Category: Finance (Page 1 of 4)

Zelle Scam Refunds

November 14, 2023 / Jesse Mueller / 0 Comments

A year ago, I blogged about Zelle and why scammers often push their victims to use it. Money sent through Zelle is generally transmitted in an instant and that means the transaction is irreversible. Scammers want your money, and they don’t want you to be able to claw it back. They know that Zelle doesn’t help much with scam refunds.

Up until recently, Zelle (and the big banks behind it) have been unsympathetic to scam victims. Their stance was simply that customers were responsible for their own transactions. But there’s a change a-coming: Senator Elizabeth Warren and other congress-people have mounted investigations and pressure on the big banks. And the results are swaying banks to do more for scam victims.

If you’ve been swindled out of money through a scam, and Zelle was the tool to move the money, then there may be hope for you to get a refund. Banks participating in Zelle are now refunding scam victims for incidents dating back as far as June 30, 2023. If you fit this description, then:

Contact your bank for a refund
Report the scam through the Zelle website
Lodge a compliant with the FBI IC3, detailing the scam

Be safe out there, my friends.

Quickbooks Desktop Software – PDF Problem

August 25, 2023 / Jesse Mueller / 0 Comments

Right now, I am seeing an uptick with a PDF problem inside of Quickbooks Desktop software. When Quickbooks users first open their software, they get this message:

Quickbooks Desktop Software - PDF Problem

And thereafter, the software will not allow you to create any PDFs, of your invoices, estimates and reports.

Quickbooks has a handy-dandy software tool for you to download and try, but lately, that lovely app doesn’t fix this issue. They also have some more advanced recommendations, but these often do not help, either. And even uninstalling and reinstalling Quickbooks doesn’t do the trick!

If you’re suddenly having this PDF problem: This was caused by a recent Microsoft update. Quickbooks requires a particular Windows component to be turned on, and it’s been turned off. Try these steps to re-enable it:

Press Win + R on your keyboard
Type appwiz.cpl and press Enter
To the upper-left, click on Turn Windows Features On or Off
Scroll down the list to find Microsoft XPS Document Writer and put a check in the box next to it.
Click OK and wait for Windows to complete the changes.
Click Close.
Restart your computer.

Note: if the box next to Microsoft XPS Document Writer is already checked, uncheck it and click OK. Then return to that window and check it again.

Class Action Lawsuits & Settlements

August 3, 2023 / Jesse Mueller / 0 Comments

Class action lawsuits & settlements are very common and there are new cases announced almost everyday. I try to blog about the big-tech-related settlements, since they’re relevant to my field. But there are so many more out there, for those that are curious or interested.

There are websites dedicated to compiling, detailing and sharing information on these big lawsuits and their payouts. Consider using these sites:

ClassAction.org offers a wealth of info, news and a searchable database of all current class action lawsuits.

Top Class Actions also shows current case and settlements, but may be a little easier to scan and learn about deadlines for filing. But there are more ads on this site, so you may want to take an ad-blocker with you.

Open Class Actions is good for scanning all the big settlements out there, and shows the potential paybacks, up front. But again, make sure to sidestep the ads.

These are the tools I use to spot and learn about class action lawsuits & settlements. And while it is nice to get some compensation from these corporations, it’s also about holding them accountable for their actions. Please know that if settlement funds are not claimed, those monies can revert to the defendants! So don’t hold back. Sign up honestly for pertinent settlements, and get your share of the offered compensation.

The Google Referrer Header Settlement

June 9, 2023 / Jesse Mueller / 0 Comments

The latest class action lawsuit to ding the finances of Big Tech is going to cost Google $23 million. The Google Referrer Header Settlement is upon us, and you may be able to get $7.70 out of it.

The suit claims that Google violated users’ privacy as they used Google’s search engine. Google may have revealed (without your explicit permission) the text of your search queries with the owners of the websites that you clicked in their search results. (Sorry for the word salad; it doesn’t get much simpler than that.) In any case, Google admits no wrongdoing. They’re settling and paying out this money to get things resolved.

Are you eligible for your share of the Google Referrer Header Settlement? The answer is Yes if you used Google Search and clicked on a result between 10/26/2006 and 10/30/2013. If you’re reading this, I bet you qualify.

The Claim Process

To start the claim process, go to this site and fill it out with your information and click the Submit button at the bottom. Check your email, and you should have a new message with a Class Member ID in it. Highlight and copy that code.

Next, visit this site and paste the ID into the first field. Login and fill out the information, choose a Payment Option, and “sign” at the bottom. All done!

The Print Friendly Browser Extension

June 8, 2023 / Jesse Mueller / 0 Comments

I love the Print Friendly browser extension. This freebie allows me to manipulate websites before I print them, helping me save on ink and paper. Check this out:

The Print Friendly browser extension is available to download and use in almost any browser. Once installed, all you have to do is click its icon to activate it for the website you are about to print. Print Friendly will open a new copy of the website for you to manipulate:

An example that I might print from TheMountainCourier.com

At the top of this overlay, you can adjust the size of the text and graphics, to prepare your print job to fit fewer pages. But even better, you can scroll down through the page and click on any element to delete it. Nix those ads, remove any unwanted graphics, you should have complete control over what is going to print. Use the Print button to the upper-left and appreciate the barebones page you just created!

If you don’t want to install the extension, that’s OK, you can still use this tool. Simply copy the URL of what you wish to print, and paste it in at the Print Friendly website. The Preview button will give you the same thing as the extension would.

Unclaimed Money

January 4, 2023 / Jesse Mueller / 2 Comments

There may be some money out there with your name on it. All you have to do is claim it. This is not a scam. Unclaimed money, aka unclaimed property or abandoned property, is regulated and managed by consumer protection laws throughout the USA.

Unclaimed money can be from a forgotten bank account, or a refund that couldn’t be mailed to you. Whatever the scenario, that money is typically sent to a state-run office for unclaimed funds, and it is held and logged in a database. If you find it and can prove who you are, they give you your money!

Official Unclaimed Money Websites

Check out the first bulleted link above. This site is run by our federal government, and they explain about how unclaimed property is managed in the USA. And then they provide links to the other bulleted websites above.

Each state has its own unclaimed-funds website, and Unclaimed.org will help you find the right office for your state. At Unclaimed.org, you can click your state on a map and the next site will help you begin your search.

But what if you’ve moved around a lot in your lifetime? You could have missing money all over the country… And MissingMoney.com has you covered, because that site will let you search the entire USA. The search results can be a bit messy, and you may have a lot more to comb through, but it’s worth it if you find some big $$$!

Not A Scam

I want to repeat that this opportunity is legitimate. I know that I often blog about scams, and I encourage all of my readers to mistrust a lot of what they encounter on the internet. But this time, I have something positive and trustworthy to share with you!

Still, be safe out there. Start with the sites I’ve linked to above. Read up on what those sites describe until you are comfortable with this topic. Don’t use Google to look for unclaimed money, because you will encounter suspicious look-alikes and impostors.

Know that if you do pursue unclaimed funds through these offices, you will have to provide significant personal info and documentation, to prove who you are. As long as you start with the links on this page, you will be dealing with real government agencies and trustworthy programs. And best of all, the process is cost-free. You won’t be asked for any fees for your searches and claims.

The Fortnite Settlement

December 21, 2022 / Jesse Mueller / 0 Comments

If you play Fortnite, you may want to keep tabs on this: Epic Game, the maker of Fortnite, has to pay over a half of a billion dollars to our federal government. This is a settlement over charging players for unwanted items, as well as locking people out of the game when they tried to dispute charges.

And a lot of that money will come back to Fortnite players! But… the FTC hasn’t figured out that part yet. I’m sure it’ll come out soon. If this affects you, keep an eye on the FTC page about this settlement, or sign up for FTC email updates.

Finding the Best Prices on Video Games

October 17, 2022 / Jesse Mueller / 0 Comments

Back as the pandemic began, I blogged about CheapShark, a great site for finding your best prices on video games. But since then, other similar sites have been launched. If you’re a frequent gamer, there are a lot of ways for you to save money on your hobby/habit!

GGDeals is the first I should mention, because it may match what CheapShark does. And GGDeals covers a different range of game vendors, so you may want to review both in turn to find your best deals.

PsPrices is more for console game players. Here you can find game pricing tools for Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft game systems, as well as the Epic Store and Apple App Store.

DekuDeals is for Nintendo Switch games only. But you may find it more pleasant to find your deals here than by combing through the Nintendo Store.

And there are plenty more niche sites that will help you save money on hard-to-find games or bundle purchases, as well as review pricing history for the games you want. Some runner-up mentions are: