The buds are sprouting—and so are the scams. Watch out for these common parking lot scams as you attend baseball games, outdoor concerts, and other events this spring and summer!
1.) The bogus parking attendant In this scam, you arrive at an event where an attendant points you to a nearby lot. You pull in, pay for your parking spot and get a payment stub as proof of purchase. But, when the event is over, you look for the attendant who took your payment and they’re gone. And, unfortunately, so is your car. How it went down: The attendant was no attendant. A clever scammer, who might look like the genuine article thanks to a bogus uniform, simply collected your money and then ran off. Your car was parked illegally in the lot, and the lot’s real owner had it towed. The fix: Only entrust your car to a parking lot attendant with an official logo, a real sign and a contact number. If you’re suspicious, do a quick search on the company. Also, be sure to examine the “payment stub” before leaving the lot to attend the event. It should appear authentic, and at the very least contain some information about the parking service as well as actual proof that you paid. 2.) The trick-it ticket This scam starts much like the other. You’ll attend an event, pay for parking and return to your car when the event is over. Only this time, instead of finding that your car has been removed, you’ll find a ticket stuck on your windshield for illegal parking. You’ll also find a helpful note informing you about a lawyer who can help you lower the ticket, or about an online site through which you can pay the fee. How it went down: Sometimes, the ticket you find on your windshield may be authentic. However, it’s sometimes just a slip of paper that was stuck on by scammers. In both scenarios, though, the helpful note about a lawyer or an online platform for paying the ticket is bogus. The “lawyer” is usually a scammer hoping to milk you for some cash and the online site is riddled with malware, which can infect your computer. The fix: Avoid tickets by only using official parking lots. Look for real signs instead of just a “Park Here” notice slapped onto a pole. If you’re ticketed, look for an official police department logo along with contact information. If you’re still in doubt, you can check the authenticity with your local police department. If you need the assistance of a lawyer, contact one on your own. Skilled lawyers won’t need to beg you for their business, and those sticking notes on your cars are either scammers or incompetent. Finally, never share your personal information on a random site. Only pay a ticket online if you’re absolutely sure it’s a police site. 3.) The phony mechanic In this scam, you’ll return to your car after an event only to find that the car won’t start. A “helpful” bystander will offer their assistance—for a price. They may even claim to be a mechanic or an expert in cars. After extorting you for an enormous amount of cash, they’ll gladly pop open your hood and “fix” your car. How it went down: The “mechanic” knows enough about cars to disable your vehicle without popping the hood while you were gone. They’ve immobilized your vehicle in an easy-to-fix way, like disconnecting the distributor or an electrical cable. This way, they can appear to “fix” it in seconds. The fix: If your car suddenly won’t start and some super-helpful mechanics just happen to be passing by, refuse their offer for “help.” Call AAA or another auto service instead. 4) False accidents You’re backing out of a parking space, careful to check your rear-view mirror and backup camera to make sure the coast is clear before you hit the gas, when there’s a sudden, sickening bump. You’ve hit someone. You rush out of your car and find that you’ve hit a pedestrian who promises to make an insurance claim against you unless you pay them off. How it went down: The accident “victim” was hiding out of your line of vision and then leapt behind your car as soon as you started driving. The fix: If this happens to you, look for a closed-circuit video camera and ask the lot’s security guard if you can review the tape. With any luck, you’ll see the con artist pulling their ruse and then you can turn the tables and threaten to press charges if the scammer doesn’t scram. If you’re in a deserted area without no surveillance nearby, don’t pay any fees until a doctor examines the “victim’s” injuries. Your Turn: Have you ever been targeted by a parking lot scam? Tell us all about it in the comments.
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We all the know true meaning of Memorial Day is remembering and honoring those who have given their lives in service of their country. In recent years, retailers have taken advantage of the extended weekend by offering loads of sale events in stores and online, and each guarantees to save you heaps of money. But that’s not always the case. Let’s look at what to buy and what to skip this Memorial Day weekend. Buy: Outdoor essentials Welcome summer with outdoor gear like grills, lawn mowers, ladders and more, which are marked down as much as 50% at stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. Online retailers, like Wayfair and Overstock, host similar events and may offer free two-day shipping in honor of the summer kickoff. Skip: Electronics You’re going to see crazy-low deals on gaming consoles, laptops, and tablets around Memorial Day weekend. But, unless you need one now, wait it out. You’ll find even better deals on electronics during the Black Friday season. Buy: Furniture Snag a great deal on a fully loaded patio set, pick up a marked-down comfortable sofa, and swap your old mattresses for inexpensive new ones at Memorial Day sale events. Skip: TVs Most marked-down TVs you’ll find around Memorial Day are older models with outdated features. Find better deals for newer models in November or January. Buy: Wedding registry gifts Department stores, like Macy’s and JC Penney, offer discounts on household essentials, such as coffee makers and blenders, in anticipation of the wedding season. Skip: Cars If you’re looking for a new set of wheels, wait until after June. You’ll find the hottest deals between July and October. Buy: Tires Preparing the family car for a summer road trip? You’ll find the year’s best prices on tires around Memorial Day weekend. Skip: Swimwear Don’t splurge on swimwear and other summer apparel just yet. Wait until June, or even mid-summer, for the steepest discounts. Buy: Spring apparel Retailers have been displaying their warmer-weather line for months, which makes the end of May the perfect time to stock up on spring-wear. Skip: Power tools You’ll only have to wait a few weeks for the hottest deals on power tools. Father’s Day sales usually start at the beginning of June, and offer deep discounts on power tools and other outdoor power equipment. Buy: Appliances and home décor Retailers and manufacturers mark down large household appliances, like refrigerators, dishwashers and ovens at the end of May. You can also score deals on home décor, like light fixtures, flooring and kitchen essentials, at Memorial Day sale events. Now that you know what to buy and what to skip this Memorial Day, kick off the season of poolside barbecues and aimless road trips by snagging a great deal! Your Turn: What was your best Memorial Day find ever? Tell us all about it in the comments! Q: I’m hearing lots of talk about early retirement and I’ve been wondering about this concept for a while. I love my job, so I don’t really see early retirement as a goal. To me, life without work while I’m still in my physical prime is boring and meaningless. But how can so many popular influencers be wrong?
A: While it sounds like a dream to be able to retire before you hit 40 and to be financially secure enough to walk away from your job without worrying about paying the bills, early retirement is not all sunshine and butterflies. There are many challenges and pitfalls associated with early retirement that you won’t read about in the romanticized accounts of popular bloggers who have achieved their goal of FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early). Also, as you correctly assume, early retirement is not for everyone. Here’s why: 1.) Boredom breeds discontent There are some personality types that loathe the corporate world and a typical 9-5 job. These people hate being told what to do and feel stifled or constricted by a traditional work setting. They have loads of outside interests and hobbies they’d pursue, if only the majority of their waking hours weren’t spent at the office. For these employees, a responsible early retirement can indeed be a path that leads to fulfillment and happiness. Lots of people, though, are perfectly content with their day jobs and feel fulfilled and productive when engaged in their work. For these employees, leaving the structure and social configuration of the workplace while they are still in their productive prime can lead to depression and a physical decline well before old age sets in. Where do you stand? An early retirement might be an interesting idea if you’re a highly creative and independent sort who feels stifled at work. Similarly, if you have dozens of interests you would pursue without the structure of a typical workday, early retirement may be an attractive path. But, if you know you’d be bored after a few months of retirement, you’d be best sticking around your job as long as you can. 2.) You’ll miss your years of peak earning potential Why bail out of your career just when you’re hitting your peak earning potential? Using data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series business and investing website, Visual Capitalist found that the biggest jump in salary across all levels of income earners happens between ages 30 and 40, with those who are pulling in higher salaries seeing the greatest increase closer to age 40. If you pull out of the workforce in your early 30s, you stand to miss out on the years in which you reach your peak earning potential. Also, even if you retire at age 40 or 50, each year you are out of the workplace means a higher loss since you’ll likely have reached your highest income level during that time. And, if your employer has a 401K match, that means missing out on a lot of free money. Where do you stand? If you’ve already hit your peak earning potential, and you have enough stashed away to keep you going, this may not concern you. However, if you feel you haven’t yet hit your best earning years, you may want to stick around the workplace for a while longer. 3.) You likely don’t have enough money to retire early Some financial bloggers like to boast about their frugal post-retirement lifestyle, but how many of us can honestly look forward to off-the-grid living for more than a few years, or even a few months? If you can’t hack the super-cheap life for long, can you really afford to retire early? Consider these numbers: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average person spends nearly $46,000 a year post-retirement. A survey by GOBankingRates found that 42 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement, and 14 percent have nothing saved at all. Even if you have a handsome retirement fund, it may not be enough to keep you going for half a century or more. Keep these two factors in mind when you crunch the numbers:
Where do you stand? If you’ve worked out the numbers and you know you’re financially secure enough to retire early, you can keep the option on the table. However, if you’re not sure you’ve put away enough money for retirement, you may want to push it off until you can afford to retire comfortably. Once you leave the workforce, it will be that much harder to re-enter. 4.) You won’t be contributing to society Life is most meaningful when we’re working to make the world a better place. Whether you’re a heart surgeon, an estate lawyer, a florist or an electrician, your job is likely helping to change people’s lives for the better. Once you bow out of the workforce and spend your days chasing endless thrills or pursuing the ultimate in relaxation, you’re no longer impacting the same way. Like boredom, living selfishly can ultimately lead to dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Where do you stand? If you have a plan in place for volunteer work, or for contributing to your community in a meaningful way once you’ve retired, this may not affect you. However, if you plan to indulge in years of pure pleasure and relaxation, you may come to regret an early retirement. Your Turn: Do you believe that early retirement is a good idea? Why, or why not? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Who wouldn’t love some extra pocket money? These freelance jobs don’t require any experience and can be done by practically anyone. Plus, some of them might pay you for tasks you’re already doing! Read on for eight easy side hustles and to find those that may be right for you.
1.) Play with dogs This job is for true animal-lovers. Why not earn some extra cash watching your furry friends? When you offer your services as a dog-walker or pet-sitter, you can charge as much as $25 an hour, depending on the going rate in your area. To get the word out, you can hang up flyers to advertise your services or sign up with Rover, an Uber-like service that matches up pet-owners and sitters for a small fee. 2.) Social media guru Yes, your Facebooking talents and clever tweets really are marketable skills. You can offer your services to local and remote businesses as their social media brander. Depending on your skill set, you can write the company blog posts, manage their Facebook page, post new pics on Instagram and send out their tweets. You’ll need to get a feel for the core values and mission statement of the company you represent, but otherwise, it’s just doing what you love on your favorite social media platforms! 3.) Yard work Do you wield real power with a weed-whacker? Are you an expert lawn mower? Get paid for tending to people’s yards. You can charge by the hour or per job. You may also want to do a survey of other local yard workers to get a good idea of fair asking prices. 4.) Take online surveys for pay Make the time you spend online count by taking surveys on sites like Survey Junkie, Inbox Dollars and Swagbucks. Most of these sites are easy to use and will pay you as soon as you complete a survey. It’s a quick, easy way to pad your wallet with extra cash. 5.) Turn trashed items into treasure If you’re crafty and love working with your hands, this one’s for you! Late spring is the perfect time for finding discarded pieces of furniture in the trash. Take a spin around the neighborhood, scouring each block for curbside furniture in decent condition. Haul your finds home and get to work, refinishing, painting, changing drawer pulls and more to give the tossed piece of furniture new life. When you’ve finished glamming up your treasure, put it up for sale at a local flea market, sell it to a second-hand or consignment shop or market it online through eBay or Craigslist. If you really work at it, you may be able to turn a trashed piece of furniture into several hundred dollars. 6.) It’s fair time! Summer is the season for local fairs of all kinds. Spend some time researching community fairs in your town and the surrounding areas. Is there one scheduled that features a special talent of yours? If you know you can bake a mean pie or you’ve been told your caramel fudge is to die for, try your hand at competing in a fair that features these competitions. You can earn hundreds of dollars in award prizes just for doing something you enjoy. Plus, there’s no limit to how many fairs you can enter each summer, so you can do this over and over again. 7.) Teach and tutor Are you a geometry whiz or a genuine science buff? Offer your services as an individual tutor for school-aged children this summer and you’ll have a meaningful way to earn extra money. You can help a struggling student work through summer homework or pass makeup exams so they earn their promotion to the next grade. You’ll be using your brains to make a difference in a child’s life while making good money on the side. If you’ve got a spectacular talent outside the classroom, you can use it to make money this summer by teaching it to students who want to learn how to do it, too. Specialized instructors like guitar teachers or art coaches can charge a pretty penny per session. While it helps in some cases, you don’t need special training or credentials for earning extra pocket money. Use this list to find the side hustle that works for you and start boosting your income. Your Turn: Do you have a side job you love? Tell us all about it in the comments. The arrival of spring and the deep house cleaning it inspires means more people are putting their old furniture, devices, sports equipment and clothing up for sale. That’s why the amount of items like these on sites like Craigslist swells considerably during this season. If you have the time and patience to sift through the offerings, there are wonderful treasures to be found. Conversely, if your own spring cleaning unveils hordes of sellable stuff you don’t use anymore, you can make good money selling them online.
Unfortunately, though, when there’s money to be made, the scammers are never far behind. Craigslist is riddled with scammers looking to make a quick buck off people’s naivety. Stay one step ahead of scammers and keep your money safe by following these eight tips when using Craigslist. 1.) Be familiar with Craigslist and the services it offers Lots of Craigslist scams can be avoided by knowing basic information about the site. Before using Craigslist, make sure you know the following:
2.) Deal locally. The “barely used” couch that’s up for sale a couple of states over might be better-priced than the one being sold just a 10-minute drive away, but it’s always safer to deal with locals on Craigslist. According to the site’s advice on avoiding scams on their platform, you’ll avoid 99% of the scams on Craigslist by following this rule. Keeping your transaction local will enable you to finalize a sale in person. Plus, there’s less of a chance of there being a language barrier blurring the details of the deal. 3.) Examine the product(s) before finalizing a sale. Never rely solely on pictures to get the full scope on what you’re buying. Ask to look at the item in person. If you’re purchasing an electronic device or something else that needs to work in order to be valuable, ask to try it out as well. 4.) Don’t accept or send a cashier’s check, certified check or money order as payment. Fraudulent checks can be impossible to fight. Also, a bad check can seem to clear on sight, so you’ll agree to the sale and use the money that’s supposedly in your account. A few days later, though, you’ll realize the check bounced. By that time, the buyer has vanished with your goods, leaving you responsible for covering the funds you used while presuming it cleared. On the flip side, if you pay for an item with a money order or wire transfer, you’ll have no way of recouping your loss if the seller fails to come through with the goods. 5.) Use cash—safely. Meet sellers at a safe, neutral location to make any cash transaction. Avoid going alone if possible. Insist on receiving some form of payment confirmation or receipt. When accepting cash for a sale, bring along a counterfeit detector pen (which can be found at most office supply stores and online) to be certain you’re not getting scammed with bogus bills. These retail for as little as $5, but they can save you from big losses. 6.) Never share your personal information with a buyer or seller. As always, when online, keep your personal information to yourself. There’s no reason a buyer or seller needs to know your checking account number, your date of birth or even your mother’s maiden name. If a contact is asking too many questions, back out of the deal. 7.) Be wary of fake escrow service sites. Escrow services, in which a company holds onto a large sum of money for two parties in the middle of a transaction, can be super-convenient when buying and selling things online. However, they can also be a clever trap for unsuspecting victims. Scammers often create bogus escrow service sites to lure victims into dropping their money right into the scammers’ hands. The site will be a copycat of a reputable escrow service site, with some slight deviations you wouldn’t notice unless you looked for them. When using an escrow service site, it’s best to find the site yourself instead of following a pop-up ad or a link. Check the site carefully for spelling mistakes and poor syntax. Also, make sure the URL is secure and matches the site of the service you intend to use. 8.) Create a disposable number. When conducting business on Craigslist, you may need to share a working phone number. You can create a cost-free, disposable number on Google Voice instead of giving out your real number. Your Google Voice number will be untraceable and will expire within 30 days of non-use. Your Turn: Have you ever been targeted by a Craigslist scam? Share your experience with us in the comments. As spring deepens and vibrantly colored flowers blossom everywhere, you might be dreaming about a garden of your own. You’ll till the soil, pat the fertilizer into place and plant your young shoots with tender care. You’ll make sure they get just the right amount of sunlight and water, and you’ll be careful to keep out unwanted pests with strong fences and natural pesticides. And you’ll be rewarded with beautiful flowers and fresh vegetables, straight from your very own garden.
But when you hit the stores to start shopping for your garden, the sticker shock can be alarming. There’s so much to buy—and it’s all so expensive! There’s specialized equipment, must-have tools, frequent runs for seeds and fertilizer and a steady supply of weed killers and animal repellents. You might be wondering: Can I really afford to have the garden of my dreams? Yes, you can! Save on gardening costs this year with these six creative hacks: 1.) Share equipment You won’t be able to care for your yard and garden without the proper tools, but that doesn’t mean you need to break the bank to get all that equipment. Instead, speak to your neighbors about sharing some of your gardening gear. Let your neighbor use some tools you own, like your weed-whacker, trimmer and spreader, in exchange for free use of your neighbor’s gardening tools. If you dare, consider sharing your larger, more expensive tools like a lawn mower and rototiller as well. To make it easier, consider tending to your gardens and yards on different days of the week so you know you’ll have your equipment available when you need it. If you and your neighbor both need to purchase a new tool or machine, talk about splitting the cost and then sharing the tool. You can also work out a bartering system with your neighbors, exchanging extra gardening supplies, like leftover seeds and fertilizer. 2.) Purchase used gear You can save big on gardening equipment by looking for second-hand tools and machines. Check out sites like Craigslist, Freecycle and eBay for quality equipment at bargain prices. Be sure to give the pre-owned tool a test run before finalizing a sale. 3.) Rent equipment Instead of shelling out big bucks on expensive tools you’ll only use once or twice a season, consider renting them as you need them. Home Depot rents out a wide variety of gardening tools at excellent rates, and lots of smaller hardware stores have a similar garden tool rental service during the spring and summer months, too. You’ll have access to quality equipment when you need it at a price you can afford. Plus, you won’t have to worry about storing bulky gardening tools all year long. 4.) Shop the dollar store Before hitting the big chain stores, like Lowe’s and Home Depot, for gardening supplies, check out your local dollar store. You’ll find loads of gardening supplies, like seeds, markers, buckets and planters, at rock-bottom prices in stores like Family Dollar and Dollar Tree. 5.) Shop the sales Like every retail product, gardening equipment and supplies have their season for markdowns and sales, and the wise consumer knows how to time their purchase in order to save big. Larger gardening equipment, like mowers and tillers, usually sees steep discounts at Memorial Day sale events, making the start of summer an excellent time to stock up on pricey garden tools. Flowerpots, garden décor, lawn furniture and select plants will retail at blowout prices during the clearance sales at the end of July. If you’re hankering after a new set of Adirondack chairs for your garden, or you want to spruce up your yard with some garden gnomes, this is the time to buy them. You’ll also see some wilting flowers on sale now; don’t let those drooping leaves scare you. If you find a marked-down perennial past its blooming window, check for strong roots and stems. A firmly rooted perennial planted late in the season might not bring you colorful blossoms this year, but if it’s well cared-for, it will likely recover by next spring and reward you with beautiful, healthy flowers. Whenever you decide to buy your tools and supplies, be sure to check coupon sites like RetailMeNot and CouponCabin before making a purchase. 6.) Buy seeds Purchasing young transplants is a lot easier and a lot quicker than starting from scratch, but the difference in price can be enormous. You can pick up a packet of flower or vegetable seeds for less than a dollar in many nurseries and through gardening catalogues. You’ll also have a much broader choice of plant when you buy seeds instead of being limited by the store’s pick of transplants. Finally, raising a plant from seedling to vegetable or flower is a uniquely rewarding experience. Tending a garden and watching it grow is one of life’s last remaining pleasures that remains unaffected by the encroachment of technology. Use these tips to bring your dream garden to life without draining your wallet. Happy gardening from all of us here at IRFCU! Your Turn: How do you save on gardening supplies? Share your best tips and tricks with us in the comments. If you’re thinking of selling your home, think spring. That’s because the season of blossoming flowers and gentle breezes has traditionally held the designation as the best time of year to sell a home.
Before you start prepping your home for a photo shoot that shows it off in the best light, take a moment to consider your particular circumstances and needs. What makes spring so well-suited for house-hunting? Does the seller benefit from this arrangement, or is it only advantageous to the buyer? Let’s take a deeper look at the sell-in-the-spring rule so you can make an informed decision about when to put your house on the market. Why spring? There are two primary factors making spring an excellent season for selling a home: The weather and the time of year.The beautiful, mild weather of spring showcases the exterior of your home in all its glory. Your yard will be alive with healthy, green grass, your flowers and bushes will be in full bloom, and your property will be free of unsightly piles of leaves or mounds of melting snow. If you have an in-ground pool, there’s a world of difference between presenting it to a prospective buyer when it’s sparkling under a brilliant sun, or pointing to a dark, covered shadow at the edge of your yard surrounded by windswept branches and ice puddles. The pleasant weather that typically heralds the arrival of spring also makes it easier for you to tend to repairs and upgrades on your property. The cold and the dark tend to lead to neglect. Plus, it’s a lot easier to paint the picket fence, stain the deck, and power-wash the siding when the weather is mild and sunny. Aside from delightful weather, springtime also brings the end of the school year. House-hunting in the spring often makes the most sense for families that include school-age children. This way, they can be settled into their new homes and schools before the new school year. By listing your home for sale in early spring, you’re making it available for this entire group of house-hunters. Finally, spring means longer daytime hours. This can be advantageous for shoppers who work full-time and can only spare time for home viewings in the evenings. You can schedule a viewing as late as 7 p.m. and still enjoy the benefits of a daylight showing. Do homes listed in the spring really sell quicker and at higher prices? It’s not just hype. There are actually studies proving that houses sold in late spring to early summer are on the market a shorter amount of time than houses listed the rest of the year. Also, they tend to close at higher price points. Here is a sampling of studies proving this theory:
Does this rule hold true for everyone? “Springtime to market” might be a good rule of thumb for most home-sellers to follow, but it does not apply in every case. Here are some factors to consider:
On the flipside, if your home has one or more features that set it apart, you’ll want to list it when the neighborhood is full of house hunters, to give it optimal exposure.
Whether you choose to put your house on the market in spring, or you decide you’d be better off waiting until summer or fall, we wish you a smooth sale at the best possible price. Don’t forget to stop by [credit union] to ask about our fantastic home loan options when you’re ready to start searching for a new place to call home. Your Turn: Have you sold a home in the spring or summer? Tell us all about it in the comments. |
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