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Haggling may not be one of the funnest things youll do on any given day, but if youre anywhere near good at it, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.

For people who dont want to haggle in person or dont want to send emails back and forth, the simplest option is calling on the phone. This can be done to reduce your costs for phone, cable TV, Internet service or other monthly bills, and for big-ticket purchases such as a car or household appliance.

Here are some tips for haggling over the phone:

Research
If youre looking for a better price on your cable TV package, for example, look online for deals your cable provider and other companies are offering new customers, and ask for the same deal. The more information you have, the better prepared youll be to haggle by suggesting youll go to a competitor that has a better price.

Know who to call
Most businesses have customer service phone numbers. If you get lost in a phone tree, press the number 0, which should usually connect you directly to an operator. Ask for a customer service representative. If that person isnt much help within a few minutes, ask to be transferred to their supervisor or a customer retention specialist who can usually offer the bigger discounts that you want.

Dont argue
Dont debate the person on the other end of the line. Being mad will likely cause the other person to lose interest in helping you, so stay calm and on point. Ask for what you want and explain how long youve been a loyal customer and how much longer theyll have you as a customer if they offer the discount.

Use silence
Being silent can give the other person the incentive to fill the space by talking and hopefully offering options. These may include a free add-on service, such as free delivery of a new mattress if youre negotiating the price of a new bed, or they may all of a sudden find a deal on their computer that they didnt offer during the first few minutes of your conversation.

Say goodbye
If the rep or retention specialist didnt offer you the best deal you expected, then thank them for their time and say goodbye and that youll be checking with their competitors. This message that you may soon be dropping their service gives them one last chance to put you on hold and come up with a solution. If they dont, then either go find a better price at another company, or call back a few days later and talk to another customer service representative. The people you talk with later may be willing to help you.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Everything old is new again, and that goes for decorating with color. While the last decade in home dcor has largely been defined by white and varying shades of beige and gray, todays designers are harking back to yesteryear with paint colors, furniture and even kitchen appliances.

Part art deco, part 50s suburban and part 60s mod, these awesome retro colors are fresh and refreshed to fit todays tastes, say the color mavens at Sherwin Williams, whose wall color faves this year include shades of pink, aqua and pale or mustard yellows with accents of slate or peppery coral”great ways to set off the stark white of baseboards, crown moldings and door frames.

Big Chill, a retro appliance company launched in 2001, is finding huge success with its growing line of refrigerators, stoves and dishwashers in pink, aqua, yellow and more that bring a spirit of nostalgia to todays kitchens, along with their high-tech efficiency.

Small kitchen appliances from crockpots to mixers and toasters are now available in a wide range of bold and retro colors, and look for pink velvet, pale blue and teal sofas from a variety of furniture design companies as vintage furnishings make a huge comeback.

You might also find bright orange and sage green shantung side chairs, shabby-chic and pastel-colored buffets and bookshelves and other accessories, and dont miss the lighting display in most home stores, where Tiffany lamps and vintage shades are gaining ground in sales.

A roomful of these vintage colors can make you feel a little nostalgic, a little happier and a little more optimistic. What more could anyone ask for?

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Improving your credit can take time, often many months. But there are some things you can do to raise your credit score quickly, even if only by a few points.

Pay Bills on Time
Payment history is the most important factor in FICO scores, accounting for up to 35 percent of a credit score. Paying your bills on time”regardless of whether it’s a credit card bill or a utility bill”can significantly improve your score.

Late payments stay on a credit report for seven years. The longer ago they happened, the less they affect credit scores. If a bill goes unpaid long enough, the debt can be sold to a collections agency and will get reported to credit bureaus.

Maintain Low Balances
Keeping a low balance lowers your credit utilization rate, which is the amount of credit youre using. Also called credit usage, it is the second most important factor in credit scores and accounts for 30 percent of a score.

Your credit usage is calculated by dividing the total of your balances by your total credit limits. For example, $3,740 in credit card debt divided by $16,000 in a total credit card limit equals 23 percent usage.

Paying off the balances in full each month should keep the credit utilization rate low, which should preferably be at no more than 30 percent on any one card or in total.

Increase Your Credit Limit
Another part of credit usage is how much your credit limit is. Increasing your limit in small increments by getting a new credit card can lower your credit utilization rate by giving you more money to use. You could also ask your current credit card provider to increase your credit limit. However, using that higher credit card limit could increase your credit usage, so you may want to use it rarely and pay it off in full each month.

Keep Credit Card Accounts Open
Age of credit history has a 15 percent impact on a credit score. Creditors and lenders like to see an average account age of more than five years. Keep your older accounts open to get over the five-year average. While this isnt a quick step to improving your credit score, its worth keeping in mind for the long-term health of your credit. If you want to see faster results, start by paying your bills on time, using less of your available credit and ask for a credit limit increase.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Parents contributing to a 529 college savings plan may find it difficult, if not a little time-consuming, to transfer cash and checks that their children receive on their birthdays, Christmas and other celebrations into the popular college savings fund.

Instead of not knowing if their cash gift is going to pay for college or for a night out on the town, grandparents and others can buy gift cards and have the money deposited in the student’s college savings plan.

The 529 gift cards are used at GiftofCollege.com, a registry for online gifts to 529 accounts.Electronic gift cards for 529s are available at the Gift College website. The 529 gift cards come in fixed amounts of $25 or $50, and in variable amounts up to $500.

Some of the gift cards promote a specific state plan, but all of them can be redeemed as a deposit into any state’s 529 plan.

A 529 plan is a state-run program for families to invest in for college expenses. The money grows tax-free and can be withdrawn tax-free to pay for education. Contributions aren’t deductible from federal income taxes, but many states allow the deductions on state returns.

Recipients must create a profile on the Gift of College website to redeem the card and have the money put into their 529 plan. If they don’t yet have a 529 plan, their parents must first create one for them in order for the money to be transferred.

The Gift of College cards carry a fee of $3.95 to $5.95, depending on the card’s value, and it’s paid upfront by the buyer. There is no fee for redeeming the card, so a $25 card will equal a $25 deposit to a 529 plan.

To avoid paying the fee, givers can obtain the child’s 529 account number and send a paper check directly to the plan with the 529 account number on it. Some plans also allow direct online gifts, though parents have to initiate the transaction.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you want to make an important purchase but do not currently have the money, you dont necessarily have to put things on hold. If you own a house and have been paying your mortgage for several years, you may have enough equity to qualify for a home equity line of credit, or HELOC. Before you take that step, you need to understand how a HELOC works and ask yourself whether the purchase you want to make is worthwhile and whether you can handle the responsibility that comes with accessing your homes equity.

How it Works

A HELOC is a line of credit that draws on the equity in your home, which is the current value of your home minus the amount you still owe on the mortgage. You may be able to receive as much as 80 or 90 percent of your homes equity as a line of credit. You can use that credit all at once or a little at a time to lower your interest rates on credit card balances, make home improvements, buy a car or cover college costs.

The money will need to be repaid at an interest rate that is based on the amount of equity you have and your credit score. Interest is only charged on the amount of equity that is used. In most cases, your payments for the first several years will only go toward interest. The interest on a HELOC may be tax-deductible.

Is a HELOC Right for You?

Before you take out a home equity line of credit, you need to think carefully about your personality, habits and situation. First of all, ask yourself if you are considering a HELOC for the right reasons. If your house needs a major repair that cannot wait, or if you’re struggling to pay your credit card balances because of high interest rates, a HELOC could be a wise move.

Once you obtain a HELOC for one purpose, you’ll continue to have access to the remaining equity. If you can handle that temptation, it wont be a problem. On the other hand, if you know you wouldnt be able to resist the urge to use your homes equity to finance a lavish vacation or a shopping spree, you should avoid a HELOC because you could get yourself into serious financial trouble. If you get in over your head and are unable to make the monthly payments on time, you might lose your house in a foreclosure.

Weigh the Pros and Cons

A home equity line of credit is a tool that has helped many homeowners finance necessary purchases that they would otherwise have been unable to afford. It’s important to consider the risks and to use a HELOC responsibly. Before you sign on the dotted line, carefully consider whether you’re doing it for the right reasons and whether you can handle the temptation and responsibility that comes with using a home equity line of credit.

Published with permission from RISMedia.