Harried No More

Five months ago, I began this blog with the intention of providing a user-friendly and enjoyable read for people to learn about personal finance.  I think that I’ve succeeded in that mission, and that anyone who has been a regular reader is definitely more knowledgeable than she was before my missives hit the Internet in this form.  Unfortunately, my ministry didn’t reach enough people for the column’s producers to justify its continued existence, so I’m sadly announcing that this column will be the last one in this current format.

However, I wanted to follow-up on some of the issues that I brought to light before this column finds itself in the Internet’s vast wasteland. So here goes.

Time may heal all wounds, but it hasn’t fixed the subprime mortgage crisis since I let out my subprimal scream last August.  The crisis has worsened, so now the government’s getting into the act.  There are various measures being tossed about in Congress to stop the bleeding.  No matter what occurs, you can bet that it will be harder to get mortgages in the near future.

Since injustice in our society irks me, I try to write about the little guy whenever possible.  In October, I told the story of Mary Bach and her lawsuit against Kmart for charging an illegal sales tax.  Mary was kind enough to post an update to the blog.  She writes:   “Thanks Barbara for your understanding of both my motivation in suing and in the principles of the case. I will add that K-Mart offered me more than I sued for to settle, but the confidentiality agreement they insisted upon would have not permitted me to address the public with the story. I speak frequently on PA sales tax and on retail scanner issues. I am Vice President of the PA Scanner Certification Advisory Board. Thanks for your support and insight.”  I’m thrilled that Mary received a good settlement and is still an active voice for fairness.

Back in August, I wrote a column about Suze Orman, because so many people asked me what I thought of her.  I see that Suze has turned her focus away from the little guy (or gal, as the case may be), and is focusing on high-paying corporate gigs (suzeorman.com). These days, I find more people asking me if I’m “like” Suze Orman when I tell them that I write about personal finance and investing.  I generally say, “Yes…but without the big bucks.”

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my encounter with fraudulent expenses on my AT&T Wireless bill. Even though they assured me that they would contact me the following week with the results of their investigation, I haven’t heard a peep.  I just received my new bill, and guess what?  There’s still a charge for equipment insurance, which was one of the complaints that I had made. Maybe when I call to complain, yet again, they’ll give me an update on their investigation.  But I won’t hold my breath.

My second blog was about the problems with my water system and the agony I endured trying to solve the problem.  This story has a happy ending, as it turned out that I didn’t need a new system after all.  All I needed was a new filter.  Unfortunately, I had to endure several sales pitches for high-priced new systems until I found the relatively inexpensive solution.  Caveat emptor.

And finally, I want to give you an update on my article about lost luggage. Although I didn’t bore you with the details, this column was inspired when U.S. Airways lost my husband’s suitcase on a trip from Raleigh, North Carolina to Albany, New York.  When they did discover it, it was too damaged for them to return it, so they returned the clothing and promised to send us a comparable suitcase.  Several months later, we received a suitcase, but it was not as sturdy, and significantly smaller than the one they’d destroyed.  Several months and phone calls later, we finally received a relatively comparable suitcase.  Whether it’s as high quality as the one that they mutilated will be determined on our next trip.

To all my loyal readers, thank you for your support.  I hope you’ve enjoyed these columns and learned a lot.  Keep your eyes open, because my voice will most likely not be silenced for long.  I’m sure I’ll be back, a little wiser, and hopefully, a little less harried.