep looking:

Several comparable companies received higher ratings across the board
Can be expensive if you don’t bundle policies

Amica Mutual

Around since 1907, Amica Insurance is the oldest mutual insurer of automobiles in the United States. Helping Amica land on this list was its superior marks with J.D. Power and Reviews.com, including its top ratings for settlement experiences, overall satisfaction, and appraisals. In addition, Amica received a A++ (Superior) from A.M. Best Company as of Jan. 27, 2016. Because of all the praise it receives, Amica is consistently named as one of the best car insurance companies in the United States.

Still, there are a few areas where Amica falls short. While the company has plenty of offices around the United States, they don’t offer individual agents or assign specific professionals to oversee your account. And while Amica does offer a website, it doesn’t appear to offer the same type of functionality as some other websites, nor does it offer as many online resources for customers:

Why you might like Amica:

Excellent ratings for claims and customer experiences
Customers can choose their own repair shops
Solid company with a long history of financial stability

Why you should keep looking:

Policies can be expensive
Website lacks user functionality

Auto-Owners Insurance

While Auto-Owners Insurance keeps a fairly low profile, they receive extremely high marks across the board. In fact, J.D. Power awarded Auto-Owners Insurance the highest rating in their 2015 Auto Claims Study, with a 5/5 in every category except for rental car experience. That puts Auto-Owners Insurance ahead of the pack in terms of overall customer satisfaction whenever a claim is filed.

The fact that Auto-Owners Insurance has been around since 1916 should also put consumer’s minds at ease. During that time, they have exhibited financial stability consistently. Auto-Owners Insurance also has 6,300 independent agents, meaning you can buy your policy directly from an individual who understands your needs.

Why you might like Auto-Owners Insurance:

High ratings for customer service and claims experiences
Individual agents who care
Variety of discounts available

Why you should keep looking:

Policies can be expensive if you don’t qualify for discounts
Website isn’t as user-friendly as it could be

Progressive

Progressive Insurance is known for its constant barrage of advertisements, but they also have a solid base of customers who seem quite happy with their products. Although they didn’t receive the best marks possible from J.D. Power’s 2015 Claims Study, they come in extremely competitive when it comes to pricing.

Other benefits Progressive offers include plenty of opportunity for discounts, a solid online presence, and their Snapshot program, which rewards good driving behavior.

Why you might like Progressive:

Plenty of available discounts and competitive pricing
Great online presence

Why you might keep looking:

Other companies receive higher ratings across the board
Scarce individualized attention from agents

State Farm

Founded in 1922, State Farm Insurance has a history of financial stability and customer service satisfaction. With physical offices and agents dispersed throughout the country, State Farm is also known for offering individual service that simply cannot be matched by online-only firms.

The company’s biggest benefits include its brick-and-mortar stores and agents, the many discounts it offers, and its strong mobile app. State Farm also makes it easy and painless to get quotes online, which means you don’t have to head into a local office if you don’t want to.

Why you might like State Farm:

Local offices and agents provide in-person help
Great mobile app and website
Plenty of discounts available

Why you might keep looking:

Average ratings from J.D. Power

The Hartford

With more than 200 years of history in business, The Hartford has built an excellent reputation for customer service and claims processing. As of today, the company is still receiving high marks from companies like J.D. Power. In its 2015 Auto Claims Satisfaction study, The Hartford received excellent marks (4/5 or 5/5) in every category except for service interaction.

Although The Hartford is an old company, they still offer some of the best technology in the business. Using their website, you can shop around for and even apply for a new policy. Plus, you’ll have 24/7 access to agents either on the phone or online.

Why you might like The Hartford:

Multiple policy discounts
Top ratings for claims management
Guaranteed renewals of your policy as long as you can drive

Why you might keep looking:

Low ratings for service experiences during the claims process
The best benefits go to AARP members

USAA

usaa - best auto insurance companies USAA received extremely high marks from J.D. Power’s Claims Satisfaction Survey, including 5/5 in overall customer satisfaction. In addition, USAA customers were extremely satisfied with their final settlement after an accident, which is one of the most important indicators or a high quality insurance company.

The biggest downside to USAA is that it is only available to members or former members of the United State military and their close family members. So, if you’re in the general public, you won’t have the opportunity to buy a policy from USAA.

Why you might like USAA:

Top ratings, including overall customer satisfaction
Superior customer service
Diverse policy options to meet anyone’s needs

Why you might keep looking:

Only available to U.S. military members, veterans, or their close family members

How to Pick a Policy with the Best Auto Insurance Companies

Knowing which companies received the highest marks year after year is just part of the battle. Beyond researching the best auto insurance companies on the market, you’ll also need to decide which type of policy to buy – and how much coverage you really need.

Consumer Reports offers an extremely helpful guide that highlights the steps you can take to find the best policy for your needs. Even if you’re fairly happy with your policy, they suggest shopping around to compare rates at least every two or three years. That way, you have a good idea of where car insurance rates are headed and how much you could save if you switch.

Here are some additional tips to consider as you shop around:

Pick a top-rated insurer – By checking auto insurance ratings, you gain insight from each company’s existing customer base. Consumer Reports suggests reading through the most recent auto insurance claims and satisfaction studies to see which companies consistently come out on top.

Set the right deductible – No matter whether you buy liability coverage or full coverage for your vehicle, you need to pick a deductible that meets you needs. Consumer Reports suggests choosing a higher deductible if you want to save on monthly premiums, but setting a lower deductible if you want to avoid a large out-of-pocket expense in the event of an accident. “If you have a good driving record and haven’t had an at-fault accident in years, or ever, opting for a higher deductible on collision might be a good bet,” writes Consumer Reports. Just remember to keep that much cash on hand in case you need it.

Don’t buy state minimum coverage if you truly want a high quality auto policy – While state minimum coverage is less expensive in the short-term, it can prove extremely costly if you have a claim that far exceeds the cap on the policy you purchased. By investing in a policy that offers more generous coverage limits, you can save yourself some heartache and protect your personal property in the event of a costly accident.

Want the Lowest Auto Insurance Rates? Do This

While auto insurance rates are extremely competitive, they still vary widely depending on the company you use and the type of policy you purchase. With that being said, there are still plenty of ways to keep your costs lower than average. If price is an important consideration in your search, consider these tips:

Ask about discounts.

Some of the best car insurance companies offer discounts on anything from bundled policies to good credit, zero claims, theft protection devices, and more. Others offer discounts for paying your six-month premium in-full or installing an electronic device that lets the company monitor your driving habits over the long haul.

Allstate Insurance, for example, offers Drivewise – a discount program for customers who install a tracking device into their vehicle. By letting Allstate monitor your driving habits, you can qualify for a discount of up to 30 percent.

Keep your credit in good shape.

Most of the best auto insurance companies check your credit before they extend a new policy. If your credit is excellent, this will only help you get the best auto insurance rates. If your credit is poor, on the other hand, you might be asked to pay a whole lot more.

To keep your credit in good health, check your credit score and report frequently. While Credit Karma lets you see an estimate of your credit score for free at any time, AnnualCreditReport.com is a government-approved website that lets you see your full credit report from all three credit reporting agencies once per year for free.

Keep insurance costs in mind when you choose a car.

The newer your car is, the more expensive your car insurance premiums will likely be. Also consider the fact that some car models with expensive replacement parts can cost more to insure regardless of age.

Consumer Reports suggests asking your car dealer to show you the “Relative Collision Insurance Cost Information Booklet,” produced annually by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That way, you’ll be in the best position to avoid models with insurance costs that are higher than most.

The Bottom Line

When shopping around on the best deal for auto insurance, it’s important to look at more than just premiums. The best auto insurance companies should offer more than affordability – they should also receive good ratings and reviews from their existing customer base.

The best way to find this out is to complete some research on your own. Look at some of the recent studies completed and read through them, then read as many online reviews as you can find. Also make sure to shop around and compare rates among the handful of companies you feel comfortable with. The more you shop around and compare, the better off you’ll be.

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Banking costs to fall for small businesses

Tom Wilson

Small businesses should find it easier to compare bank accounts to find the best price and service, in light of new proposals from the competition watchdog.

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Commuting by Car, Uber, Train, Bike, or on Foot: Which Saves the Most Time and Money?

When I moved to San Francisco, I sold my car. I knew I’d be living in a walkable city, and the high cost of ownership was no longer justified. I decided that I could use on-demand car services such as Uber to get around the city when I needed a ride in a pinch. I figured that since I’d be spending the majority of my time within the same five-mile radius, it would be cheaper to walk, bike, and Uber around town than it would be to own a car.

But just to be sure, I decided to run the numbers.

The average cost of my last 20 Uber rides was $11 a pop. (The national average is $13. I’m keepin’ it frugal, baby!) I average about five rides per month, which works out to $55 per month. This pales in comparison to the $724 per month it costs the average American to own a car, according to a 2015 report by AAA. I would have to use the service 65 times a month before it would make more financial sense to own a car. That would basically require me to call Ubers just to take me around the block for a distraction and a conversation.

Satisfied that I was saving money by not owning a car, my attention turned to my fellow city dwellers across the country who commute to work. Would we all be better off ditching our vehicles in favor of another mode of transportation? I decided to analyze five types of commute – driving, calling an Uber, taking a train, biking, and walking – to see what would prevail in my hypothetical San Francisco commute.

I decided to use an 8-mile round trip as my benchmark. That’s about what it would be if I commuted from my current residence to the Financial District (which is across town). Let’s break it down.

Driving

Cost: There are currently 27.4 million “Within-City Commuters,” according to a 2016 report from the U.S. Department of Transportation. These are the folks whose commute never takes them outside the confines of their city of residence. The majority of these people commute between two and 10 miles round-trip, and 76% of them drive a car. Worse, they drive a car alone.

That means most commutes involve one individual driving a short distance in a machine that weighs two tons, likely spews carbon dioxide, and is the most frequent killer of people my age. If there’s a way to do better for our health and the environment while also saving money, I think it’s worthwhile to explore those options.

That same AAA report I mentioned earlier found that the median cost to own a sedan for one year was $8,698. This figure takes into account the costs of fuel, insurance, registration fees, maintenance, taxes, depreciation (car payments), and financing (interest). That all works out to an average cost of 58 cents per mile driven. This will fluctuate based on yearly gas prices, but it’s a good estimate to go off of.

So, going back to my hypothetical eight-mile commute, I’m looking at a cost of $23.20 per week to drive my car to work, which is $92.80 per month.

But, if you drive, you have to park. In San Francisco, that’s a killer. Unless you’re an executive with a comped parking spot, parking will run you between $300 and $400 per month. So, at a minimum, you’re looking at $393 per month to drive and park in downtown San Francisco.

Time: According to Google Maps, driving this route in rush hour would take 25 minutes one way.

Taking an Uber

Cost: An eight-mile round trip in an Uber in a major city will run you about 27 dollars. That comes out to 108 dollars per week and $540 per month.

That’s pretty pricey. But, if you don’t mind riding with a stranger (and if you’re using Uber, it’s kind of implied that you don’t) then you could take advantage of a newer service they offer called “Uber Pool”.

Selecting this option means your driver will pick up another passenger en-route who is headed to a nearby destination. This drops the cost of the ride to $5.75 per person to get pretty much anywhere in the city, in my experience.

In terms of the commute, using Uber Pool would cost $13.50 a day, or $56 a week and $124 per month. This is a much more reasonable financial option.

Time: Since you’re still using a car, it should take roughly the same amount of time as driving a car (25 minutes), plus a couple minutes waiting — and maybe a little longer if you do Uber Pool and the other person is off the route a bit or hasn’t finished getting ready by the time the car shows up.

Keep in mind, though, that you don’t have to drive or “pay attention” to the road in an Uber — meaning you can do something productive with those 25-30 minutes instead of staring at the taillights in front of you.

There’s also a chance you get an ex-taxi driver who will fly through every light and pull death-defying road stunts, which cuts the time and boosts adrenaline. Maybe you’ll spend less on coffee because you’ll be so amped up!

Whether it’s on the subway or in the back seat of an Uber, when you’re not in the driver’s seat, you’re free to catch up on work, call your mom… or just plain space out.

Riding the Train

Cost: I could take the local mass transit system, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), to and from work for $4 total. That works out to $20 per week and $80 per month.

Time: This is not only the cheapest option so far, it’s also the fastest, taking a mere 20 minutes, even during rush hour. And that’s not even taking into account the free entertainment you get when a bunch of amateur acrobats come in and do parkour in the train car.

Biking

Cost: A bike costs about $322 to own and operate per year and carries an estimated cost per mile of about 10 cents. You can find cheap, serviceable used bikes for sale on Craigslist at all times of the year. I got mine for $100.

So, my eight-mile commute would cost 80 cents per day, $4 per week, and a total of $16 per month.

Time: Biking downtown would take about 27 minutes during rush hour.

Walking

Cost: Free. If you’re a real go-getter, walking is, of course, the ultimate free solution. Even at its most expensive, you might just want to invest in a pair of sneakers or good walking shoes.

Time: Walking my commute would take a little over an hour each way. Some people might scoff at this notion — who has an extra half hour to burn in the morning, when you’re already late and skipping breakfast? But it’s all about how you frame it in your mind.

For instance, most people have the intention to exercise, get some fresh air, and learn new things every day. But they often struggle to find time for the gym, personal development, and getting outdoors. Life can be hectic.

But if you walked to and from work while listening to an educational podcast, you just took care of all three tasks at once.

Your time at home would be freed up to pursue new hobbies and start side hustles, instead of worrying about taking care of your basic body maintenance. From that point of view, walking to work can actually save you time (not to mention money).

Explore What Works Best for You

I should acknowledge that none of what I discussed factors in the weather. There are also many people with disabilities or injuries that make it impossible for them to bike or walk to work.

I’m just doing all this to point out that, on the whole, driving a car daily if you don’t have to is like taking your piggy bank, lighting it on fire, and flushing it down the toilet. The same goes for using on-demand car apps too frequently. If these numbers get you to reduce your dependence on your four-wheeled friends just a bit, then it’s a victory.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that there are many other taxi, bus, van, carpool and rideshare options I didn’t mention. I used the options that made sense for this scenario, but everyone’s situation is unique. The important thing is to take some time to “think outside the car” and at least give your other options a fair shot.

Start Small

You don’t have to give up your car cold turkey. Even taking one day a week to walk or bike to work could help you reap huge benefits down the road.

Let’s say you made it a goal to walk to work every Friday instead of driving. In the above scenario, that would mean a savings of $13 every Friday, and that’s not even including parking. Over the course of a year, that would put an extra $676 in your pocket.

What if you kept it up for the next five years — investing that $13 saved each Friday? At a 7% rate of return, those once-weekly walks to work would boost your retirement account by more than $13,000 after 20 years, even if you stopped putting money away after the first five years. (Keep it up for 20 years and you’re looking at more than $33,000.)

Not too bad a trade-off for a weekly dose of fresh air and exercise.

Summing Up

If you’re a daily commuter who’s been driving not only for convenience but because you thought it was cheaper in the long run, think again. Unless your rich uncle gifted you an electric car and pays for all the maintenance and insurance, you could potentially save some serious money by selling your car.

And if it’s the relative privacy of a motor vehicle that you love, you may be able to take an Uber daily and still save money, depending on how much parking costs in your city.

If you’re lucky enough to live in an area with good public transportation, that option could be the fastest of all and save you money when compared to taking an Uber or driving yourself. And if you’re looking to work some exercise into your daily routine and can block out a little more time for your commute, biking and walking are ridiculously cheap options that come with a multitude of additional health benefits.

Related Articles:

The post Commuting by Car, Uber, Train, Bike, or on Foot: Which Saves the Most Time and Money? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Drive a Subaru? Drink Flax Milk? These 6 Companies Might Owe You Cash

Have you bought Annie Chun prepackaged noodles or Good Karma Flax Milk in the last few years?

If so, you could collect free money from these class-action settlements.

In April, I let you know about six different ways you could get a cash payout from companies like Snyder’s Pretzels or JCPenney.

This month I’m back with with even more settlements to help you collect money with just a few minutes of your time.

Hurry! Some of these class-action settlements are ending soon.

1. Annie Chun’s Soup or Noodle Bowls

Annie Chun’s consumers who bought one (or more) prepackaged food items labeled as containing “No MSG” can get $1.50 for each product claimed.

If you purchased Annie Chun’s noodle or soup bowls between Nov. 19, 2012, and March 23, 2016, you could get up to $15 without a receipt, but even more with proof of purchase!

Annie Chun’s customers must file a claim by July 20, 2016 to receive a payment from this settlement.

More details available here.

2. Citibank Call Recording

Citibank customers who called the company’s toll-free number and were recorded or monitored without being told ahead of time during April and May 2013 could receive up to $2,500 from a class-action settlement.

The financial giant agreed to pay $1.55 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of violating California’s Invasion of Privacy Act.

You’ll have to include the phone number you used to call the toll-free number within the claim form.

To receive a payout, you must file your claim no later than June 28, 2016.

Click here for more info.

3. Good Karma Flax Milk

If you bought Good Karma “Classic,” “Protein Plus” or “Flax Delight” Flax Milk in California between 2010 and 2015, you might be owed $30!

The settlement comes after a lawsuit accused the company of using artificial and synthetic ingredients in its flax milk.

For each carton of Good Karma milk you purchased, you can get up to $3 in reimbursement!

You don’t need a receipt, but you must file a claim by July 25, 2016.

More info here.

4. Subaru Oil Burning

Did you own or lease a Subaru Outback, Forester or Legacy made between 2011 and 2015?

If so, you could receive an extended eight-year, 100,000 mile warranty and money for oil reimbursement.

Subaru agreed to the settlement after a class-action lawsuit accused the company of making vehicles containing a defect which causes excessive oil consumption.

Those owners/lessees of eligible Subaru cars will automatically receive the extended warranty without submitting a claim form.

However, if you want reimbursement for the cost of the oil defect, you need to fill out a claim form by Oct. 1, 2016, and include receipts (or other proof) showing you paid for an oil consumption repair.

Learn more here.

5. XL Foods E. Coli Contamination

If you bought XL Foods beef that was recalled for a possible E.coli contamination, you could receive a FULL refund!

XL Foods agreed to reimburse customers for the total cost of the possibly tainted beef. If you don’t have a receipt, it will offer you CA$25 (US$19.31).

If you want to benefit from this class-action settlement, file a claim by Aug. 17, 2016.

More details are available here.

6. U.S. Bank Force-Placed Insurance

Is U.S. Bank your mortgage lender?

If so, you may be able to receive either a cash payout or a reduction in the amount you owe against your property.

U.S. Bank was accused of placing insurance on mortgage borrowers in such a way that the bank would get a “kickback” in the form of commission.

In addition to filing a claim form, you may be required to provide a copy of your U.S. Bank mortgage statement no later than Aug. 12, 2016.

Click here to learn more.

Your Turn: Do you qualify for any of these settlements? Let us know in the comments if you filed a claim — and what you received!

Melissa LaFreniere is the News Editor at TopClassActions.com.

The post Drive a Subaru? Drink Flax Milk? These 6 Companies Might Owe You Cash appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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The AA launches longest ever fee-free 0% balance transfer deal

Tom Wilson

The-AA-card.png

The AA has launched the longest-ever fee-free 0% balance transfer card, a new 0% fee-free balance transfer card, meaning borrowers can avoid paying interest or fees on an existing credit card debt for a full two years.

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