Justice Dept. sues to stop AT&T's $85B Time Warner deal

NEW YORK (AP) — The Justice Department is suing AT&T to stop its $85 billion purchase of Time Warner, setting the stage for an epic legal battle with the telecom giant.It could also create a new headache for President Donald Trump, whose public statements have raised suspicions that he might have interfered with the department's decision, potentially undermining its legal case. DOJ's antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, has said the president did not tell him what to do. White [...]

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The most common cyber scams and how to protect yourself

From ordering groceries online to checking emails on our phones, digital technology and the Internet have brought numerous benefits to our lives and made a lot of daily tasks easier. But they have also unwittingly created a new golden age for scammers.

Specialist criminal groups target individuals, small businesses, and large corporate networks to steal personal information in order to profit from the compromised data available to them.

This is why it’s so important to have a strong separate password for every online account – particularly email accounts as these are often the gateway to other personal and financial information. 

• Fraud alert! Is your bank doing enough to beat the scammers?

It’s also vital to be alert for advances from cyber criminals. Here are the most common cyber scams to watch out for:

1. Phishing scams

The most common cyber threat is phishing, where you receive a bogus email asking for security information or personal details. Alternatively, you may be asked to click on a link or open an attachment.

The reason why cyber criminals love this scam is that it is so cheap, fast and easy to scatter emails at random and there are so many organisations they can pretend to represent, such as banks, credit card issuers, tax officials, online shopping outlets, delivery companies, and email account providers.

• Scam watch: Three-quarters of Brits have been targeted by phishing fraudsters

It doesn’t matter if only a tiny proportion of recipients fall for the scam because so many people are targeted at once.

What’s worrying for consumers is that often these scams can seem very realistic. These days criminals go as far as to collect information on individuals to make their emails seem more trustworthy to the victim. They might masquerade as services the criminal knows that the victim actually uses, for example, spoof the email addresses and details of trusted contacts to make an email look legitimate or reference personally-relevant information to appear as if the sender somehow knows the victim.

Typically, a phishing scam will pretend to be a routine check to put you off guard. The sender just wants to check that it has your correct details. It will convey an air of authority to appear genuine. There may be an attempt to panic you into acting before you have time to think, for instance your account is about to be closed down unless you confirm your security details.

You should always work on the assumption that any emails asking for personal or security details are scams unless, and until, you can verify their authenticity by some other means.

First, look at the email address of the sender. It’s amazing how many messages supposedly sent from Microsoft security emanate from a Gmail account. If there are multiple recipients of the message, it’s definitely a scam.

But you should still be suspicious even if the sender seems superficially to be genuine, as cyber criminals can spoof email addresses so it looks as though the email comes from a legitimate sender when actually the real sender’s address is hidden.  

If you weren’t expecting an email or you’re suspicious that the email isn’t genuine, do not click on any links or attachments: it is through these that the scammers steal your information. And never reply to any email asking for such details. That just confirms to the scammer that your email address is active and you will be bombarded with more scams.

If you still think the email could be genuine, note down any details, such as a reference number and either ring the company that has supposedly sent the email - find a number on its official website, don’t ring any numbers listed in the email you’ve been sent - or log onto its website. Again, don’t click on any web links in the email - it is much safer to find the legitimate website yourself through an online search engine.   

2. Downloaded malware

Another scam is where cyber criminals will attempt to get control of your computer by downloading malware onto it. This is likely to happen if you click on any link or attachment in any phishing email.

Alternatively, you get a telephone call telling you that your computer is sending out error signals. The caller will claim to work for Microsoft or BT. But following the caller’s instructions inevitably produces fake evidence confirming a non-existent fault on your computer and ultimately leads to you agreeing to hand remote control of your computer to an “expert”. Far from solving the non-existent problem, the computer expert loads malware onto your computer.

This malware will often carry out one or more of the following functions, although this is not an exhaustive list:

1. Webcam manager: where criminals takeover your webcam.

2. File hijacker: where criminals hijack files and hold them to ransom.

3. Keylogging: where criminals record what you type on your keyboard.

4. Screenshot manager: where criminals take screenshots of your computer screen.

5. Ad clicker: where a criminal directs a victim’s computer to click a specific link.

Once malware is downloaded onto your computer you may also receive a demand for payment to remove it. This is typically known as ‘ransomware’ – where the cyber criminals have blocked access to your important files, precious family photos and everything else on your system unless you pay a ransom.

In addition, criminals have been known to threaten to publicise compromising or embarrassing information they may have obtained while accessing a victim’s systems (for example, images from a highjacked webcam). Do not pay, as there is no guarantee that the criminal will put things right. Even if your computer is apparently restored, the criminals are likely target you again because they know you will pay up.

Guard against this happening by ensuring you don’t disable any in-built security settings and by regularly updating your software. Apple, Google, Microsoft and all the other software firms are constantly trying to stay ahead of hackers and scammers and to protect users against new strains of malware by adding patches and amendments to their software’s security systems.

But unless you keep your device and software up-to-date, you won’t get the benefit of the constantly evolving security software and you’ll leave yourself open to cyber criminals. Also ensure any security downloads are installed promptly, put a firewall on your computer, and scan your software for malware once a week.

• Take a #TechFree15 minute break to protect your devices

It’s not just consumers at risk, businesses are targeted too

While individuals can protect themselves from scammers, businesses are also a target too.

The two main dangers are:

1. Hacking, where scammers gain access to information from which they can make money, such as by stealing clients’ passwords and banking details or by using ransomware to block access to systems until payment is made.

2. Denial of service attacks, where scammers block the computers from carrying on the company’s business.

Phishing can also happen in the workplace where cyber criminals purport to be a colleague or boss over email. 

All companies, whatever their size, should have someone in charge of technology with direct access to the managing director. Staff should be given clear instructions not to open dubious emails and to check by calling or speaking to a person directly if they are in any doubt about opening an email or carrying out a task within an email.

• Beware the scammers out to empty your bank account

They should also be warned to report anything suspicious immediately so that the company can try to remedy any threat as soon as possible.  

Any person who leaves the company for whatever reason, whether they are fired or the parting is amicable, should have their access to the computer system removed immediately.

Report fraud immediately

If you fall for a cyber scam, take action immediately. Unfortunately, too many victims are so ashamed of falling for a scam that they stay quiet.

Immediately change every password on your computer and on any online accounts. Contact the fraud department of your bank or credit card provider to alert them. Report the incident to the Action Fraud via its website (Actionfraud.police.uk) or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Top tips for avoiding fraud

Follow the tips below to avoid being a victim of fraud, and check out our 10 tips to beef up your cyber security.

• Be suspicious of uninvited approaches or requests to move money
• Don’t trust the word of a complete stranger
• Don’t allow yourself to be panicked
• Never click on any links or attachments in unexpected emails
• Never divulge your PINs, passwords or other personal and financial details
• Don’t assume it can’t happen to you, however clever and computer savvy you may be.

For more information and tips on how to protect yourself online, visit the Moneywise hub in partnership with Cyber Aware - Stay secure online: How to be Cyber Aware - see Cyberaware.gov.uk and visit the National Cyber Crime Unit, which is the part of the National Crime Agency responsible for fighting cyber crime.

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Stout's Mower Service ready to close

Bill and Ethel Stout began repairing motors in the basement of their Snydersville home in 1955. Stout's Mower Service has been in the family for three generations.But Judy and John Stout, second generation owners, are approaching retirement age – John is a young 76 – and the family will close their mower sales and service business in the next few weeks. John is the son of Bill and Ethel and eventually took over the business from his parents.It’s not without [...]

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The 'Stupid' Party Gets Smart

Republicans have long been known as "the stupid party." They do stupid things, like waiting until mid-November to pass a must-pass tax cut that should have been done by April. 

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These 20 States Can Revoke Your License for Failure to Pay Student Loans

The pursuit of education — and a satisfying career — can be costly. That’s why over 44 million Americans are saddled with student loan debt.

After graduating, many rely on their jobs to pay off those loans. But some who struggle to pay the money back could wind up losing the very careers they went into debt for.

No Payments, No Licenses

In 20 states, the government can suspend state-issued professional licenses or driver’s licenses if a borrower defaults on their student loan debt, according to The New York Times.

Though not all enforce those laws, here are the states where it’s possible to lose your license over debt:

Alaska

Arkansas

California

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Iowa

Kentucky

Louisiana

Massachusetts

Minnesota

Mississippi

New Mexico

North Dakota

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

Washington

Putting Workers in a Difficult Situation

Revoking a professional license needed for employment or a driver’s license needed to get to a job puts workers in a tough spot.

It’s a Catch-22: You need to work to pay off loans but, in some cases, you have to be paying off the loans in order to work.

The New York Times found at least 8,700 cases where professionals — including nurses, teachers, lawyers and psychologists — have had their licenses taken away or threatened with suspensions in recent years because of failure to pay back student loans.

Because, as The New York Times said, “many state agencies and licensing boards don’t track the information,” that 8,700 figure likely underestimates of the true number of people affected by this policy.

The publication described the tactic of taking away professional licenses as being “especially punitive.”

To read more about this, check out The New York Times article.

Tips on Getting Out of Student Loan Debt

Though student loan debt can be a monster, there are ways to break through.

Try these seven tips to paying off student loans. Many of these eight creative ways to pay off credit card debt can also be applied to paying down student loan debt.

Consider consolidating loans to make monthly payments more affordable. Or boost your income and have more to put towards paying off your loans with these 32 ways to make money from home.

And sometimes it’s just helpful to know there are people out there who have been in your shoes and have made it through to the other side. Take notes from this couple who paid off $20,000 in two years or this freelance writer and event planner who paid off $68,000 of debt in four-and-a-half years.

Nicole Dow is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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Your Odds of High Blood Pressure Just Went Up: Here’s What You Need to Know

Bad news for those of us who thought we were skating by in life (and at our doctor’s appointments) with blood pressure in the 130/80 range: That’s now considered a bit too high.

According to new guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, the new number at which doctors should begin treating high blood pressure is 130/80 — a jump down from the previously accepted 140/90.

These new guidelines, which were last updated comprehensively in 2003, seek to allow doctors and patients an earlier start time in combating the symptoms and complications of high blood pressure before it becomes a more significant problem.

Under these new guidelines, nearly half (46%) of the adult U.S. population now has what is considered to be high blood pressure. For the portion of the population under 45 years of age, the number of men considered to have high blood pressure will triple. For women in the same range, the numbers will double.

The greatest impact will be seen among young people, but that’s exactly the point: Before this change in guidelines, high blood pressure was only addressed after it reached more dangerous levels. Now, heightened blood pressure will be diagnosed, treated with lifestyle changes (and sometimes medication) and brought back to a healthy level before it gets to a more dangerous point.

New Blood Pressure Guidelines

Under these new guidelines, blood pressure numbers are broken up like this:

• Normal: Less than 120/80

• Elevated: Systolic between 120 and 129 and diastolic less than 80

• Stage 1: Systolic between 130 and 139 or diastolic between 80-89

• Stage 2: Systolic at least 140 or diastolic at least 90

• Hypertensive crisis: Systolic over 180 and/or diastolic over 120

(If you’re confused about what in the world these numbers actually mean, the first number is the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats, and the second number is the pressure in your arteries between beats.)

These new guidelines get rid of the category of “prehypertension,” instead placing patients either at “elevated” or “stage 1.” This means that if your blood pressure levels were previously considered to be “prehypertension,” it’s probably time to check in with your doctor to see what kinds of changes you should be making.

Generally, medication for high blood pressure will be prescribed only for those in stage 2 or those in stage 1 who have previously had a cardiovascular event or other pertinent health issue.

That said, the decision about what type of action to take will be between you and your doctor.

Lifestyle Changes Can Help Lower Blood Pressure

These recommendations from Mayo Clinic can help you lower your blood pressure before it becomes a dangerous problem:

• Many stores, including pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS, warehouse stores like Sam’s Club and Costco and grocery stores with pharmacies have free blood pressure check stations that anyone is welcome to use. You can also schedule a quick blood pressure checkup at any walk-in clinic or with your doctor. Keep an eye on your numbers and talk to a medical professional if you have any concerns.

• Regular physical activity can help lower your blood pressure. Your exercise routine doesn’t have to be anything fancy — a brisk walk, a light jog or a good swim or bike ride will do the trick. If you need more ideas for working out without overpaying for that gym membership, check out these cheap or free ways to exercise. Either way, it’s recommended that you exercise for at least 30 minutes each day.

• Eating right can help lower your blood pressure significantly. To keep blood pressure within a healthy range, you should up your intake of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products and cut back your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. Your doctor may recommend following the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).

• As weight increases, so does blood pressure. Watching your weight — and your waistline — is a great way to keep your blood pressure in check. According to Mayo Clinic, men are at risk of high blood pressure if their waistline measures above 40 inches, while women are at risk if their waistline measures above 35 inches.

• Reducing your sodium intake is an easy way to lower your blood pressure by a few points. Try adding less salt while cooking, reading labels for sodium content and eating fewer processed foods.

• Drinking more than moderate amounts of alcohol can not only raise your blood pressure, but can actually render some blood pressure medications ineffective.

• Smoking raises your blood pressure significantly each time you pick up a cigarette. If you need help quitting smoking, you can find cheap and free resources here that will help you quit and stay quit.

• Stress is a huge contributor to high blood pressure. If you’re stressed about money (and who among us isn’t?!) here are some easy ways to take your brain off your finances. If you’re just stressed in general (again, show of hands?), there are ways to combat that, too.

Along with being dangerous in and of itself, high blood pressure can complicate or lead to many other serious health issues, including heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

Heightened blood pressure levels may not initially seem concerning, but you should address the problem before it becomes a major health issue — and a major expense. Early and preventative care is often the best money-saving trick we can employ when it comes to our health.

Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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Here’s How to Get Screened for Lung Cancer — and Why It’s Important

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

The American Cancer Society estimates that by the end of 2017, there will have been about 225,000 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed just this year. In the same time frame, there will have been about 155,870 lung cancer deaths.

But some of those deaths could have been prevented. A 2013 study found that screening all current and former smokers in the U.S. who fall within certain guidelines recommended by the National Lung Screening Trial could prevent or delay as many as 12,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

However, a more recent study by the same researchers led them to estimate that in 2015, only 262,700 of the 6.8 million people eligible for lung cancer screening received it.

Note: It’s important to remember that while lung cancer screening may prevent or delay a percentage of deaths each year, smoking is responsible for approximately 85% of all U.S. lung cancer deaths. The best way to reduce your risk of lung cancer is to quit smoking. You can find resources for inexpensive and free ways to quit here.

So Who Should Get Screened for Lung Cancer?

In December 2013, the United States Preventative Services Task Force began recommending that people with a high risk of developing lung cancer be screened using a low-dose CT scan rather than the previously accepted screening method, a chest x-ray.

(Talk to a medical professional about any concerns you may have and about the different types of lung cancer screening that may be an option for you.)

The American Cancer Society recommends that people who meet the following criteria should be screened for lung cancer with a low-dose CT scan:

• Between 55 and 74 years old (the USPSTF says between 55 and 80)

• In fairly good health — at least healthy enough to receive treatment

• Have a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years (you can calculate that here)

• Are still a smoker or have quit smoking within the last 15 years

Lung Cancer Screening Resources

If you have concerns about your health, it may be time to look into lung cancer screening options.

• Freetobreathe.org has a wealth of information and facts on the process of the screening itself. If the thought of getting screened makes you anxious or you just want to know a little bit more about the process, start here.

• Medicare Parts A and B cover the first clinic appointment and screening counseling session, along with a low-dose CT for those who are eligible at most U.S. medical center clinics.

• Occasionally, these medical center care clinics will host programs where people can receive a free low-dose CT screening. This largely varies by location and facility, but you should contact your local hospital, clinic or medical center to ask about upcoming events and discounts. If a screening is not provided for free, it can often be provided for just a fraction of the $100 to $500 (varies by location) out-of-pocket cost of a regular low-dose CT screening.

• You can go here to follow an interactive “library” that will help you determine if your insurance will pay for part or all of your lung cancer screening.

• The International Early Lung Cancer Action Program often offers people with a high risk of developing lung cancer the opportunity to be involved in studies (FAMRI or Legacy) that provide lung cancer screening at no cost. If you’re not eligible for one of these studies, talk to your doctor about studies that may be going on in your area.

If you have concerns about your lung health or fall within the high-risk guidelines for lung cancer screening eligibility, don’t wait. Talk to a medical professional as soon as possible so you can get started on the screening process.

Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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The Most Effective Ways to Generate Leads for Your Business

To survive, businesses constantly need to come up with new revenue streams.

While you may generate plenty of money by improving customer retention by focusing on your existing customers, you’re only getting a small piece of the pie.

The companies who focus on lead generation do more than just survive—they thrive.

That’s where I want you to be.

People don’t start a business to make the bare minimum.

As a marketing expert with a proven track record, I can help your company generate more leads with simple strategies.

Customers won’t find you unless you put some effort in making yourself visible.

Surprisingly, the majority of these tactics won’t be too much work for you and can be accomplished on a reasonable marketing budget.

You don’t always need to break the bank to get more customers.

Here’s how you can get started.

Use influencers to generate social proof

Look at how FabFitFun got a professional surfer and model Anastasia Ashley to post about their brand on Instagram:

FabFitFun sends their members a gift box every three months with a bunch of new products.

The box includes some beauty supplies, fashion items, and fitness gear.

Using Anastasia’s platform to promote their brand helps expose their company to a wider range of people.

Anastasia has over 1 million followers on Instagram.

That picture alone generated nearly 12,500 likes.

Let’s dissect the advertisement one step further.

Look at the caption. She included:

• a tag to the @FabFitFun Instagram page
• discounted subscription codes
• a link to the company’s website
• related hashtags for the brand

Anyone who sees this picture knows what steps to follow if they want more information.

It’s a great strategy for generating new leads.

Anastasia has more than twice the number of Instagram followers the company has.

It’s safe to say the majority of Anastasia’s followers weren’t even aware of this brand.

Employ the same strategy for your business.

Don’t think you’re obligated to use Instagram as the platform for this technique.

YouTube is another effective channel for influencer marketing.

Even though consumers may not know these influencers personally, they still feel a personal connection with them compared to a more well-known celebrity like a movie star.

Why?

These people may seem more approachable.

Interacting with your favorite television actor may seem unrealistic especially if they have millions of followers on different platforms.

But these lesser-known influencers are more relatable.

They don’t have personal drivers and red carpet access, so consumers are more willing to take their advice.

Find some brand ambassadors and social influencers to help your business generate new leads.

Create an actionable Facebook advertisement

Facebook ads are a great way to gain exposure for your brand, which ultimately generates more leads.

But sometimes displaying your brand name alone with an advertisement isn’t enough.

You need to give your audience a reason to continue.

Make sure your Facebook ad has a call to action.

Let’s look at an example from AdEspresso:

I love this because, ironically, it’s a Facebook ad about Facebook ads.

I used this example because of the actionable CTA button: “Download.”

Getting a prospective customer to download a free ebook is a great way to generate new leads.

I like this strategy better than simply linking your Facebook advertisement directly to your homepage.

Anybody can do that, so be different and stand out from the crowd.

Facebook ads also let you customize your target audience, so you can generate leads by targeting the right people.

Take advantage of what Facebook for business has to offer:

When creating a campaign, select lead generation under the Consideration menu.

Facebook will even let you create a split test to see which advertising strategy gets better results.

This is something you should consider, especially if you’re debating between two different CTA buttons.

I like to use Facebook Ads because the platform allows you to completely customize your target audience.

Set parameters such as:

• gender
• age
• location
• education
• relationship status
• interests
• behaviors

All of these help narrow your focus so you can generate leads from people who would be genuinely interested in your company.

For example, let’s take a look at a Facebook ad from Philips Norelco:

Their beard trimming products are obviously gender-specific.

But this advertisement focuses on men of a certain age and lifestyle.

It doesn’t belong on the newsfeed of a college female.

Make sure you fill in all the parameters when narrowing your audience to get the most accurate results and leads.

Use Twitter’s advanced search queries

Twitter is another top resource for lead generation, but too many businesses overlook this method.

This is great news for you because you’ll have the chance to capture leads from your competition if you execute this strategy effectively.

There are two main steps to this tactic:

1. find people who may be interested in your brand;
2. engage with those people.

It’s that simple.

The advanced search query makes it easy for you to accomplish this.

There are four main categories of this search:

• Words
• People
• Places
• Dates

We’ll go through a hypothetical example to see how this works.

Let’s say your company sells sunscreen and sun tan lotion.

Words you might want to include in your search could be:

• Beach
• Pool
• Vacation
• Summer
• Sun burn
• Sunscreen

You can see where I’m going with this.

Include in your search relevant phrases too, such as “pool day” or “going to the beach.”

But what about the “none of these words” query?

If you include “sun burn” as two words, you may want to put a word like “razor” into the “none of these words” field so you don’t get search results for “razor burn.”

Does that make sense? It’s simple.

Now let’s move on to the People section.

You’re already getting notifications when people interact with you on Twitter, so there’s no reason to include your name in the search.

Instead, search for your competition.

As a sunscreen company, you could search for results that include Banana Boat:

You’ll see Twitter users who engaged with your competition.

Shortly, I’ll talk about what you can do with these users.

But for now, we’ll continue going through the search fields.

If you’re a local or regional company, narrow your search results to your area.

You don’t need to see what people are tweeting about in South Africa if your company doesn’t distribute products outside of Phoenix, Arizona.

For argument’s sake, let’s say your sunscreen company has an ecommerce platform with global distribution.

Should you omit the places field?

Absolutely not.

Enter locations where people need protection from the sun.

You also want to filter the date range.

If someone tweeted they got sunburn back in May 2013, that won’t help you generate leads today.

Narrow your search to the most recent results. The past week or month should be a good place to start.

Now that you’ve completed your search, it’s time to go through the results.

Reach out to users by replying directly to their tweets.

Favorite their tweets.

Follow their profiles.

These types of interactions will help increase your chances of getting more followers.

My favorite part of this strategy is that it won’t cost you anything, just your time.

Even if you’re paying a social media manager to do this job, it’s an efficient use of their time as well.

But unlike some of the strategies we looked at earlier, such as influencer marketing or Facebook ads, the Twitter advanced search query is free to use.

Focus on your value proposition

Through one avenue or another, let’s say a prospective customer manages to find themselves on your website.

If you used one of the strategies we looked at so far, I’m willing to bet you’re going to see an increase in website traffic.

But what happens from here?

You obviously don’t want them to just visit your website and leave.

Get some information from these visitors by having a strong value proposition.

Check out this example from Crazy Egg:

It’s a simple and accurate description of what the customer will get.

Your value proposition needs to be easy to follow and straight to the point.

Too many companies have a long and unnecessary “About Us” section on their homepages.

That goes for your company mission statement too.

Neither offers any value to the customer.

Now that you’ve explained why you’re better than the competition, you need to collect some information from the customer.

After you enter the website address you want analyzed, Crazy Egg will prompt you to create an account and enter your email address.

It’s an effective tactic for generating leads.

I know from firsthand experience because I’m the one who came up with this idea for Crazy Egg.

Once you have the person’s email address, you can continue to contact them with your existing email marketing strategies.

Make sure your website has a blog

Blogs are a top way to increase website traffic and engagement.

They are also a great excuse for you to promote other content on your website.

If you can write SEO friendly blog posts, your website ranking will improve on Google’s search algorithm.

Now when someone is searching for something related to your brand, products, services, or industry, you could be a top hit.

You can also promote blogs across different social channels.

If you are struggling with finding content to post on your Facebook page or Twitter profile each day, you can post links to your blog posts so those social sites stay functional.

Your blog needs to be active.

If you’re struggling to find good writers or can’t put out blog posts frequently, consider looking for guest-bloggers.

It’s a win-win situation for both you and the guest blogger.

They will gain exposure to a new audience, and you’ll keep your content fresh.

In return, you can ask for this guest-poster to promote and link to your company on their blog.

You should also take advantage of guest-posting yourself.

Whenever other blogs related to your industry are looking for a guest post, jump on that invitation before someone else takes it.

Now you have the chance to do the same thing.

Your guest post will reach people who may not know your company even existed.

Blogging is one of my favorite strategies for generating new leads.

Leverage cold outreach (the right way)

Yes, I am all about inbound marketing, but sometime cold outreach and prospecting is just as effective, if done right.

When I say cold outreach I mean highly targeted cold outreach, not the spray and pray type of grind.

This will allow you to fully personalize your outreach message, which will yield drastically higher ROI.

Here is how you can do it.

First, figure out your exact target prospects.

For example:

• Company Type: Fortune 1,000
• Revenue: $1 Billion
• Employee: 30,000-45,000
• Position: CFO

Once you figured out what your target prospect look like, head to LinkedIn to do some lead research with their Advanced Lead Search.

After you input the criteria, it’s time to reach out and start prospecting.

But, before you send anything, you need to ignite a first touch point.

You can do this by enabling email notifications for your target prospects inn LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator to get notified whenever they post on LinkedIn. Then you can reply and engage with their LinkedIn updates.

After you do about two to three of these engagements, add them as a connection and send out your first LinkedIn direct message.

In your message, make sure you personalize it by mentioning one of their updates that you engaged with. This will yield a high response rate, because you are not just some random guy messaging out of no where.

In addition, you should follow up with a direct personalized email.

To find your prospects’ email addresses I recommend using VoilaNorber. In addition, you can save loads of time with the chrome plugin Gmass, which allows you to automate your personalized emailing and follow ups.

Conclusion

Your business should always be looking for improvements.

While your existing customer base can help you pay the bills, continuing to grow and expand your company can help put some extra change in your pockets.

While some lead generation strategies will cost you money, you can use some inexpensive and free options as well.

Consider looking for influencers with a big social following to promote your brand.

You’ll have to pay them, but it shouldn’t be too costly.

It’s a great way to expose your brand to a new audience.

Facebook advertisements are a top way to make sure the ads are targeted.

Your company won’t be seen by just any random person.

Instead, you can choose your custom audience for your ad.

If you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to spend any money, use the Twitter advanced search query to generate leads.

Narrow your search options, and engage with relevant users.

Blogging is another free way to generate leads.

Look for any opportunities to guest-post as well.

Don’t forget to focus on your value proposition.

And last buy not least, give outbound prospecting a try.

What are some effective lead generation strategies you have tried?

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How to Cut Costs with Tiny Living

Tiny homes aren’t just a fad anymore — what started as a way to lower mortgage payments and utility costs following the Great Recession has developed into a worldwide movement. And Google searches for “Tiny House for Sale” have grown a whopping 900%.

If you’re looking to purchase or build a tiny house of your own, there are a few decisions you’ll need to make: Where do you want to put your tiny house, and do you want to rent the land or purchase it outright? Are you looking to build your house on a foundation, or do you want to put it on wheels and travel from coast to coast with your home in tow?

When compared to a traditional or big house, tiny houses could save homeowners a lot of money. But exactly how much you’ll save comes down to the type of living situation you want. We’ve taken a critical look at the choices that aspiring tiny homeowners often have to make, and how much each option costs when compared to living in a traditional home on a one-month to five-year scale.

Big house vs. tiny house

Here’s a hypothetical:

Kate wants to build a tiny house, while Tyler wants a traditional home. They decide to shop around, find the best options, and see how they compare:

• Both want their house built by professionals
• Both want to use existing utility systems (power, water, sewage, etc.)
• Tyler wants to take out a mortgage, while Kate wants to take out a personal loan.

Here’s how their costs stack up:

Property Prices

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to build or buy — the land underneath your structure will most likely increase in value over time, and it’s one of the best investments you can make. So even before construction begins, you have to decide where you want to live, and what you’re willing to spend on ownership of your land.

According to a study of land prices by state conducted by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the average land value across all 50 states (as of first quarter 2016) comes to approximately $106,893. And the closer you are to a city, the more likely you are to see that number increase at an exponential rate.

Additionally, between 1978 and 2016, the American house grew 950 square feet, while individual lots have shrunk to 0.19 acres. That’s not a lot of property.

There are a number of factors that go into determining the value of a piece of land: Proximity to major urban areas, the potential for economic growth, and the market value of the land itself. Because this value varies widely from area to area, whether rural or urban, it’s difficult to estimate the average cost of land.

Generally, prospective homeowners face two options when it comes to property pricing: Lease a plot of land, or buy the land outright. Tiny homeowners have a third option: Turn their home into an RV or mobile home, and use their tiny house to travel across the nation.

Whichever you decide, be sure to look up your state and local government’s zoning laws and building codes before you shop around.

Leasing or Buying Land

It’s not uncommon for tiny house owners to live on plots of land owned by friends and family, and pay rent directly to them.

Aspirant homeowners can also seek out properties with an existing accessory dwelling unit (ADU) agreement, which enables homeowners to build a second, smaller dwelling on their property. ADUs often come with system development charges (SDC), which are additional fees that vary from city to city.

But if you prefer more privacy, or you can’t find anyone willing to share their property, you might have to rent a plot of land.

But again, before you do, make sure that local zoning allows the construction of a home on your intended plot. For many locations, the minimum house size is 900 feet.

Websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, or LoopNet can help you find vacant lots available for both sale and lease. Another option is to utilize classified sites, like Craigslist or private social networking services like Nextdoor, to publish inquiries or check for rentals.

Parking a Mobile Tiny House

If you’re looking to bypass land costs altogether, plenty of tiny house owners place their homes on wheels instead of a foundation and make their home mobile.

Mobile tiny house owners face a different set of challenges than their stationary peers. For example, mobile home owners that prefer constant travel are still required to establish a permanent address — which they can do via RV friendly states or mail forwarding services.

It’s easy and cheap to find somewhere to park your tiny home on a temporary basis.There are plenty of RV camps across the nation, and on average rent is about $20 per night. But many states limit the maximum amount of time mobile homeowners can stay in one place.

However, many RV camps throughout the U.S. and Canada are showing growing acceptance of long-term, mobile home parking, allowing for longer stays at reasonable costs.

Purchase & Building Costs

The U.S. Census publishes a monthly update of average sales prices of new (traditional) homes sold within the United States. In September 2017, the Census found that the average sales price of a new home was $385,200 — that’s up almost $20,000 from just one year ago.

Building your own traditional house could be an even costlier venture, with average building costs coming in at $286,909, and that’s before the price of land.

However, the average cost to build a tiny home is only $23,000, before labor costs and not counting the price of land, as we’ve already covered. And the median cost for a professionally pre-built tiny home, complete with amenities comes in around $59,884. That’s an impressive savings, to put it lightly.

So once you’ve figured out where you’re going to live, the next decision you’ll have to make is whether to hire professional builders or do it yourself.

Hiring professional builders

There’s a number of professional construction companies that specialize in tiny houses, including 84 Lumber, New Frontier Tiny Homes, and Tiny Home Builders, while local builders can be found via a quick Google search.

Each organization offers a wide variety of floor plans and models, as well as itemized lists of materials and basic home shells, should you decide to go the DIY-route.

Buying a pre-built tiny house means you’re getting a complete home with all appliances pre-installed (which includes microwave, refrigerator, etc.). You’re also able to customize your home just as if you were building it yourself, designing in tandem with the builders.

Though this is the most expensive option available (again, median costs hover just under $60,000), you’ll know exactly how much you’re paying, the cost isn’t as volatile, and you’re guaranteed a professionally built home.

Building your own home

The do-it-yourself spirit is very strong among tiny house advocates: There’s no need to pay for labor costs, and with the right materials, you can reduce building costs to $20,000, on average.

If you do choose to build your own tiny home, and you’re able to build it yourself or get family and friends to provide (volunteer) labor, the only variable in cost will be the quality of materials you choose. The cost of materials varies from area to area, but for an outline of the essentials, check out this list from Tiny House, Giant Journey.

Many tiny home experts encourage aspiring builders to use reclaimed or salvaged building materials — such as reclaimed lumber, wood, or metal for your house’s exterior. Reclaimed materials are often cheaper and sturdier than if you purchased new. Habitat for Humanity ReStores can be a great source for quality recycled building materials, appliances, and more.

Building your own tiny house creates an opportunity for total customization of your home — so if you feel this is the best option for you, be sure to design and plan ahead.

The biggest downside of doing it yourself is that you’ll also have to set up your own utilities. That includes electrical wiring, waste disposal, and more.

If you’re more interested in the personal touches and would like to just build the facade of your house, many tiny house builders offer pre-built kits or shells for sale. Kits give builders everything they need to assemble their house, whereas shells deliver a completed foundation. With a shell, all you have to do is provide the finishing and decorating. Kits can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $35,000, while shells can range from $5,000 to $60,000.

Loans

There’s no way around it: When it comes to borrowing money for traditional housing, you need a mortgage.

With the average price of a house at $385,200 as reported by the U.S. Census and the current mortgage APR of 4.061% as reported by Wells Fargo, the average American owes a total mortgage of $666,926. That’s almost an additional $300,000 in interest.

It’s no wonder that the comparatively miniscule pricing of tiny houses — again, on average anywhere from $20,000 to $60,000 depending on labor costs — is so appealing.

Still, $60,000 is a lot of money. And though you may be planning to build your own tiny home, you may still have to pay for a plot of land. Even if you plan on turning your tiny home into a mobile home, you’ll still have to pay for upkeep and licensing fees.

Most banks consider tiny homes too small to qualify for a traditional mortgage, but if you need money to make your tiny home dreams come true, there are other options: Personal loans or RV loans.

Personal Loans

A personal loan is money borrowed from a bank, credit union, or independent lender for a non-specific purpose. This means personal loans can be used to finance a house, pay off debt, start a business, etc.

Like mortgages, personal loans offer fixed interest rates and flexible payment plans. Most personal loans are unsecured, meaning that unlike a mortgage, they don’t require collateral. And some may come at a lower rate.

LightStream, an offshoot of SunTrust bank, is one of the most highly regarded lenders for funding tiny house construction. Not only is it one of our top picks, but it’s recommended by tiny house builders 84 Lumber and Tiny Heirloom.

If you’ve financed your home, but still need money for land, you may be able to take out a “raw land loan.” Because it’s easier for borrowers to walk away from land without property, raw land loans require higher credit scores, down payments, and interest rates.

RV Loans

If you’ve opted to put your tiny home on wheels instead of a foundation, you might qualify for an RV loan. RV loans are personal finance loans available for the different classes of RVs and motorhomes.

RV loans are often unsecured and come with the same general interest rate as a personal loan. In addition to their personal loans, LightStream also offers an unsecured RV loan that covers anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000, as well as a secured motorhome loan for anywhere from $54,601 to $1,500,000.

RV loans tend to come with higher interest rates, averaging around 4-7%, as well as a 20% downpayment. In addition, RV loans aren’t designed for primary residencies — so you’ll need a permanent address to apply.

Utilities

Like mortgages, utilities (such as water, power, and waste) are one of the main areas where tiny homeowners can save when compared with traditional homeowners.

Electric costs average approximately 13 cents per kilowatt-hour, or $118 per month, and average water rates go for $68.14 per month. Often, traditional homes don’t have a say in utility prices. But, if you’re an aspiring tiny homeowner, you have two options when it comes to utilities: Plug into an existing grid, or become fully self-sustaining.

Often, location is the primary factor: The more rural the homestead, the more difficult it is to hook into existing municipal systems. But, even urban tiny home owners may choose to go the self-sustaining route for ecological or economic reasons. There are advantages and drawbacks to both.

Using an existing grid

If you choose to plug into existing power and water grids, you will have monthly utility costs — but the good news is utility bills will likely cost under or around $20 per month.

Before you build, be sure that your chosen property has traditional hookups, allowing homeowners to splice into the network with ease. If you’ve opted to stay at an RV park or tiny home neighborhood, you should be able to reach those hookups without any issues.

However, if you’ve chosen to live in a more rural area, there’s a chance those hookups may not even be on your property. You may have to run heavy-duty electrical cords for miles, which can be both dangerous and illegal.

If you do choose to hook into the grid, call your local power company beforehand. It’s the best way to find information on power requirements, costs, and where to hook in. Often electrical companies will charge a flat fee for a certain distance, (ex. 5 miles), and then add charges for anything over that distance.

You may also have access to electricity via electrical co-ops, which are smaller, member-owned power companies. Once you’re hooked in, you become a member and part-owner. However, electrical costs remain on par with traditional housing.

When it comes to bringing in water and removing waste from your home, the grid is your simplest option. If you’re in an urban area, you can splice directly into existing water and sewage systems.

If you’re in a more rural area, be sure to research your local water district for more information on where to hook up into the water network. Again, utility costs may be comparable to those of a traditional house.

Becoming self-sustaining

One of the biggest benefits of owning a tiny home is the ability to generate your own power, water, and waste disposal, living entirely off the grid. Not only does this save almost entirely on monthly utility costs, but it’s one of the most ecologically-friendly living options available today.

There’s another advantage: Choosing to set up self-sustaining utilities is possible no matter where you decide to call home. It’s equally applicable to both urban and rural living situations.

There are a few general disadvantages as well. Upfront costs are likely to be fairly high, and although you won’t be paying a monthly bill, these systems do require monthly maintenance.

Solar power is by far the most popular choice for bringing off-grid power to tiny houses. But there’s more to solar power than just the panels. You’ll also need batteries, a battery bank, and a DC-AC converter. (Plus, a backup generator might be helpful, just in case the clouds stick around.)

The price of solar panels can run anywhere from $340 to $20,000, depending on the size and complexity of the system you choose.

When it comes to bringing water into your tiny house, rainwater collection is a legitimate option. However, storage comes at a considerable cost, and it may not rain consistently enough to meet all of your water-based needs.

Another option is to install a tank-and-pump system in your tiny home, in order to collect, circulate, and pressurize water. The system is relatively inexpensive, water tanks can be found for under $100, and hoses for under $50. Installation and heating may cost a pretty penny, but so long as you refill your tank consistently, you’ll never have to pay another water bill.

There are two different types of wastewater: Greywater, which is water drained from sinks and showers, and blackwater, which is another word for sewage.

Greywater can be collected via a portable greywater tank and dumped whenever your house is connected to a utilities grid. If you prefer to stay off-grid, greywater can also be filtered and reused to water gardens or lawns.

Blackwater, on the other hand, must either be disposed of at pump stations or via a special composting toilet. This is one of the most cost-efficient aspects of a tiny home — simply sprinkle sawdust over your waste, and add it to a compost pile.

There are also composting toilets that will do the work for you but can cost anywhere from $900 to over $2,000.

Conclusion

Tiny homes are one of the most cost-effective living situations available to homeowners today. Owners can choose to live on-grid and reduce their mortgage and other daily expenses, or they can go the self-sustaining route, becoming an eco-warrior while cutting their living expenses to a fraction of the original cost.

Whichever you choose, living in a tiny home is not impossible. There may be higher upfront costs when compared to a traditional house, but within a few months those costs will begin to even out. And in just a few year’s time, you’ll be amazed by how much you can save.

The post How to Cut Costs with Tiny Living appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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This is Why Your Free Credit Score is Different From What Lenders See

I recently read some advice from a random person on the internet that concerns me.

Shocking, I know.

In researching credit scores, I found this advice from esteemed credit expert “Anonymous” about sites that offer your free credit score:

“[Sites like] Credit Karma show your fake TransUnion and Equifax scores, using the Vantage 3.0 system instead of the FICO system… I warn highly against using these free services because in my case, my credit scores on Credit Sesame and Credit Karma were inflated and inaccurate.”

OK, Anonymous. You’ve got my attention.

What is a “fake” credit score, and are the free scores I’m seeing online way off from what’s used to determine whether I get a loan or credit card?

Short answer: No, the score you see isn’t “fake,” and no, it’s not “inflated.” But, yes, it is probably different from what your bank, et. al. see when they run a credit check.

Let’s find out why.

The Difference Between Credit Scores

Let’s review some of the basics…

We have three major credit-reporting agencies: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. (Equifax is the one everyone’s side-eying right now.) They keep track of your financial activity and produce reports that list your credit history.

To create your credit score, these agencies — and a bunch of smaller ones that do a similar job — each use a complicated formula to turn your credit activity into a sort of grade.

The reason there’s a difference between credit scores is partly because two models for computing your score dominate the market: FICO and VantageScore.

Both models have the same goal: to determine whether you’ll be able to repay a loan in a timely manner. They use the same information — credit reports from the three major agencies — but weigh various factors differently.

It’s like how you could always get an A on a paper in Ms. Jones’ class, but got a C from Mr. Johnson. The latter cared about word count, while Jones only graded on the quality of your writing. #TeamJones

To put it another way, Carla Blair-Gamblian, a consultant team lead at Veterans United Home Loans, told me, “A good comparison would be Celsius versus Fahrenheit. A 700 on one scale isn’t the same as a 700 on the other.”

That’s true, though the scales have become more similar in recent years. When VantageScore first came along in 2006, its scale ran from 501 to 990. But VantageScore 3.0, launched in 2013 — and the updated VantageScore 4.0, launched earlier this year — mirrors FICO’s scale of 300 to 850.

On top of these popular models, some smaller agencies might use their own models to determine your credit score. If your bank or credit card company uses one of these agencies for your credit check, it’ll see a credit score you’ve probably never seen before.

How Do You Know When You’re Looking at the Right Credit Score?

So, you want to stay on top of your credit score. You don’t want to apply for a loan or credit card with no idea how you’ll fare — that’s an unnecessary ding on your credit report.

But how do you know you’re even looking at the right information?

The bad news: You might not ever see the exact score your creditor sees when they run a credit check.

Good news: You can still arm yourself with the best information available.

“The free credit scores consumers get online are educational scores,” Blair-Gamblian explains.

Keeping an eye on the credit scores you do have available can help you make smarter decisions when you need to borrow money. Just make sure you understand what you’re looking at.

Here’s what you’ll see when you get your credit score from various sources:

• When you pay to see your score from TransUnion or Experian, you’ll get a Vantage 3.0 score.

• When you pay to see your score from Equifax, you’ll see a score based on its own Equifax Credit Score model.

• When you sign up to see your score for free through Credit Sesame, or any of these other free credit score providers, you’ll see your VantageScore, usually from TransUnion.

• If you sign up to see your free credit score from Discover Bank through its Credit Scorecard program, you’ll see your FICO score from Experian.

Your credit applications are still more likely to be evaluated using a score created by FICO, according to Credit.com.

“If you’re going to pay for a credit score, get a FICO score,” NerdWallet personal finance columnist Liz Weston recommends. “It’s the one most likely to be used in big lending decisions.”

It’s also harder to get for free than your VantageScore.

“Getting a free FICO score still takes a little finesse, as it’s available from a limited but growing number of sources,” writes Marilyn Lewis at Money Talks News, “If you ask FICO for your score, be prepared to be charged for it.”

Lewis lists a few ways you can get your FICO score for free, including Credit Scorecard. For most other options, you have to use a particular financial product or service to access your free FICO score.

If you just want to stay in the know about your creditworthiness, Weston says your VantageScore will do just fine, because it’s based on the same behaviors as the FICO score.

Free Credit Scores Aren’t “Fake”

Sorry to hear about your experience, Anonymous, but you’re spreading bad information. Don’t be afraid to use free credit score services — just know what you’re getting.

To ensure your best chances for getting the loans or credit you need, study what actually impacts your credit score, and take some smart steps to build good credit when you’re ready to improve it.

Dana Sitar (dana@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer/newsletter editor at The Penny Hoarder. Say hi and tell her a good joke on Twitter @danasitar.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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This Free Tool Helped a Soccer Dad Raise $2,100 for His Daughter’s Team

Remember Sally Foster wrapping paper? Or Boy Scout popcorn? How about World’s Finest Chocolate?

You’d walk door to door and put on your sweetest smile. Can you help me raise money for my school by buying this overpriced item?

Or, if you were shy like me, you’d make your dad take the catalog and order forms into work, so he could guilt his co-workers into helping his (adorable) daughter win that handheld TV. Or those super cool moon boots.

Times are changing, though. Now, you can raise money for yourself, your family, a team or organization by shopping online.

How This Dad Raised $2,100 For His Daughter’s Soccer Team

Meet Dave Minogue. He’s a 43-year-old dad of three — a son who’s 8 and two daughters who are 10 and 11.

Last year, his oldest daughter Marissa’s soccer team was doing really well. So well that the coach wanted to travel to Sweden’s Gothia Cup, the largest youth soccer tournament in the world. More than 1,700 teams from 80 countries attend.

But before the Toronto youth team could get there, each team member was tasked with hosting a fundraiser. Minogue remembers the coach doing a waffle fundraiser. A few had garage sales.

But Minogue came across a different idea: FlipGive, an online fundraising platform that pays individuals, teams or organizations for shopping.

Essentially, you shop through FlipGive’s online portal at one of its affiliated online retailers. Then, your fundraiser receives a percentage of that cash back.

“Being a computer guy, it seemed like something that’d be easy to try, and there was really no downside,” says Minogue, the vice president of a tech startup.

No fees, no percentage of sales taken, no door-to-door hassle. (And the sweet smile is optional.)

He created a team on FlipGive and shared it with Marissa’s teammates and their parents. About 25 people joined the team. And started shopping.

Whenever members of Minogue’s FlipGive team needed to make an online purchase, they could shop through the platform and earn money for the team.

Some popular brands offering cash back on FlipGive include:

• Warby Parker — for a 15% cash-back donation

• Under Armour — for 15%

• Anthropologie — for 10%

• Walmart — for 7%

• Sephora — for 3%

• Hotels.com — for 3%

• Apple — for 2%

In a year, Minogue’s FlipGive team had earned $2,100, which contributed to the overall soccer team’s goal and helped land them a flight to Sweden.

How to Make More Money With FlipGive

About $1,000 of the FlipGive earnings came from Minogue, who shared a few insider tips with us.

The secret to raising the most money through FlipGive? Be mindful.

“With FlipGive, if you make an effort and make it part of your daily routine, it’ll pay off,” Minogue explains.

Here are a few of his pro tips:

• After you create a fundraising team — which takes about one minute — download FlipGive’s cash-back reminder. It’s a browser extension that’ll alert you when you’re perusing a participating website, so you don’t miss a chance to earn money back on your purchases.

• Share your FlipGive team to your Facebook page, and ask friends and family members to join. That way, when they go to purchase something online, it can help your team out! (This is a lot better than making them buy, say, a dozen bins of frozen cookie dough.)

• Buy gift cards through FlipGive. Minogue would host company dinners. But before venturing to the restaurant, he’d buy a gift card for it through FlipGive. Gift-card options range from 3% cash back for a Starbucks card to 4% for a Landry’s Restaurants card.

• Capitalize on big spending times — like back-to-school or the holidays. Minogue did the majority of his kids’ back-to-school shopping online, though he’d have them try on items at the store first.

• Don’t forget about booking travel. You can book everything from hotels to flights through FlipGive partners. For example, you can get $5 when you use Booking.com, or 3% back at Hotels.com. You can even bank up to 2% back for Disney vacations.

• Remember, you don’t have to stick to shopping. If someone would rather donate some money to your FlipGive team, that’s fine, too. Just know there’s a 6% processing fee for PayPal donations.

And again, just be mindful! Learn to integrate FlipGive into your everyday consumer decisions.

Since the Gothia Cup, Minogue has joined another FlipGive fundraiser for his daughter’s soccer team. Their goal is to raise $1,000, and in about a week, they’d already banked $61. Not everyone had even joined yet, so he has high hopes!

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

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Questions About Soup, Sunk Costs, Turkey, Insurance and More!

6 Cyber Monday Shopping Tricks

How you can save more and worry less during the e-commerce blitz.

In case you haven’t checked a calendar recently, Black Friday (Nov. 24) and Cyber Monday (Nov. 27) are coming — soon! Last year, consumers spent $3.45 billion online during Cyber Monday, making it the biggest day of U.S. e-commerce ever! And between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we’re poised to spend even more this year with Americans dropping an average of $743 each.

So, how can you capitalize on the Cyber Monday sales to check off your Holiday 2017 list? We’ve rounded up some of the best tips and tricks to help you save money!

Trick No. 1: Skip store credit cards

Store credit cards have a lot of flashy upfront perks and incentives to lure you in (save 20% on your purchase today!). However, they have notoriously high APRs — an average of 24.99%, one study found!

If you don’t pay off the entire card by the next statement, you’ll be stuck paying more in interest than you intended. In most cases, you’ll be better off with one of the best cash back credit cards, which you can use at many stores to save money year-round.

Trick No. 2: Develop a credit card holiday shopping strategy

When shopping online you’ll need to use a credit card, but not all cards are created equal. Depending on what you’re shopping for, you’ll need to develop a strategy.

• Mostly shopping at large retailers, such as Walmart, Amazon.com, Target, or Best Buy? Then one of the best cash back credit cards could earn you 5% cash back.
• Planning to spend the estimated $743 average? Consider the , one of the best signup bonus credit cards, which delivers a $150 bonus when you spend $500 in purchases in your first 3 months as a cardholder.
• Worried about having enough time to pay everything off? Some of the best low-interest credit cards can give you up to a year to pay things off, or get up to 18 months of introductory 0% APR with one of the best balance transfer credit cards.

Trick No. 3: Make a list, check it twice

It’s easy to get carried away with the “add to cart” button online, but making a list of the items you intend to buy, stores they can be found at, estimated prices, discount codes and more will help you stay on budget and not be lured by promos and sales throughout the day. Also include any promo codes that are released in advance so you’re not scrambling while trying to check out. Using the notes or reminder function on your smartphone is a way to store everything. There’s also a number of shopping apps or browser extensions that can help you save money.

Items tend to go fast during Cyber Monday, so having a Plan B is helpful. List all of the stores the item can be found at and also if the store will price match a lower offer somewhere else. Additionally, you’ll want to know the exact specs and details about the products you’re looking at to ensure you’re getting a quality item. Just because a big screen TV is discounted to $300 doesn’t mean it’s worth it if it has poor resolution that will hurt your eyes while watching.

Trick No. 4: Sign up for newsletters and create accounts

Many companies will release information about their Cyber Monday sale in advance to loyal customers so get on the newsletter now. If they allow you to combine promo codes you may be able to save even more as a first-time newsletter subscriber. It’s not uncommon for businesses to offer a welcome discount (such as 10% off your first online order) for signing up. Set up your store accounts in advance as well so you’re not trying to create a login and password and enter your address while checking out.

Trick No. 5: Check the shipping and return policy

Ideally, you’ll shop at companies that offer free shipping and returns so you can easily receive your items and return anything that doesn’t work out without any extra costs. In many cases, though, you’ll need to spend a minimum amount to qualify for free shipping. If your total falls short of that minimum, do the math first — if shipping will cost you $15, then it’s not worth it to buy a $25 item that you don’t actually want or need.

Trick No. 6: Protect your ID and credit card information

Why is protecting your identity included in this list of savings tips? Because if you fall victim to identity fraud, you could be on the hook for hundreds of dollars (or more) in financial damage. If the Equifax data breach taught us anything this year, it’s that you can never be too safe when it comes to protecting your personal information.

Especially when it comes to online shopping, you’ll want to ensure you’re taking steps to minimize risk. Some things you can do:

• Make sure the URL has https:// with an “s” on the end for secure.
• Go to retailer websites directly instead of clicking ads, which could have malware.
• Double check retailer URL spellings. It’s not uncommon for hackers to set up fake websites that are similar to the real thing, but with a misspelled URL.
• Use a credit card instead of a debit card since they have stronger fraud protections should you have to dispute a charge.
• Check your statements thoroughly to ensure there are no fraudulent charges.

If you like a good deal, but don’t want to fight the crowds during Black Friday, then Cyber Monday may be the best day to tackle your holiday 2017 list. When you shop strategically, Cyber Monday can be a great way to get all your shopping done at once from the comfort of your couch while saving money.

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