British shoe retailer joins Towson Town Center

Clarks, a British footwear store, is opening a store in Towson Town Center in late April.

Tax-free shopping this weekend on energy-friendly appliances

Maryland shoppers, don’t forget that you can avoid paying the state’s 6 percent sales tax if you buy Energy Star appliances and products this weekend. The tax holiday runs from Feb. 18 through the 20th.

Big debt collectors and credit bureaus come closer to federal oversight

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureauhas the power to oversee big debt collectors and credit bureaus. Before it can do so, it has to define “big.” 

Majority of taxpayers don't know they have rights before the IRS

Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson says a survey by her office last year found that 55 percent of taxpayers don't think they have any rights when dealing with the IRS. Only 9 percent knew correctly that they did.

What would you do with an extra $40 in your paycheck?

The White House wants you to tweet about how you would use an extra $40 in your paycheck as part of a second Twitter campaign to extend the payroll tax cut

Kiplinger: Baltimore one of the best cities for singles

Baltimore ranks among the top 10 cities for singles, according to Kiplinger.

Foreign transaction fee: the check's in the mail

Years ago — 2008 to be exact — I wrote about a $336 millionsettlement that required Visa, MasterCard and Diner’s Club to return foreign transaction fees paid by those traveling outside the country or who made overseas purchases online.

FTC: Bank of America subsidiary to refund fees to struggling homeowners

Not as big news as the national mortgage settlement worth nearly $1 billion to Maryland.

Maryland regulators and libraries launch financial literacy clearinghouse

Need to find help with budgeting or to fend off a foreclosure in Maryland?

Sallie Mae changes fee after online student protest

Stef Gray launched an online protest against a $50 loan forbearance fee imposed by private student loan giant Sallie Mae. The fee is $50 per loan for a maximum of $150 per three-month reprieve on payments.

Workers must start getting 401(k) fee disclosures late summer

Amazingly, the government has had to require businesses that provide accounting, recordkeeping, legal and other services to 401(k) plans to tell employers just how much they are being paid -- and if they have any conflicts of interest. Read my earlier story about this.

Which prepaid card has the most fees? There's a tool to find out

Update: A spokeswoman for Suze Orman says NerdWallet has it wrong. Jill Zuckman says the monthly fees for the year don't add up to $39, but $36 because the first month's fee is waived.

Marylanders can avoid paying state taxes next month on energy-friendly appliances

While the legislators battle it out over taxes in Annapolis, Marylanders will get a brief respite.

Two health clubs in hot water with Maryland regulator

Maryland’s consumer protection division has filed complaints against two health clubs and their owners for not registering with the state.

Unemployed grad launches online campaign against Sallie Mae fee

Stef. G, hopes what an online campaign did to get rid of Bank of America’s $5 debit card fee will work with Sallie Mae.

New airline pricing rules go into effect today

If you're booking a flight today, airfares may appear higher than yesterday but they're really not.

Social Security Administration to resume mailing paper benefit statements

Social Security Administration will resume paper statements of estimated benefits to certain workers age 60 and up beginning next month, according to a letter from the agency’s commissioner released this morning by two senators.

Can Suze Orman's new prepaid card change credit scoring?

Personal finance guru Suze Orman says she never would have introduced her prepaid debit card if there wasn't a possibility that some day it could be used in credit scoring.

CFPB shedding light on hidden fees in international money transfers

Apparently, when people transfer money to relatives outside the U.S., they are dinged by hidden fees. The result is that those family members get less than expected.

Payments Source: Chase no longer suing to collect bad debts in Maryland

An article by Payments Source, a sister publication of the American Banker, recently reported that J.P. Morgan Chase has stopped filing lawsuits to collect on credit card and other debts in several states — including Maryland.

Southwest jets getting an interior makeover

Well, it's not exactly Pottery Barn or Ethan Allen, but I guess aircraft interior design is a whole different ball of Minwax.

Lessons from the Costa Concordia disaster

From what I've read so far, the capsizing of the Costa Concordia appears to have been perfectly preventable. The captain's foolhardy navigation, as well as his alleged abandoning of the ship (per an Italian Coast Guard transcript), may indeed prove to be criminal. But there are always lessons to be learned from even the most tragic situations. Here are a few:

Class of 2011 earning more than Class of 2010

College graduates of 2011 are earning an average of $41,701, a 2.3 percent increase over the Class of 2010 earned starting out.

Early birds can begin filing tax returns electronically with Uncle Sam and Maryland

Tax season is officially here, with the Internal Revenue Service and state of Maryland starting Tuesday to accept electronically filed returns.

Will giving children an allowance make them smarter about finances? | POLL

The conventional wisdom is that allowances make children responsible money managers as they learn to budget so they don't run out of cash.

Modell's opens Ravens pop-up store in former ESPN Zone

Modell's Sporting Goods opened a "pop-up" store Friday in the former ESPN Zone space in downtown Baltimore to sell Ravens merchandise.

CVS Caremark settles deceptive pricing charge for $5 million

The Federal Trade Commission announced that CVS Caremark Corp. agreed to pay $5 million to settle a complaint that it misinformed seniors about the price of certain Medicare Part D prescription drugs sold through CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

Maryland Live! Casino opening employment center

The half-billion dollar casino going up in Arundel Mills is launching an employment center on Monday, Jan. 16th. The center at 7270 Park Circle Drive in Hanover will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Two days of free one-on-one advice from financial planners

Got a retirement or estate planning but don’t have the $150 to $300 an hour to pay for professional advice?

Transamerica: Nearly 40 percent of women get retirement advice from friends and family

Thirty-seven percent of women polled rely on friends and family for retirement planning advice, according to a survey released today by Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.