Money Hacks
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Only 43% of consumers will cut back on holiday spending this year, compared to 55% in 2008, according to a Consumer Federation of America survey. While increased consumer optimism spells good news for retailers, for Americans planning to “stretch” the budget, the New Year could bring falling credit scores, and with it, serious consequences.

Here are some fail-safe tips from FICO Credit Guru Shon Dellinger to help enthusiastic shoppers stay financially sound:

1. Be Smart with Credit. Using a credit card is ok – experts agree having 3-5 credit cards helps your credit, if used responsibly. But carrying a balance on your credit card leaves you (1) stuck paying interest that could cost you, in some cases, double or triple the cost of those gifts in the long run and (2) with a much lower credit score, which could jack up interest rates on your credit cards and jeopardize your chance of getting lines of credit elsewhere (buying a house, a car, etc.). Services like FICO Score Watch combat this by providing emails or texts alerting you to any changes in your FICO score (either positive or negative), and notifying you when you’ve qualified for a better interest rate. A credit score increase of 30 points will save the average consumer $105 per year.

For more information on FICO Score Watch, go to: www.myfico.com/Products/ScoreWatch/Description.aspx.

2. Resist “Short Savings.” The salesperson at your favorite department store offers you an instant 20% savings just for opening up a credit card in their name. While that $20 seems tempting at the time, it can quickly put you in debt if you’re not careful. The temptation of the deal is also one reason why the average consumer has a total of 13 credit cards. Opening new lines of credit can also hurt your credit score, so make sure the card meets your overall needs and not just your desire for quick savings.

3. Don’t Wait Till April! Many holiday shoppers use their Tax refund to pay off credit card balances left over from the holidays, which can be incredibly expensive, not to mention detrimental to your credit standing. A credit card balance of $500 dollars from January until April will cost you $237 dollars based on today’s average credit card interest rate.

4. Get Info on Your Credit. Go to the myFICO Forums, where you can connect with thousands of other people all in your same boat. Don’t wait til after the holidays, when the damage is done. FICO is offering 30% off all products on its web site if you enter the discount code MYFICO HOLIDAY.

I've recently been very lax in keeping up with the news. Last I heard, Dubai caused a minor stir in the already-screwed up credit markets, sending markets into a tizzy.

I saw on today's newspaper the big headline, "Mortgage Rates at All-Time Lows." Sheesh. Haven't we seen this TV show before?

Must we go down the same stupid road that got us here? I know, the credit standards are supposedly much higher now than they were in 2006-2007, where anybody with a pulse (and some even without) could get a loan for a piece of property. But I have heard random radio spots that hint that things really haven't changed much. Stuff like "no money down," "seller financing," and "no doc" loans…

I'm afraid we haven't learned a thing from our very recent past. I can't say I'm surprised.

The fundamentals of the market psychology hasn't changed: It still seeks short-term profits over long-term prosperity. Slow and steady hasn't kept the market happy for decades. It likes the hare, not the tortoise.

I also saw that gold hit $1200.

So how does one protect himself during these times? I'd suggest that you stick with the same old, same old:

• Stocks – still the best bet for long-term prosperity
• Cash – in case all hell breaks out
• Bonds – if interest rates ever go up again, they might become a little more enticing
• Gold – in case it gets worse than all hell breaking out
• Real Estate – your real inflation hedge

Depending on where you are in your life, you would do best to keep the bullk of your investable assets in stocks, some in cash, a little in bonds, very little in gold, and a bit in real estate. Note that I am not including your home in this assessment. If I did, most of us would have more than 50 percent of our assets in real estate (which might be a big part of the problem, right).

I still think the US is the place to be for innovation: IT, bio tech, medicine. But I think you may want to invest a considerable portion in foreign markets. China will not stop growing for some time. India is still going to improve. Latin America still has lots left, as does Canada, Russia, and Europe.

The world, as they say, is your oyster. Choose wisely, or else you may get one that's toxic.

Will I ever catch up? Will you ever read all this?

The Investor presents Young people are already rich posted at Monevator.com, saying, "If you have teenagers or kids at college who waste their money on frivolous purchases, this link is a must read – and a must forward!"

Finance Tips 101 presents Saving Cash With Coupons ? Three Tips To Keep More of Your Money posted at Finance Tips 101.

Daniel Drew presents Unsecured Small Business Loan posted at My Business is doing well should I choose an SBA Loan?, saying, ""Lines of credit are generally paid off by opting for a permanent source of financing. In case of commercial property line of credit, the sale of the old property may help repay the line of credit""

Jack Schmidt presents The High Cost of Deep Fried Coke posted at SectorMatic Money Journal, saying, "SectorMatic.com – Personal Finance | Everything for the Big Spender on a Budget. Now you can live like a fat cat, even if you're on a money diet. Laugh all the way to the bank with Jack Schmidt and SectorMatic. It's for you!"

KCLau presents The only financial company who knows the power of social media posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "there are always many methods to get free traffic and leads to your website. Beside search traffic, another major source of traffic is social media. There is one company who knows how to make use of social media – ROCKWILLS"

Tom DeRosa presents Math in the Real World: Erasing Debt Activity posted at I Want to Teach Forever, saying, "How to turn those debt consolidation and credit loan applications into a simple life (and math) lesson for your kids"

Kevin Fleming presents Easy Ways To Save Money on Satellite TV and Cable. posted at Satellite TV Guru.

Tom Peper presents Financing a Small Business | freebusinessmembership.com posted at How To Start Your Own Business, saying, "Free Business Membership offers information on how to start a business, home based business, franchise, SBA loans, promoting a business, LLC"

More of my catching up…

Chris McClelland presents How social networking sites can also help you save some money posted at Lucrative Investing.

jim presents Best CD (Certificate of Deposit) Rates posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Ben Dinsmore presents Reduce Your Hot Water Bill with this One Simple Tip! posted at Trees Full of Money, saying, "While washing oatmeal off my 10 month old's face this morning, I came across an effective way to save on hundreds of gallons of hot water each year!"

Billeater presents Ten Ways to Save Money During Pregnancy posted at Billeater.

Stingy Student presents Best Amazon.com Discount Sale – 90% off for Back To School Shopping posted at Stingy Students, saying, "Get up to 90% off at Amazon.com for back to school shopping!"

Silicon Valley Blogger presents How To Improve Your Credit Score: A 6 Step Plan posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Teach kids about maintaining a good credit score!"

The Smarter Wallet presents How To Consolidate Debt: Ways To Reduce Your Debt Load posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "Teach your kids about how to manage debt."

Ray @ Financial Highway presents Canadian Discount Brokerage Review and Comparison for TFSA and RRSP posted at Financial Highway, saying, "Discount Brokers"

Banker Saver presents Sneaky Bank Fees: How To Avoid Those Extra Charges posted at Banker Saver, saying, "Let's teach our kids how to avoid sneaky bank fees that eke away at our savings."

Investing Toolkit presents Dollar Cost Averaging Basics posted at Investing Toolkit, saying, "We explain dollar cost averaging, an important investment principle that everyone should know."