With AT&T, if you go over on your data, the line associated you your account that exceeded its allowance is “automatically” charged $10 extra to cover the cost of 100 additional mb of data, and at a higher rate thereafter.  Those charges can pile up fast, especially when you have more than one line, which many people with families and kids do.  If Jr. goes 1mb over his 300 mb plan, he gets charged, you get notified, and once he’s home he will be interrogated as to what he did that used up so much data.  Unfortunately, his explanation will not do much to make you feel better.  He probably won’t even know what happened.

It’s good that there are a few preventative steps we can take to keep from going over on those costly data plans and racking up more charges.  For instance, if your phone is able to use the newer 4G networks, but you still live in a 3G area, your phone will still constantly be scanning for a 4G tower (and thus, sending a receiving small amounts of data, constantly.)  The best thing to do is to disable 4G unless you know you are already in an area that supports it.  The same is true if you have 3G enabled, but you live in an area that only supports EDGE;  disable 3G unless you are within range, otherwise your phone will use up data quietly behind the scenes, and you might be surprised by a bigger data bill than you anticipated.  Another thing you can do is change your mail account settings from “Push” to “Manual.”  Push mail means that your mail comes when it arrives.  Manual means you hit a button once, and download all your messages in one instance.  This will save you some data, too. Also, if you use navigation often to find places like aspen mini storage or a new restuarant, try to do your googling at home before you venture out. It will definitely save you some data.

That was just my story though.  It is sad to think about all of the other people who were impacted much greater by the financial crisis in this country.  And now there are reports that the crisis is over or ending, but I have to ask myself if that could be true.  The hole that was dug is incredibly deep, and I am not sure that we have had enough time to pull the economy out of it.  I believe that is a fact supported by the amount of the country’s national debt.

So what is the real deal with the financial crisis and when did it all start to go wrong?  Is it all the fault of Washington?  Take a look for some of the answers below in this infographic.

One of the setbacks many businesses faced in 2011 was how to expand and grow their reach while maintaining a loyal customer base.  If you look at the infographic below, Intuit has gone to some lengths to survey small business owners to find out what kept them up at night  this year, and that was on top of the list.  The good news is, American small businesses still truly are the backbone of our financial stability, and they are started and operated by some of the most passionate entrepreneurs on the face of the Earth.  Passion was the number one driving force behind the successful startups this year, so if you plan to stick it out another year and wait through the first dismal months of 2012, you’ll want to check your passion meter and make sure you’re doing work that edifies you personally and that you are intensely passionate about.  To learn more, read this:

The 401(k)s became widely adopted as retirement plans for American workers starting in the 1980s, and emerged as an alternative to the traditional retirement pension, which was paid entirely by employers. Now, employer contributions are usually a percentage of the funds contributed by the worker; each company sets its own flowland percentage.

To further clarify the mysteries of the 401(k), check out this infographic that explains how they work, and compares the traditional 401(k) to the Roth style savings instrument. This may help you to decide which type of retirement account you are interested in contributing to with your employer.

The Forex trading market offers many brave investors the most exclusive and potentially lucrative investing opportunities. Helpful factors such as the Forex 24 hour open market, commission-free trading, and simple accessibility through a variety of means have all  helped Forex to become one of the most popularly traded financial markets.  But what is Forex?  Forex is the Foreign Exchange, and deals in the trading of currencies.  World currencies that are the most popularly traded are the safest bets for a beginner.

Forex boasts a daily volume of about $1.2 trillion.  Compared to the equities and futures markets, the magnitude of Forex is exponentially greater. This attracts many investors to the foreign exchange, even considering all the risks associated with it.  Forex is not for everyone, so it would be wise to educate yourself  before diving into the world’s most volatile market.  To help you get started, enjoy this introductory video explaining what Forex is, and the advantages, and disadvantages, of trading.
The Forex trading market offers its investors with exclusive and lucrative investing opportunities. Other factors like 24 hours open market, high leverage, commission-free trading and easy accessibility through various means of communications has helped Forex to become one of the most popularly invested financial markets.

With a daily volume of about $1.2 trillion money changing hands everyday, the magnitude of Forex market is definitely one of the highest as compared to the Equities and the Futures market. So, you should educate yourself comprehensively and take advantage of this giant investment vehicle.

Ms. Brooks has worked for the Murdoch family as a “favored daughter” for many years, having been a rising star at News International, one of Murdoch’s subsidiaries that ran several British tabloids, and having close ties with many politicians. After two of her close colleagues were arrested and jailed back in 2006, Brooks has struggled to completely detach herself from the situation. As she said in an email to her staff, “My desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate. This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavors to fix the problems of the past. Therefore I have given Rupert and James Murdoch my resignation. While it has been a subject of discussion, this time my resignation has been accepted.”

Her resignation follows a demand from Parliament, an especially hurtful blow, as many of the people on the bench calling for her resignation are her former colleagues and close friends. Even Prime Minister David Cameron, once considered a close personal friend of Brooks (does this say anything about his electability and back door media deals?), said that her resignation was the right move for her to make. Even her own staff members believed that her resignation was a little over due: “Our paper was sacrificed to save her career, and now she’s gone as well,” one former employee said, requesting anonymity.

Either way, Ms. Brooks will have to answer questions on the stand for the select committee on culture, media and sport in Parliament, and Prime Minister Cameron is also calling a separate investigation committee, headed by a senior judge. As the scandal continues to unravel, it is hard to discern just how truly widespread the hacking and prying has extended, and what other unethical journalistic practices have become a stronghold for the Murdoch empire. One thing is for sure, politicians will not longer have to set their electability on their relationship with the Murdoch family and Murdoch’s view of them personally and politically.

So, what is it about couponing that is so wonderful?  Well, besides saving you money, it can also be a very entertaining hobby for the right type of person.  Couponing gives some retired people something productive to do if they get bored swimming, reading, and playing with the pets.

Experts agree that even little expenses add up and amount to significant sums over time.  Why not benefit from those instead of continuing to spend without thinking?  Instead of buying that soft drink everyday, try taking your own reusable stainless steel water bottle to work and fill it with water from your office’s water cooler.  There are other ways you can save, too.  Some banks now offer a special type of debit card that pays you back in the spare change from transactions.  For instance, if you spend $25.67 at the grocery store, 33 cents would go into your savings account.  It doesn’t sound like much, but think how this would add up over a period of five or ten years.

If you really want to do great saving, why not agree to a “pay myself first” policy in your personal finances?  It doesn’t have to be a great amount to get you started.  Just decide that each and every time you get paid, you will unfailingly give yourself 10% off the top, no excuses, and deposit that in your savings account.  Before long you will have a good start.