Survey: 71 Percent Browse Retail Apps Before Buying In-Stores

Retailers as a group haven’t figured out how apps fit into their larger strategies, despite all the “omnichannel” rhetoric to the contrary. To date retail apps have mostly been treated as small-screen versions of e-commerce desktop sites with some “circular” content...

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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How are secured claims treated in bankruptcy?

Knowing what you have to repay after bankruptcy is important. Learn more about secured claims and bankruptcy at HowStuffWorks.

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How are secured claims treated in bankruptcy?

Knowing what you have to repay after bankruptcy is important. Learn more about secured claims and bankruptcy at HowStuffWorks.

Source Business & Money - HowStuffWorks http://ift.tt/1L3B4hQ

PUC staff urges no expedited order to continue net metering program

Legal staff with the Nevada Public Utilities Commission is recommending that commissioners do not issue an expedited order Wednesday to continue an existing net metering program as requested by rooftop solar officials.

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What you need to know about Google's new parent company Alphabet

In case you missed it, Google is now Alphabet, Alphabet owns Google, and Google has a new CEO, who reports to the old CEO. Here's the deal.

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Twitter Launches Full Archive Search API To Give Enterprises Instant Access To Every Tweet

Expanding on historical products offered by its Gnip service, Twitter is now offering social management platforms real-time access to full Twitter stream.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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American Girl To Crowdsource Film Introducing New Doll

What better way to get young girls intrigued than to offer them the opportunity to star in a YouTube video? That's the idea behind the Mattel brand's social effort surrounding two of its historical dolls.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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LVCVA board approves plan to demolish Riviera

The shuttered Riviera property will be demolished as planned as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's board of directors on Tuesday affirmed a recommendation of its Convention Center District committee.

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The Forgotten Money-Saving Strategy You Learned in Kindergarten

When we were kids, everything was negotiable.

Picture school lunches. Everyone was scoping out everyone else’s food, throwing out offers and trying to end up with the tastiest selections. I was once part of a five-way trade so complicated, it was a wonder we even had time to eat — though I did end up with a miniature Snickers, so no complaints here!

For some reason, we stop bartering as adults. We measure everything in terms of cost, but we forget about how much money we can save with a little creative negotiation.

Channel your inner kindergartener and get ready to do some trading. Here are a few ways that you can use bartering to save money.

How to Barter Successfully

No matter what you are bartering for, follow these three simple steps:

1. Think about what you want. Be realistic, because it’s much more difficult (though not impossible) to barter your way to diamonds than it is to get help building your website.
2. Consider what the people who sell what you want, would need. Match your skills to their needs. What do they need that you can provide?
3. Pitch them. Explain how your skills can meet their needs, in exchange for their goods or services.

This pitch is more likely to work if you build a relationship first. Don’t just stroll into a business and start talking about exchanging products and services. Take the time to get to know the person and the business first, before broaching the idea of a trade.

Before you start thinking of bartering strategies, consider why you might barter.

To Build Your Business

Whether you’re a freelancer, a small business owner or a master of the side hustle, having a business requires resources. It’s true that it takes money to make money, but the fewer dollars you have to spend to make your business work, the more you get to keep.

As a writer, I’ve done my fair share of bartering. When I needed to build a website, I reached out to one of my talented friends and offered my writing services in exchange for his development know-how. Sure, I could have done it myself with a lot of Googling, but I wanted a professional.

While my friend usually charges thousands of dollars to build a site, I didn’t have to pay a single dime. He agreed to trade his services for five blog posts, a long-form article and some website copy he needed for his clients.

Need another incentive to try bartering for business services? This tactic could also help you land additional work and new clients.

Not only did I get a fantastic website, but my friend’s clients were so pleased with the content, they ended up hiring me for a long-term (and well-paid) freelance gig.

To Enjoy Luxuries You Wouldn’t Otherwise Be Able to Afford

Not all bartering needs to be business-related. Products or services you want just because are good targets, too. Things that entertain you and make you look and feel good may not be necessities, but that doesn’t mean you always have to live without them.

Local businesses are especially good targets for some bartering. Chains often have corporate regulations to follow, but local businesses may have more leeway.

Want an expensive haircut from a boutique salon? Keen to sign up for that pricey organic CSA? Barter with your skills! Offer your services as a handyman, marketer or whatever your skills may be in exchange.

You could even work out a long-term arrangement, if your skillset allows it. For example, if you work in search engine optimization, you could trade monthly SEO work for monthly haircuts.

Don’t Discount Discounts

Though getting things for free is ideal, you may not always be successful, especially if you’re targeting an expensive item or service. Instead, use your bartering skills to snag major discounts.

A furniture store may not be able to give you a free bedroom set, but offer a few hours of skilled work in exchange for a reduced price. A bookkeeper likely won’t work for free, but might give you a lower rate if you help him establish a social media presence.

When bartering for a discount, make sure that you have a fair exchange in mind. You always want to make sure that the discount is worth the work you’ll put into it. In other words, don’t do hundreds of dollars worth of work for a $50 discount.

Boost Your Barter Potential by Connecting With Others

Remember the five-way school lunch trade I mentioned earlier? Well, I was able to earn that Snickers because I was working with friends.

Relationship-building is crucial for bartering. People who know and trust you are much more likely to accept a barter agreement. To foster those connections, join small business associations, networking groups and meetups whenever you can.

Barters don’t just have to be one-on-one. Yes, adding more people makes things more complicated if you’re working with strangers, but that’s why it’s important to have a strong network.

When you meet others, think of how you might be able to help one another. Even when businesses seem entirely unrelated, once you get to know people, you can think of creative ways to work together.

Consider a dog groomer, a small printing press and a website designer. The dog groomer needs some postcards printed for a mail campaign, the printing press needs a new website and the website designer has pet dogs that need grooming. It’s just a matter of talking and figuring out fair details, whether they’ll exchange discounted services or purely trade services.

Not sure how to get the conversation started? You could even use this article. Post it in your LinkedIn groups or community discussion boards and ask members if they have anything to offer. You may be surprised how easy it can be to begin.

For maximum barter potential, expand your network outside your field. If I only got to know other writers, I wouldn’t have anything unique to offer. Since I know people in a variety of industries, I can create unique and beneficial connections.

Go to networking events and get to know people. Today’s casual acquaintance might be the key to tomorrow’s bartering gold mine.

Your Turn: Have you ever bartered for a freebie or discount? Tell us about it in the comments!

Erin Palmer is a writer and content marketer who is always up for a good trade or a good laugh. Barter or joke with her on Twitter @Erin_E_Palmer.

The post The Forgotten Money-Saving Strategy You Learned in Kindergarten appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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Getting A Grip On The Mobile Engagement Gap

Columnist Brent Hieggelke delves into data that shows there's a growing mobile engagement gap between high- and medium-performing apps and explains what you can do to boost your app's performance.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Should Your College Kid Get a Credit Card?

You may want your child to start building credit, but consider the barriers to entry.


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Taxi exec calls proposed Uber, Lyft rules a 'public safety disaster'

An executive with one of Southern Nevada's dominant taxicab companies says the Nevada Transportation Authority's proposed regulations for transportation network companies "is going to represent a public safety disaster for Las Vegas."

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Gaming claims a place in presidential race

The gaming and resort industries on Tuesday staked out a spot in the presidential race taking shape in Nevada, reminding leaders of their importance to the state's economy, as well as the votes of thousands of their workers.

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10 Ways to Save $600 a Year on Cable Without Giving Up Your Favorite Shows

With the average cost of cable running around $600 a year (according to this savings calculator from Slate), it’s no surprise that more and more people are making the decision to cut the cord and get their TV fixes elsewhere.

But can you really still watch all the shows you love without paying the price of a hefty cable package?

Yes, you can. Here’s how to watch TV without cable.

1. Major Network Websites

You can view videos of full episodes of many of your favorite TV shows for free on network websites.

Broadcast channels like ABC, CBS and NBC offer a wide range of on-demand episodes, as do premium channels like TLC, TBS and HGTV. Just head to your favorite network’s website to check out what’s available.

Cost: Free

2. CBS All Access

Check out more than 6,500 episodes of CBS shows with CBS All Access live-streaming. Available for your PC or mobile device, it also gives you access to live TV and special features like the Big Brother live feed.

Cost: Free one-week trial; $5.99 a month after that

3. Feeln

Presented by Hallmark Cards, this streaming service offers movies and TV series handpicked for being heartwarming and family-friendly.

Commercial-free and available on a wide range of devices from your iPhone to your Roku to your Xbox 360, Feeln also offers 100 originally produced short films and programs as well as an exclusive collection of Hallmark Hall of Fame features.

Cost: $1.99 a month

4. Netflix

Commercial-free and available on a number of platforms, Netflix has one of the largest libraries of shows and movies available for live-streaming.

It releases whole seasons of shows at once, which is great for binge-watching but not so great if you want to be up-to-date on your favorite shows so you can discuss them with your friends — you’ll have to wait for the latest season to end before you’re able to watch it on Netflix.

Netflix has also been a pioneer in original content, offering its subscribers exclusive access to hit shows like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards.

Cost: $7.99 a month (or free with this nifty trick)

5. Hulu and Hulu Plus

You can watch a variety of popular shows on the free version of Hulu the day after they air, but you’ll only be able to access the five most recent episodes.

Upgrade to Hulu Plus and you’ll be able to see all episodes of a series, including past seasons of currently running shows like Modern Family as well as classic shows like The Twilight Zone. (Unfortunately, you’ll have to sit through ads whether you use the free or the paid version.)

Hulu is also trying to get into the original content game, with a limited number of exclusive series like Behind the Mask and Difficult People.

Cost: Free for Hulu; $7.99 a month for Hulu Plus

6. Sling TV

One major complaint about alternative TV services is they typically don’t offer much for sports fans. Sling TV by Dish Network is one solution, offering live access to 20 premium channels including ESPN, Adult Swim and AMC as well as add-on packages that give you additional channels based on your interests.

That said, it’s live access; there’s no option to record a show you want to watch later. Sling does offer a replay period during which you can view shows that aired within the past three days on certain channels, and certain channels allow you rewind a show you’re already watching — but ESPN is not one of those channels, so if you want to catch the big touchdown that happened while you were in the kitchen, you’ll have to hope they show a replay.

Cost: $20 a month for the basic “Best of TV” package; add-ons available from $5 a month (for Sports Extra, Kids Extra, etc.) to $15 a month (for HBO)

7. HBO Now

If you’re addicted to HBO shows like Game of Thrones and Girls, you’ll find they’re not available on other streaming services.

If you want to watch them without renting them when they come out on DVD, you’ll want to get HBO Now. It’s available for most devices — tablets, laptops, phones and desktops, but not video game consoles — and offers a month-long free trial (which means you can watch a whole ‘lotta GoT for free if you’re a binger).

Cost: Free 30-day trial; $14.99 a month after that

8. Amazon Prime Instant Video

Amazon Prime’s Instant Video feature gives you streaming access to a number of popular TV series and movies.

The list is by no means exhaustive, and you’ll find it doesn’t have the most recent seasons of currently running programs, but you do have the option to buy a season pass (which typically ranges from $10-$20) or pay per episode (around $1.99-$3.99) to view additional shows.

If you already buy a ton of stuff from Amazon and can benefit from the free two-day shipping that comes along with Amazon Prime, it’s certainly an option worth considering.

Cost: $99 a year (which breaks down to $8.25 a month)

9. HDTV Antenna

Go old-school and hook your TV up to an HDTV antenna to get basic broadcast channels with a high-quality picture. Add a TiVo or other DVR device, and you’ll be able to record shows to view them later.

Find out which channels are available in your area and the best antenna for your needs at AntennaWeb.

Cost: $15 and up

10. The Library

Go really old-school by checking out the offerings at your local public library.

I did a search of my nearby branch and was surprised to find DVDs of everything from I Love Lucy to The Brady Bunch to Malcolm in the Middle. It’s not enough to satisfy the diehard TV fanatic, but if you’re looking for a cheap way to pass a rainy day, you certainly can’t beat the price.

Your Turn: Do you use any of these TV alternatives, by themselves or in combination? What do you like (or dislike) about them?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor who runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. Follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

The post 10 Ways to Save $600 a Year on Cable Without Giving Up Your Favorite Shows appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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How to Avoid Excess Bank Fees

There’s no denying that ATMs and overdraft protection are incredibly convenient, but they also bring in billions of dollars in fees for the banking industry. Photo: Jim Pennucci

By Peter Miller

The world of consumer banking used to be based on the pillars of free checking and equally free toasters, but those days are long gone. Today’s bank statements are likely to be filled with an array of charges and costs, fees that may seem small and unimportant but which together actually bring billions of dollars into the banking system.

While depositors may have had an inkling that banking has seemed increasingly expensive of late, it’s possible to avoid a host of these charges — and probably all of them.

FDIC Call Reports

The FDIC collects quarterly “call” reports from the nation’s banks, but starting this year banks with assets of $1 billion or more are required to provide new information. Now, for the first time, we can see the full extent of those little fees that keep cropping up — and it turns out that taken in aggregate, they’re not so little. In fact, according to the FDIC, they amounted to $7.4 billion in just the first quarter.

According to FDIC spokesman David Barr, “The new data include consumer overdraft-related service charges, consumer periodic account maintenance charges, consumer ATM charges, and all other service charges on deposit accounts. This last category includes all service charges on deposit account products that are intended for use by a broad range of depositors (which may include individuals), as well as ‘per check’ fees and other event-based charges, such as stop payment fees and wire transfer fees on consumer deposit accounts.”

Of the $7.4 billion in service charge income on deposit accounts reported by the 626 institutions, Barr says:

• Overdraft charges on consumer accounts totaled $2.5 billion, or 34.1%.
• Periodic account maintenance charges on consumer deposit accounts totaled $975 million, or 13.2%.
• ATM charges on the banks’ consumer accounts totaled $439 million, or 5.9%.

The charges on consumer accounts (overdraft charges, periodic account maintenance, and ATM charges) represented more than half (53.3%) of the service charge income reported on deposit accounts.

How to Protect Your Wallet

Given the numbers from the first quarter, it looks like the nation’s big banks will collect nearly $30 billion in fees during the coming year. That’s a lot of money, but the odds are that you can avoid such costs by asking five magic questions.

1. What are your minimum balance requirements for checking and savings accounts?

Banks, with some reason, don’t want very small accounts because of the costs they represent. So they have a variety of maintenance fees they assess for low balances, often in an effort to effectively close out such accounts. Find out what the monthly minimums are and be aware that if an account balance falls below the benchmark for even a day you can be assessed the whole change.

• Related: How to Find the Best Free Checking Account

2. Can I get overdraft protection?

“It’s always good to have overdraft protection, a service which is often available without cost,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president at Auction.com. “With such programs the system steps in and pays the bill up to a given amount if the account is overdrawn.”

Generally, overdraft protection means you have an optional system in place in case your account is overdrawn. For instance, you might have a savings or retirement account tied to your checking account. If you write a check that drops the account below the amount of available funds, money is automatically transferred from the other account to cover the debt, so the check doesn’t bounce and create its own headaches.

With overdraft coverage the bank — at its discretion — pays such things as automatic bill payments, recurring bills, and debit card transactions. Some overdraft coverage programs are automatic, others require enrollment.

Whatever system you choose, always ask about minimums, fees, and charges.

3. Can I get a line of credit?

An alternative overdraft approach is to get a line of credit attached to a checking account. This is different than a checking account related to savings or retirement funds because the money is an outright loan from the bank and not your cash.

There is often an annual fee for this service, perhaps $25, but it automatically advances money to cover overdrafts or if you simply need a loan. A line-of-credit requires a basic credit check and loan application, but once in place can last the life of the account. Depending on your income and credit, the size of your line-of-credit can be substantial, well into five figures.

4. Do I have to pay ATM fees?

Cash is readily available from ATMs everywhere, but there’s a catch: If you use another bank’s ATM, you may owe a fee. The fee may seem small — say $3 — but that’s a big percentage for a small advance.

Be sure to ask about ATM fees. Is there a fee to use the bank’s ATMs? How much? Is there a fee to use an ATM network that includes your bank? How much? If there is a fee to use a non-bank ATM, will the bank reimburse you? Is there a limit to fee-free ATM transactions, such as a certain number per month or the amount withdrawn?

5. Do you have a minute?

It costs big money to attract new customers, and banks very much want to keep your business. For that reason, if you get hit with an overcharge, one of the best strategies is to simply visit a branch and chat with a bank officer.

Explain your concern — nicely — and ask if the charge can be removed. Even before you get to the “ask” part, the bank officer may well say, “Gosh, you’ve been with us for so many years (or you have x amount deposited with us, or both), so let’s see if we can waive the fee.”

The bank officer knows that waiving the fee means fewer dollars in the short term, but keeping the account can mean a very-much larger stream of income for years to come. Weighing the pros and cons, there’s a very good chance the fee will be waived.

If the fee is not waived — and if you’re a good customer with solid credit and a healthy balance — you can always take your business elsewhere, especially if you find a bank that has good answers for the questions above.

Related Articles: 

• How to Earn Free Money With a Bank Bonus
• The Best High-Interest Savings Accounts Online
• How to Build Credit

The post How to Avoid Excess Bank Fees appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Facebook Adds High Performing Ad Units To Audience Network

The social network is now offering autoplay video in native app advertising and dynamic product and carousel ads in full-screen interstitials.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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10 best summer sales you can’t afford to miss

The end of summer offers plenty of opportunities to save money on a variety of items. You'll find deals on seasonal items that retailers are looking to clear out to make room for colder-weather products, and sales abound on everything students of all ages need to head back to school. Plus, Labor Day sales offer an opportunity to save on several big-ticket items.

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Ride & Drive: 2015 Ford Edge

I was impressed with the previous generation Ford Edge.After spending a week behind the wheel of the all-new, 2015 Edge crossover utility vehicle, I’m absolutely blown away.Remade in nearly every detail, the current generation Edge features improved driving dynamics, new body structure and a redesigned suspension system developed specifically to better isolate road imperfection and absorb noise without compromising handling.Unlike truck-based crossover [...]

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Engagement: How To Unlock The Key To Content Performance Success

So you've developed a content marketing plan, and you're producing tons of great content -- the question is, is anyone reading it? Columnist Jim Yu explains how to increase engagement and improve your brand reputation in the eyes of your customers.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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How to Find a Job Without Using Job Boards

Boost your odds of job-search success with these five strategies.

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