2 Minute Finance

What is the Actual Cost of Lexus’ Red Gift Bow?

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:18:26 -0500

What is the Actual Cost of Lexus’ Red Gift Bow?:

Every year, it seems like Lexus buys up every available ad space on television to run its holiday spots. You remember these ads, right? They try to get you to buy a car and gift it with a pretty red…

Wells Fargo, Credit Suisse Financing Payday Lending Growth

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:07:49 -0500

Wells Fargo, Credit Suisse Financing Payday Lending Growth:
(Courtesy rinkjustice on Flickr)

On a cold October morning at a suburban hotel ballroom in Chicago, a representative from payday lender ACE Cash Express took to the stage to…

Occupy San Francisco Starts a Credit Union for the 99%

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:41:32 -0500

Occupy San Francisco Starts a Credit Union for the 99%:

Occupy San Francisco announced they will start a credit union to help keep local money out of the hands of big banks and to promote their community economics initiatives….

How to Lower Your Car Payments By Refinancing Your Auto Loan

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 12:34:53 -0500

How to Lower Your Car Payments By Refinancing Your Auto Loan:

Stuck in an auto loan you can’t afford? Do you really want to keep your car but the monthly payments are too high? Refinancing your auto loan may be an option. Check out…

Why Did American Airlines File for Bankruptcy?

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:27:05 -0500

Why Did American Airlines File for Bankruptcy?:

AA Boeing 757 - Courtesy AA

It’s no secret that the cost of flying has skyrocketed. Fliers see it in their ticket prices, increased fees and a lowered level of service. But when one…

What is an Upside Down Car Loan?

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:37:19 -0500

What is an Upside Down Car Loan?:

Why should you be afraid of an upside down car loan? It’s actually a fancy way of saying that you’re accruing negative equity in your loan. Watch this two minute video to…

America’s Cheapest Smartphone Plan a Smart Buy?

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:24:12 -0500

America’s Cheapest Smartphone Plan a Smart Buy?:
(Courtesy of Republic Wireless)

A little-known communications company rolled out a $19 unlimited everything monthly smartphone plan yesterday. You read that correctly, unlimited…

How to Win Cash and Prizes With Your Bank Account

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:54:21 -0400

How to Win Cash and Prizes With Your Bank Account:

What if every time you made a deposit into your savings account or made a loan payment, you could win $2 million or a new car? Too good to be true? Not anymore. It’s…

Banks vs. Credit Unions: What’s the Difference?

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:06:13 -0400

Banks vs. Credit Unions: What’s the Difference?:

Thinking about moving your money out of a big bank and into a local credit union? Get the low down on their differences in this two minute video.

What’s Wrong With the Post Office?

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:04:57 -0400

What’s Wrong With the Post Office?:
(Courtesy USPS)

What’s Going On?

Last week, the U.S. Postal Service announced that it would raise first-class stamp prices to 45 cents on January 22, 2012, a one-cent increase. It’s…

Score 50% Off Fines on Old California Traffic Tickets

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:54:57 -0400

Score 50% Off Fines on Old California Traffic Tickets:

California’s bad financial situation is good news for 6 million golden state drivers.

If you never paid off that old traffic ticket (pre-2009), the State of California is offering you a…

What is Quantitative Easing?

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 05:07:09 -0400

What is Quantitative Easing?:

It’s pretty obvious that the federal government has been trying to figure out how to rescue the U.S. economy, but how? One of the tools being used is Quantitative Easing….

Netflix/Qwikster Spin Off is…a Good Thing?

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:25:49 -0400

Netflix/Qwikster Spin Off is…a Good Thing?:

In July, I argued that the previously announced Netflix price increase is a good thing. And boy, did I get some negative feedback on that video.

Well, I’m back for round two and it’s…

How Much is Good Customer Service Worth?

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:46:55 -0400

How Much is Good Customer Service Worth?:

When it comes to buying big-ticket items, we’re all guilty of trying to find the lowest price at any expense. In fact, a lot of us use physical retail stores as a showroom and then eventually buy…

What is a Bond?

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:29:03 -0400

What is a Bond?:

Bonds and stocks are talked about together like they’re long-lost brothers. But their relationship is more like distant second cousins. 2MF’s Hunter Patterson will show…

Payment Options on Your Credit Card

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 09:19:04 -0400

Payment Options on Your Credit Card:

Minimum payment, more than minimum and full payments. Sounds straight-forward enough, but each choice can have dramatic effect on how much and how long it will take to…

All About Compound Interest: Friend or Foe?

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:37:23 -0400

All About Compound Interest: Friend or Foe?:

Compound interest can be a double-edged sword. If you’re saving money, it can be a blessing. But if you borrowed money from a lender, then you’ll probably learn to hate…

All About Auto Loans

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:54:10 -0400

All About Auto Loans:

Looking to take out an auto loan for your next car? Learn about the basic elements of an auto loan and the process of getting one.

Handling a Down Market and the Occasional Emergency – “2 in 2″ for 8/12/2011

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:09:23 -0400

Handling a Down Market and the Occasional Emergency – “2 in 2″ for 8/12/2011:

2 Minute Finance rounds up the two most interesting finance stories of late and breaks them down in two minutes or less. In this episode: Handling a Down Market and the…

Should You Fix It? A Personal Auto Repair Tale…

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 01:33:23 -0400

Should You Fix It? A Personal Auto Repair Tale…:

A grinding noise is the second most worrying thing to hear coming from under the hood of your car. It’s bested only by a loud explosion or seeing flames shooting from the front of your car.

But a…