Need a Date for New Year's Eve? Take Advantage of eHarmony's Free Weekend
December 30th, 2011 - Posted by jeff
Just in time for New Year's Eve, eHarmony is offering a free weekend so users can try out all of its in-depth matching features for free! With its large user base and its emphasis on creating deep connections with its compatibility survey, eHarmony offers one of the most successful and in-depth online dating experience. This deal only lasts until Monday at midnight, so to read our review of eHarmony and take advantage of this deal, click here!
I opened a department store credit card this week. If I never use it, will it still hurt my credit score?
December 30th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha
Q: I opened a department store credit card this week. If I never use it,will it still hurt my credit score?
A: Opening a new credit card account may impact your credit score in the short run, whether you use it or not. That's because most credit scores take into account any new credit you've opened when calculating your score. Opening a new credit line is generally perceived as a having a slightly negative affect on your credit score. However, by adding new credit to your existing lines of credit (other credit cards, etc) you are increasing the total amount of credit available to you which can be a good thing. I'll explain below how this might actually help you in the long run.
Using the popular FICO score as a base line for how all credit scores are calculated, you can see from the diagram below that there are 5 different factors considered. These are your payment history (are you making your payments on time), the amounts you owe, the length of your credit history, new credit and the different types of credit you use.
The 2 factors that come into play with your situation are "new credit" and the "amounts you owe". Although applying for a new credit card may hurt your credit score a little bit in the short run, increasing the overall amount of credit available to you helps improve your credit utilization ratio which can help your score in the long run.
For example, if previously you had a total of $7,500 worth of credit available to you and you used $5,000 of this credit, your credit utilization ratio would be 67% ($5,000/$7,500). But if the department store credit card added another $2,500 to the total amount of credit available to you and you still were only using $5,000 worth of credit a month your new ratio would be 50% ($5,000/$10,000). Since you're now only using 50% of your available credit, this should help improve your credit score over time. And since "amounts owed" constitute about 30% of your total credit score this is a good thing.
The take away here is that while getting that department store credit card might ding your score for a month or two, if you never use it your credit utilization ratio will improve, which will help your credit score over time – a good thing. But if you do use it, it won't help your credit score because your ratio won't really improve much.
If you'd like to find out what your 3-bureau credit scores are now, consider signing up for Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® credit monitoring. Right now they are offering a free 30-day trial, and you'll get all 3 of your credit scores for free when you sign up. You can cancel any time during the trial period and you'll get to keep your credit scores free of charge. Identity Guard also updates your credit scores every 3 months so you'll know how they change over time.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: Monitor My Finances Better
December 29th, 2011 - Posted by jeff
Want to get better control over your finances in 2012? A good way to do that is to start monitoring your credit. Why? Business, banks, lenders and even rental agencies can rely heavily on your credit scores and credit background when deciding whether to do business with you. Having good credit can make you eligible for the best rates and deals, and can keep down-payments and deposits to a minimum, saving you money. Having bad credit can mean higher interest rates, larger down payments and deposits, and being turned down for any number of loans or services you apply for.
Not sure what your credit score is or just want to monitor your credit more closely? Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION®, our top-rated credit monitoring service, is offering NextAdvisor readers 25% off, plus a free 30-day trial. Identity Guard provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, free 3-bureau credit scores at sign up and a free Internet Security suite with your membership. To learn more about Identity Guard and to get this deal, click here.
Does the TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express include travel insurance and coverage?
December 29th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha
Q: Does the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express include travel insurance and coverage?
A: Yes, the TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express includes up to $100,000 in Travel Accident Insurance. This insurance is automatic and is included free of charge with the card. You just need to pay for your travel costs (airline ticket, train ticket, etc) with the TrueEarnings card in order to be covered. Other travel benefits include Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance for rental cars and the Global Assist Hotline which provides 24/7 assistance for medical, legal, financial, or other emergencies while traveling more than 100 miles from home.
We really like the TrueEarnings Card because in addition to it's travel benefits, users will earn 3% cash back on gasoline purchases of up to $3,000 (1% thereafter), 3% cash back at restaurants, 2% cash back on travel purchases and 1% cash back on all other purchases including at Costco. But if you're not sold, you can take a look at our other top-rated cash back card reviews and select a card that meets your needs.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: Find Your Sweetheart with Match.com
December 28th, 2011 - Posted by polina
Find love in 2012 with the help of Match.com! For a limited time, this top-ranked online dating service is offering an exclusive discount to NextAdvisor readers. Simple click on any Match.com sign-up link from NextAdvisor and receive a 20% discount off a 6-month subscription. With a database of over 20 million single users, Match.com is one of the most popular online dating services, and for good reason. The site has great matching and searching capabilities, and even has a "Match Guarantee", which offers an additional six months free if you don't find someone special during the first six months. Click here for the full review and find out how Match.com can help you find your 2012 sweetheart. And to compare all of our online dating services, click here!
Identity Guard announces kID Sure protection for your children
December 28th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha
Identity Guard has launched an identity theft protection service just for children—kID Sure. kID Sure utilizes advanced scanning technology to search for the fraudulent use of your child's personal information, including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and public record data.
It searches the Internet black market, pre-credit sources (such as utility and telecommunications) and thousands of databases (including public records) to help protect your child from identity theft.
Most people aren't aware that identity thieves actively target minors, stealing their Social Security numbers and reselling them for fraudulent or illegal use. Common identity theft opportunities that thieves exploit include such seemly safe activities like school and sports registration. Once the theft occurs it can be undetected for years and cause substantial damage. That's where kID Sure comes in – it can help detect the exposure of your child's personal information and alert you when it occurs.
kID Sure requires the enrollment of the child's guardian or parent in our top-rated Identity Guard's adult identity protection service first. Once you've signed up for Identity Guard you can add kID Sure to your account for just $4.99/month per child. Right now NextAdvisor readers can get an exclusive 25% off Identity Guard and a free 30-day trial, bringing the price down from $19.99/month to just $14.99/month. That means you can protect yourself and your child for the reduced price of $19.98/month ($14.99/month + $4.99/month).
Congratulations to Our Third NextAdvisor $500 Giveaway Winner
December 28th, 2011 - Posted by jeff
A big congratulations to our third NextAdvisor $500 sweepstakes winner, Larry Lee from Michigan! Larry will receive our last $100 weekly prize before the big grand prize drawing next week.
So far we've had over 2,000 entries to the contest, and the entries keep pouring in for the big $200 grand prize drawing on Sunday! All entries must be received by midnight on Saturday, so don’t forget to go to our Facebook page and fill out our survey to enter!
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: Shed Some Extra Pounds With eDiets
December 27th, 2011 - Posted by polina
Looking to slim down in 2012? eDiets is offering NextAdvisor readers some great deals to help you with your weight loss. If you're looking to eat your own food but still want guidance and a structured diet that caters to your specific goals, eDiets DIY is our top rated do-it-yourself program and is offering a 25% discount to NextAdvisor visitors. The Glycemic Impact Diet is also part of the eDiets family and is offering a 25% off deal as well. This diet puts emphasis on low glycemic index foods and helps regulate blood sugar. No matter what your needs are, read our reviews and see what works for you. Compare all of our DIY diets here!
If you want even more structure, eDiets Fresh Prepared Meals delivery program is offering deals that include 3 weeks of meals for free as well as free shipping for the life of your diet! You can also get free shipping and a 1 week of meals for free from the TV inspired Biggest Loser meal plan. With meals delivered straight to your door, dieting can't get any easier. Compare all of our meal delivery programs here!
Which credit cards offer a 4 percent cash rebate on gas?
December 27th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha
Q: Which credit cards offer a 4% cash rebate on gas?
A: The Chase Freedom® Visa – $200 Bonus Cash Back card offers 5% cash back in certain rotating categories. From January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012, users will earn 5% cash back on all gas station and Amazon.com purchases. They will also earn 1% cash back on all other purchases and $200 cash back if they spend $500 in the first 3 months of receiving the card.
Or if you're interested in a cash back card that also has a 0% introductory APR, take a look at the Chase Freedom® Visa – $100 Bonus Cash Back + 0% Intro APR card. Just like the Chase Freedom® Visa – $200 Bonus Cash Back card, it features 5% cash back in rotating categories, and from January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012, users will earn 
5% cash back on all gas station and Amazon.com purchases. Users will also earn a standard 1% unlimited cash back on all others purchases and $100 cash back after spending $500 in the first 3 months. In addition to all these rewards, users will benefit from a 0% purchase APR for 6 months and a 0% balance transfer APR for 12 months.
If you want to read all our Cash Back Card reviews, check out our Cash Back Comparison page. Or see all of our credit card categories and choose the best fit for your needs.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS: Start Saving Money
December 27th, 2011 - Posted by jeff
Need to start saving money in the new year? You can get the best value for your dollar with online savings accounts. We review all the top banks that offer some of the best deals to help protect your money, gain return on investment and give you peace of mind. Get high APYs, low start-up deposits and a slew of other features with some of the top names in banking, such as Discover, ING and Ally. Read our reviews and check out the services here.
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