By Compiled from Times wires
Published June 1, 2003
- With mortgage rates at 1960s levels, many people are trying to pay off their homes quickly. And lenders say a growing number of borrowers are taking out 10-year mortgages, which was unheard of just a year ago. Some are baby boomers who want to wipe out their debt before they retire. Others merely want to save on interest costs by shortening their mortgages, and the savings can be substantial.
- Before you say "I do," BillSaver.com suggests you and your intended have a frank discussion about dough. Each partner should disclose all debt, including credit card balances. Partners also should discuss spending and saving attitudes and habits, how bills will be paid and whether to keep separate accounts.
- Prices of in-car video systems are dropping fast. The average car DVD entertainment system is about $640, BusinessWeek reports, down from more than $1,000 two years ago. Portable, battery-operated DVD players sell for as little as $200.
- Is your idea of a perfect vacation of the shop-'til-you-drop variety? SmartMoney.com suggests a half-dozen destinations where travelers can see the sights and save a bundle. Among them, shopping for discounted furniture in North Carolina and visiting Biltmore Estate, and shopping for clothes and other items in Delaware, which has no sales tax but some of the prettiest beaches on the East Coast.
- Closer to home, more upscale department stores in Florida are offering personal shoppers who keep up on sales and the latest wardrobe pieces for customers, Florida Trend reports. Personal shoppers at stores such as Nieman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue preshop the store and place clothes in private fitting rooms for their customers to try. Some even make house and office calls.
