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Friday, January 5, 2024

The Daily Money: 5 consumer New Year's Resolutions to stay fraud-free

Welcome to our consumer-focused newsletter, which will publish each Friday. Today, here's 5 consumer New Year's Resolutions to keep you fraud-free.

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The Daily Money

ALL THE MONEY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Fri Jan 5 2024

 

Betty Lin-Fisher Consumer reporter

@blinfisher

Happy Friday! This is Betty Lin-Fisher and welcome to today's edition of The Daily Money. 

On Fridays, I'll be bringing you a consumer-focused edition of this newsletter. It'll still give you links to many of the top Money stories from my USA TODAY colleagues, but we'll focus on stories from a consumer perspective. 

First, a bit about me.  

I joined USA TODAY in October after 28 years as a journalist at the Akron Beacon Journal , a Gannett/USA TODAY network newspaper in Ohio. I'm a Chicago-area native and a graduate of the University of Iowa. While in Akron, I covered a variety of beats as a metro, business and medical reporter. I also was a consumer reporter and columnist for 23 years. 

When I joined USA TODAY, I jumped into the thick of holiday shopping coverage, but here are other stories I've written that may interest you as 2024 kicks off: 

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions, like losing weight? Here are 5 more to help you avoid getting scammed this year. Scammers are always betting that you're going to let your guard down while you are multi-tasking or passively scrolling on your phone. These resolutions are a good reminder to help protect yourself and your loved ones. 

A fun new feature that I started before the holidays is called Uncomfortable Conversations about Money. In the new series, I'll tackle topics or situations about money that make you uneasy. My first one was about grandparents who wanted to spoil the grandkids during the holidays.

If you have a topic you'd like to suggest or if you'd be willing to be featured in a future story about your Uncomfortable Conversation, email me at blinfisher@USATODAY.com with "Uncomfortable Conversations" in the subject line. 

Want to learn how to thrift? Tips from thrifting experts

Dina Younis 1

Dina Younis is a professional thrifting influencer who operates Dina's Days.

Shane Wynn

I've always loved thrifting and garage sales. During COVID, my husband started selling excess things in our basement on eBay and found a new hobby/side gig. Soon, he started asking me to go to thrift stores and garage sales, and we now also frequent estate sales. He looks for things to resell. I just look for fun treasures while remembering that I don't want to become a packrat, so I'm often just browsing. 

When news that a woman in Virginia bought a vase for $3.99 at a thrift store and sold it for more than $100,000 hit right before the holidays, I checked with thrifting professionals to write a primer on how to thrift treasures for themselves and maybe land a hidden gem.  

πŸ“° Consumer stories you shouldn't miss πŸ“°

πŸ” Today's Menu πŸ”

Those iconic Sweethearts conversation heart candies are getting with the modern era of dating. The candy maker is releasing "Situationships Boxes" ahead of Valentine's Day. "The specially designed boxes contain blurry, misprinted candies that are as hard to read as Gen-Z relationships," the company, Spangler, said.

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer news from USA TODAY. We break down financial news and provide the TLDR version: how decisions by the Federal Reserve, government and companies impact you.

Visit the Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS® Facebook page for more home maintenance ideas.

Here's 5 New Year's resolutions to make to help protect yourself and avoid fraud or scams this year.

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There are a lot of weight-loss scams promising amazing results, be careful.
 

New Year's weight-loss goals bring out scammers touting products

Are you seeing ads about products that promise to melt away the pounds without any work? Be careful of New Year's weight-loss scams.

For a story on parents trying to keep grandparents holiday spending in check, we photograph, Andrew Herzog (black sweater), his father Chris Herzog (Blue Shirt), and son Patrick (3 years old). Grandfather Chris often babysits Patrick..Photos taken at the home of grandfather, Chris Herzog, who resides in Dallas, Texas. The three were playing with some transportation themed toys on the dining room table which became an imaginary race track.
 

Grandparents 'overgifting' the kids? Practical tips to manage it.

In the first of a new series called Uncomfortable Conversations About Money, we tackle the topic of grandparents spoiling the kids with holiday gifts.

Unsold 2023 Charger sedans and Challenger hardtops sit at a Dodge dealership on June 18, 2023, in Littleton, Colo. The strike by auto workers is almost certain to lead to higher prices for car buyers; it's only a matter of whether panic buying will make dealer lots look empty sooner than analysts expect. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
 

Buying a car? FTC reveals crackdown on illegal scams to save you money

New FTC rules prohibiting illegal bait-and-switch tactics and hidden junk fees will help consumers, advocates say. Here's details.

Use credit cards with flexible rewards programs
 

Only half of us expect to pay off our December credit card bill

Only half of America's credit card customers believe they can pay off their December balance in full, signaling a low ebb in "credit card confidence"

Dina Younis is a professional thrifting influencer who operates Dina's Days.
 

How to thrift and spot potential treasures with a big payoff

Thrifting is no longer taboo. You can find great things for yourself or maybe even spot a treasure for a big payoff. Here are some tips.

Website for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
 

New FAFSA's open longer but still hard to get. Here's when to try.

The new simplified FAFSA 2024-25 soft launch has expanded its open hours, but millions are still having trouble accessing the form. Here's when to try.

Last sold for a recorded $6.865 million in November 2020, a six-bedroom house at 271 La Puerta Way has changed hands for $13 million, the price recorded Dec. 20 with the deed.
 

What will the housing market be like in 2024? Here's what experts say

Real estate activity will vary significantly from market to market with some top-growth areas expected to see double-digit increases, says Hale.

Sweethearts Candies is leaning into dating trends with a limited-edition release of Situationship Boxes just in time for Valentine's Day.
 

Sweethearts makers release 'Situationship Boxes' for Valentine's Day

For those relationships where you're not quite sure where you stand, there's now a limited-edition candy for that.

In my mind this traveler is screaming as they run through the airport, about to miss their flight.
 

What to do if you're late for your flight | Cruising Altitude

If you're late for your flight, it's not the end of the world. Here's what to do and how you can get on your way with minimal hassle.

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