Better Buys for Gift Cards

I started writing about maximizing your gift card dollar a few years ago, and thanks to dramatic changes like Groupon, FourSquare, and smartphone apps, I can easily update the story every year. There are more ways than ever to pay less than face value (or at the very least, boost your buying power).

This story I did for CreditCards.com shares the many ways that you can snare a deal on your gift card—without your recipient guessing that you paid less than face value.

Read more here.

Life Decisions

Life insurance isn’t the most exciting financial product, but most families need it. In this story for AAA Living, I tackled some of the common reasons people choose not to get it  – and whether or not those decisions could have long-term consequences.

The interactive graphic itself is pretty neat — check it out here.

Like It?

Thanks to the web, a lot of stories that I write have a second life—and sometimes even more than that. After writing an automation story package for MoneyWatch, I figured that once I saw it on the website, that would be it. But then Yahoo Finance picked it up, and it appeared on the Yahoo home page on August 1.

Yahoo can bring in some pretty serious traffic, and from what I can tell, this story has resonated with readers. According to the posted Yahoo stats, it’s gotten more than 2,000 Facebook “likes,”  200 tweets, and 1,400 comments (only about half of which are for Viagra or dating sites).

Add your likes, tweets, or comments here.

Automatic For The People

I’ve been pitching ideas to editors for more than a decade, so I feel like I should be pretty good at it at this point. But sometimes, it’s just about sheer luck. A few months ago, I was at a conference where I knew I was going to meet an editor at CBS Moneywatch. I was excited to have the chance to work for the publication, so I did my research: I studied several weeks’ of stories, I wrote down every story that had been written by a freelancer to see what departments were most likely to hire me, and I tried to figure out if they liked things like slide shows, quizzes, or videos. I checked wordcounts, I read information about their typical readers. And in the end, I came up with three sure-fire ideas I was sure the editor would love.

But when I actually met her for ten minutes that weekend, she hated all of the ideas. And so, in desperation, I pitched one last idea that I had planned to offer to another publication. And she loved it.

The result, three months later, is a two-part package on automating your finances. You can read the stories here and here.

Smart Ideas from Twitter

When I first signed up for Twitter, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. While some were creating their mini publishing empires and others were building platforms for books and blogs, I mostly let my feed sit idle.

Eventually I realized it was one of the most effective ways to find out what my editors were up to, so I followed all of my clients who posted. When I read that my editor at CreditCards.com had just put up a story on 6 expenses you should never put on a credit card, I knew the story was begging for a rebuttal. Within a few hours, I’d crafted a query and landed the assignment. The result, 6 types of purchases you should always charge on your credit card, appeared on May 10. The story later appeared on Yahoo’s Personal Finance section (garnering close to 600 comments) and FOX Business.

Newsworthy

Sometimes, a story strikes a chord — and the piece I wrote for CreditCards.com on getting hundreds of thousands of frequent flier miles made an impact. It’s since appeared on the Today Show’s money section, MSNBC, Yahoo, and FOX Business. Links to the story have been retweeted by dozens of people on Twitter, too.

Collecting A Tax Break

All those baseball cards, comic books, and Star Trek figurines you’ve got collecting dust in your basement may be worth a fortune—or, at the very least, a tax break. You probably already know that your charitable donations of cash will allow you to take a tax deduction, but you can also donate your collections, from art to bottle caps, and get a benefit from Uncle Sam. In this story I wrote for Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, I get into the specifics of how to take advantage of this opportunity.

Read the full story here (page 6).

If You Had A Million Miles

You might not be rich, exactly, but a million frequent flyer miles could get you anywhere in the world, first class. I talked to a few mileage junkies for a story for CreditCards.com — including two who have banked millions over the past few years alone — about the credit card strategies they’ve used to grab thousands of miles without paying a penny. If you’re not worried about your credit report, you can make the most of these deals. In fact, after I finished the story, I picked up a couple cards that will help me get 150,000 miles in the next six months without changing my spending.  You might be able to benefit, too.

Read the full story here.

All Expenses Paid

You don’t have win at a game show to get vacation perks without spending a dime — you just have to know a little insider knowledge. Getting free flights, lodging, food, and events might not be as hard as you think. If you’re willing to spend some time and think creatively, you won’t have to spend a penny to get many vacation perks. In this slide show for Bankrate.com, I share some of the key tips for getting something for nothing.

Read more here.

Jingle All The Way To The Bank

Credit and debit card companies want you to use their cards during the holiday season—and they’re lining up some enticing deals for consumers. From improved cash back offers to free shipping, your plastic can definitely pay off this season.

Offers can be found for nearly every card, whether you carry Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. Read the fine print and the expiration date and you’ll be able to afford just a little more holiday cheer.