Suze Orman Not Pre-Approved on Her New Prepaid Card

Suze Orman is jumping on the prepaid Mastercard bandwagon with her own card and many experts are not approving. Haven't we seen many times before the celebrity endorsement of prepaid plastic. From Lil' Wayne to the Kardashians, many celebrities are seeing green from these highly lucrative, high fees milking of the un-banked. Those without checking accounts are being told that they need this card to function in the economy.

When a celebrity has to go on television to defend a product it is a bad sign of the public's opinion of such products. Suze Orman has been a respected financial guru for many years and all can agree has taught millions to save, invest and be responsible with money. But the prepaid card in general has such a bad rep. with its high gotcha fees, it sours the public's perception of Suze Orman and lowers people opinion of her. She went on CNN to defend her prepaid card.

The prepaid card itself is basically a gift card with fees. Enrollees in the program pay $3 per month for access to the plastic. After activation, consumers can add money through bank transfers or cash deposits, and then use the accrued money for a variety of purchases. "You can only spend what you load on it," according to Orman's official website. At Allpoint specific ATM's $2.00 per transaction (waived for 30 days with a qualifying Direct Deposit or Bank Transfer of $20.00 or more). Non-Allpoint ATM Withdrawal Fees $2.00 per withdrawal plus any fees charged by the ATM owner or operator. Domestic ATM Balance Inquiry Fee $1.00 per transaction (waived for 30 days with a qualifying Direct Deposit of $20 or more or Bank Transfer) plus any fees charged by the ATM owner or operator. Though some things are without cost, many are not. For a complete list of fees go to Suze's website here.

To be fair Suze does give a list of ways to minimize fees and use the card in the most inexpensive way. Her list is as follows to have only the $3.00 monthly fee:

• Sign up for Monthly Direct Deposit or bank account transfer of $20 or more and use an Allpoint® ATM
• Don’t use ATMs other than Allpoint
• Get cash back at the point of purchase
• Avoid using cash to reload; use MoneyGram® if you need to
• Use TheApprovedCard.com, text alerts and our automated telephone system to check your balance
• Pay your bills online
• Don’t call customer service more than once a month
• Don’t make over-the-counter cash withdrawals at a bank

Critics of Suze can agree this prepaid card adventure has tarnished her reputation and made her perceived as just a huckster. When Suze Orman recommends something people would follow her advice because it has always been for the benefit of the people. Now her advice is possibly for the benefit of herself. Her card is not a bad card but it's not a great card either. It's just like all the others. On twitter she got into a name calling fight with some online bloggers, even calling them "idiots", she did apologize later. 

Maybe Suze should stick with writing books and teaching, it has gotten her very far plus endured her to her fans. Suze, your fans deserve better.

5 Luxuries You Can Do Without (And Not Miss)

Image via WikipediaThink back to when you were a kid. What did you have? What didn’t you have? Now, think about what you have now. What do you have that, in reality, you don’t need? As technology has progressed, we have found more and more luxuries become necessities. But is that necessarily true? Do we need everything we think we do? What can you cut out of your budget and never even miss? 

Well, here are five luxuries you can do without. Best of all, you won’t even miss them!

1. Cable television –Everyone has a computer. And I’m not saying it is a luxury (though, in a way, it is). But since you have a computer, why are you paying for cable television? Everything you watch on TV can be found online, and for a lot cheaper. Weather you subscribe to Hulu Plus or Netflix, you can have streaming TV come to you. Best of all, no more commercials. Want to cut down even further? Well, a lot of TV stations now have the latest episodes of their shows on their website- for free! If you already own a flat screen TV, chances are that it can be hooked up to the internet. There are many ways to do that, from being info directly from your computer to inexpensive set-top boxes. Whatever the case is, you’ll save hundreds of dollars a year just cutting the cord.

2. SUV –Do you still have an SUV? What do you need it for? It’s doubtful you are dragging around more than three kids at a time, and that tank is sucking up gas like a camel in the desert. If there is no real, concrete reason for you to have an SUV; get rid of it! And don’t give me any guff about needing to haul stuff. Cars now come with foldable back seats and roomy trunks- big enough for the Christmas tree to ride comfortable. Get yourself a car with good gas mileage and save thousands.

3. Smart phone – Do you have a computer? Sure you do! So, why do you need a smart phone too? Remember the days when having a phone meant you stood next to the wall in the kitchen to talk? Or had a machine to answer when you weren’t home? Remember when you were not available twenty-four hours a day and didn’t check your email every five minutes? Get some peace and quiet back in your life and save money too. Switch your cell to a regular, everyday variety. No internet. No touch screen. Just voice and text. Think about it; do you really need, or want, to be online twenty-four/seven?

4. Bottled water –Not only are you being environmentally irresponsible when you buy bottled water, but you are being financially irresponsible as well. Think about this: over 80% of bottled water comes from tap water. That means what comes out of your sink goes into a plastic bottle and you pay extra for it. Don’t waste your money. If you have an issue with plain tap water, or live somewhere where the water’s not so great, buy a filter and stainless steel bottles. You’ll save money and room in landfills.

5. Coffee– Do you really need that four dollar cup of coffee every morning? I think we all know the answer to that question. If you can’t live without your caffeine fix, buy a travel mug and make your own. Coffee makers can be timed and ready for you every morning. If you crave your Starbucks, buy a bag at the grocery store. You’ll save money, time, and your waistline. Oh, what does your weight have to do with it? Just think about what you add to your coffee and you’ll understand. When you make it for yourself, you are virtually guaranteed to drink healthier.


There are many more luxuries out there, and you know what they are. Take a second look at your checkbook and see if you can’t cut a few things out. Most of the time, you won’t even miss them.

Author Bio:-

This is a guest post by Coleen Torres from phone internet. You can find more about her at her profile.

Older Workers Spend Less and Save More

Image via WikipediaIsn't it great when something you know is true is proved in a survey. On AARP.org there is a great article about how older workers spend less on lunches and coffee than their younger co-workers. Older workers not only spend less money on lunches but they spend a lot less.

The survey taken by recruiting and staffing firm Accounting Principles shows younger workers ages 18 - 34 spend almost twice as much on coffee than workers 45 years and older. According to the Workonomix Survey, they also spend about 40 percent more on lunches. Even though older workers are earning more money they actually spend less than their younger coworkers.

The average U.S. employee spends nearly $3,000 a year on coffee and lunches at their job. This statistic should be an eye opener to what's going on in your daily spending. Even if you just cut that number in half you would have so much more money to save toward your retirement fund.

If you are starting now in your 50's and 60's to save $3,000, at the end of ten years you would end up with a tidy sum in your IRA. Using the AARP lunch saving calculator at the end of 10 years with an 8 percent rate of return you would have $12,690. The big payoff goes to the younger worker who starts to save this way now. 

Try AARP's lunch savings calculator to see how much you could save by bringing your lunch from home.

Check out: Study: Older Workers Spend Less. And You? at AARP.org

Rebuilding Your Financial Plan After Recession

Image by 401K via Flickr

The last recession has caused a reset to the spending and saving habits of most people. It has been a wakeup call not only for the folks nearing retirement but also the those still in their accumulation years.

If you're already in your retirement years you probably are already in balance with your income. Out of necessity your living expenses are in sync with your social security and pension fund benefits. Thankfully, Social Security benefits will rise 3.6 percent in 2012 and also many inflation linked pensions will rise also. Between 2007 and 2011 median household income for people 65 and up increased by 5.5 percent per year, while income for every other age group declined. In 2010, 9 percent of people 65 plus years old live in poverty compared to 13.5 percent for those 18 - 64.

Those with the most financial problems is the 50-plus group. Their investments took a big hit but are slowly recovering. Many lost their jobs and used up their savings just to make it through. An AARP survey found that 25 percent of the 50-plus adults used up their savings between 2007 and 2010. This group is the hardest hit because they have no retirement savings. Some are working hard to recover but sadly many never will.

What can you do?

Debt and high expenses are the curse the 50-plus group has to overcome. Many families still have children in college which diverts money away from retirement. The costs of a larger home, than would be necessary in retirement, only adds to the problem. So creating a plan is critical.

Housing is one of your most expensive costs. Having a plan to reduce costs should be at the top of your list. Downsizing is the quickest way to do this. Many real estate professionals say by the end of 2012 the bulk of the housing markets will be stabilized and start to see improved prices. Prepare for the rise in home prices by planning to sell in 2 - 3 years. Start today to prepare your home by painting and remodeling. Though you can't predict where we will be in 3 years, you still have to stay in budget, keep saving and investing at the same time.

Saving for retirement is still important and really the only way to get a decent return on your money. In a world of less than 1 percent savings instruments at your bank, an 8 percent return is possible with equities and bonds. A diversified portfolio and patience will take you to where you need to be. With stocks and their dividends providing a return of 5.3 percent a year for the past 15 years, it's important to not ignore equities.

Time of transition.

Most people were effected by the recession. But there were many who weren't. Why. They were prepared. They had a plan and a way of life where they are only slightly felt the effects of recession. We need to take a lesson from them. They lived with spending less than they made and saving the rest. They stayed away from debt and were ready for the storm. They were prepared.