Word: trackers
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...Express announced that it would roll out credit cards with MBNA, and Discover is pursuing new partners too. The change comes at a time when consumers are already overwhelmed with pitches for new plastic--in the second quarter, a record 1.4 billion mailings went out, according to direct-mail tracker Synovate. That means the average household received 6 offers a month, up from 4.6 a year ago. New competition may mean more choice when it comes to rewards programs, says David Robertson, publisher of the industry-tracking Nilson Report, but don't expect better deals on annual fees or financing...
...more to invest, it's worth your while to shop for a higher yield. Bankrate.com lists rates on money-market accounts, similar to money-market funds but FDIC insured. These bank-based accounts have historically lagged behind money funds' yield by about 1 percentage point, according to money tracker iMoneyNet. But banks have become aggressive and now offer equivalent yields--at times even better ones. Bankrate.com shows some good deals, such as one from ING Direct currently yielding 2.10% annually and one at VirtualBank that pays 2.15%. David Yeske, a certified financial planner in San Francisco, points out that high...
...dubious honor: the 1995 Saturn SL is the car most likely to be stolen, according to a survey released last week by insurance-industry tracker CCC Information Services. Coming in at No. 2 is the 1998 Acura Integra, while the 1994 Saturn SL ranks third. Others in the top 20: Mitsubishi Montero, Honda Civic and Accord, Acura Legend, Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Tahoe. The most commonly filched cars were all made in the 1990s. Why? Ed Sparkman of the National Insurance Crime Bureau thinks newer autos are less attractive to thieves since carmakers now include better antitheft devices. Consumers looking...
...mutual fund. As the TIPS market balloons, fund firms are responding. There are about 20 offerings to pick from. You should look for a fund with at least a few years' track record as well as low expenses and above-average returns. Eric Jacobson, a senior analyst at fund tracker Morningstar, recommends Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities and Fidelity Inflation-Protected Bond. And for fans of exchange-traded funds, which trade like stocks, there's iShares Lehman TIPS Bond Fund. Funds that buy TIPS are conservative investments. But don't forget that even they can lose money if interest rates...
...eight years in duration. But the longer the loan, the higher the interest rate, which means in the end you pay more, possibly thousands more. Plus, at the end of, say, eight years, you'll own a car that's worth very little, says Art Spinella, president of industry tracker CNW Marketing Research. A vehicle that originally cost $30,000 could resell for as little as $5,000. If you sell the car toward the end of the loan, you might still owe more than what the car is worth. Spinella suggests sticking to a loan that lasts no longer...