Senate wimps out on financial-advice protection

One of the official goals of the financial-reform bill that the Senate passed Thursday is “to protect consumers from abusive financial services practices.” For all those lofty intentions, however, senators missed an obvious opportunity to safeguard individuals from harmful investment advice.

Where the Senate failed to act was in the standard of care that a financial adviser owes his or her clients. As it stands, the standard for some financial professionals is what’s known as a fiduciary standard: They have to ..read more

What health care reform means to you

During the many months of talking, yelling, finger-pointing and partisan spinning about the best way to reform our health care system, it was hard for Americans to actually understand exactly how any sort of overhaul would affect them. Given how often things were moving and changing, even this blogger — who covers health care as one of her beats — found it difficult to stay on top of what the various bills meant to consumers, and what provisions were ..read more

Get the best deal on high-end kitchen knives

Why they're a buy: Many knife makers have cut prices on fancy block sets to appeal to penny-pinching consumers. But Chad Ward, author of "An Edge in the Kitchen," says you need only one high-end blade: an eight-inch steel chef's knife, which costs about half as much as a set. Get either a forged European-style model (if you like to chop with a rocking motion) or a Japanese one (which is lighter and better for precision cutting).

The strategy: Pass on ..read more

More Money Friday roundup: Credit card rules & giving to Haiti

Personal finance from around the web:

The Fed released its final interpretation on the CARD Act of 2009, and it's good news for consumers. On variable-rate cards, interest rates must be allowed to fall, not just rise. [CreditCards.com] Want to donate to relief efforts in Haiti? Use tech to make a speedy contribution. Just be sure to read these tips so you don't get scammed. [PC World, Bucks] This interesting — if very depressing — infographic shows the year-over-year change in unemployment for ..read more

iPhone app makes homebuying easier

Shopping for a house? If you’re one of the few people out there actually looking for a new home (okay, I live in South Florida, so I’m bitter), Realtor.com introduced a cool new iPhone app on Wednesday .

I’ve used Realtor.com's main website before, plugging in my zip code and a bunch of characteristics to see what homes are selling for in my neighborhood. This free iPhone app, called Home Search, uses GPS to produce a map of houses for sale ..read more

Applying For a Loan if You Have Bad Credit

There are multitudes of situations that can cause a consumer to develop a bad credit rating. Credit card debt that has become overwhelming or even an illness within the family can leave the consumer vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed within the finances and becoming unable to pay their debts. Unfortunately a bad credit rating can greatly decrease the chances of a consumer being approved for a home loan, personal loan or even a vehicle loan.

Here are some tips that you ..read more

Applying For a Loan if You Have Bad Credit

There are multitudes of situations that can cause a consumer to develop a bad credit rating. Credit card debt that has become overwhelming or even an illness within the family can leave the consumer vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed within the finances and becoming unable to pay their debts. Unfortunately a bad credit rating can greatly decrease the chances of a consumer being approved for a home loan, personal loan or even a vehicle loan.

Here are some tips that you ..read more

Applying For a Loan if You Have Bad Credit

There are multitudes of situations that can cause a consumer to develop a bad credit rating. Credit card debt that has become overwhelming or even an illness within the family can leave the consumer vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed within the finances and becoming unable to pay their debts. Unfortunately a bad credit rating can greatly decrease the chances of a consumer being approved for a home loan, personal loan or even a vehicle loan.

Here are some tips that you ..read more

Applying For a Loan if You Have Bad Credit

There are multitudes of situations that can cause a consumer to develop a bad credit rating. Credit card debt that has become overwhelming or even an illness within the family can leave the consumer vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed within the finances and becoming unable to pay their debts. Unfortunately a bad credit rating can greatly decrease the chances of a consumer being approved for a home loan, personal loan or even a vehicle loan.

Here are some tips that you ..read more

Applying For a Loan if You Have Bad Credit

There are multitudes of situations that can cause a consumer to develop a bad credit rating. Credit card debt that has become overwhelming or even an illness within the family can leave the consumer vulnerable to becoming overwhelmed within the finances and becoming unable to pay their debts. Unfortunately a bad credit rating can greatly decrease the chances of a consumer being approved for a home loan, personal loan or even a vehicle loan.

Here are some tips that you ..read more