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.

Kiplinger: Baltimore one of the best cities for high-paying jobs

I love rankings, particularly when Baltimore or Maryland makes the cut by some outside group.

Maryland to lose two Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores

The Associated Press is reporting that Macy’s Inc. will close nine underperforming stores nationwide:  five Macy’s and four Bloomingdale’s.

Taxpayers get two more days to file this year

Tax season is  just about here, but there is a little less pressure to file quickly.

Obama to defy Senate Republicans and appoint CFPB director

Republicans in the Senate have refused vote for any director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau until the agency is weakened. Without a director, the CFPB's powers are more limited.

Five Maryland schools make 'best value' list for 2012

Oops. Totally misread Kiplinger's chart. (Kudos to the University of Maryland, College Park for pointing out the mistake, even though the correction indicates the school slipped slightly in the ratings. Last year, the school ranked No. 5) Here's the corrected version:

Cheap bets for 2012; and what's getting pricier

Dealnews.com has posted its list of a dozen things getting cheaper this year.  Many of them are tech related, such as the Apple iPad 2, Android tablets and eBook readers.

CreditKarma offers free credit monitoring

CreditKarma already provides free credit scores to consumers. It now is offering free credit monitoring.  Consumers now pay about $15 a month for such a service, CEO Ken Lin wrote to me in an email.

Sears' Ellicott City store set to close

Sears' store in Ellicott City is slated to be closed. The retailer announced the names of 79 stores set to be closed. Another 41 Sears and Kmart stores could be closed. 

Good-bye paper savings bonds

Technology has overtaken the U.S. savings bonds. After this year, you will no longer be able to buy a paper bond. All purchases will be made electronically. By going totally electronic, the government is expected to save $120 million over five years.

Which retailers provide the fastest returns? Not Dell

So, the reindeer sweater from Aunt Emma this Christmas isn’t quite your style, so you and thousands of others are now in the process of returning gifts.

Psssst: CFPB wants to hear from whistleblowers

Hard as Senate Republicans try to prevent the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from fully doing its job, you got to hand it to the agency for doing what it can.

Today only: 50 percent off Southwest flights on four days

Someone will benefit from this sale. Just not sure who. (Let me know if it hits the sweet spot for you!)