Price Comparison Shopping Blog

January 29, 2009

Should I Buy A Refurbished Macbook?

Filed under: Laptops & Notebooks — Tags: , , , , , — @ 9:52 pm
Bdig85 asked:


I’ve been looking for a new laptop lately. While I was comparison shopping, I found a refurbished Macbook running OS X 10.4. I’ve been playing around with the idea of buying a refurbished Mac before, since I definitely can’t afford a new one. Do you think it’s a good idea to buy refurbished?

Tina

January 24, 2009

How to Comparison Shop For Mortgages

Filed under: Real Estate — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — @ 7:39 am
Amy Nutt asked:




Buying a house is large step in any person’s life. Getting the best deal possible on a mortgage is also very important when shopping for your dream home. You want to get the lowest payment rates possible for the lowest interest rate. Having a large down payment for a house helps these rates become lower, but comparison shopping is important when deciding on a mortgage. From your bank to the internet, there are many options when looking for the right mortgage with the right interest percentage and monthly payment rate for you.

Shopping aggressively for mortgages is very important when you are interested in buying a house but first choose the mortgage rates and payment schedule you are comfortable with. Choose a fixed-rate mortgage or an adjustable mortgage rate. Fixed-rate mortgages stay the same throughout the years of paying it back as opposed to adjustable-rate mortgages which fluctuate up or down for short period depending on the structure of the mortgage. Next calculate what you can pay per month and choose your loan term of 15, 20, 25, or 30 years of repayment. The shorter the loan repayment period is the higher the rate that must be paid each month to the loan company. The 15 year mortgage will save you thousands of dollars in interest, but the payments are so much higher than any other yearly mortgage rate. Most people choose the 30 year mortgage for the lowest monthly payment.

Be sure you have good credit before applying for loans. Use free websites or pay for your exact credit score. The closer your score is to 800, the better your chances of getting a loan will be. Do not have outstanding payments on credit cards or other large purchases such as cars. If you end up having a low credit score, take a year or so to let you credit return to an acceptable rate then try applying for loans. If you have massive debt, contact a free credit consolidation office for help with your finances. They can work down your credit card debts and more to one low monthly payment.

If you do have a good credit score, it is time to shop for mortgages. Start by applying at the bank in which you have accounts with. The bank you use may offer special rates for customers that have savings accounts. You can also contact a mortgage broker. They have access to lenders that may offer low interest and payment rates. Shopping online is also a great way to find a mortgage. Websites offer calculators and free hotlines in which you can contact for mortgage questions. When shopping for a lender, look at the company’s terms on closing costs, because this can be a big out-of-pocket expense for home buyers. Overall, make sure your going to get the best payment rate per month and the lowest percentage possible for the 15 to 30 year mortgage you choose.

Katherine

January 23, 2009

Compare Online Stock Trading Brokerage Firms

Filed under: Investing — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — @ 8:29 pm
David Jenyns asked:




Comparison Shopping

You won`t have any problems finding an online stock broker. The worldwide web is crawling with them! The hardest thing is to figure out which brokerage firm is right for you. This is as important as the stocks you will be investing in… so you`ll need to choose wisely.

You`ll first need to compare online stock trading brokerage firms. Compare their fees and their services, and then compare that information to what your needs are.

If you`re a new entrant in the field of online stock trading, you`ll be better off with a firm that provides a full service offering; one that not only caters to the basic educational and trading needs of a first-time trader, but one that also allows you to buy partial shares of stocks (by way of automatic payment on a regular basis) and accumulate your investments over time. If you`re lucky enough to find such a firm, you`ll relish the opportunity to also complement your investing strategies by making real-time trades to buy and sell stocks immediately during market hours.

Sharebuilder.com offers just such a service…and is my personal online stock trading brokerage firm of choice. When you actually compare online stock trading brokerage firms you`ll discover that ‘unlike traditional online investment services`, Sharebuilder gives investors a unique and powerful way to invest in the stock market. You`ll find (with Sharebuilder) that you`ll have a simple, flexible and affordable way to invest for the long term. You`ll find a ton of great articles and tutorials on all aspects of online stock trading on their site. Plus, you`ll even be able to compare Sharebuilder`s service offering with four of the other leading online brokerage firms as they have created a comparative analysis table for that very purpose.

Ok, with such a rosy picture painted of Sharebuilder.com, should you even bother to look elsewhere?

Of course! That`s what due diligence is all about. Research! Research! Research!

Don`t get me wrong. Sharebuilder is a great online stock trading brokerage firm to deal with. But I`m biased, because I`m a rookie online stock trader and I need all the help I can get…and these guys deliver!

On the other hand, if you`re a long-time trader who invests big money per trade, you`ll no doubt be looking for the most cost-effective brokerage firm online; possibly one that charges less than $10 per round turn.

When I first started trading stocks online with Sharebuilder, I decided I would invest the princely sum of $100… because I could! You see…unlike most any other online stock trading brokerage firm I had ever encountered, I found that Sharebuilder had no minimum deposit requirement…and since that was a big priority on my list, they got my vote.

Interestingly, the four other online brokerage firms featured in Sharebuilder`s comparison table all have what some may consider pretty hefty minimum deposit policies. TD Ameritrade`s minimum is listed at $2000, while Schwab`s is $2500. NB: After I verified this information on the respective web sites, I chose Sharebuilder for that one reason.

Another important criterion to consider when you compare online stock trading brokerage firms is (as I stated earlier) the round turn (commission) charges of the trades or online market orders. Sharebuilder charges from $11.95 to $15.95 depending on which plan you choose. Since I chose the freebie plan, my market trades cost me $15.95 each… but I can live with that because their service is so good.

TD Ameritrade however, won the coin toss at $9.99. Believe me…this is an excellent rate for any online stock trader who deals in large volumes.

As for me?

Well, all I had to start with was a mere $100… and given that TD Ameritrade`s minimum balance requirement is $2,000…umm…well…you get the picture?

I might add though that all five brokerage firms involved in the comparison offered online statements, confirmations of trades, along with reinvestments of dividends. That in itself is quite impressive compared to many of the lesser brokerage firms online.

Annual maintenance and low balance fees was also an interesting comparison. Three of the brokerage firms, including Sharebuilder did not charge any fees for these… while E*trade and Schwab charged $160 and $120 a year respectively!

The important thing and the only important thing to consider when you compare online stock trading brokerage firms is which one can meet your needs? All of the companies mentioned in this article are upstanding companies with variable policies. Choose the one that`s best for you…and you`ll be on your way.

Elizabeth

January 21, 2009

Is Geico a good car insurance company?

Filed under: Insurance & Registration — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — @ 11:11 pm
lj1 asked:


My car insurance policy is up for renewal, so I decided to do some comparison shopping. Geico quoted me a price that was $250-350/year less than any of the other companies. The coverage I selected is as good or better than what the other companies were offering.

Would Geico be a good company to switch to, or should I go with someone else? If you have had any experience with Geico (good or bad), please share.
I did my research, and nobody can even come close to the offer that Geico made. As it stands, that is who I am going to switch to. I am just looking for stories from past and present Geico customers.

Lonnie

Guide For Obtaining the Lowest Shopping Prices

Filed under: Shopping And Product Reviews — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — @ 3:51 am
Terje Brooks asked:




Never pay full price! But how can I obtain the lowest shopping prices?

Comparison shopping is among the simplest ways to save money. 99 percent of products and services marketed today is available less expensive somewhere else. For example, car insurance is one thing that differs on price from company to company. Look around, and if you obtain a reduced quote than what you’re now paying for the same protection, call your current car insurance provider and tell them. They will most likely match the competitor’s price tag to be able to keep your business. This specific strategy applies to health insurance, life insurance, telephone coverage, tools, and almost anything you can imagine. For large ticket purchases, check online price comparisons websites, yet make sure you factor in delivery charges vs. in-store price.

Reap the benefits of discount programs like the “Entertainment Book” and “Diners Club”. Ensure you bring the book or card along with you and don’t forget to use it while shopping! Furthermore, hunt for discounts when buying on the internet, since some stores will offer you a discount for signing up as a member, and you’ll usually come out ahead, after all has been said and done. Utilize any kind of benefits you receive via your credit card, bank, as well as warehouse clubs. In many cases, these companies will give you discount rates on tickets, certain events, car loans, plus much more.

Bargain whenever you can. This does not work properly at big chain stores, but use negotiating when purchasing a vehicle, shopping at swap meets, storage sales, and also when purchasing something from a private person. Tell the other person what you’re willing to pay; the worst that could possibly happen if they dislike your offer is to say no. Should they like your offer, you simply saved money! Nine times out of ten, most of the people do agree to a reasonable offer, therefore give haggling a try.

Auto dealerships are the worst places for paying sticker price. Whatever you do, never enter an auto dealership and pay the total listed price. That price is always too high and most likely, several “extras” have been added to the vehicle in order to increase the cost. Next time you look at cars, examine the information. You may find that there is $400 worth of car mats included in that price. When there are a plethora of of extras added onto the vehicle, tell the dealer you don’t want extras therefore you will not pay for them. In the event the dealer refuses to budge, consider going on the internet and purchase your car from the manufacturer. By doing this, you will not get many extras you do not need or want and the car eventually ends up being a lot less expensive as compared to a dealer’s price tag.

Earl
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