One of the most important parts of running a business is your marketing efforts. If people don’t know about your products and...
Image: Pathum Danthanarayana (Unsplash)
Not all of us are lucky enough to have unlimited data plans, which can lead to a lot of anxiety around rationing a monthly allotment to web browsing, video streaming, and other mobile activities. Going over a data limit costs a small fortune, and it can be hard to keep track of where all that data went.
Recently, some Android users have been hit with overage charges thanks to their Google News app using a ton of data in the background, The Verge reports. In some cases, this bug has cost users hundreds of dollars on their bills, and the only way to solve the problem has been to disable background data or delete the app.
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Whether or not you use Google News, you probably have apps on your phone that are eating up data even when you’re not actively engaged with them—and this can cost you. To check your data usage, go to your device’s Settings app and tap Network & Internet > Data usage. From here, you can see how much total data you’ve used in a specific period.
Once you have a handle on your usage, you have several options for managing your allotment. Some features may only be available on Android 8.0 and up, according to Google.
Set up alerts and limitsIf you’re worried about apps sucking up all of your data without your knowledge—and subsequently getting hit with a big bill—you can enable notifications that will alert you when you’ve reached a certain usage level or set up limits that will automatically disable mobile data.
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To set up alerts, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data usage > Mobile data usage > Settings. Hit Data warning, enter the megabyte or gigabyte threshold at which you’d like to receive a notification and tap Set.
The data limit feature is also found under Mobile data usage > Settings. Turn on Set data limit, tap OK > Data limit, and enter the megabyte or gigabyte limit at which you’d like your data to be automatically disabled. Tap Set.
Restrict background data for specific appsAnother option is to limit data for individual apps. This means apps may not work as expected—you won’t receive push notifications, for example—but it could prevent them from eating up your whole data allotment when you’re not using them.
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In some cases, you may be able to restrict data usage within the app. Otherwise, open Settings and go to Network & Internet > Data usage > Mobile data usage. Scroll down until you find the app you want to restrict, tap the app name and turn off Background data.
Turn mobile data off completelyThis may be a last resort if you’re out and about, but if you’re able to connect to a wifi network you can disable mobile data. To do this, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Data usage and tap Mobile data.
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Finally, if you want to ensure that an app isn’t using data in the background, as in the case of Google News, you can delete it entirely.
ModernKitchen Reusable Silicone Bag 4-Pack + Silicone Scrubber | $18 | Amazon | Promo code 20OFFKINJAPhoto: Amazon
If you read that UN climate report and felt like doing something, well, replacing Ziploc bags with washable silicone bags probably won’t save our future, sorry. But it certainly doesn’t hurt! And they can actually pay for themselves over time, since you won’t have to keep buying disposable bags at the store.
This company sent me a set of of these bags to test out, and they work great. I’ve washed them in the dishwasher without issue, and even used them as sous-vide bags to cook some steaks. I even fully submerged them to make sure the tops wouldn’t let any water in, and indeed they didn’t.
Image: Bagus Hernawan on Unsplash
In our never-ending quest to be less distracted by the technological tools and toys we surround ourselves with, cracking down on phone usage is one of the most important.
Putting our phones down means we’ll likely be less distracted at work, less anxious about missed notifications and maybe even sleep better. This isn’t to suggest you unplug altogether—rather, it’s to make sure you’re using your phone when you actually want to, and not by the phone maker’s design.
Paring down notifications and deleting social media apps are probably the most helpful—and obvious—things you can do to cut down on phone distractions. But Quartz points out one more setting that iPhone users can turn off that you might not even be aware exists. It’s called “raise to wake,” and it displays your notifications on your lock screen when you “wake up” your phone, or lift it from a flat surface. Here’s how to turn it off:
Select Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Toggle off Raise to WakeBy disabling it, you’ll be less tempted to check in on notifications like the New York Times news alert or Bumble telling you that you have a new match when you accidentally nudge your phone or just want to move it to a different spot on the table.
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Quartz also suggests organizing your apps alphabetically, as opposed to organizing them by how often you use them or another system that makes the one you want easy to find.
But for one less distraction, turn off “raise to wake.” Your focus will thank you.
Illustration: Chelsea Beck/GMG
You’re likely familiar with money laundering as a concept from your favorite TV show or the news. Whether it’s Walter White legitimizing meth money via a carwash or Al Capone using literal laundromats to clean his cash (that’s where the term reportedly originated, in fact), it’s the stuff of pop culture and criminal legends.
But it turns out it’s not an activity restricted to gangs or white collar criminals. It’s a lot more common than that.
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Anyone, in theory, can launder money, and plenty do. In fact, between $800 billion and $2 trillion—two to five percent of global GDP—is laundered each year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. And while drug cartels, terrorist syndicates and the one percent likely make up a significant portion of that total, your average, middle class investor and creative businesswoman also plays a part.
To simplify, money laundering is the process of making illegally-gotten money look legitimately earned; in other words, that money obtained from Illegal Source A was actually earned via Legal Source B. (This Youtube compilation does a good job breaking it down.) You’re taking dirty money and cleaning it.
The process involves three distinct steps, though it’s often much more intensive and complicated (the point is to make the money untraceable, and launderers accomplish this, obviously, with different degrees of efficacy) than a three-step plan:
Placement: This is the stage in which launderers bring the dirty money into the “real” financial world. It’s the most dangerous stage because it often involves displacing large amounts of cash (because you’re likely not accepting Visa for, say, cocaine). There are countless ways criminals accomplish this: They might use the illegal funds to repay a loan or gamble it; use a legitimate, largely cash business (like a car wash or strip club) to integrate dirty and clean funds; exchange it for foreign currency; have “smurfs” exchange illicit funds for other financial products in small amounts to avoid reporting thresholds, buy real estate, etc. Layering: The next stage involves moving the money around to obscure its original source. For the more sophisticated scammers, this means moving it into overseas financial products, companies, investments, etc. This usually happens multiple times and across diverse products, thus why it’s called “layering.” So theoretically, a launderer could move money to one offshore account, then transfer it to a shell company, then to another shell company, and on and on, building an intricate web that’s difficult to unravel. Integration: At this stage, the launderer gets the money back from a legitimate source. This, too, can be done a number of ways, including through buying art, selling property, etc.In the U.S., there are hundreds of federal crimes, called “specified unlawful activities,” that the money must stem from to be considered money laundering, including various drug crimes, Medicare/Medicaid fraud, etc. In addition, a person must engage in those activities with the intent to disguise the money’s origins.
To get a better understanding of exactly how it works, let’s look at some case studies.
Paul ManafortPerhaps the most recent high-profile example, President Trump’s former campaign chairman was indicted for money laundering, as well as tax and bank fraud. Here’s a summary of how he laundered money, according to How Stuff Works:
Manafort is alleged to have garnered millions from the former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Rather than declare these earnings to the IRS and turn over the taxes due, Manafort is said to have placed them in offshore accounts and then used them to buy expensive real estate in the U.S.
Once he owned the properties, prosecutors say he then used them as collateral to take out millions of dollars in loans from U.S. banks. Since the money was in the form of loans rather than income, he wasn’t obliged to pay taxes on it.
Investing in luxury real estate is a common way for criminals to launder money, according to financial crimes experts like Tom Cardamone, managing director of Global Financial Integrity. “A classic way of laundering money is buying real estate in a high price jurisdiction like New York or Miami,” he says.
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It works like this: “The presumption is the money you’re using to buy the property is dirty, and you have to clean it, you have to get it into the legal financial system,” he says. “You’ll pay for a piece of property in cash and then you’ll hold it, and whenever you sell it, the money you get from the sale is clean, it’s laundered.”
And even if you sell at a loss, it’s likely worth it to get potentially tens of millions of dollars in clean money. In fact, anonymous buyers will often offer over the asking price to make the transaction more seamless.
That’s because, until the New York Times wrote a series of articles on the practice of anonymous LLCs (likely owned by wealthy foreigners) snapping up expensive properties in the U.S. in 2015, there were no federal reporting requirements. In 2016, the Treasury Department said it would begin requiring “real estate companies to disclose names behind cash transactions.” But that means no one could trace the Upper West Co-op or Miami Beach mansion to its owner until a few years ago if they used a shell company to purchase it.
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But Manafort didn’t stop at real estate. Over the course of six years (and this is just what was included in his indictment—there’s potentially more nefarious activity that wasn’t uncovered), Manafort used a system of offshore bank accounts to make “transfers totaling $6.4 million for real estate and more than $12 million for personal goods and services like clothing, vehicles and home improvement,” according to the New York Times, including over $1 million for an antique rug and care related to it, and $15,000 for the now-infamous ostrich coat.
That Manafort got caught for his misdeeds means he’s, well, either “stupid or unlucky,” as Politico puts it, as 99.9 percent of launderers get away with their crimes.
The Panama/Paradise PapersThe Panama Papers and subsequent Paradise Papers publications shone a light on the extent to which the wealthiest people in the world—including politicians and other public officials—evade taxes and reportedly launder money. And, as the papers detailed, one of Richie Rich’s main mechanisms for deception, like Manafort’s, is luxury real estate purchased through a shell company.
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To backtrack a bit, shell companies are created solely to carry out transactions, with no “real” business purpose—they’re not creating and selling a product or service, for example. They are typically structured as limited liability companies and incorporated in a place like Bermuda or, obviously, Panama, with little to no oversight. These financial safe havens don’t tax the money—instead, they simply charge a fee to open the LLC (usually charged annually), making the countries a tidy sum as they save their owners a tidy tax sum.
Still, Cardamone says more anonymous LLCs are incorporated in the U.S. each year than in any other country.
“You can open them in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, just about any state,” he says. “Most states do not require the beneficial owner’s name on the license,” meaning you just need to go to your attorney and open the LLC in his or her name. That said, Delaware’s lax business regulations make it attractive not just to anonymous LLCs but to companies of all stripes.
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The LLCs can be used to launder money because they mask their owners and where their funds are coming from. So basically, you can open the company, funnel money into it, and then disperse that money far and wide. Once you’re the anonymous owner of a company, your company can open bank accounts all over the world. In a money laundering scheme, there will often be a network of shell companies used to create a confusing web of transactions in the shell company’s name that’s difficult to decipher—or trace back to an individual.
“You can get incredibly complex with how you structure these things, but one LLC in Delaware might own another LLC in the Cayman Islands which owns a bank account in Hong Kong,” says Cardamone. “And with all this opacity it is often very difficult for law enforcement to peel back the layers and figure out who owns what other company.”
Opening these LLCs is perfectly legal (the illegal part is laundering money/evading taxes), but if the IRS or another federal agency suspects something is up and traces the LLC back to your lawyer, he or she can claim attorney/client privilege to keep your identity secret.
Drugs and GunsIt’s not just rich people trying to avoid taxes who launder money—it’s much more serious than that. “It’s a crime that sustains devastating drug epidemics—opioids, methamphetamines, cocaine,” writes John Cassara, a former Treasury special agent, for Politico. “Gang violence, fraud in government programs, corruption, internet scams, identity theft and so many other crimes affect our daily lives. Terrorism—made possible in part by money laundering—threatens our national security.”
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And these criminals use largely the same mechanisms as the world’s wealthiest to clean their money. “There’s this legal system of anonymous shell companies that anyone can do anything with,” says Cardamone. “If you are a completely legitimate business person you can use an anonymous shell company, and if you are a drug trafficker you can use an anonymous shell company. They use the legal system to continue their illegal activity.”
It goes beyond shell companies—legitimate businesses can be used as well. The first season of Ozarks on Netflix offers a clear (if not realistic) depiction of how this works in the drug business. In the first season, Marty Byrde, played by Jason Bateman, our accountant-turned-cartel money launderer, buys a motel, which he then renovates. After purchasing 16,000 square feet of carpeting at $0.69 per square foot, he writes in the motel’s ledger that he actually purchased 32,000 square feet of carpeting at $8.75 per square foot—a difference of almost $270,000. All it takes is some creative accounting and voilà, the books are cooked. From the motel he moves on to a strip club, another popular all-cash front for illicit activity of all sorts.
The strip club, by the way, is owned by a shell company out of Panama, with Marty’s name no where to be found on the paperwork—a perfectly legal component of his larger laundering scheme.
Your Everyday Money LaundererAll of that said, pretty much anyone can open an anonymous LLC and attempt to launder money, according to Cardamone (not that we’re suggesting you try it).
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But, as noted above, it doesn’t take a complex web of shell companies to launder money—there are countless ways to do it, from investing schemes, to, well, this example that the IRS reported in 2015:
On March 19, 2015, [Erika Rae] Brown pleaded guilty to money laundering in connection with a bank fraud scheme. According to court records, Brown obtained a four-million dollar bank loan based on a series of fraudulent representations about a data storage facility project she claimed she was working on. In January 2009, the bank forwarded the data company’s loan application to the USDA. Following representations by one of Brown’s associates regarding the project, the USDA committed to guarantee the loan. As part of the parameters for the loan, the bank required proof that companies were interested in using the data storage facility.
Brown submitted false letters to the bank from several well-known national companies that purportedly wanted to use the data storage in addition to a number of cashier’s checks and invoices in an effort to show that the company was in fact spending capital on the project. In reality, no national companies were interested and the checks were altered version of checks Brown had written for other expenses. A financial analysis of the loan proceeds revealed that Brown used the money for personal expenses, including $128,135 in rent for a Laguna Beach house and $5,825 for two Rolex watches. The bank foreclosed on the property in August 2013.
A not particularly successful example, but an example nonetheless. “Anybody could do it,” says Cardamone. “You don’t have to be some kind of brilliant legal mind to do this.” Just slightly more brilliant than Paul Manafort and Erika Rae Brown.
“Save me the funny bone!” -Claire Lower, Food Editor
Halloween treats are always the same candied-apple, grapes-as-eyeballs nonsense. But when film critic Marshall Julius tweeted this image for a spooky dead-body inspired buffet, we were inspired to make our own.
The buffet is primarily BBQ meats, with some nice touches: Ribs as ribs! Sausages for intestines! A skull wrapped in prosciutto for added gore and saltiness.
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Really, this whole party spread is so fun and easy, the toughest part was thinking of a name for it. Our current top contenders are:
“The Smorgas-corpse”“The Gaba-ghoul”“Meat Operation”“The Cadaver Slammer”Open to more suggestions in the comments.
Photo: rawpixel (Unsplash)
We all want to be memorable or, if not memorable, at least not completely forgettable. This is why, when directed at someone you’ve already met, a simple, cheery “Nice to meet you!” or “Hi, I’m Claire!”(use your own name) can be devastating (or at least kind of a bummer).
This sly little strategy—which I first saw employed by Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock—works particularly well on people who think highly of themselves. Acting like this is the first time you’ve met communicates that this person really isn’t all that special or interesting, and that they have a bland, forgettable face.
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Take care when executing it, and pick your target wisely. It does not work so well on people you’ve known for many years (like a spouse or an ex spouse), or on famous or important people you met that one time at a party, because they probably don’t remember you. But, when used on a casual acquaintance you can’t stand—you know, the one you took an immediate disliking to—you can really take someone down a few pegs.
Klipsch speakers, Amazon-branded furniture, and Casper’s most affordable mattresses lead off Tuesday’s best deals from around the web.
Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter and Facebook, or sign up for our newsletter to never miss a deal.
Best Tech Deals
Klipsch The Sixes Powered Monitor Pair | $498 | Amazon | Promo code KINJABGAGraphic: Shep McAllisterKlipsch’s The Sixes are great powered monitors by any measure (I’d encourage you to check out this review on CNET), and when you aren’t using them as part of a home theater setup, they also work with Bluetooth directly, so you can also just connect your phone wirelessly for a quick listening session without any dongles or receivers.
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For a limited time, you can get the pair in either ebony or walnut for an all-time low $498 with our exclusive promo code KINJABGA. Just be sure you see Roberts LP as the seller.
2-Pack Echo Buttons | $15 | AmazonPhoto: AmazonAmazon’s Echo Buttons can turn your Echo device into a competitive trivia machine, and you can grab two of them for $15 today, or $5 less than usual.
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Once you pair the buttons to your Alexa account, you can use them to buzz in on apps like Trivial Pursuit and Don’t Cut That Wire. The buttons are open to third party developers, meaning more games and use cases are sure to come as well.
Seagate Expansion 1TB Hard Drive | $45 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterWho couldn’t use an extra terabyte? This Seagate Expansion drive doesn’t require an extra power cord, and is down to an all-time low $45 on Amazon today. Plug it into your PS4, plug it into your Xbox, plug it into your parents’ computer that hasn’t been backed up since the Bush administration. Just plug it in somewhere, damn!
65" Sceptre 4K TV | $420 | WalmartGraphic: Shep McAllisterUpdate: Now just $420!
If size trumps features in your hierarchy of TV needs, this 65" Sceptre 4K TV is a steal for just $430, one of the best prices we’ve seen for a TV of this size. It doesn’t have smart apps or HDR, but what it does have is four HDMI ports, which is more than you get in a lot of high end TV sets.
Anker PowerLine Lightning | $10 | Amazon | Promo code ANKER392Graphic: Shep McAllisterExtra-long charging cables are perfect for running behind your couch or stretching to your nightstand from an inconvenient power outlet, and this reader-favorite Anker PowerLine cable is about $3 off its usual price today when you use promo code ANKER392. That should work on all five colors.
Eight-Port TP-Link Unmanaged Ethernet Switch | $20 | Amazon | Promo code 5TPLINK8PORTGraphic: Shep McAllisterAs great as Wi-Fi has gotten, nothing beats a hardwired ethernet connection. If your router doesn’t have enough ports for your liking, that’s an easy fix with this eight-port switch from TP-Link, now just $20 with promo code 5TPLINK8PORT.
Anker Roav Jump Starter Pro | $80 | Amazon | Promo code ROAVR312At $80, Anker’s new Roav Jump Starter Pro isn’t the cheapest car jump starter we’ve seen, but its 800A of peak output mean it can start pretty much any engine, up to 6L for a gas vehicle, or 3L for diesel. If you don’t buy own of these, you’ll probably be kicking yourself somewhere down the road (pun intended) when you’re stranded in your driveway with somewhere to be.
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This being an Anker product, you’ll also find two high speed USB charging ports, plus a flashlight that doubles as an SOS strobe. There’s also a compass, because why not?
Adjustable Monitor Riser | $14 | Amazon | Promo code 9N4RMQ5YA monitor shelf can raise your display to a more ergonomic height, and give you back some valuable desk space in the process. This one’s nothing fancy, but you can adjust its height, and it’s only $14 today with promo code 9N4RMQ5Y.
Tirnga Milanese Loop Apple Watch Bands | $5 | Amazon | Promo code OE3N9LSHWhether you’re getting a brand new Apple Watch today, or just want to accessorize your old one, this Milanese loop band is a great deal at $5, with promo code OE3N9LSH. That should work on any color and size, so you can match your watch’s color, or create a nice contrast.
Roav by Anker SmartCharge Spectrum | $16 | Amazon | Promo code BGREXLF6Graphic: Shep McAllisterJust when you thought you had car chargers pegged, Anker went out and made the smartest one you’ve ever seen.
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Similar to the Nonda Zus, the Roav by Anker SmartCharge Spectrum connects to your phone over Bluetooth while you drive. When you turn the car off and the Bluetooth connection breaks, the Roav app will mark down your parking location on a map, so you can find your way back.
Perhaps more usefully, every time you start your car, the SmartCharge will also log the health of your car battery, so you can track its charge over time from your phone, and get a replacement ready before you get stranded in your office parking garage on a Friday evening.
Those features alone (along with Quick Charge 3.0 charging) would make this worth $16 (with promo code BGREXLF6), but it does have one last trick up its sleeve: A customizable accent light. The LED ring around the USB ports can display 16,000 different colors, and you can choose your favorite from the app to make it perfectly match (or stand out from) your car’s own dashboard lighting.
TP-Link N300 WiFi Range Extender with External Antennas and Compact Design | $18 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterRange extenders aren’t a cure-all for networking issues, but if there’s one corner of your home that just can’t get a good signal from your router, they can be the right tool for the job. This entry-level 802.11n model from TP-Link is just $18 today, if you want to give it a try.
SanDisk 128GB MicroSD Card | $23 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterNeed more storage space for your action cam, dash cam, tablet, or Nintendo Switch? This 128GB card from SanDisk is down to its best price ever right now.
RAVPower HyperAir Qi Pad | $20 | Amazon | Promo code KINJA887RAVPower’s HyperAir Qi charging pad is one of the few models out there to support the fastest-possible 7.5W iPhone charging, and you can get it for just $20 today with promo code KINJA887.
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To be clear, there are a lot of Qi pads that support 10W charging for certain Android devices, but iPhones require a very specific frequency to enable their maximum charging speed of 7.5W, and this is one of the most affordable compatible pads we’ve seen, and the cheapest we’ve seen with the necessary Quick Charge 3.0 power adapter included. It’s normally priced at $30; today’s $22 list price itself is an aberration, but still, don’t forget the code!
Private Internet Access Exclusive DealsGraphic: Private Internet AccessVPNs have been in the news, and whether you want to get around video geoblocks, circumvent proxy filters, or just keep prying eyes out of your browsing data while using sketchy public Wi-Fi, reader-favorite Private Internet Access has a deal to fit your needs.
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Private Internet Access doesn’t do much in the way of discounting, but they offer exclusive pricing and packages just for our readers that you won’t find anywhere else. Here are your options, and what you’d pay if you bought the same plan elsewhere:
One month for $6 | Usually $7One year for $35 | Usually $40Three years for $90 | Not offered to the general public at allThese deals are only for our readers, but we aren’t sure how long they’ll be available, so go ahead and sign up while you can.
Best Home Deals
Casper Essentials Mattress | $280-$580 | AmazonPhoto: CasperIf you still have any mattresses with metal springs in them, today’s a great day to fix that. For one day only in Amazon’s Gold Box, Casper’s entry-level Essential mattresses are 20% off, in every size.
Screenshot: CasperThat brings the queen down to $480, and the king down to $580, and unlike some other mattresses you can buy on Amazon, these come with a 100 night risk free trial. If you don’t like it, just let Casper know, and they’ll send someone to come grab it.
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Compared to the standard Casper mattress, the Essential is slightly thinner, doesn’t include a memory foam layer, and doesn’t have additional support near the hips. All that being said, it’s still a good mattress, and as we mentioned earlier, there’s no real risk in trying it out.
Leviton Programmable Light Switch | $26 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterHeading out of town and want to deter thieves, or just want to wake up to a well-lit house? This programmable light switch turns any built-in light into a smart light for $26, the best price of the year.
Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional | $120 | AmazonShark IONFlex 2X DuoClean Cordless Ultra-Light Vacuum | $227 | Amazon Shark ION Robot Vacuum WIFI-Connected | $210 | AmazonNinja Chef Countertop Blender with 1500-Watt Auto-iQ Base | $100 | AmazonNinja Coffee Bar Auto-iQ Programmable Coffee Maker | $100 | AmazonNinja Auto-iQ Multi/Slow Cooker with 80-Pre-Programmed Auto-iQ Recipes | $66 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterShark Ninja produces an interesting mix of kitchen appliances and vacuum cleaners, and a bunch of their greatest hits are on sale in today’s Amazon Gold Box.
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The star of the show has to the the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional for $120. The non-professional model of this (which has a smaller dustbin) is our readers’ favorite affordable vacuum, and the actual guts of the vacuum can actually lift away from the wheeled base for easier maneuverability on stairs, in your car, and in tight spaces.
Elsewhere on the vacuum front, a Dyson-style cordless stick vac and a robotic vacuum are also on sale, for people who can’t stand cords and chores, respectively.
Moving into the kitchen, my favorite discount is the Ninja countertop blender. I own this thing, and its 1500W motor is no joke. It also has a variety of automatic blending programs that pulse and change speeds automatically, and even suction cups on the base to keep it steady on your counter. At $100, a whopping $60-$80 less than usual, it’s an absolute steal.
Ninja’s intelligent Auto-IQ coffee maker is also a great deal at $100. My mother in law owns a version of this, and it makes excellent iced coffee, among other drinks.
There’s also a smart slow cooker on sale, but that’s harder to recommend in the age of the Instant Pot.
Just remember that like all Gold Box deals, these prices are only available today, or until sold out.
Stone & Beam and Rivet Furniture Discounts | Amazon | Link 1 | Link 2Graphic: Shep McAllisterLooking to get some trendy mid-century modern look without spending a fortune? Amazon is looking out for you by discounting a ton of their Rivet and Stone and Beam furniture, for a limited time.
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Note: There are actually two sale links with two different groups of products. Why? I couldn’t tell you, but be sure to check out both: Link 1 | Link 2
Over 70 products are included in this sale (between the two links), ranging from mirrors and lamps all the way to a full sized couch.
ModernKitchen Reusable Silicone Bag 4-Pack + Silicone Scrubber | $18 | Amazon | Promo code 20OFFKINJAPhoto: AmazonIf you read that UN climate report and felt like doing something, well, replacing Ziploc bags with washable silicone bags probably won’t save our future, sorry. But it certainly doesn’t hurt! And they can actually pay for themselves over time, since you won’t have to keep buying disposable bags at the store.
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This company sent me a set of of these bags to test out, and they work great. I’ve washed them in the dishwasher without issue, and even used them as sous-vide bags to cook some steaks. I even fully submerged them to make sure the tops wouldn’t let any water in, and indeed they didn’t.
Speks’ tiny magnetic balls make for an endlessly adaptable desk toy, and you can save big on a set of black, orange, or matte black (!!) balls for Halloween with promo code GETSPOOKY. That brings the 512-ball packs down to $19, and the 1,000 ball sets down to $34, with free shipping on all orders. Even if your creations are a little (or a lot) more crude than what you see in that video, they’re still a ton of fun to squeeze and form, like putty that never makes your hands gross.
A FoodSaver vacuum sealer will keep your food safe from freezer burn and double the shelf life of food in the fridge and pantry. Grab the refurbished manually operated FoodSaver for $31 or go big and get the 2-in-1 Automatic Vacuum Sealing System for $119, both 40% off. Say goodbye to moldy cheese, rotten meats, and soggy vegetables.
Ka-Bar TDI Law Enforcement Knife with Straight Edge | $33 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterYou know that person that always has a knife handy when something needs cutting? That person is respected by all. And that person could be you with this Ka-Bar folding knife, now marked down to an all-time low $33, for Prime members only.
82-Pack Finish Powerball Quantum Dishwasher Tabs | $13 | Amazon | Clip the 20% couponGraphic: Shep McAllisterYou need dishwasher detergent anyway, so you might as well buy it on sale. While supplies last, Amazon’s offering a 20% coupon on this 82-pack bag of Finish Quantum tabs, bringing it down to $13 when you combine it with Subscribe & Save, or about $.15 per load.
AmazonBasics Clearance | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterAmazonBasics makes pretty much everything at this point, and generally speaking, it’s a brand you can count on to be affordable and of good quality. While Amazon runs discounts on individual AmazonBasics products with some regularity, a whole bunch of it is on sale right now.
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A few favorites are below, but dozens of other products are included, so head over to Amazon to see the full list.
Three Bottles of Wine + Free Shipping | $15 | Firstleaf | Promo code Kinja. New members onlyPhoto: Zachariah Hagy (Unsplash)Firstleaf is an online wine club that learns your preferences, offers tons of options, and most importantly, saves you money compared to buying from the store. It’s a solid deal any time, but it’s even better for our readers today.
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Every new Firstleaf member gets an introductory delivery with three bottles of wine for just $15, plus $5 shipping. Considering that you aren’t locked in and can cancel any time, that’s a bargain. But it gets even better for our readers, as promo code Kinja will waive the $5 shipping charge, for a limited time. That’s three bottles of wine (all of mine had MSRPs over $20) for just $5 each shipped, with no commitment.
You can read more about the service in my review, but if you choose to remain a member (I did), every box thereafter includes six bottles for $80, plus $10 shipping.
Best Lifestyle Deals
LuminAID Max | $19 | WootGraphic: Shep McAllisterLuminAID camp lights take up basically no space when not in use, but with a few puffs of air and the press of a button, this Max model can output up to 150 lumens, which is plenty to illuminate your tent.
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Unlike some other LuminAIDs, this one doesn’t include a USB port for your phone, but it can recharge over microUSB if the built-in solar panel doesn’t do the job. These were hanging off just about every tree at the Outpost trade show this year, and they really do work well. Get it for $19, today only on Woot.
30% off Select Running Shoes | Adidas | Promo code RUNNINGGraphic: Shep McAllisterIf you wore out the treads of your running shoes when the weather was warmer, you can slip on a new pair today from Adidas for 30% off with promo code RUNNING. That code should work on over 60 pairs listed on this page, including both serious running shoes as well as shoes that look more like casual sneakers.
Extra 25% Off Sale | REI Outlet | Merrell, Columbia, prAna, Black Diamond & Dakine onlyGraphic: Shep McAllisterIt’s the best time of year to go outside, and with REI Outlet’s 25% off sale, it’s a great time to update your fall hiking wardrobe. The sale is limited to five brands, but they’re good ones: Merrell, Columbia, prAna, Black Diamond & Dakine. All told, there are over 700 discounts available, so dive in. These sales end tomorrow.
Note: Discount shown at checkout.
Mynt Percussion Foot Massager With Arch Tapping | $150 | Amazon | Promo code M2710111Mynt Cordless Handheld Massager | $40 | Amazon | Promo code MYNT2842Graphic: Shep McAllisterNothing beats a massage after a tough day at work, and this $150 foot massager ($30 off with promo code M2710111) includes a whopping 22 massage heads, plus heat, adjustable air pressure, and tap massagers for the arch of your foot, which are very rare in these sorts of products. Trust me, you don’t want to put your feet in the massagers at Brookstone; you want one of your own at home.
While you’re at it, their handheld massager is great for targeted therapy, and can be had for just $40 today with promo code M2840111 The compact design, reminiscent of a very popular corded product, and its seven different settings make it ideal for shoulders, necks, feet...anywhere really.
Sportsman 4,000 Surge/3,500 Running Watt Generator | $239 | WalmartGraphic: Shep McAllisterAt 3,500 running watts (4,000 surge), this Sportsman generator could damn near power your entire house, or the most high-tech tailgate party on the planet, and it can be yours for $239 today from Walmart, which is about as cheap as you’ll ever see a generator this powerful.
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Onboard, you get four 120V outlets, plus an RV outlet if you want to power your camper.
Squatty Potty 7" | $12| AmazonI don’t mean to alarm you, but you’re probably pooping all wrong. Luckily, there’s an easy solution: Squatty Potty, marked down to $12.48 today.
Squatty Potty is designed to lift your legs into an ideal bowel movement position, and according to Amazon reviewers at least, it really works. I can’t really overstate how popular popular this thing has been with our readers over the past couple of years, and discounts of this size are pretty rare, so it’s time to purchase or get off the pot.
Bar5F Dry Body Brush | $6 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterIf you think adding yet another brush to your grooming routine is superfluous, think again. While a hair brush might transform your mane into a lustrous cascade of flowing locks, this dry brush will do the same — but to your entire body. On sale for just $6 over at Amazon, this fine specimen’s natural bristles will exfoliate your skin into its glowiest possible state by improving circulation and sloughing off those pesky dead skin cells. Plus, the polished wood and neutral linen strap will look good in your bathroom. Now that’s luxury.
$65 Ankle Boots | Alice + WhittlesImage: Alice + WhittlesAs they say, when it rains, it pours. That sentiment can also be applied to Alice + Whittles rain boots: When they go on sale, they really go on sale. The “Classic Olive + Black” and “Minimalist Navy” iterations of their quintessential, functional-yet-chic ankle boots are available right now for just $65 plus free shipping — that’s 59% off their original price of $160 — through October 26. Now, don’t rain on your own parade; get these limited edition pairs ASAP, or risk being hung out to dry.
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40% off Sitewide | Timbuk2 | Promo code FALLGraphic: Erica OffuttNeed a new pack for you upcoming journey to Timbuktu? No? How about just a sleek carry-all tote or spacious backpack from Timbuk2, the brand? Right now, these bag brainiacs are offering a 40% off their entire site, which happens to be filled to the brim with sacks of all shapes and sizes, through Tuesday with the promo code FALL. All the junk overflowing out of your ol’ faithful messenger bag will thank you.
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And while you’re on your way to FALLing in love with a new fall bag, might we suggest checking out the reader-favorite Copilot, a durable roller with a lifetime guarantee, or the ever practical yet stylish Launch Pack, which clocks in at just over a pound — though it certainly punches far above its weight.
20% Off Amazon Essentials Clothing | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterAmazon’s Amazon Essentials clothing line is full of, you guess it, essentials. Basic tees, athletic wear, button down shirts, blouses...it’s a wide variety, but it’s all affordable. For a limited time, a bunch of it is 20% cheaper than usual, bringing the vast majority pieces down to $20 or less.
New Arrivals Sale | Nordstrom RackGraphic: Shep McAllisterNordstrom Rack just got a bunch of new styles in from Nordstrom proper, and it’s all up to 60% off over 5,000 styles, for a limited time. As always, use the sidebar to sort through the deluge by type of clothing, and you can also browse the available brands from a dropdown on top.
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A bunch of stuff in here starts under $20, so go get your fall wardrobe in order on the cheap.
Eddie Bauer Birthday SaleWell this is about the easiest sale to get behind. Eddie Bauer is taking 40% off just about everything to honor the late founder’s birthday, and they’re doing it right as the weather’s turning cold. That’s impeccable timing considering they’re best known as the company that patented the first quilt down jacket. Shop men’s, women’s and even gear to stock up on everything you need for the winter, from base layers and flannels, to parkas and shells, it’s all 40% off.
50% Off Costumes and Halloween Decorations | ThinkGeekGraphic: Shep McAllisterSo you want to dress up for Halloween and be a fun person...but you don’t really have the time or the inclination to put in to a lot of effort. It’s fine! ThinkGeek has you covered today with a wide array of costumes, decorations, and other Halloween-adjacent tchotchkes for a flat 50% off. I suspect the best stuff will sell out quickly at these prices, so it’s officially time to stop procrastinating.
Best Media Deals
Three Month Free Audible Trial | Amazon | Prime members and new Audible members onlyGraphic: Shep McAllisterLove to read but don’t have the time to sit down and actually read a book? Sign up for Amazon’s audiobook service, Audible, during this extended trial offer for Prime members.
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For a limited time, Prime members can get three months of the service for free, rather than the typical one-month trial. That entitles you to a new book of your choice each month, plus two free Audible originals of your choice. Plus, every book you choose is yours to keep, even if you cancel. The offer is available to new subscribers only.
Note: After the three month trial ends, you’ll automatically be charged $15 per month, so be sure to cancel if you don’t like it.
Back to the Future 30th Anniversary Trilogy | $20 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterBack To The Future’s 30th anniversary trilogy pack includes all three movies (complete with bonus features on each disc), plus two complete bonus discs full of mini documentaries and behind the scenes footage. At $20 on Blu-ray/digital, it’s down to its best price ever outside of Prime Day, and we’d need a DeLorean to know how long it’ll be until it’s on sale again.
Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse Book 1), $3Graphic: Shep McAllisterThe Expanse was io9's favorite TV show of 2016, and the book that inspired the first season is just $3 on Kindle right now.
$100 off iTunes Gift Card | $85 | eBayGraphic: Shep McAllisteriTunes gift card discounts are noticeably less common than they used to be, so if you need more credit for apps, music, movies, iCloud storage, or anything else, buy a $100 gift card from eBay for 15% off, while supplies last.
Best Gaming Deals
Creative Sound BlasterX H5 Special Edition Gaming Headset | $30 | MassDropGraphic: MassDropCreative’s SoundBlasterX H5 gaming headset is the gaming headset of choice for multiple professional esports teams, and costs $80 on Amazon right now. But if you head over to MassDrop (quickly!), you can get their exclusive special edition of the headset for $30. The only real difference is a more “pronounced” side plate, but all of the features are the same.
Fortnite Monopoly | $16 | WalmartMario Kart Monopoly | $14 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterI’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never get a Victory Royale, but I might just win at Fortnite Monopoly, now on sale for $16. This isn’t just a skin over standard Monopoly rules; it’s a totally new game:
First choose a character: pick from 27 awesome outfits. Then, it’s time to battle. The action die lets players pick up health packs, build walls, and damage their opponents. Every time a player passes go they unleash the Storm; avoid it or lose HP. Like in the Fortnite video game, the last player standing wins!
Just remember that if you want to emote, you’ll have to learn the dance moves yourself.
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If Mario Kart is more your speed, its Monopoly adaptation is also on sale for $14. It changes the game with boost pads, banana peels, and gold coins, but it doesn’t include a blue shell mechanic, which may or may not be a good thing.
PS4 Gold Wireless Headset | $71 | AmazonGraphic: Shep McAllisterSony’s original PS4 Gold headset was already our readers’ favorite gaming headset, and the new model is lighter, more durable, and frankly, better looking. Like the old one though, it’ll still immerse you in 7.1 surround sound, and doesn’t need a clunky boom mic to pick up your voice either.
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This debuted late last year for $100, and $71 is the best price we’ve seen to date.
Preorder Asteroids/Major Havoc/Lunar Lander/Tempest Arcade1Up Cabinet | $299 | WalmartPreorder Centipede/Millipede/Missile Command/Crystal Castles Arcade1Up Cabinet | $299 | WalmartPreorder Street Fighter ll Champion Edition/Street Fighter ll The New Challengers/Street Fighter ll Turbo Arcade1Up Cabinet | $299 | WalmartGraphic: Shep McAllisterArcade1Up’s 3/4 sized arcade cabinets look stunning, include multiple games, and are a steal at $300, especially since they were supposed to cost $400, according to the original announcement. They’ve been mostly out of stock at Walmart for the last few months, but three of the five are available once again, so if you’ve got the space and the love for old arcade games, you’ll have one of these in your home this week.
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Note: The Rampage/Gauntlet/Joust/Defender and Galaga/Galaxian cabinets are sold out, but the other three are available, and officially release today.
Preorder Rampage/Gauntlet/Joust/Defender Arcade1Up Cabinet | $299 | WalmartPreorder Asteroids/Major Havoc/Lunar Lander/Tempest Arcade1Up Cabinet | $299 | WalmartPreorder Centipede/Millipede/Missile Command/Crystal Castles Arcade1Up Cabinet | $299 | WalmartPreorder Street Fighter ll Champion Edition/Street Fighter ll The New Challengers/Street Fighter ll Turbo Arcade1Up Cabinet | $299 | WalmartPreorder Galaga/Galaxian Arcade1Up Cabinet | $299 | Walmart
Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Pro Bundle | $399 | WalmartGraphic: Shep McAllisterRed Dead Redemption 2 pulls into station this week, and you can take in all the natural splendor by playing it on a PS4 Pro . This console bundle doesn’t have a unique design like the recent Spider-Man console did, which may be a good or bad thing, depending on your preferences. But what it does have is the game, essentially for free with the purchase of the $399 console.
TechStorageSamsung 32GB 95MB/s (U1) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter | $7 | AmazonSeagate Expansion 1TB Hard Drive | $45 | AmazonPowerInsignia Assorted Batteries with Storage Box (33-Pack) | $10 | Best BuyInsignia CR2032 Batteries (6-Pack) | $6 | Best BuyAnker PowerLine Lightning | $10 | Amazon | Promo code ANKER392AudioHiFiMan HE-560 V3 Premium Planar Magnetic Headphones | $299 | AdoramaBeats by Dr. Dre urBeats³ Earphones with 3.5mm Plug | $40 | Best BuyBeats by Dr. Dre urBeats³ Earphones with Lightning Connector | $40 | Best BuyRoland V-Compact TD-11KV Electronic Drum Set TD-11KV-S | $949 | AdoramaFender CD-60S 6-String Acoustic Guitar Dreadnought Pack | $110 | AdoramaHome TheaterJVC 65-Inch 4K (2160p) HDR Smart TV with Built-in Chromecast | $550 | WalmartJVC 49" Class 4K Ultra HD (2160P) HDR Smart LED TV with Built-in Chromecast | $250 | WalmartKlipsch The Sixes Powered Monitor Pair | $498 | Amazon | Promo code KINJABGASamsung 43-Inch LED 1080p Smart HDTV | $240 | Best BuyYamaha YHT-4930UBL 5.1-Channel Home Theater in a Box System with Bluetooth | $350 | AmazonComputers & AccessoriesAcer Aspire 3, 15.6" Full HD, AMD A9-9420, 8GB DDR4, 1TB HDD, Windows 10 Home | $309 | WalmartASUS Tri-Band Gigabit (AC3200) WiFi Router (Up to 3167 Mbps) with MU-MIMO, Adaptive QoS and Parental Control (RT-AC3200) | $187 | AmazonEight-Port TP-Link Unmanaged Ethernet Switch | $20 | Amazon | Promo code 5TPLINK8PORTPC PartsKingston A400 SSD 240GB SATA 3 2.5” Solid State Drive SA400S37/240G | $33 | AmazonEVGA GeForce GTX 1070 SC GAMING ACX 3.0, 8GB GDDR5, LED, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC) Graphics Card | $360 | AmazonMobile Devices2-Pack Echo Buttons | $15 | AmazonPhotographyGoPro Karma with HERO6 Black | $800 | AmazonRefurb Nikon D750 DSLR Body | $1199 | AdoramaHomeHome GoodsBrother P-touch, PTM95, Handy Label Maker, 9 Type Styles, 8 Deco Mode Patterns | $10 | AmazonHoover WindTunnel Air Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner | $65 | eBayDesign Master 840 Snow Blast Spray, White | $5 | AmazonSquatty Potty The Original Bathroom Toilet Stool, White, 7" | $12 | AmazonBrondell Swash 1000 Advanced Bidet Seat | $350 | WootShark Navigator Lift-Away Professional | $120 | AmazonShark IONFlex 2X DuoClean Cordless Ultra-Light Vacuum | $227 | Amazon Shark ION Robot Vacuum WIFI-Connected | $210 | AmazonSmart HomeRing Wireless Video Doorbell with Spotlight Cam Battery | $269 | Home DepotLeviton Programmable Light Switch | $26 | AmazonKitchenWendy’s Natural Cut Fried of Any Size | $1 | WendysNespresso Vertuo Coffee Maker and Espresso Machine with Aeroccino Milk Frother by DeLonghi | $165 | Best BuyTakeya Actives 20-Oz. Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler with Flip Lid | $15 | Best BuyTakeya Actives 30-Oz. Insulated Stainless Steel Tumbler with Flip Lid | $17 | Best BuyThermoflask 50060 Bottle with Chug and Straw Lid, 40 oz, Black | $25 | AmazonRachael Ray Cucina Hard-Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Skillet Set, 9.25-Inch and 11.5-Inch | $35 | AmazonNinja Chef Countertop Blender with 1500-Watt Auto-iQ Base | $100 | AmazonNinja Coffee Bar Auto-iQ Programmable Coffee Maker | $100 | AmazonNinja Auto-iQ Multi/Slow Cooker with 80-Pre-Programmed Auto-iQ Recipes | $66 | AmazonTools & AutoSale on Refurbished In-Car Stereos and Entertainment | Best BuyAmazonBasics Car Window Stick-On Sun Shade for Side Windows - 3-Pack | $4 | AmazonTravelWorld Traveler 3-Piece Hardside Luggage Set | $120 | WootLifestyleApparelVasque Monolith Low Hiking Shoes - Women’s | $55 | REIExtra 25% Off Sale | REI Outlet | Merrell, Columbia, prAna, Black Diamond & Dakine only30% off Select Running Shoes | Adidas | Promo code RUNNINGBeauty & GroomingDry Body Brush - 100% Natural Bristles - Cellulite Treatment, Increase Circulation and Tighten Skin | $6 | AmazonCamping & OutdoorsLuminAID PackLite Max Solar Lantern | $19 | WootSportsman 4,000 Surge/3,500 Running Watt Generator | $239 | WalmartFitnessMynt Percussion Foot Massager With Arch Tapping | $150 | Amazon | Promo code M2710111Mynt Cordless Handheld Massager | $40 | Amazon | Promo code MYNT2842MediaMovies & TVThe Big Lebowski [4K] [Limited Edition] | $43 | Best BuyMamma Mia! 2-Movie Collection | $30 | AmazonMamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Walmart Exclusive) | $27 | WalmartKubo and the Two Strings | $7 | AmazonRed [4K] | $10 | Best BuyBooks & ComicsNot So Nice Guy [Kindle] | $1 | AmazonDriven (The Driven Series Book 1) [Kindle] | $2 | AmazonThe Hero and the Crown [Kindle] | $2 | AmazonIn Flight (Up in the Air Book 1) [Kindle] | $1 | AmazonGift CardsGamingPeripheralsLogitech G602 Gaming Mouse | $25 | FacebookPCFallout 4: Game of the Year Edition - Windows | $30 | Best BuyRise of the Tomb Raider | $15 | SteamPlayStation 4Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition | $30 | Best BuyFallout 4 | $15 | Best BuyXbox OneFallout 4: Game of the Year Edition | $30 | Best BuyFallout 4 | $15 | Best BuyNintendoToys & Board GamesCarcassonne | $18 | AmazonChickapig Board Game | $28 | AmazonLEGO City Tracks 60205 Building Kit (20 Piece) | $16 | AmazonLEGO City Advent Calendar 60201, New 2018 Edition (313 Pieces) | $22 | AmazonWoby Push and Go Friction Powered Car Toys Set Tractor Bulldozer Mixer Truck and Dumper for Baby Toddlers | $13 | Amazon
Photo: AP
Unless you are buying a beater car off Craigslist with cash, your FICO credit score is a key determining factor as to whether you get approved for a car loan and how much interest you will pay. Now a new score, UltraFICO, is coming, and that could help a lot of people get approved at better rates.
For those of you who are unaware, your FICO score is essentially a responsibility rating for lenders. Banks don’t want to lend money to people who may not pay them back, and thus riskier applicants generally get higher interest rates. This is true of cars and anything else you’d want to finance, really. There are three major credit reporting bureaus— Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—and each of them give consumers a score based on a few key areas such as payment history (paying your bills on time), age of your accounts, derogatory marks, and usage (how much credit you are using vs how much you have available.
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But according to the Wall Street Journal, a new kind of credit score called UltraFICO is being rolled out to help more people qualify for better rates. The UltraFICO will take a look at an applicant’s banking history and wealth to help determine creditworthiness.
From the story:
If an applicant’s traditional FICO score falls short, a lender can offer to have the score recalculated to reflect banking activity.
Would-be borrowers with at least several hundred dollars in their accounts, who have had the accounts for a while and who transact frequently and don’t overdraw are likely to see their scores rise, FICO said.
Traditionally someone who has money but doesn’t use a lot of credit may be at a disadvantage when applying for larger loans. This applies to younger folks who simply don’t have a lot of age on their credit accounts to help establish a history, however, these people may be managing their current finances responsibly.
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Our friends at Lifehacker have an excellent breakdown on how this will impact creditworthiness as a whole, but here are a few scenarios on how this new score could impact a car loan:
Person A just graduated college and scored a job with good pay, and it’s time for her to upgrade that old ride she has been cruising around in since high school for a real grown-up car. However, she hasn’t had a credit card for very long and maybe missed a few payments for being while she was in college. She goes to a dealer to apply for a loan and FICO score comes back low this means that she either needs to accept a higher rate or bring in a co-signer.Person B has been using the “always pay cash” philosophy for car buying. But he is getting tired churning through Craigslist beaters and wants to treat himself to something new, but this is going to require a loan. Despite the fact that he has plenty of cash in the bank, he doesn’t have an established history of borrowing money and paying it back. He thought he was doing the “responsible” thing, but the banks still see him as a risky applicant.In both cases, the UltraFICO can be used to look at their banking history, savings and income stream to give these folks a boost on their score.
From the WSJ:
FICO said about seven million applicants who have low credit scores as a result of thin borrowing histories would likely see their scores improve under the new system.
Separately, some 26 million subprime borrowers will end up with higher credit scores, FICO said, with nearly four million seeing an increase of at least 20 points.
So in essence, if your credit hasn’t been great for whatever reason but you’re doing well at the moment cash- and savings-wise, UltraFICO could be a boost to helping you qualify for a good rate on a car.
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Playing the credit game is tricky and one mistake can set your score back quite a bit and it takes exponentially longer for the score to rise than it does to fall. This UltraFICO program could open up better loans for these folks, but everyone still needs to be careful not to get in over their heads.
Image: Getty
Your kid might be too young to be seriously considering a career in STEM, but that doesn’t mean they’re too young to cultivate an interest. If you’re raising a girl, new research suggests that one of the easiest ways to do that is to simply let her be a kid—and play video games.
A new study published in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour, according to The University of Surrey, suggests that actively playing video games as girls often leads them towards degrees in STEM. Led by Surrey’s Dr Anesa Hosein, the researchers discovered that girls between the ages of 13 and 14 who identified as “heavy gamers” were “three times more likely to pursue a PSTEM degree” compared to girls who didn’t play video games. Heavy gaming was defined as nine or more hours a week.
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This information could be used in a variety of ways in education; Dr. Hosein thinks teachers and parents who see a gaming interest in girls could encourage them to explore STEM degree pathways by going to “gaming expert talks” or by including gaming in STEM degrees generally. She also says it’s important to beware of stereotypes. Not all “girl geeks,” as Hosein describes herself, fit the same mold, though they may feel like they have to in order to be taken seriously as both gamers and scientists:
It also found that 100 per cent of girls in the study who were already in PSTEM degrees were identified as gamers. However, the same could not be said for boys where a similar amount of gamers existed regardless of degree type, leading to thoughts that boys experience far less pressure to conform to the video gamer stereotype if they were studying a PSTEM degree.
Aside from cultivating potential science and tech pioneers, video games have been credited lately as a helpful educational tool for basic literacy needs. Perspectives On Reading shared several stories on children with dyslexia and other learning challenges developing those skills by playing Skyrim and Minecraft.
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These complicated worlds make reading an important component of discovery in the role-playing games, which means kids will push themselves further than they likely would in a classroom.
Photo: Target
When you’re expecting a child, you can snag a lot of free stuff from companies that want to make your baby an [insert brand name here] baby. Diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, onesies, and even children’s books. Hey, go with it.
Target and Amazon offer two of the most impressive new-parent swag collections I’ve seen. To get either of them, you just need to create a baby registry and follow some simple steps.
Target’s Baby Registry Welcome KitA mom named Pearl showed off what she received in her baby registry welcome kit: a tote bag filled with items such as a Dr. Brown’s bottle, an Avent bottle, a Nuk pacifier, Dove and Aveeno products, diapers (Up & Up, Pampers Honest Company brands), a Target brand onesie, along with various coupons.
To get your own, create an online registry (you must enter your baby’s due date), and then head to customer service at your local Target and ask for the welcome kit. Note that the contents may vary by store location. You may need to show confirmation of your baby registry.
Amazon’s Baby Registry Welcome BoxAmazon’s welcome box is even more substantial. A mom who goes by Fluffy Baby on Instagram revealed her loot, which included an Amazing Baby muslin swaddle blanket, a Moon and Back organic cotton onesie, a Little Me onesie, Pampers diapers, two Nuk pacifiers, an Avent bottle and breast pads, Lysol daily cleansing wipes, Huggies wipes, Aveeno baby lotion, Cetaphil baby lotion, Burt’s Bees Baby shampoo and wash, and Aquaphor ointment.
To receive a box, you must be a Prime member, create an Amazon baby registry and spend at least $10 on any one item from your registry. (You can register for anything on Amazon, including non-baby items.) Once your $10 item has shipped, log back into your registry and select the Baby Registry Welcome Box by Amazon Family. The box will ship to you for free.