Hartford’s New Parking Meters May Be Illegal
Hartford’s $3 million-plus new parking meter system is illegal, according to a lawsuit filed last month.
Torrington lawyer Rachel M. Baird said that when Hartford installed the state of the art “Pay-and-display” parking meters it neglected to change city ordinances, which don’t allow for these kinds of meters.
Her lawsuit, on behalf of Edward A. Peruta, seeks [...]
CtWatchdog’s Personal Finance Series: Part 7 – An Unbiased Look At Jim Cramer
My guess is that most people who have watched Jim Cramer on his CNBC show Mad Money have strong feelings about the former hedge fund manager turned investment guru/entertainer. Many can’t stand him and scream when they hear one of his booyas – that goes double for most button-downed financial advisors/planners who roll their eyes when someone mention his name.
Grateful Dead Members Return As FURTHUR
Used to be the Bay Area was awash with East Coasters the week between Christmas and New Year’s because the Grateful Dead put on a spectacular week of announced and unannounced shows.
Finally, after a long drought, former members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir have given fans a reason to get on the bus again. They [...]
TSA Adjusts New Rules: Blankets, Pit Stops OK
UPDATE: As makes sense, the TSA has adjusted and adapted the new security procedures that were snapped into place following the Christmas bombing attempt of the Delta/Northwest flight from Amsterdam.
At the discretion of the flight’s captain, passengers may be able to keep blankets on their laps or move around the cabin (often to use rest [...]
Hartford Continues Illegal Towing Charges Despite Settlement
Continuing their long tradition of ineptitude, Hartford officials failed to follow through on promises they made in federal court to stop charging victims a $20 “administrative fee (read kickback)” on top of towing charges and to set up a system under which indigent people could obtain a waiver of towing fees.
Without admitting any intentional wrongdoing, [...]
Watchdog Nation Plays Nice With Customer Service
What’s the strangest customer service telephone call you had in 2009? I have one, and fortunately, I taped it. The technical support guy in India was mesmerized by my Microsoft Word software. We struck a deal. If he could play around with it, he wouldn’t charge me. Listen to the audio files!
CtWatchdog’s Personal Finance Series: Part 6 – Ken Fisher Picks Well
One good way to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to investment pundits is to go back a few months to see if their recommendations now make any sense.
I did that today with Ken Fisher, a columnist for Forbes who also the CEO of Fisher Investments, a multi-billion dollar money management firm, and the author of several financial books.
Don’t Be Suckered By Offers To Help Cut Your Credit Card Bills For $
The next time you receive an offer from a company offering to reduce your credit card debts, remember the Sheehan family from central Connecticut.
Easy Financial Solutions, a division of EZ Works Inc., N.Y., called the couple last month offering to negotiate on their behalf with their credit card companies to reduce their interest rate.
The company [...]
Best Buy “Geek Squad” Has Improvement Opportunities
Chris learned a very entertaining lesson this weekend.
He tells Consumerist that he went out yesterday in search of a Mini SD card at his local Best Buy.
A Mini SD card that the Geek Squad staffer who picked up the phone at Best Buy assured him the store carried. Guess where this is going?
If you don’t [...]
Cheryl: Closing 2009 Properly
I’ve planned my work schedule so that I can take off the rest of this year. During this time I will visit family and friends. I will also spend time relaxing at home and enjoying solitude. This balance is important for me.
Over the next ten days, I will contemplate the things that happened this year for which I am grateful. I’ll celebrate my accomplishments and acknowledge my failures. I will begin to create my personal and professional intentions and goals for the New Year. For me, it’s about bringing consciousness to both the end of one year and the beginning of another.
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