When disaster strikes, as it did with the tornado this week in Oklahoma, you can be sure scams will follow -- attempting to take advantage of the desire to give to help those in need.

Scam warnings are flying. The Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau, Scambook.com, and many others, including police departments, have issued cautions in the aftermath of the storm as people hear more about the devastation and seek places to donate to.

"After every natural disaster and man-made catastrophe, we see an outpouring of generosity, along with the inevitable scams and frauds," Art Taylor, president and CEO of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance said in a statement. "We urge donors to take the time to make sure their donations are going to legitimate charities that can do the most good for those in need."

 

This post is by Craig Donofrio of partner site Money Talks News.

Summer is around the corner, which means the kids will be home more and will inevitably be attacking their video game controllers. They’re probably already asking for the newest Skylanders figure or a video game you’ve never heard of.

Retail-priced games can cost up to $60, and there’s no guarantee your kid will even like it. How do you get your child the right game without going broke?

I’ve been video game bargain hunting for years. Here are my tips for finding the right kind of game at the right price.

The new fad
Kids, much like adults, are susceptible to fads, and Skylanders is the latest craze. You start with some basic characters that are introduced to the game through the “Portal of Power,” and then buy additional figurines for more in-game characters. With so many figurines, Skylanders can get expensive fast, so buy them on sale or in bundles (more on that below). 

This post is by Mitchell D. Weiss of partner site Credit.com.

The student loan crisis deserves all the attention it has attracted -- and more -- especially if we’re serious about tackling this trillion-dollar tragedy in a comprehensive way. But let’s not make the mistake of focusing all our good efforts on outcomes without addressing causes as well.

I’m referring to colleges and universities so under the gun to cover their bloated cost structures without jacking up tuition and fees even further that it’s a wonder how they maintain minimum admission standards.

It’s also remarkable that as enrollment declines, demand for financial aid increases and endowment funds shrink, the higher education sector isn’t confronting the institutional redundancies that are at the heart of this problem.

For example, in my home state alone, there are a half dozen medium-size private colleges and universities. To be sure, each has unique qualities and areas of specialty, which explains why they’re able to attract 5,000 to 7,000 students each. 

This post comes from Lindsay Olson at U.S. News & World Report.

If your child has recently graduated from college and is now looking for -- or has hopefully found -- her first "real" job, you may want to impart great wisdom to her. It's a difficult time for an inexperienced worker to enter the workforce, but these tips can help make the entry easier and better align her expectations with reality.

Ford R. Myers, the author of "Get the Job You Want, Even When No One's Hiring," offers the following business truths to new grads:

1. The most qualified candidate does not necessarily get the job offer. Having been in the workforce for a while, you know that hiring isn't always fair and based on merit. What better time to learn that lesson than as a new grad?

Tell your kids it takes more than just a well-qualified résumé to get hired. According to Myers, "the candidate who will get the job is the one who self-markets and demonstrates to the employer that she is the best fit for the company's needs, problems and challenges."

2. Research is the route to success. Getting a job is sometimes a little like all those exams your grad is happy to leave behind. Hiring managers want to know that a candidate has done her research on the company and industry. Reading press releases, the company website, industry websites and blogs and even social media profiles can help your job seeker find out what this company is all about, and its recent success.

 

This post comes from Daniel Bortz at partner site U.S. News & World Report.

A zero percent introductory interest rate sounds great. So does a juicy rewards program. And who couldn't use a sweet $100 sign-up bonus? We've all seen credit card commercials touting such offers, but most close with those dreaded words: "terms and conditions apply."

Digesting the high volume of information contained in a credit card offer is not only time-consuming for many people but also headache-inducing. Fortunately for consumers, credit card issuers must include a Schumer box in the terms and conditions, named for Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., which contains basic information in large type, including the card's annual percentage rate. The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 also gives credit card users legal protection from unfair practices. For example, issuers can't raise the interest rate for the first 12 months after opening the account unless the cardholder is more than 60 days late on a minimum payment.

Despite these protections, long disclosure statements can be overwhelming, and the language can confuse the average consumer, says John Ulzheimer, the president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. "Even if they wrote them in fourth-grade English, I don't know if people would take the time to read them or fully understand them," he says.

 

This post comes from Danielle Warchol at SavingAdvice.com.

Dieting is probably not the first word that comes to mind when you think of debt reduction. However, when it comes to trying to reduce your debt, many of the steps you have to take are similar to the steps you’d take when trying to reduce weight.

Probably the most important part to both is that better health requires a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix. Diets don’t work if there are only for a short period of time without making long-term fundamental changes in the way that you eat, and the same is true of debt reduction. Both require that you make changes to your current lifestyle to solve the issues and habits that have created the current situation.

Acknowledging the problem
Perhaps the biggest similarity between debt reduction and dieting is that you have to acknowledge that there’s a problem. Just as it’s easy to ignore poor eating habits, it’s easy to ignore money problems. You might not want to believe that your debt keeps piling up or that you have no way to pay it all off. If you’re serious about trying to reduce your debt, the first step is acknowledging that you have a problem.
 

This post comes from Daniel Bortz at U.S. News & World Report.

When your significant other says it's over, your first instinct may be to seek comfort in a pint of ice cream or a stiff drink. But there are healthier ways of nursing a broken heart – including shopping.

In a recent survey by TNS Global on behalf of Ebates.com, around 52% of respondents said they've engaged in "retail therapy," the act of shopping and spending to improve one's mood. Both men and women admitted they've opened their wallets when feeling blue. However, this form of therapy can put your finances at risk if it's the only way you can temper your mood, or if you feel guilty about your spending behaviors and don't shop in moderation.

When you're sad, you see the world differently, says Scott Rick, a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan whose research focuses on the emotional causes and consequences of financial decision-making. Rick says people who are upset often think they live in an environment that's out of their control. One way to restore control, he says, is by making choices about what to buy.

 

More people will be spending their Memorial Day weekend at home this year as rising airline fees and uncertainty over the economy have made consumers a bit more hesitant to travel, according to a survey released today by AAA.

About 1% fewer people -- 34.8 million compared to 35.1 million last year -- will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day weekend, the organization said.

But gas prices, down from the peak in February, are not a factor. The price of a gallon of unleaded gas is averaging $3.66 -- about the same as it was this time last year. About 62% of those surveyed said the price of fuel would have no impact on their plans.