The safe deposit box may not be so safe after all. A recent New York Times report highlighted the fact that the rules around safe deposit boxes operate in a “legal gray zone” that can make you vulnerable. “There are no federal laws governing the boxes; no rules require banks to compensate customers if their property is stolen or destroyed.” Alternatives to a safe deposit box – is to insure your items. Remember the FDIC states, “no safe deposit box or home safe is completely protected from theft, fire, flood or other loss or damage.”

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FREE Ivy League online courses for anyone, anywhere! You can sign up to audit certain courses for free! These courses are called “massive open online courses or MOOC’s.” Most are free and usually a small fee in exchange for a certificate of completion.

Read more about these 8 Ivy League Universities:

1. Brown University
2. Columbia University
3. Cornell University
4. Dartmouth College
5. Harvard University
6. Princeton University
7. University of Pennsylvania
8. Yale University

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Here are some simple ways to change your shopping habits and maintain your budget:

1. Find a new a new activity
2. Identify triggers
3. Remove temptation
4. Carry only enough cash to buy what you need
5. Ask for help – Shopping Overshopping; Overshopping Anonymous; or Debtors Anonymous.

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If it looks like you need help curbing a shopping habit, there are steps you can take away from swiping that plastic. It’s one thing to surrender to the occasional impulse buy – that watch gleaming from inside the display case, or a pair of black shoes that will add the perfect dash of sophistication to your favorite business suit. Psychologists call it a compulsive buying disorder, and it has the potential to create a whirlwind of emotional and financial distress. Here are the signs:

1. You have many unopened or tagged items in your closet
2. You often purchase things you don’t need or didn’t plan to buy
3. An argument or frustration sparks an urge to shop
4. You experience a rush of excitement when buying
5. Purchases are followed by feelings of remorse
6. You try to conceal shopping habits
7. You feel anxious on days you don’t shop
8. You shop beyond your means

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To avoid purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle, have it examined by a trusted mechanic. The next thing to do is order a vehicle identification number (VIN) check, according to DMV.org, a privately owned website not affiliated with any government entity. Check a vehicle history report for details and examine the vehicle carefully.

• Upholstery in a used vehicle that doesn’t match the carpeting
• Rust in places like door hinges and trunk latches.
• Rust under the gas and brake pedals.
• Silt or mud under the seats or in the glove compartment
• Wet floor carpeting.
• A musty or moldy smell inside the vehicle, or the smell of cleaning agents and car fresheners trying to mask the mold.
• Brittle wires underneath the dashboard, which could mean they have been wet and then dried out.
• Malfunctioning electronics or accessories. Turn on the ignition and make sure all dashboard warning and accessory work properly. Test the air conditioning, heater, windshield wipers, radio and turn signals several times.
• VIN inconsistencies, Make sure the VIN on the dashboard matches the VIN on the door jam.

Finally. if you see something say something.

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You may think you’re looking at a must-have purchase. But do the numbers and think twice. Here’s how to know if renting is smarter. Here are examples of tools and equipment it’s smart to rent as needed rather than buying them only to curse the cost later.

1. Recreational vehicle
2. DVDs
3. Boat
4. Power washer
5. Musical Instruments
6. Sports equipment
7. Specialized tools
8. Pickup truck

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Some foreign universities rent rooms to summer travelers while their students are away on break. For example, in Perugia, Italy, you can spend a week at Casa Monteripido for $181 versus $500 for the modestly priced Primavera Mini Hotel. Go to UniversityRooms.com

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Go to kanopy.com. If you belong to one of the 4,000 participating public libraries and campus facilities, you can stream about 30,000 movies for free. You could save about $156 a year over renting movies online.

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You can download nearly 60,000 public domain e-books, including many classics and favorites at Gutenberg.org. Save $3 to $10 per e-book.

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One-quarter of the workers employed at companies  offering 401(k) plans don’t take advantage of the full company match of the first few percent invested in the plans. That means they are missing out on an average of $1,336 in free money annually.

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