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Getting the Best Deal for Your Car

Great deals on cars happen at every stage of a car’s life cycle. From the first day you drove that bad boy off the show room floor at 20 percent off the sticker price all the way to the time you bought a used car for about a week’s pay, you’ve understood that the price of a car is an extremely pliable thing. Of course, it works in both directions.

When you look to sell and get yourself some cash for cars, you don’t have to be too fancy about it. Anything can be an investment — for every seller there is a buyer and vice versa. While you might initially think that an ancient junk pile couldn’t possibly have any hope of selling, you coulc be seriously surprised at what some paint and mechanical work can do.

Some people say that a great car is all but immortal, and can be brought back from what most people would consider death. While no one is quite sure when the point of no return happens, as long as cars have something salvageable in them they still have some value to offer up. Rather like real estate on tires, a car has value regardless of whether it’s pretty, new or anything but those two cars in the photo. So when you think about throwing your hands up and whining, “I need to sell my car,” ask yourself if you want to spend any more. This too can pass.

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Filed Under: Consumer Finance, Future Savings Tagged With: Automobile, Classifieds, Used car

Fair Trade

The International Fairtrade Certification Mark

Image via Wikipedia

You may have been out doing the weekly grocery shop and come across a product that has the label ‘fair trade’ on it. But have you ever then wondered exactly what fair trade is and what it means to you as a consumer?

What is Fair Trade?

Fair trade is in place to help growers of produce of providers of services in developing countries develop more sustainable marketing and trading conditions. It promotes the fair payment of wages to growers and workers, as well as acceptable working conditions and environmental standards.

What Kinds of things are Traded in this Way?

Fair trade provides developing countries a fair opportunity to export goods to developed countries. Notable goods of export include:

  • Crafts
  • Coffee
  • Cocoa
  • Sugar
  • Tea
  • Bananas and other fresh fruit
  • Honey
  • Cotton
  • Wine
  • Flowers
  • Gold

What Organizations are Involved in Fair Trade?

  • Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International: promote and market the Fair trade Certification Mark in their countries.
  • World Fair Trade Organization: an organization of fair trade producer co-operatives and associations, export and import marketers, retailers, fair trade networks and fair trade support organizations.
  • Network of European Worldshops: a network of 15 Worldshop associations across 13 European countries.
  • European Fair Trade Association: a network of European alternative trading organizations which import products from economically disadvantaged producer groups across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
  • Fair Trade Federation: an association of Northern American fair trade wholesalers, importers, and retailers.
  • Fair Trade Action Network: an international fair trade volunteer network

The global fair trade network is a way for consumers to support developing nations by purchasing products that are produced in a humane and sustainable way. Make the choice to buy fair trade when you can.

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Filed Under: Consumer Finance, Future Savings Tagged With: Business, Trade, United States

Consumer Protection

Disney of 2007 Terri carrying bags after shopping

Image via Wikipedia

As a consumer, are you aware that there are laws in place to protect you? These laws are designed to promote and regulate fair trade competition and to make sure that information given to consumers about products and purchases is correct and truthful.

Let’s take a look at what the consumer protection laws are.

Consumer Protection in the United States

In the United States, there are a number of laws put in place at both the state and federal level to protect consumers. These laws include the following acts:

  • The Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
  • The Fair Credit Reporting Act
  • Truth in Lending Act
  • Fair Credit Billing Act
  • Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
  • Consumer Product Safety Act
  • Federal Trade Commission Act
  • Pure Food and Drug Act
  • Communications Act of 1934
  • Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
  • Digital Millenium Copyright Act

These acts are regularly maintained and enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. There are also a number of watchdog agencies which help to regulate consumer protection.

What can you do to Protect Yourself as a Consumer?

As a consumer, always be sure that the products and services you are buying and using are from reliable and legitimate sources. Always doing research before you part with your hard-earned cash is a good way to protect your interests as a consumer.

If, in the unfortunate instance, you do get involved in a less than desirable deal, or buy a product that does not stand up to its advertising, you have the right to ask for compensation from the place of business that provided the goods and/or services.

 

 

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Filed Under: Consumer Finance, Future Savings Tagged With: Consumer, Consumer protection, Home

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