Beth Kobliner

Beth Kobliner appears in the following:

Before You Save for College, Save for Your Own Future

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

PRI
WNYC

Even if you don’t have kids yet, you’ve heard the scary numbers: the parents of an entering college freshmen this fall can expect to pay $161,000 for a four-year private college education and $121,000 for four years at an out-of-state public college. And the once bargain-basement priced in-state colleges don’t seem like such a steal anymore: in-state freshmen heading to the average four-year public college can expect to pay roughly $66,000 over the next four years.

All that being said, you still need to put your adult-self first and save for your retirement before you save for college. Here’s why:

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DIY Bailout: The Art of Negotiating

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Everyone has at least one family member who loves to negotiate, whether they fight for a good deal on a new car or a free dessert: They just don't stop until they've gotten a concession on the price. Well, Takeaway contributor Beth Kobliner, author of "Get a Financial Life", thinks we should look to that family member for inspiration in making our very own DIY Bailout. She says everyone should aspire to the art of deal making.

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Is Your Unpaid Internship Legal?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

In recent articles that have been getting a lot of buzz, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal took on the topic of unpaid internships...and suggested that many unpaid internships may, in fact, be illegal.

We wanted to find out more. And so we're talking with our work contributor Beth Kobliner about what kinds of internships are legal, which aren't, and whether they're even worth doing.

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Behavioral Tricks to Get Yourself to Save

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

PRI
WNYC

Think you’ve tried everything to save more money but are still coming up short of your goals? Here are five tips to boost your bottom line, based in the increasingly popular field of behavioral economics.

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DIY Bailout: How to Trick Yourself to Save Money

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The government bailout of the big banks on Wall Street is still headline news. But nobody we know got a bailout, and lots of people are trying to figure out how to make it through the recession. Takeaway contributor Beth Kobliner, author of "Get a Financial Life", is helping us construct our own bailout; this week, she teaches us now to trick ourselves into saving money.

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Do It Yourself Bailout: Demystifying Your Credit Score

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Each week in our "Do-It-Yourself Bailout" series, we talk about how we can all get into better financial shape and bail ourselves out of debt. This week: credit scores.

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Getting and Keeping a Good Credit Score

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

PRI
WNYC

Are you looking to buy a house, a car or other major item using credit? You will almost certainly hear about your "credit score," if you are.  It's not something you can study for, though you can improve it: Here are the 7 things you need to know about getting and keeping a good credit score.

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How To Land On Your Feet When You're Falling Down The Corporate Ladder

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

As the recession rages on, many experienced workers who’ve lost their jobs are looking at job listings and wondering: Am I overqualified for this? And if I apply anyway, how can I convince myself (or someone else) that I'm right for the job?

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Falling Down the Corporate Ladder

Monday, April 05, 2010

PRI
WNYC

With top management jobs slashed across industries, more and more people are faced with the reality of having to take a step or two down the corporate ladder: Some are stepping off all together, rolling up their sleeves and taking “survival jobs” to make ends meet. Being thrown off the executive pedestal can pose some difficult challenges, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of the world. In fact, just like we’ve seen in the hit reality series Undercover Boss, there’s sometimes a lot to be learned from stepping down into the ranks. Here are tips to help you adjust, and make the most of, the realities of underemployment:

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Tips on Doing Taxes Yourself

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

It's two week until April 15, that dreaded day when taxes are due. As a part of our "Do It Yourself" series, financial expert Beth Kobliner suggests more people handle their own taxes though the process may be intimidating. She helps us sort through all those important tax credits and deducations for which one may qualify.

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Beth Kobliner's Tax Time Tips

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

PRI
WNYC

Only two weeks and a day until tax time! If you had a rough 2009, however, there may be a silver lining. If your income went down last year, you might qualify for more deductions and credits than you did in 2008. And even if you didn’t lose your job, there’s a lot you can do to help save yourself some cash:

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Setting Priorities for Your DIY Bailout

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

In the aftershocks of the financial crisis and with billions of dollars flying in stimulus, TARP, and other tools, have you been left wondering where your bailout is? Takeaway contributor, Beth Kobliner has gotten that question a lot: she's the author of “Get a Financial Life.”

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DIY Bailout: How Do I Set Priorities?

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

PRI
WNYC

One of the personal finance questions I get asked the most is “How do I set priorities?” In fact, the first conversation I had with Celeste was about this very topic. To quote the Takeaway co-host: “I hear what you’re saying about an emergency fund, paying off credit card debt, and starting an IRA ... but what do I actually do first?” It’s no wonder people are confused: with so many things to do with money, it’s hard to know where to start!

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Why We Find it So Hard to Talk About Money

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

This past year we’ve heard a lot of talk about the bailouts that America’s big banks got in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage debacle.  And the question keeps coming up: what about the little guy?  Who will come in and bail me out? 

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Introducing the Do-It-Yourself Bailout

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

PRI
WNYC

The first step in taking charge of your financial life is figuring out where you want to go. That may sound obvious, but it’s difficult because people just don’t want to ask for help when they need it. It’s not just Americans, it’s universal. In fact, a British psychologist found that one in seven people would prefer a visit to the dentist rather than seeing a financial planner.

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Depression-Era Job Tips From a Grandpa

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

According to Newsweek, recent high school and college graduates aren’t asking their parents for vocational and financial advice. Instead, they’re turning to their depression-era grandparents. After all, their grandparents survived a time when the American unemployment rate was 25 percent, while their parents came of age well after that devastating time and well before the recession of today.

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Too Old to be Hired? Suggestions for Botoxing Your Resume

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Unemployment has spared no community in the past few years, but it’s been especially hard on older workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job-seekers over 45 make up a disproportionate percentage of the long-term unemployed population. And in many cases, those older workers never even get asked in for an interview. If you’re over 45 and applying for jobs, how do you avoid getting your resume tossed in the trash, and increase your chances of getting your foot in the door?

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'Botox' Your Resume

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

PRI
WNYC

Older Americans—those over 45—have been hit especially hard by the recession. They make up 32 percent of the unemployed, and they constitute a whopping 38 percent of those who are out of work for 27 weeks or longer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In a world where older people are still discriminated against when it comes to hiring, how can you make sure the “you” that employers encounter first is accurate and professional representation of your best self? Here’s what you need to know.

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Tight Job Market Prompts Outlandish Interview Questions

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

In the current economy, there are more than six applicants for every job opening. As a result, employers are looking for more ways to weed through the pool of applicants and are opting for unusual screening techniques. Takeaway work contributor, Beth Kobliner, explains what job seekers can be expected to endure in the interview process these days — from online identity searches, to questions about the shape of manhole covers.

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What New Credit Card Rules Do for Consumers

Monday, February 22, 2010

PRI
WNYC

New credit card rules kick into effect today that overhaul some of the sleaziest bank practices as we know them and offer new protections to millions of American households struggling with, on average, $8,000 in credit card debt. Thanks to legislation known as the CARD Act, rate hikes will be harder to implement, young people will no longer be offered credit cards that they obviously can’t afford, and everyone will clearly see how long it will take to pay off a card if they pay just the minimums.

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