Index
AAA-approved repair shops
Adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs)
Administrative fees
Advance-fee loans
After-warranty assistance
Alliance for Affordable Services
Alumni associations
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Amortization calculators
Annual percentage rate
Application fees
Appraisals:
comparables information sources
fees for
professional appraisers
review fees
Assessment ratio
Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies
Attorneys:
fees for
property tax appeals
real estate
vs. real estate agents
settlement
tax attorneys
Auto loans
Automated payment systems
Automatic bill-paying service
Automobiles. See cars.
Automotive Service Association (ASA)
Bankruptcy
Banks/bankers:
for car financing loans
errors by
income sources of
late fees
referrals to
sources of Good Faith Estimates
Bar code reading
Be CentsAble (McKee and Pate)
Better Business Bureau
Binding estimates vs. written estimates
Brick-and-mortar stores
Buyer’s agents
Buyer’s market
Cable costs
Capital gains tax
Carfax
Carmax stores
Car returns consumer myth
Cars. See also cars, financing; cars, insurance; cars, purchase price bargaining; cars, purchases; cars, repairs.
AAA-approved repair shops
annual costs of
charitable donations of
long-term ownership of
potential savings on
reliability
return of purchase myth
selection criteria
titles
Cars, financing:
affordability level with
vs. cash payments
dealer financing
haggling
monthly payments
outside financing
Cars, insurance:
buying club options
collision and comprehensive coverage
coverage changes
deductibles
diminished value issue
independent agents
involuntary
liability insurance
online prices for
premium levels of
shopping for
Cars, purchase price bargaining:
closing the deal
haggling techniques
negotiating steps
opening price
pricing research
results of
trade-ins
Cars, purchases:
affordability level
auto auctions
cash limit
cash payments
checking out
dark horse vehicles
financing
haggling
insurance cost for
vs. leasing
loan duration
model years
new
new-car dealers for used
new-car warranty
new vs. used buying decision
from private owners
research threshold for
safety features
savings fund
sources for
used
used-car dealers
used cars for less
used-car superstores
vehicle damage
Cars, repairs:
credit card payments for
disputes regarding
mechanic search
repair estimate
repair or replace decision
second opinions
secret warranties
technical service bulletins
tow truck bounties
upcharging
Car Talk (radio show)
Cell phone expenses
Center for Responsible Lending
Certified vehicle program
Chamber of Commerce
Checking out car purchases:
mechanical inspection
vehicle history reports
Chronic medical condition issues:
health insurance plan selection
maintenance care costs
maintenance medication costs
Closing attendance
Closing costs:
assistance with
offer by for-sale-by-owner
in refinancing
yield spread premiums (YSPs) in lieu of
Closing costs reduction
closing attendance
government charges
lender charges
title charges
Closing documents
Closing fees
Closing schedules
College insurance plans
College savings plans
Commission percentage
Comparables:
information sources
online websites
sales
Comparison price websites for stockpiling
Comparisons of Good Faith Estimates
Consumer Confidential (Finney)
Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS)
Consumer myth of car returns
Consumer Reports magazine:
on car depreciation
on car insurance companies
on older medications
on pharmacy costs
pricing research in
Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide
Consumer’s Checkbook magazine
Contingency fees
Continuous delivery medications
Contract negotiation
Contractor con
Cooking clubs
Costco
Counteroffers
Coupon Mom website
Coupons/couponing:
buy-one-get-one free and two coupons
circulars for
combos
combo technique websites
from competitor’s
counterfeit
customized deal alerts
doubled or tripled
from drugstores
expired
finding
internet coupons (bricks)
manufacturer’s
manufacturer’s vs. store
online resources
potential savings of
processing, collecting, and organizing
rebate and rewards
for services
sources of
spending level type
at Target
use of
waiting to use
where to find
Courier fees
Credit bureaus:
liability of
mailing address for
major
during mortgage search
personal contact with
Credit card companies
Credit card debt
Credit card debt reduction
credit counseling
fiscal discipline
minimum payments
rate negotiation
strategies for
Credit card loans
Credit cards:
changes to different
micropayments
offer opt-out
payments for car repairs
points from
Credit counseling
Creditor dispute
Creditor reports:
adjustments
positive
Creditors personal contact with
Credit rating and down payment level
Credit repair
Credit reports:
bankruptcy
vs. credit scores
described
dispute selection
disputes regarding errors
error causes
errors in
fake sites
fees
future protection from errors in
hard inquiries
identity theft
lawsuits and judgments
obtaining
protection of
reason to dispute
security freeze
soft inquiries
tax liens
Credit rescoring
Credit scores:
vs. credit reports
credit score evaluation
dealer financing and
FICO vs. fako scores
for Good Faith Estimates
impact of
interest rate charges and
obtaining
simulators
use of
Credit scores, improving:
about
authorized user
automatic bill-paying service
biweekly payments for
closing existing accounts
creditor reports, adjustments to
creditor reports, positive
credit rescoring
credit union installment loan
credit utilization ratio
debt consolidation
debt reduction
debt renegotiation
errors in credit scores
fundamentals of
help hired for
housing purchase-related shopping
impact of
limit increases
loan cosigning
multiple credit card applications
payment order
payment timing
quick fixes for
savings to pay debt
secured credit card
small balances
timely payments
Credit scores, understanding:
about
amounts owed
calculation of
credit history length
credit mix
credit scores creation
new credit applications
payment history
Credit scoring models
Credit unions:
for car financing loans
installment loan
Credit utilization ratio
Curbstoners
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code
Customized deal alerts
Danko, William
Days on market (DOM)
Debit cards
Debt collectors
Debt consolidation
Debt reduction
Debt renegotiation
Debt settlement companies
Debt to income ratio
Diet and exercise
Direct deposit in savings account
Discount points
Disputes regarding credit report errors:
advanced method
basic method
Doctors, negotiations with:
about
approaching
how to ask
insurance company rates
Medicare rates basis
payment in advance
payment plans
specialists vs. primary care
thank you notes
Doctors, scheduling physicals with
Document preparation fees
Down payments:
for housing purchase
level of, and credit rating
recommended level of
sweat equity as
Down payment savings account
Drug discount cards
Electronic transaction theft
Energy efficiency, income tax reductions for
Energy efficient mortgages
Equifax (credit bureau)
Escrow company
Escrow fees
Existing housing vs. new housing
Expansion score
Experian (credit bureau)
Extended release medications
Extended warranties
Fair, Bill
Fair Credit Reporting Act
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
Fair Isaac Corporation
Fake discount points
Fake property tax assessment services
Fallback position
Farm bureau
Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
Federal income tax deductions
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
FICO scores
50 Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Personal Finances (Glink)
Finney, Michael
First-time homebuyer programs
Fixed rate mortgages
Flat-fee commissions
Flat fees vs. Medicare rates
Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
Flood certification fees
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Food auctions
Food purchase. See coupons/couponing; grocery shopping, price matching; stockpiling.
Foreclosed home, purchase of
Foreclosure
Formulary
For-sale-by-owner. See also housing for-sale-by-owner.
For-sale-by-owner, sale price impact
For-sale-by-owner agreement
For-sale-by-owner houses
Foundation for Health Coverage Education
401(k)
“Free medicine” charges
Freezers
Funding fees
Gault, Teri
Get Clark Smart (Howard)
Glink, Ilyce
Good Faith Estimates:
additional lender fees
comparisons of
lender profits
from lenders
loan terms
for refinancing
sources of
Goodwill adjustments
Grocery savings workshops
Grocery shopping. See also coupons/couponing; stockpiling.
costs of
organic foods
unit pricing
Grocery shopping, alternatives:
cooking clubs
coupon combo coaching
expired food
going-out-of-business deals
grocery auctions
grocery buying clubs
grocery wholesalers
“not-shopping” method
Grocery shopping, price matching:
benefits of
on black Friday
coupons
easier ways to
how to
one-time
online shopping
potential savings of
vs. price beating
at Target
at Walmart
Group insurance vs. private insurance
Hard inquiries
Healthcare. See also doctors, negotiations with; health insurance plan selection; hospitals; medications; prescription medicine.
costs of
coverage eligibility quiz
estimating costs of
vs. health insurance
potential savings on
Healthcare for Less (Katz)
Health Cost Estimator
Health insurance:
claim denials
vs. direct payment
finding
Health insurance plan selection
chronic medical condition issues
for college students
deductible level
deductible levels vs. premiums
deductible savings
diet and exercise
files held on applicants
group plan formation
health coverage eligibility quiz
high deductibles with health savings accounts
HMOs
insurance agents/brokers
pay-as-you-go plan
preexisting medical conditions
preferred provider organization (PPO)
private insurance vs. group insurance
for the uninsured
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA):
about
flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
health savings accounts (HSAs)
high deductible health plan (HDHP)
Health savings accounts (HSAs)
Hearings for property taxes appeal
High deductible health plan (HDHP)
Hill-Burton program
Homebuyers Beware: Who’s Ripping You Off Now? (Warren)
Home equity loans
Home inspection
Home maintenance account
Home ownership:
annual costs of
four walls of
potential savings on
Home ownership risk
Homeowner’s insurance
Home warranties
Hospitals:
advocates, finding
bill errors
billing appeal
debt collectors and bills from
discounts from
disputes over bills
free care funds
haggling
hospital choices of
hospital fees
insurance company authorization
insurance coverage for
itemized bills from
medical mistakes
medical records
outpatient facilities
patient advocates
personal supply use
preadmission
professional billing dispute assistance
services received while patient
vs. surgery centers
unauthorized procedures
up-ending
House account
Household supplies purchase
House maintenance account
House savings account
Housing:
affordability level
condition of
location of
mortgage payments
price offer
purchase price
purchase price decision
purchase price vs. tax assessment
purchasing timing
relative price of
renovations to
renting vs. buying
school district served by
selection criteria
size of
Housing, purchasing timing
Housing for-sale-by-owner
bank assistance for
buyer’s agents
closing costs offer
commission percentage
comparables
fallback position
flat-fee commissions
minimum pricing level
negotiations
price discounting
pricing benchmarks/cutoffs
sale price
underpricing
use of experts for
Housing market activity
Housing payments
Housing purchase-related shopping
Howard, Clark
HUD-1 settlement sheet
Identity theft
Identity Theft Protection Law
Income taxes
Income tax reductions for energy efficiency
Independent insurance agents/brokers
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)
Installment loans
Insurance company authorization
Interest-only mortgages
Interest rates
Isaac, Earl
Kaiser Family Foundation
Katz, Michelle
Kmart pharmacy costs
Kroger pharmacy costs
Late payments
Lawsuits and judgments
Lawyers. See attorneys.
Lemons (cars)
Lender fees:
additional
closing fees
junk fees
justified fees
Lender profits
Liability
Lien releases
Loans:
advance-fee loan scams
amounts
auto
car financing
commitment decision
cosigning
costs of
credit card loans
credit union installment loan
discount points
duration
FHA
Good Faith Estimates
home equity
installment loans
interest rates
loan amounts
loan calculators
mortgage types
origination fees
potential savings on
revolving loans
terms of
websites for car financing
Lock-in document
Locking and floating mortgage rates
Lowball offers
Market value for taxes
McKee, Kristin
Medical mistakes
Medical tests, shopping for
Medicare rates basis
Medicare rates vs. flat fees
Medications. See also prescription medicine.
continuous delivery
extended release
narrow therapeutic index
older
over-the counter
MIB Group, Inc.
Micropayments
Money (magazine)
Monthly housing-related expenses
Monthly income
Monthly mortgage calculation
Monthly payments
Mortgage brokers:
fees to
income sources of
sources of Good Faith Estimates
yield spread premiums (YSPs)
Mortgage calculators
Mortgage professional selection
Mortgage Rip-Offs and Money Savers (Warren)
Mortgages:
interest tax deductions
reamortization
refinancing
reselling of
subprime
Mortgages, elements of:
fake discount points
locking and floating
paying points
prepayment penalties
Mortgages, payments of:
affordability level
credit for
source of
Mortgages, prepayment:
biweekly payments for
fund source
guaranteed return
vs. investments
logistics of
money for
online banking for
prepayment calculator for
protection of
tax deduction as funding for
Mortgages, shopping for
about
mortgage elements
mortgage types
Mortgages, types of:
adjustable rate
FHA loans
fixed rate
interest-only mortgages
Movers
Moving brokers
Narrow therapeutic index medications
National Association for the Self-Employed
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
National Association of Female Executives
National Association of Realtors
National Auctioneers Association website
National Consumer Law Center (NCLC)
National Foundation for Credit Counseling
National Taxpayer Union
Negotiating techniques
Nelson, Stephanie
New housing vs. existing housing
No-cost refinancing
Notary fees
101 Health Insurance Tips (Katz)
Online banking
Online labs
Online prices for car insurance
Opening bid
Orman, Suze
Parking garage costs
Par rate
Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA)
Part-time job benefits
Pate, Chrissy
Patient advocates
Paying points
Payment timing
Permits
Personal care products purchase
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Physicians. See doctors, negotiations with.
Pill splitting
Points
Preexisting medical conditions
Premium gasoline
Prepayment calculator for mortgage prepayment
Prepayment penalties on mortgages
Prescription medicine:
alternatives to prescription
costs of
doctor involvement in cost of
drug discount cards
formulary
generic medications pricing
generic quality
mail order pharmacies
medical tests
multiple prescriptions
older medications
online labs
online price checks
online shopping
pharmaceutical assistance programs
pharmaceutical company websites
pill splitting
pill strength
pill tipping points
prescription levels
selection of
sizes of
sources of
Price beating vs. price matching
Price discounting
Pricing benchmarks/cutoffs
Private insurance vs. group insurance
Private mortgage insurance (PMI)
Processing fees
Professional appraisers
Property tax assessments
Property tax consultants
Property taxes appeal
hearings for
steps taken in
tax assessment appeal
understanding
Property values
Purchase price vs. tax assessment
Purchase research threshold
Rain checks
Ramsey, David
Rate lock gambling
Ratewatch Auto Insurance
Real estate agents:
commission percentage
comparables information sources
contract length with
housing for-sale-by-owner use of
vs. lawyers
mortgage professional selection
need for
negotiating cost of
Real estate appreciation
Real estate attorney
Real estate contract
Real estate purchase:
closing costs assistance
comparison pricing
contract negotiation
opening offer
timing of
Real estate tax benefits
Recommended level of down payment
Recordation tax
Recording fees
Referrals to bankers
Refinancing:
closing costs in
fees
Good Faith Estimates for
no-cost
rate and term reduction
refinance decision
Rule of 5s criteria
timing
Reissue rate
Release of lien fees
Religious organizations
Renting:
vs. buying
cost escalation of
negotiating cost of
Rent payment and mortgage payment levels
Resale value
Retirement plans
Revolving loans
Roberts, Robin
Rule of 5s refinancing criteria
Run-flat tires
Savard, Mary
Savings account interest rates
Savings bonds
Scams. See also Better Business Bureau.
advance-fee loans
counterfeit coupons
credit repair businesses
fake discount points
fake property tax assessment services
“free medicine” charges
Google checking for
identity theft
mortgage sale
online moving estimates
parking garage costs
Scanner errors
Secured credit card
Security of job and location
Sell-by dates
Seller’s agent
Seller’s market
Settlement
Shaw, Steven
Shop Smart, Save More (Gault)
Shop Smart (magazine)
Singletary, Michelle
Skype
Small balances and credit card debt movement
Small Business Service Bureau
Soft inquiries
Solar power program
Specialists vs. primary care physicians
Spending freeze
Spend Well, Live Rich (Singletary)
Spot delivery
Spousal bad debts
Spousal spending limits
Stanley, Thomas
Stockpiling. See also grocery shopping, price matching.
blogs by
comparison price websites
costs of
discounting goals
dollar difference technique
future sales schedule
information sources for
level/degree of
package size
potential savings of
practical considerations
product cost knowledge
purchase limits
rain checks
sales cycle
scanner errors
seasonal savings
sell-by dates
top 20 shopping list
unit pricing
Store circulars
Store credits
Subprime borrowers
Subprime mortgages
Surgery centers vs. hospitals
Survey fees
Sweat equity as down payment
Target (store):
coupons/couponing at
grocery shopping, price matching at
pharmacy costs
Tax assessment appeal
appeal escalation
arguments regarding
assessor’s comparables
results of
Tax assessor errors
Tax attorneys
Tax deductions:
mortgage interest
mortgage prepayment fund
Taxes:
assessor errors
assessor’s comparables
capital gains
fake property tax assessment services
federal income tax deductions
income taxes
income tax reductions for energy efficiency
property tax appeals
property tax assessments
property tax consultants
property taxes appeal
purchase price vs. tax assessment
real estate tax benefits
recordation tax
tax attorneys
tax deductions as funding for mortgage prepayment
tax deductions for mortgage interest
tax liens
tax service fees
tax stamps
transfer tax
Tax liens
Tax service fees
Tax stamps
Technical service bulletins
Television costs
Thank you notes
The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half (Nelson)
The Millionaire Next Door (Stanley and Danko)
The Total Money Makeover (Ramsey)
Title charges:
junk fees
justified fees
Title company
Title insurance
Title search
Title services
Towing troubles
Tow truck bounties
Trade associations
Transfer tax
Transportation. See cars.
TransUnion (credit bureau)
True Cost to Own calculator
True Market Value price quotes (Edmunds)
Truth in Lending form
28/36 Debt-to-income ratio
28/36 Rule
2009 Action Plan (Orman)
Unclaimed money
Underpricing
Upcharging
Used cars. See also cars, purchases.
at new-car dealers
new vs. used buying decision
sources for
used-car dealers
VantageScore
Vehicle damage
Walmart. See also Target (store).
grocery shopping, price matching at
pharmacy costs
Warranty adjustment
Warren, Carolyn
Websites:
for auto auctions
for car financing loans
combo technique websites
comparables online websites
comparison price websites for stockpiling
Coupon Mom
National Auctioneers Association
pharmaceutical company websites
sources of Good Faith Estimates
Wholesale club warehouses
Written estimates vs. binding estimates
Yield spread premiums (YSPs)