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Patriot Bonds offer safety, but not short-term income
Seems like the hunger for information on U.S. savings bonds is insatiable. Sunday's column on the benefits of purchasing Patriot Bonds before new, probably lower, rates are set on Friday drew a flood of notes and calls from readers - as always happens when I write about this simple, old-fashioned way to save. People are attracted to the extraordinary safety these bonds provide, as well as the relatively generous interest they are currently paying.
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By Jeff Brown,
Inquirer Columnist,
10/29/2002 08:19 AM PST)
Now even getting a bill costs money
You may dread monthly bills in the mailbox, but consider them a perk. Some companies are charging for them. For years, businesses have cajoled customers to view their bills online, mostly by offering cash, gift certificates, sweepstakes prizes and other incentives in return. A tough economy, though, has led to an even more aggressive stance.
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By Jennifer Bayot,
NEW YORK TIMES,
10/29/2002 08:09 AM PST)
Mortgages paid down at low rates
Mortgage interest rates have fallen so low that some homeowners can't resist the opportunity to increase their monthly payments. Being enticed by low rates to pay ahead on your home loan or refinance from a 30-year note to 15 might seem counterintuitive. Why not stretch things out as much as possible when borrowing is so cheap?
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10/29/2002 08:01 AM PST)
Consumer confidence plummets in October
Worries about jobs and a possible U.S. attack on Iraq pummeled consumer confidence to its lowest level in nine years in October, a report said on Tuesday, a grim omen for the holiday shopping season ahead.
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BY ROSS FINLEY,
Reuters,
10/29/2002 07:56 AM PST)
If advance-fee loans sound tempting -- reconsider
Businesses that take advantage of low-income families and people who've gotten themselves into messes with credit cards are unconscionable in my book.
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By Deb Gruver,
Wichita Eagle,
10/28/2002 09:39 AM PST)
Scare tactics miss true peril for Social Security
Forget all the political blather about who is responsible for scaring senior citizens in this year's U.S. Congressional elections.
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By GAIL MARKSJARVIS,
Pioneer Press Columnist,
10/28/2002 09:26 AM PST)
Why to switch mutual funds
WHOA! HOW ABOUT those third-quarter retirement plan statements? One look prompts most people to wonder, "What do I do now?" Of course, just since Oct. 1, the markets are up sharply, so there's part of our answer right there.
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10/28/2002 08:06 AM PST)
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