The College Investor

How to get the Cheapest iPhone Plan

Robert — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:21:49 +0000

Cell phone plans can get expensive…plain and simple. The trick is to know how much you actually use and pay for only what you need. Many people sign up for unlimited plans, and only really call about 400 minutes per month. You can save boatloads of cash by simply picking the right plan for your needs.

Next, it is essential that you tell AT&T or your wireless carrier that you have a job. Almost every employer qualifies for a 20% discount from the wireless companies. By having a job, they know you are more likely able to afford your cell phone bill each month.

Here is how to get the cheapest iPhone plan. It may not fit your needs, but you can get a sense of the costs from here:
Plan: Nationwide 450 Minutes w/Rollover – $39.99
Option: Dataplus 200MB for iPhone – $15.00
Subtotal – $54.99
Discount – $11.00
Total – $43.99

That is not a bad deal. You may also want to look at getting a text messaging plan. You can get a 200 message plan for about $5. Not a bad investment considering they usually charge about $0.20 per text without a plan! That can add up fast!

- The College Investor

Suze Orman’s FICO Kit

Robert — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:05:01 +0000

Since many of our readers are into personal finance, there is no doubt that you have or currently watch Suze Orman on CNBC.

Well, if you do follow her, you know that she is all about the FICO score. Your FICO score is your credit score, and the higher the score, the better rates you can get on your credit!

Well, she is currently running a promotion to get your FICO score’s cheap! Check it out: 20% off Suze Orman FICO Kit. Just use Promo Code SUZEFKP.

Enjoy!

- The College Investor

Five Things to do on Labor Day

Five Things to do on Labor Day

Robert — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:15:39 +0000

Since most Americans have the day off, here are some great activities to boost your financial well being! Plus, they are pretty quick!

1. Check your credit report – Every American qualifies to get a free credit report once a year. You can go to AnnualCreditReport.com and check your credit reports. It is quick, and if there is something amiss, you will be much better off knowing about it and getting it fixed instead of being shocked when you are not approved for a loan.

2. Check your insurance – Every person should really look at re-evaluating how much they pay for their insurance each year. Chances are, your rate for auto insurance hasn’t changed much over the past few years. However, the car insurance market is fierce, and there are a lot of great rates out there. Check out: 21st Century Insurance Company, Auto Insurance, Allstate Auto Insurance, GEICO, and The AARP® Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford.

3. Balance your checkbook and other accounts – Since you most likely have the day off, it may be a great time to spend an hour and get all of your finances in order. Balance your checkbook. Check your credit card statements. Setup online Bill Pay. Or, you could make your financial life easier by checking out Mint.com, or purchasing Quicken. These finance products are great at helping individuals keep their financial houses in order. Mint is great because it is free, and it updates automatically. They make their money by offering you better services than you are currently getting, but that can usually work in your favor. Also, Quicken is great for the power finance user, but it does cost a little bit of dough.

4. Check your portfolio allocation – Another great tool to look into is Morningstar’s Portfolio X-Ray tool. This year has seen some great gains in the stock market, and you may be surprised to see what your mutual funds and ETFs have been doing with your money. It may also be time to think about re-balancing your portfolio all together. Check out Unlimited Stock and Fund Insight from Morningstar. Learn More.

5. Get a better deal on your cable TV – Cable TV is having a rough time keeping subscribers, but that works out great for subscribers! Give your local cable company a call and see what they can do to keep you as a customer. Remind them that you are watching most of your shows online (check out Hulu), maybe you are getting your DVDs through NetFlix, and that you really don’t know why you are paying almost $100 a month. If they refuse to bargain, maybe you should consider just watching basic, and getting everything else online!

- The College Investor

Why I Hate FedLoan Continued…

Robert — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:23:18 +0000

As you may of read in my previous post about why FedLoan Servicing is the Worst Student Loan Servicer, I have a big beef with this company. To add insult to injury, I was trying to update my accounts at Mint.com, and FedLoan is unable to be added as an account. I was able to add my Sallie Mae student loan just fine, but not FedLoan.

This company continues to live up to its reputation as the worst student loan servicer. Its time to invest some of the profits you are making off our student loans in to technology that will allow you to function as a responsible company!

- The College Investor

Gazelle – Get Cash for your Gadgets

Robert — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:43:57 +0000

I just stumbled across this website called Gazelle, where you can sell back your old electronics gadgets, such as phones and MP3 players. This is a great alternative to selling on eBay, and in some cases, you may get more bang for your buck.

I recently found an old 3rd generation iPod Nano in my closet. Since I got my iPhone, I haven’t used that iPod. I was going to sell the thing on eBay, but then I read about Gazelle, and decided to give it a try.

Its very easy to use their website. All you do is type in the item that you have, select the features and quality, and they will give you a quote. If you accept the quote, they will give you a free shipping label, and you just mail them your item. For my old iPod Nano, they offered me $16, which was great given that I don’t even use the thing!

I packaged up my Nano, mailed it, and 2 days later received confirmation that it was received. Once Gazelle receives your item, they inspect it to verify everything you said about it online matches the item in person. If it does, you get paid a few days later. Quick, painless, and even better, I’m $16 richer.

To receive payment, they can send you a check, credit your PayPal account, or even give you an Amazon giftcard. If you choose the giftcard, they automatically give you 5% more for your item!

Give it a shot. Its eco-friendly, it can make you a few bucks, and its really easy!

- The College Investor

Starting an Online Business

Amazon Student

Robert — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:38:35 +0000

It is almost prime time for buying textbooks. Most of the semester schools are in the first weeks, and the quarter system schools are about to start. In looking for the best deals for textbooks, I can across a program called Amazon Student.

Amazon Student is a great incentive from Amazon for college students. It gives you:

Unlimited FREE 2-Day Shipping on textbooks and millions of other items
No minimum order size
Upgrades to 1-Day shipping for only $3.99
Email alerts on exclusive deals

If you are a student, all you have to do is be currently enrolled in a college or university, and have a valid .edu email address to confirm your status.

Check it out!

- The College Investor

Why you should choose Scottrade!

Robert — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:59:36 +0000

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What is up with housing?

Robert — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:52:37 +0000

There has been a lot of uncertainty in the market surrounding recent numbers announced in the media. It was announced last week that existing home sales plunged 27.2% and unsold inventory jumped to an 11-year high. While this has some people fearful of what is to come, we should really look to the root cause to see why it happened:

The government’s tax credit for new home buyers recently expired!

To quote from Jim Cramer, who you can follow on Twitter here, summed it up best: “If you knew a store was having a sale that lasted almost two years, and it was announced in the media everyday, why would you go buy something the day after the sale was over?”

Americans are saving more, and spending less. As they get out from under the piles of debt they have accrued, they will start buying homes again. It might not be everywhere (i.e. Detroit), but sales will follow where employment begins to recover.

- The College Investor

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The Weekly Financial Round-Up

Robert — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 19:09:13 +0000

Hope everyone had a great week in this volatile market! Here are some interesting links to get you through the weekend:

- Our post on FedLoan Servicing was the most popular topic last week. Check it out here!

- Found a great new website that is similar to Twitter for investment ideas. Its called InvesCafe!

- Over at Consumerism Commentary, there are two great articles this week about credit cards – one about rewards and one about potential pitfalls!

- At The Digerati Life, the have some fun with currency. Great photos!

- Finally, check out The Best Money Tips at Wise Bread!

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Equifax 30-Day Free Trial

Robert — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:44:35 +0000

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