All How To

Help! My Employer Folded And Now I Can't Get A W-2
As you might have noticed, a number of companies have shut their doors over the last few years. Making matters worse for the former employees of some of those businesses is that they still have to file their tax returns — but no one wants to give them a W-2. More »

Why Does HSBC Need To Conduct A 15-Minute Interview To Add My Wife To My Savings Account?
Back in the wild and crazy mid-2000s, when we were all taking out adjustable-rate mortgages on vacation properties in Nunavut, Consumerist reader Matt decided to take advantage of the attractive interest rates on HSBC's high-yield online savings accounts. More »

Don't Mistake Credit For An Emergency Fund
If you're struggling to make ends meet, it's understandable to half-joke that your credit cards act as your emergency fund. But if you can save and choose not to, content that credit will rescue you from any trouble that arises, you're only tempting fate. More »

How To Save While Throwing A Super Bowl Party
If your social circle converges on your house to watch the best commercials of the year and the obligatory football that plays out in between, the burden to host a Super Bowl party can ravage your budget like University of Arizona product Rob Gronkowski does hapless secondaries. But you can cut corners here and there to trim costs without letting your frugality show. More »

Not-So-Fun Facts About Home Equity Lines Of Credit
Homeowners whose property is worth more than what they owe have the option of using their equity to get a hold of more money. Home equity lines of credit can fund education expenses, home improvements or help you pay off debt with higher interest. The credit can be a lifesaver, but can also get users in trouble. More »

Before You Get A Pet, Determine How Much Money It Will Steal From You
When you're looking for a pet, you're probably thinking with your heart rather than running a cost-benefit analysis. But animal sidekicks come with a plethora of hidden challenges, including financial demands that you'll need to make sure you can handle. More »

EECB To Amazon's Jeff Bezos Results In A Very Happy Ending
The first step in resolving a customer service issue isn't to email the CEO of a company, but if nothing else works, why not? Lia used Consumerist's Executive Email Carpet Bomb listings to get in touch with Jeff Bezos of Amazon and lo and behold, success! More »

Hurray! Consumerist Helps Reader Find Laptop Left On American Airlines Flight
While running the gauntlet of the daily grind, one can get caught up in everything that can go wrong for a consumer, which is why we downright love it when something goes right. And if we can help a tiny bit, that's nice, too. Rachael writes that her friend lost his laptop on a recent flight, and she immediately thought of Consumerist. More »

How To Make A Lowball Offer With A Straight Face
In a tortured housing market filled with sellers desperate to unload their homes, today's lowball offers are next month's listing prices. If you're in the market for a house, you have nothing to lose by disregarding the sticker price and putting in a comically low bid for the property. Doing so as a way to start negotiations is probably the best way to see just how low the owner is willing to go. More »

Keep Calling T-Mobile's Executive Office, Get Charged With Harassment
Gary's mom uses a prepaid T-Mobile phone, but doesn't use it a whole lot. She missed the deadline to re-up her account by three days, and is now stuck with a useless $50 refill card and a shut-off cell phone. After four fruitless attempts at calling regular customer service, Gary tracked down the executive customer service number, hoping to reach someone in the United States with some power. Instead, the person he reached was hostile and unhelpful. When Gary eventually reached that person's boss to complain, the boss said that if he kept contacting the executive offices, they'd have him charged with harassment. All of this seems like a lot more trouble than turning some old lady's phone back on. More »

Save Money On Medical Bills By Questioning Charges
When you open up a medical bill your'e usually not stunned by how little the doctor is charging you. Inflated charges, which seem to be the norm in the industry, would be laughable if their implications weren't so crushing. But an invoice doesn't have to be the amount you end up paying. More »

Ways You May Be Letting Money Slip Away
It's easy to be lulled into regular expenditures that add little to your life. If you're looking for ways to cut spending, turn first to monthly bills and look for ways to trim or eliminate them. More »

Hollywood Video Continues To Try Collecting Debts From Beyond The Grave
It's been almost two years since Hollywood Video rented its last DVD and 364 days since we reported on former Hollywood customers receiving debt collection notices for debts they didn't actually owe. And yet collectors for the dead-and-gone chain continues to haunt customers with wildly incorrect notices. More »

Consumer Reports Money Adviser: Don't Buy Into Expensive ID Theft Protection Services
Identity theft can scare the bejeezus out of anyone — drained bank accounts, credit cards set up in your name, purloined Social Security numbers, oh my — but that doesn't necessarily means you should buy into an expensive credit protection service. Our wise older siblings at Consumer Reports break it down in a new installment of Money Adviser. More »