A friend of mine who is shopping for furniture for a new home recently told me she has Pottery Barn taste but a Wal-Mart budget. Sound familiar?
Most of us prefer the nicer things in life but can't always afford them. But that doesn't mean we have to settle for second-rate products
and services. In the April issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, we identify the gold standard and value alternatives for stocks, funds, cars, credit cards, vacations and more.
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For example, you could buy shares of Pimco Total Return A (symbol PTTAX), run by star bond picker Bill Gross -- and pay a 3.75% sales charge and 0.90% in annual fees. Or you could invest in Gross's no-load Harbor Bond Institutional (HABDX), which has just 0.57% in fees.
You could get the new American Express Premier Rewards Gold card, which has a $175 annual fee (waived the first year), and earn points for every dollar spend. Or you could get even more rewards points with the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express and pay just a $50 annual fee (after joining the Pentagon Federal credit union for $20).
For our entire list of best versus bargain picks, see Get the Best, Spend Less.
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Six Missteps to Avoid as You Transition to RetirementDon't lose sight of your finances when you finally reach retirement. These six classic missteps can chip away at the nest egg you’ve worked so hard to build.
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Five Reasons You Shouldn't Shop on Amazon Prime DaySmart Buying Think twice before getting lured into buying a bunch of stuff you don't need just because it's on sale.
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Five Ways to Save on Vacation Rental PropertiesTravel Use these strategies to pay less for an apartment, condo or house when you travel.
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How to Avoid Annoying Hotel Fees: Per Person, Parking and MoreTravel Here's how to avoid extra charges and make sure you don't get stuck paying for amenities that you don't use.
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Best Cash Back Credit Cards November 2024Smart Buying Trying to compare the best cash back credit cards? Unlike most reviewers, we include cards from small banks and credit unions, as well as from large issuers.
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How to Spend $1,000: Find Cheap (or Free) Online Courses to Build Career SkillsSmart Buying There's a huge array of skill-building online courses that can level up your career for under $1,000.
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MoviePass is Relaunching. Should You Sign Up?Smart Buying The subscription discount movie card company has a checkered past and an army of disillusioned former cardholders. If you want to try the reboot, you’ll need to hurry.
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HBO Max Is Offering Huge DiscountsSmart Buying Looking for a streaming service deal? Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting the price of HBO Max.
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Are You Streaming Too Much? What the Discovery+/HBO Max Mashup MeansSmart Buying Fewer original scripted series? Maybe. And maybe it’s time to unsubscribe.
