MONEY MATTERS

Teresa Dixon Murray on Personal Finance

I just got my credit card bill under the new format. My balance is $8,400 and it said it will take me 28 years to pay this off with payments of $219 a month. This just doesn't seem right. My interest rate is 20 percent. Full story »

We had a balance on our Capital One card. The due date was Feb 3. We paid off the balance Jan. 22. I just received another statement for $20-plus. When I called, I was told that was interest that accrued on the account. I went ahead and paid it. Is this legal for the companies to do when you pay off your account? Full story »

Regarding the Strongsville woman who was angry about being charged $2.20 a month for having an unlisted number, you know you can avoid that. You can have your number listed under a different name at no charge. A friend of mine did this years ago. It seems ridiculous, but it's almost as good as being unlisted. The phone company doesn't care what name you list your number under. Full story »

My son did not pay his $3,000 Capital One credit card bill. It was sold to Midland Funding, which subsequently obtained a civil judgment for $1,800 plus court costs. His wages were garnished and the debt was satisfied a year ago. He just received a 1099-C from Midland Funding that states the remaining debt was canceled last March. He already filed his income tax return. Do you know the best way to fix this before the IRS attaches taxes, penalties and interest for not including this on his tax return?  Full story »

My 16-year-old daughter somehow bought a cell phone and signed up for a two-year contract, but she said she didn't understand it. Can we get this canceled?  Full story »

You won't believe what Macy's is trying to do to its customers. I bought a coat there in late December. I was given a 10 percent discount for opening a charge account, so I did. My bill was $96.57. When the bill arrived, it included a $2 interest charge, even though I had a zero balance on this brand new card. The bill actually said the balance due was $98.57. What is this? Full story »

I paid my credit card bill a couple of weeks ago but accidentally filled in the date with 2009 instead of 2010. (I just wasn't used to the new year yet.) The credit card company refused to cash the check and hit me with a late fee. Can they do this? Full story »

The Federal Communications Commission is investigating Verizon's lust for mistakenly imposing $1.99 monthly charges on customers. It's great that the FCC is asking some questions. But the FCC's questions are very broad, and Verizon's attorneys are deftly ducking them. So I'm forwarding this list of questions to the FCC to help them as they continue with this query. Did I miss any? Let me know. Full story »

The Question: I recently purchased Christmas ornaments at a local landscape/garden store. I just looked back at my receipt and found my full credit card number printed out. Isn't there a law that merchants must not reveal that number on a receipt?  Full story »

Six months after Verizon jumped onto my radar -- and that of thousands of other people because of the company's bogus $1.99 charges -- I'm happy. Not because Verizon has cleaned up its act. It's trying a little. But not hard enough. I'm happy because the Federal Communications Commission is now climbing down Verizon's throat. Full story »

Some things never change, including most of these recommendations I make every year: Your financial life will be easier in 2010 if you keep some of these New Year's resolutions: Full story »

It's time for my fifth annual "What I want for Christmas" list. Some wishes from the past have come true: Congress is cracking down on credit card fees and interest rate hikes. But unfortunately, my wish list is still big. I'd be happy if:  Full story »

A week after the failure of AmTrust Bank, there are still numerous questions surrounding the banks 280,000 deposit customers, not to mention the banks borrowers and investors. Here are the answers to some of the questions that surfaced most often this week.  Full story »

I like to check my credit report a couple of times a year to guard against fraud. My wife yells at me that this is hurting our credit scores. How many points get taken off every time I check my report? Full story »

I've had a Chase credit card for years and years and have never been late. In August, I had a bill with a balance of $25 and mailed it several days before the due date. Chase apparently got it late and charged me a $29 late fee. I called and Chase said that nothing could be done but that I could write an appeal letter to this guy named Kelly. I did that Sept. 1 and never heard another word. I called again and was told he can't be reached by phone. What can I do?  Full story »