Dr. Avi Loeb found tiny magnetic spheres in the Pacific Ocean, which he claims are extraterrestrial. Kim and Andrew have a fascinating convo with him! Plus, a dating app for people with good credit, the Loan Depot breach, and airplane mode myths.
The art of the upsell
Did you hear United Airlines is going all-in on a new, premium, expensive business class? Private check-in, a fancy lounge with sit-down dining, nice pajamas and a mattress pad, extra food on the plane, and (my favorite) press a button and someone will whiz over with champagne. Cha‑ching.
What about when you’re buying a regular ticket? Those are pricey, too — especially with the “extras” that used to be standard. Airlines have all kinds of sneaky upselling tricks. Let’s be smart and save money together.
Upsells you’ll most certainly run into
- Priority boarding: Pay extra to be early on the plane. If you have a disability or health condition that means you need more time, you can get that for free. Just ask.
- Travel insurance or flight protection: It’s 4% to 10% of the ticket price. Check if your credit card offers this instead. Most of mine do. If you’re not sure, call the number on the back and ask.
- Wi-Fi: Bet on spending anywhere from $3 to $30. If Wi‑Fi is a must for you, check the cost ahead of time. JetBlue offers it free for all passengers (nice). Frontier offers no movies, TV or Wi‑Fi, period.
- Flexible tickets: You’ll pay more if you want to be able to change flights later, but keep in mind you’ll still probably pay a change fee of at least $50.
- Boarding pass printing: This is big for budget airlines. Spirit wants $2 at the kiosk. Frontier charges $25 if you need an agent to help you. Ouch.
So, what can you do about it? Here are practical tips for the booking and travel process.
Screen saver: Don’t rush through the purchasing confirmation screens. Slow down, read thoroughly and make sure you know what you’re getting.
🤑 Pro tip: You’ll generally find the lowest prices if you book on a Sunday and travel on a Wednesday.
“Premium economy” is an oxymoron: Airlines push you to expensive seats by slicing cabin classes into more categories. Depending on the airline, it just means boarding a little sooner.
On some airlines, like American, you’ll get bigger seats (that fully recline, in some cases), better food and beverage options, priority boarding, and lots of room for you and your stuff. OK, that’s probably worth it.
Seat assignments: Before you shell out, check SeatGuru.com. Enter your airline and flight number to see a map of the best seats with the most legroom.
💺 Pro tip: If you ask at the gate, the person at the desk may be able to switch your seat assignment, especially if you’re traveling with a partner or kids. Here, it really pays to be nice.
Do the math: Most U.S. airlines increased their checked baggage prices this year by $5 to $10, and it’s worse for your second checked bag. The exception? Southwest, which still includes two checked bags in its ticket prices.
Buy now, pay later isn’t as simple as you think
You see them on about every shopping site now. Think of “BNPL” (buy now, pay later) as a short-term financing plan. With a few clicks, you request a limited loan agreement to pay for items over time.
Even Apple is getting in on the action. With Apple Pay Later, buy that $1,000 iPhone today and pay it off over four payments. PayPal has one, too, along with services like Afterpay, Affirm and Klarna.
Scammers’ newest trick: They’ve racked up a whopping 850,000 fake orders across 10,000 sketchy retail websites, and they’re using PayPal and Stripe for payments. The twist: They don’t charge you for the phony order. Instead, they capture your credit card info to sell it on the dark web. These are probably the crappy bogus products hawked on social media feeds. Don’t fall for ‘em.
$7,500 instant discount on a new EV
A tax change means you don’t have to wait months and months for the credit — it now comes directly off the sticker price (paywall link). Here’s a list of cars that qualify.
10 free budgeting spreadsheets to help get a handle on your money
Keeping track of your finances can be a daunting task. Wouldn’t it be great to know exactly where your money was?
When I started on my own, recording and managing my finances was non-existent. If you’re not good at keeping track of what you have in your accounts or what is coming or going from those accounts, this may be the answer for you.
Scary signs that someone hacked your Amazon account
Returning items to Amazon is easy, but there are always exceptions. Here are four things the retail giant will not take back.
Then again, there’s likely some stuff around your house that Amazon, Target and Walmart are interested in. Trade in your old tech devices for credit.
Child ID theft is on the rise: If you’re not on the lookout, you might not catch it for years. When your kid goes to rent their first apartment or get a student loan, they could find they’re already thousands of dollars in debt. Protect your kid’s credit now — I’ve got steps on how to do it on my site.
Lipstick on a pig: The feds now consider buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps a type of credit card. Uh, ya think? Now, buyers will get the same refund and fraud protections they do with plastic while they’re putting off those payments. BNPL companies say they’re a totally different model. Nope.
🏨 No privacy? No way! Spyware was found on check-in computers at Wyndham hotels across the U.S. capturing screenshots of guest info, including names, addresses and credit card details. The spyware, pcTattletale, is sold as a smart way to monitor employees (and children!), but … it exposed all that Wyndham customer info online for anyone with the right know-how to find.
Guilty as charged: A North Carolina woman left her credit card at a restaurant. Now, she’s fighting $2,000 in bogus charges after a restaurant employee shared photos of the credit card’s front and back on Facebook. The employee was trying to find her. What a dope.
In Telfair County, Georgia, a fisherman stumbled upon critical evidence from the 2015 Craigslist murder of an elderly couple. He first pulled up a .22-caliber rifle, then discovered driver’s licenses and credit cards belonging to the victims. This find has revitalized the investigation, with more clues headed to the crime lab.
When your suitcase is jam-packed: Fancy credit card lounges (paywall link) loaded with workspaces, restaurants and more are popping up at U.S. airports. New perks include Peloton bikes, caviar and nap pods. I saw an ad for a new Singapore Airlines flight that has a full workout area in the first-class cabin. That’s something!
ScamU: Scammers are targeting parents with fake SAT/ACT prep offers. They know your kid’s name and school, and they’re promising “free” materials for a “refundable” deposit. Spoiler: You’re out $249.95 and get zilch. Don’t get duped: Places like the College Board never call to ask for a credit card over the phone.
Love meets credit: The new dating app SCORE plays Cupid … if Cupid was also into personal finance. If your credit score is 675 or above, you’re in. The Federal Reserve’s findings say those good credit scores tend to stick together. One way to dodge golddiggers, I guess?
Trusted websites get domain hijacked
Kim and Andrew talk about AT&T’s apology for its service outage (you could get a credit). Plus, Gen Z’s on constant “Do Not Disturb” mode, the FTC’s $16.5 million fine on Avast for selling browsing data, and Microsoft Copilot generating fake Putin quotes about Navalny’s death.
Hackers going after your kids
Opt out of unsolicited credit card mail
Mailbox overflowing with unsolicited credit card and insurance offers? I’ve got a way you can stop them, in 60 seconds.
Check this hidden list to see who has rejected your Facebook friend request
Platforms such as Facebook are great for connecting with long-lost friends. But be careful with friend requests from people you’re not sure of. Tap or click here for three signs an Instagram, Facebook or Twitter account is fake.