New Company Launches Free ATM's

Tired of paying fees for using ATM's outside of your bank's network? Well, a new company has developed a way to deal with charges for automated teller transactions. Free ATMs NYC has created a machine that requires consumers to view advertisements during their transactions in exchange for the ability to use the ATM for free. According to CNN Money, the company plans to launch several thousand of these money machines by the end of next year. The only catch: consumers are still liable for any fees imposed by their own bank.

Would you be willing to view a few advertisements to avoid paying ATM fees?

Mortgage Complaint Hotline for Borrowers

The Consumer Protection Bureau has created a new mortgage complaint hotline to help borrowers deal with unresponsive lenders. According to the Los Angeles Times, the hotline went live on Dec. 1 but has not been widely publicized. The program is developed similarly to agency's credit card dispute hotline where customers submit a complaint which is forwarded to the lender. The lender then reports back to the bureau with a resolution that is sent to the consumer for review. Throughout the process, borrowers will be able to log into a portal or call a toll free number to receive updates on their case. The complaint hotline is accessible online at http://www.consumerfinance.gov and by toll-free phone between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern at (855) 411-2372.

With the number of pending foreclosures today, do you think this hotline will be effective in resolving mortgage dispute issues?

AT&T Ranked Lowest in Consumer Reports

AT&T has ranked last in a customer service survey conducted by Consumer Reports. According to Wired.com, the mobile carrier also came in last place in 2010. Although the company has improved its dropped call performance by 25 percent, it was not enough to overcome a history of coverage and service problems or to remove it from the bottom position. Verizon took the top spot with Sprint in second. The survey rated carriers on overall value, satisfaction with voice, data services, and customer support.

Who is your mobile carrier? Do you agree with these survey results?

Free Online Tool to Teach Kids Money Management

It is important to teach good spending and saving habits from an early age. A new website helps parents do just that with a few simple clicks. The site, kidworth.com, allows the parent to set up an account on the child's behalf. Next, a savings goal like a new bike, college savings, or investment fund is specified. The child gets his own webpage describing the goal which can then be shared online.

Kidworth provides other innovative ways to share goals with relatives and friends like birthday and holiday e-cards containing links to the page with the ability to make a gift directly online. Thank you cards can even be sent for contributions. When the goal is reached, the parent is able to withdraw the funds and have a check sent to their home.

What tools do you use to teach kids about money?

Holiday Deals Continue After Black Friday

After a record breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday, many stores continue their focus on offering big discounts to holiday shoppers. CNNMoney reports the following upcoming sales events by popular retailers:

Toy Sales:
Target- December 4 through December 10 buy one get one half off all toys
Toys R Us- "Super Sale Saturday" December 3 featuring $30 off Razor Scooters

Electronics:
Best Buy- Free smart phones with the purchase of a 2 year plan
Amazon- "Holiday Flurry Deals Week" starting Sunday December 4
Wal-Mart- Layaway and free shipping options

The largest sales revenue this year seems to be from consumers purchasing luxury items from high-end department stores. Will you be making any big purchases this holiday season?

5 Money Saving Apps for Holiday Shopping

According to MSN Money, about 60% of holiday shoppers will use online tools and mobile applications to find discounts on gifts. Below is a list of tools to help consumers save time and money this Christmas Season.

Shop Savvy- Compare prices on an item simply by scanning its barcode. This app. also provides product reviews, and the ability to share potential purchases with friends.

Gift List- Allows the user to set a budget for and list out each gift they want to buy. Also keeps track of when a purchaser is reaching his or her spending limit.

Catalogue by TheFind- An aggregated catalog from major retailers. The buyer is able to find what they want and make purchases directly from their Ipad.

Price Check by Amazon- See if the item is being sold for cheaper on Amazon by scanning the products bar code, taking a picture of it, or typing the name of the product in the search bar.

FastMall- Creates a virtual map of the mall allowing the shopper to navigate the quickest path to their favorite stores.

Daily deal sites like Goupon and Living Social are also gaining popularity for their ability to alert consumers of sales going on in their local area. What tools will you be using to find the best deals this holiday season?

No Change? The Salvation Army Now Takes Plastic

This season you will be able to donate to the Salvation Army using your debit or credit card. With more people carrying plastic rather than cash, the non-profit organization has equipped bell ringers with credit card readers to accept donations. According to Bankrate.com, the mobile card readers provided by Square are intended to make it easier and faster for Americans to donate even when they aren't carrying cash.

Will you be donating to a non-profit organization this holiday season?

5 Free Financial Education Resources

According to NY Daily News, parents play a huge role in the financial education of their child. Below are 5 free resources to help you and your family learn about money management.

MyMoney.gov- Retirement and debt calculators, budgeting worksheets, and consumer guide to credit cards

Smartaboutmoney.org- Financial tips, quizzes, and articles

LearnVest.com- Free 10 day financial boot-camp

Mint.com- Keep track of all of your finances in one place

Bankrate.com- Numerous articles and tools for managing investments, credit cards, and mortgages

What other personal finance resources do you use?

2012 Consumer Technology Trends

Verizon recently released a list of consumer technology trends for 2012. Changes in the way products are developed and the use of cloud technologies seem to be at the forefront of the projections. Instead of the traditional model of companies developing a product and then pushing it into the market, consumers will play a much more collaborative role in the process.

In addition, the list shows that people want a lifestyle where they can have access to what they want when they need it. An increased use of cloud technologies like Dropbox and Icloud will allow them to do just that. Other things to look out for include: the spread of watching videos and streaming media on mobile devices, the development of products to help keep consumer information more secure, and green technologies going mainstream.

With more and more people becoming connected each day, what trends do you forecast in the world of technology?

Bill to Allow Robocalls to Cellphones

A new proposed bill called The Mobile Informational Call Act would allow companies to use auto dialers to place pre-recorded calls to mobile phones. This type of activity has generally been outlawed in the past with few exceptions.  According to the Chicago Tribune, many consumer advocates oppose the bill that would potentially  "open the floodgates" to telemarketing and debt collection calls. Under the bill, anytime a person provides a wireless number as a means of contact, it would act as "prior express consent". In other words, if a person ordered a pizza and gave them their cell number, he or she would have just opened themselves up to receiving robocalls from the pizza shop and possibly any 3rd parties it does business with.

In light of changes in technology and the way people communicate, should companies be allowed to robocall cell phones?

Black Friday Deals on HDTV's

Consumer Reports has projected that HDTV's will be a big item this Black Friday with 32-inch sets selling as low as $200. According to TVPredictions.com, "both Target and Best Buy have both hit this price during Black-Friday pre-sales..." Those who are open to purchasing an off-brand or house brand set may see the most savings this year.

With stores like Walmart providing layaway options this holiday season, we may see an increase in consumer spending. Will these incentives affect your holiday shopping? What is on your Black Friday list?

Privacy Program Lets Consumers Block Internet Ads Based on Browsing Habits

According to Business Week, a voluntary advertising industry program to protect consumer privacy has extended its provisions allowing consumers to block ads based on their web-browsing history. After concerns raised by the FTC, the program was revised to prevent participating companies from collecting such data to determine eligibility for employment, credit, insurance and medical treatment. However, companies will still be able to collect information required for "operations and systems management".

With more and more access to personal information being requested from 3rd party applications and networking websites like Facebook, have people become too comfortable with sharing private information? Is there a need for more regulation, or will it inhibit the progress of technology and the overall web-experience?