Study: Drivers in Safest Cities Save More Than $500 a Year

It pays to own a car in a safe city — around $550 a year, according to a new study.

NerdWallet analyzed nearly 200 of the most populous cities in the U.S. and ranked them by the dangers posed to drivers, including accident risks and the chances that their car would be stolen or broken into. We then compared average auto insurance rates for cities in the top and bottom 20 of the rankings. Rates were from the largest insurers in each state.

The 20 safest cities in the study had an average annual insurance premium of $1,169, compared with an average of $1,721 in the 20 most dangerous. The biggest difference was in comparing the safest city with the most dangerous. Residents of Cary, North Carolina, which was at the top of the safest cities list, can find auto insurance for an average of $729 per year. But in Detroit, the most dangerous city for drivers, the average annual premium was 642% more: $5,409.

In Cary, a city just outside of Raleigh that is part of a region known as the Research Triangle, drivers face accident risks that are lower than the national average. Residents there also have relatively low risks of experiencing auto-related crime and can take comfort in a fatal accident rate of just 1.3 per 100,000 residents, the lowest of all the cities analyzed.

Cary was followed by Boise, Idaho; Fort Collins, Colorado; Naperville, Illinois; and Santa Clarita, California, to round out the five safest cities for drivers.

What makes a city safe for drivers?

Many things go into keeping drivers safe, including education, engineering and enforcement, says Cary Police Capt. Steve Wilkins, who led traffic safety initiatives in the city for several years. Rich Romer, manager of state relations for AAA, adds laws and funding of infrastructure to that list.

Romer says cities that have implemented comprehensive safety initiatives that capture all of these components, such as a project called Vision Zero in New York City, are seeing some early positive results. Having programs like this in place can lessen the risks even when there are dangerous drivers on the road.

While most big cities were at the bottom of the rankings, New York City was rated the 34th safest out of 200.

Elizabeth Renter is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: elizabeth@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @ElizabethRenter.

 

Virgin Mobile Cell Phone Plans

Virgin Mobile offers a strong slate of features at one of the best values among prepaid carriers. If you’re willing to buy a new phone, and you double-check that Virgin’s sometimes lackluster coverage and data speeds work for you, the carrier can be a good choice.

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AT A Glance

• Plans start at $20 a month.
• Strengths: Good features at great value.
• Weaknesses: Operates on Sprint’s sometimes lackluster network; can't bring your own phone.

Get started at Virgin Mobile's site

Get started at Virgin Mobile's site

Virgin Mobile cell phone plans

Virgin Mobile offers its bread-and-butter Unlimited plans and a non-smartphone option with the payLo plans.

• Unlimited (500 megabytes): $30.
• Unlimited (4 gigabytes): $40.
• Unlimited (6GB): $50.
• payLo ($1.50/MB): $20.
• payLo (30MB): $30.
• payLo (50MB): $40.

The Unlimited plans offer three tiers of high-speed data (500MB, 4GB and 6GB), all with unlimited talk and text. After using up your data allotment, Virgin drops you down to 2G speeds for the rest of the service period. You can also stream unlimited music from Pandora, iHeartRadio, Slacker Radio, 8tracks and Milk Music without digging into your data.

» MORE: How much data do you really need?

If you’re not on the smartphone bandwagon, Virgin’s payLo plans offer minutes and calls with a little data for basic web access on your non-smartphone. You get 400 minutes for $20 a month, on top of which you pay 15 cents per text message and $1.50 per megabyte of data. For $30 a month, you get 1,500 minutes and texts, plus 30MB of data. Pay $40 a month, and you’ll get unlimited talk and text, plus 50MB of data.

Virgin Mobile’s network

Virgin is wholly owned by Sprint and operates on its network. Both the latest RootMetrics report and PCMag’s Fastest Mobile Networks 2015 found Sprint’s network to be improving — especially in urban areas — though it’s still behind both Verizon and AT&T in speed and coverage. Of course, what matters is whether you get service, not how well a network performs overall. Talking to friends and family who use Sprint in your area is usually the easiest way to discover whether it’ll work for you.

Sprint is pretty strict about what kinds of devices are allowed on its network, and Virgin cheekily follows suit, stating in its FAQ: “At this time, you cannot use a mobile phone from another wireless carrier, or any unlocked device. But it’s the perfect excuse to get a new phone.” That upfront cost is something to keep in mind when weighing your options.

Where to buy Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile phones are available from Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Wal-Mart and many independent mobile phone stores. They’re also available online.

Current Virgin Mobile deals

As of May 2016, Virgin is offering discounts on about a dozen smartphones, including the iPhone 5S and the Galaxy S5.

How Virgin Mobile compares on price

Virgin Mobile is about as inexpensive as it gets, especially considering what you get for your money. It has the lowest dollar-per-gigabyte cost in two data categories out of all the service providers we looked at for our comparison of prepaid cell phone plans.

Compare prepaid plans by price

How Virgin Mobile compares on features

Virgin’s Unlimited plans include unlimited music streaming from the likes of Pandora and iHeartRadio, along with a few others. For an extra monthly fee, it also offers mobile hotspot and unlimited worldwide texting, among other international options.

Click the image for a more in-depth prepaid comparison.

Autopay discount: Not offered.

Family plans: Virgin seems to be in the process of phasing out its family plans, which were previously under the Data Done Right umbrella.

Unlimited 2G: Allowed after going over your monthly high-speed data allotment.

Unlimited music streaming: The Unlimited plans include unlimited music streaming from Pandora, iHeartRadio, Slacker Radio, 8tracks and Milk Music.

International calls and texts: For an extra $5 a month, you get unlimited calls to mobile phones and landlines in Canada, unlimited calls to landlines in Mexico and unlimited worldwide SMS texting. (Countries you can text to are listed here. Some allow multimedia texting as well.)

For an extra $10 a month, you get all that plus 1,000 minutes to call mobile phones in Mexico, unlimited calling to more than 70 countries and discounts on Virgin’s usual international rates in more than 200 countries.

Mobile hot spot: Available a la carte at $5 for 1GB of data per month or $10 for 2GB of data per month. Alternatively, you can pay $3 for 500MB of data, good for one day only.

Is Virgin Mobile right for you?

If cost is your overriding factor, prepaid mobile doesn’t get much cheaper than Virgin. Plus you get all sorts of neat features. You’ll have to buy a new phone, though, and possibly deal with spotty coverage and slower data speeds. But if Sprint has a strong network presence in your area, Virgin is worth strongly considering.

Get started at Virgin Mobile's site

Stephen Layton is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: slayton@nerdwallet.com.

This article was updated May 28, 2016. It was originally published May 3, 2016.

Misfit Ray vs. Fitbit Alta

Earlier this year, Misfit debuted what it touts as its most minimal and versatile activity tracker ever — the Ray. Fitbit, too, upgraded its lineup with a new device called the Alta, a fitness wristband that’s as much a fashion statement as an activity tracker.

It’s clear that both brands are venturing in the direction of aesthetically appealing wearables, but is one of these trackers the right motivating accessory for you?

We put the Misfit head to head with the Fitbit to help you decide.

What we found: The Misfit Ray reimagines the way people wear their tracker. In addition to the standard band setup, you can wear the Ray like a necklace.

What you’ll learn: The Ray is approximately $30 more affordable than the Alta, but you’ll have to replace its battery every six months.

	Misfit Ray	Fitbit Alta
Price	$99.99 from Misfit	$129.95 from Fitbit
Color	Carbon black, rose gold	Black, plum, blue, teal
All-day activity tracking	Yes	Yes
Sleep monitoring	Yes	Yes
Smart notifications	Yes	Yes
Heart rate monitoring	No	No
Music control	Yes	No
Battery life	Up to 6 months before needing replacement	Up to 5 days before needing to be recharged
Water-resistant	Yes	Yes
Buy on Amazon	Buy Misfit	Buy Fitbit

Design

These two sleek devices prove that activity tracking has come a long way from the days of bulky watches that weigh down your wrist.

The Misfit Ray is a cylindrical, anodized, aircraft-grade aluminum tracker that’s sold in rose gold or carbon black. The device is 1.5 inches long and has a diameter of 0.47 inch. You can thread it on its included band to wear it as a traditional wrist tracker or hang it from a chain or cord and wear it as a necklace.

The Ray features a multicolor LED display that lights up to show your progress toward your activity goals and alert you to notifications such as incoming calls, texts and wake-up alarms. Vibrations accompany the lighted reminders.

The Fitbit Alta looks more like the activity tracking bands that consumers are familiar with, but with a slim and stylish twist. The Fitbit Alta tracker snaps into a band that’s just 0.61 inch wide and comes in bright colors like plum, blue and teal.

The tracker has an OLED display that you can tap to view stats, time of day and smartphone notifications. You can configure stats vertically or horizontally and choose from various clock faces.

» MORE: Fitbit comparison guide

Functionality

Let’s take a look at the features these two devices have in common. Both the Misfit Ray and the Fitbit Alta can:

• Track activity. Each provides round-the-clock monitoring of things such as steps taken, calories burned and distance traveled. Neither tracker monitors heart rate.
• Monitor sleep. They can show you how long and how well you sleep with sleep duration and quality monitoring.
• Send smart notifications. When synced with a compatible smartphone, these wearables notify users of incoming calls and texts.
• Repel water. Don’t worry about a splash or two with these trackers. The Misfit Ray is water-resistant to 50 meters, which means you can wear it while swimming. The Fitbit Alta is sweat-, rain- and splash-proof.
• Remind you to move. These devices will give you a nudge after you’ve been inactive for too long.

We identified several areas where these wearables make their mark and stand apart.

With the help of the Misfit Link app, you can use the Misfit Ray like a controller to perform tasks on your smartphone such as taking selfies, playing music and adjusting lights. The Alta lacks this feature.

One of the most notable differences between these two products, at least on a day-to-day basis, is their battery life. The Ray is powered by replaceable cell batteries, so you don’t need to recharge it between uses. The batteries will generally last six months before you need to replace them.

The Alta contains a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery. It has a life of up to five days, but Fitbit recommends charging it every few days to ensure you don’t lose any tracking time. Recharging takes one to two hours.

Another notable difference is that you can wear the Ray in the pool. That’s a feature many activity trackers don’t offer, leaving lap swimmers and water exercisers high and dry.

Price

The Misfit Ray retails for $99.99, while the Fitbit Alta costs $129.95.

The $99.99 Misfit set includes the Ray tracker and a sport band. If you prefer a leather band, you can buy a different set for $119.99. Misfit promises more accessories coming soon.

Switching bands is also an option for the Alta. Replacement classic bands cost $29.95, leather bands run $59.95, and a metal bracelet costs $99.95.

If you’re looking for a deal on the Ray or Alta, we recommend shopping at Amazon, where discounts on activity trackers and fitness wearables happen regularly.

Even if you can take advantage of a sale, there could be more ways to maximize your savings. For instance, buying your activity tracker with a rewards credit card can earn you cash back.

Which one fits?

So are you more of a Fitbit fan or a member of the Misfit following?

If you haven’t already pledged loyalty to one of these brands, we recommend trying the Misfit Ray. It’s more affordable, doesn’t require recharging after use, and appeals to the most social of users with the ability to use it with your smartphone to take selfies and control music.

If you’re more of a data person, though, you’ll likely enjoy the Fitbit Alta for its OLED tap display that shows stats. The Alta is more expensive, but it’s in it for the long haul, thanks to its rechargeable battery and Fitbit’s hefty line of interchangeable accessories that you can buy separately.

Courtney Jespersen is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @courtneynerd.

A Credit Score for Those With No Credit

FICO Score XD, a new alternative credit score, is now being used to evaluate borrowers who have no credit history or too little credit history to generate a traditional FICO score. The XD is derived from how customers pay some utility, cable and cell phone bills.

FICO, the creator of the scores, is offering the XD to bank credit card issuers as a way to give previously unscorable consumers a shot at getting a credit card, though the company does not disclose which issuers are using the score.

As with more traditional FICO scores, paying bills on time is crucial for consumers. Information used for the XD score comes from phone carriers, utilities, credit bureaus, public records and property data. The XD shares the same 300-to-850 scale as the traditional FICO score and its less widely used competitor, the VantageScore.

The FICO XD includes data on payments for such bills as:

• Landline phone.
• Pay TV or cable.
• Cell phone.
• Utilities.

While the data may be predictive of how a consumer will repay borrowed money, they are not considered in traditional credit scores, nor do they appear on credit reports unless those consumer accounts have been sent to collections.

The temporary FICO XD is designed to give a financial footprint to the “credit invisibles,” or people who lack recent credit history, and help lenders figure out which previously unscorable consumers are creditworthy. Once people are approved for a credit card, they are on the way to being scorable under the traditional FICO.

That seems to be what happened in pilot testing, when a dozen major banks participated. Within six months of opening a credit account, the new cardholders were able to get traditional FICO scores, the company said. And they are proving to be good customers: Nearly half of those who had FICO XD scores of at least 620 went on to achieve high credit scores (700 or higher) two years after getting a credit card.

Plenty of data available

About 50 million people don’t have traditional FICO scores, which require at least one undisputed credit account that has been open and reporting to credit bureaus for at least six months.

VantageScores use alternative data — when they are included on credit reports — and can score more consumers, with scores generated in as little as three months.

Potential lenders would like to be able to figure out which of the millions of people who don’t have credit scores would be creditworthy customers.

Much of the emerging financial technology industry revolves around identifying alternate measures of credit risks. Several personal loan providers, for example, look at factors such as income potential for new graduates or the purpose for the loan. All of them, though, depend in some measure on an underlying credit score.

FICO’s partnership with Equifax and LexisNexis Risk Solutions gives it access to property data and to the National Consumer Telecom & Utility Exchange, a group managed by Equifax that collects information from phone, utility and cable records. Those accounts don’t appear as credit-related entries on the credit reports used to calculate your score, but they can be indicators of creditworthiness. The extent of data available may surprise you: whether you own a home, the home’s value, bank records, occupational licenses and how often you move.

You may have a thin credit file, but there’s likely no shortage of information about you.

Access for the ‘credit invisible’

Why would someone not have a credit score?

You can be unscorable if you’ve never had a credit card or loan, so there is insufficient data for a score. Also, if you’ve had credit but haven’t used it in years, you could become “credit invisible.”

Either way, in the eyes of the credit-scoring gods, you’re unlikely to be approved for an unsecured line of credit such as a credit card because you don’t have a track record of borrowing and repayment. Not only are you rejected for loans and credit cards if you are unscored, but you may also pay more for car insurance and find it more difficult to rent an apartment.

If you’re credit invisible — and until the FICO Score XD is widely adopted by lenders — it’s important to know how to find other on-ramps to credit, including:

• A secured credit card. Be sure to keep balances to less than 30% of your credit limit, which is typically equal to your deposit.
• A “credit-builder loan,” which, as the name suggests, is a loan for the purpose of improving credit. These are often found at credit unions or community banks.
• A co-signed loan or credit card (small and time-limited credit that limit the risk to the co-signer).
• Rent-reporting services that relay rent payment information to credit bureaus, creating an entry for a bill you’re already paying.

These credit products are often available even to people without a credit history. And paid on time, they can give users the history and credit scores required to get unsecured loans and credit cards.

Bev O’Shea is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: boshea@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @BeverlyOShea.

Save an Extra 30% on Sale Items at Forever 21

This Memorial Day weekend, Forever 21 offers shoppers the chance to save an additional 30% on sale items.

The discount applies to already reduced clothing and accessories for women, men and children, both online and in stores. For online purchases, just enter the code EXTRA30 at checkout.

We like the Garden Party tube dress on sale for $17.99 (regularly $24.80). Pair it with this straw wide-brim hat, on sale for $13.41 (regularly $14.90). Remember, you’ll get an extra 30 percent off at checkout.

Check the website for a full list of inventory. Forever 21 offers free shipping on orders of $50 or more.

Find this deal at Forever 21.

Shopping Dealfinder Newsletter

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Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans

Lower cost. Flexible plans. No credit check. No contract.

There are a lot of reasons to consider a prepaid phone plan. There are also a lot of plans to consider, should you choose to do so. Plans that let you pay as you go. Plans that let you pay monthly for unlimited talk and text and a few gigabytes of data. Plans that let you split the cost with family and friends.

Do those last two sound familiar? They should. Prepaid phone plans are starting to mimic the traditional plans offered by major carriers such as Sprint, Verizon and AT&T, minus the contract, credit check and expensive plan. And many prepaid providers are owned by those big-name carriers.

Sprint owns Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile. AT&T owns Cricket Wireless. T-Mobile owns MetroPCS. Each of the major carriers also offers its own prepaid plans.

There are some tradeoffs with prepaid service, though. You pay full price for a new phone, rather than spreading the payments out over 24 months. This means that the iPhone 6S you’re eyeing will set you back about $650 upfront, instead of around $27 per month. And some prepaid carriers don’t carry the newest, most popular smartphones. But they almost all have inexpensive phones — as low as $1 in some cases — and some prepaid providers will let you bring your own phone.

If you’re still considering a prepaid plan, but don’t know where to start, keep reading. We evaluated the prepaid plans offered by more than a dozen wireless carriers, including Tracfone, Consumer Cellular, Verizon and AT&T’s GoPhone, to find the best prepaid plans out there.

Before choosing a prepaid cell phone plan (or any cell phone plan, really), take stock of how you use your phone. If you regularly check email and Instagram, a pay-as-you go plan is not for you. If you go weeks or months without using your phone, though, pay-as-you-go is a great option.

Best prepaid phone plans

 

• Plan name: Virgin Mobile Unlimited Plan.
• Monthly price: $40.
• Data: 4GB.
• Activation fee: $0.
• Bonus: Includes unlimited music streaming from select services.

Learn More

• Plan name: Cricket Wireless Basic.
• Monthly price: $40.
• Data: 2.5GB.
• Activation fee: New customers could pay a $25 in-store activation fee.
• Bonus: Sign up for auto pay and save $5 per month.

Learn More

WHAT WE LIKE

Virgin Mobile and Cricket Wireless hit a sweet spot for most smartphone owners, who average 2GB to 3GB of data usage each month. Virgin uses Sprint’s nationwide network, and customers can get 4GB of data, plus unlimited minutes and messages, for $40 per month. That’s $5 less than Sprint’s own 3GB prepaid plan.

Cricket’s plan includes slightly less data, but customers have the option to bring their own phone if it’s compatible. They can also save $5 each month if they enroll in autopay. Cricket runs on AT&T’s network, but it offers a more affordable prepaid plan than its parent company.

These plans from Virgin and Cricket are also better values than similar plans offered by competitors. Verizon, for example, charges $45 for 2GB on its prepaid plan. And $40 with Republic Wireless will also only get you 2GB of data.

Best no-data prepaid plans

 

• Plan name: Republic Wireless Unlimited Talk + Text XXS.
• Monthly price: $10 plus taxes and fees.
• Included: Unlimited minutes and text messages.
• Activation fee: $0.
• Bonus: Customers can still access data via Wi-Fi.

Learn More

• Plan name: Verizon Wireless Basic Phone Plan.
• Monthly price: $15/
• Included: Up to 300 total minutes, text messages or picture messages (sent and received).
• Activation fee: $0.
• Bonus: No additional taxes or fees, and customers with a Verizon Wireless phone may be able to bring their own device.

Learn More

 

WHAT WE LIKE

You don’t want data. But you don’t want to be limited to a 30-minute phone call each month, either. Enter Republic Wireless. This carrier lets customers call and text to their heart’s desire for just $10 per month. Unlike other prepaid plans, Republic charges taxes and fees separately, so your actual monthly costs will be a bit higher. Also unlike other carriers: Republic’s phones use a hybrid of cellular data and Wi-Fi for calls, texts, etc. That’s great news for people who have trouble getting a cellular signal, but bad news for those who want a lot of phone options. Republic currently offers just three models, and prices start at $129.

Verizon’s Basic Prepaid plan is another great option for those looking for a prepaid plan without data. Customers have a few more phone options with Verizon, most of which are priced below $100. If you already have a Verizon phone you may be able to keep it on the prepaid plan. The $15 monthly charge with Verizon includes taxes and fees.

Best pay-as-you-go plans

 

• Plan name: T-Mobile Prepaid Pay As You Go Plan.
• Price: $3 per month
• Included: Any combination of 30 minutes or text messages.
• Additional charges: 10 cents per minute or message over the 30 included in the plan.
• Activation fee: $20 “SIM Starter Kit” fee waived when you buy a phone.
• Bonus: Get a free $40 prepaid refill card when you buy a phone.

Learn More

• Plan name: AT&T GoPhone Daily Plan.
• Price: $2 per day of use.
• Included: Unlimited minutes and text messages.
• Additional charges: Data usage is 1 cent for every 5KB.
• Activation fee: No activation fee, but a $25 refill card may be added to online purchases. Customers can remove this item from their cart before checking out.
• Bonus: You pay nothing if you don’t use your phone that day.

Learn More

 

WHAT WE LIKE

These two plans are about as bare bones as it gets and have price points to match. You can get started with T-Mobile’s Pay As You Go Plan for as little as $23 ($20 for a SIM card and $3 for a month of service) if you have a compatible phone. If you need to purchase a phone, they start at around $60. Right now T-Mobile will waive the $20 SIM fee and give you a free $40 prepaid card, which will cover you for about a year if you don’t exceed the included 30 minutes or text messages. Additional calls and texts are 10 cents per minute or message. By comparison, Tracfone customers pay as much as 35 cents per minute, depending on their plan.

AT&T GoPhone’s $2 Daily option is unique in that you only pay the $2 fee if you place or receive a call or send a text message. So if you don’t use the phone for three months, you pay nothing for that time. Just keep in mind that checking your voicemail counts as using your phone. And, unlike other plans, there’s no need to count your minutes if you do use your phone. The $2 fee gives you unlimited minutes and text messages for that day.

Best prepaid family plans

 

• Plan name: Cricket Wireless Basic Plan with Group Save.
• Monthly price (four lines): $100.
• Price per line (four lines): $25.
• Data: 2.5GB per line, 10GB total.
• Activation fee: $25 per line when activated in store.
• Bonus: Save $10 to $40 off additional lines, up to 5 lines total.

Learn More

• Plan name: Boost Mobile 2GB.
• Monthly price (four lines): $100.
• Price per line: $25.
• Data: 2GB per line.
• Activation fee: $0.
• Bonus: Each line has its own data package, which means no sharing. And you can bump up the data on one or more lines, if necessary.

Learn More

 

WHAT WE LIKE

A family of four can easily pay $140 or more each month, before taxes and fees, for cell phone service. Cricket Wireless Group Save discount brings the total cost down to $100 per month. No taxes. No fees. And until March 1, you can add a fifth line for no additional charge. How do other prepaid family plans stack up? With MetroPCS, $100 will get you 1GB of data per line on four lines.

Boost Mobile is another great prepaid option for families. The carrier, which is owned by Sprint, gives users a total of 8GB — 2GB per line — for $100 per month. Plus you get a $5 monthly credit if you set up automatic payments. Boost also lets you customize your plan — and your price — if you want more.

This article was updated on May 27, 2016. It was originally published on February 9, 2016.

Kelsey Sheehy is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: ksheehy@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @KelseyLSheehy.

Bose SoundLink Speaker Comparison: Color vs. Mini II vs. III

Bose is one of the most popular names in audio, but with several similar products in its lineup, how do you know which one to pick?

We’re comparing the brand’s portable wireless speakers — the SoundLink Color, SoundLink Mini II and SoundLink III — so if you’re considering Bose, we can help you find the one that’s best for you.

The basics

Each of these wireless speakers from Bose uses Bluetooth technology to connect to your smartphone, laptop or other compatible device. You can play the audio that’s stored in your device or stream music from services such as Pandora and Spotify.

Each speaker also has auxiliary input, allowing you play audio from devices that don’t have Bluetooth, such as MP3 players. The speakers all have buttons to control certain functions like power and volume, but the majority of functions can be controlled from your device.

These models have the ability to remember multiple devices, which means you can reconnect faster. Each has a wireless range of up to 30 feet. And with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and compact designs, the speakers are all suitable for moving from room to room.

SoundLink Color

• Price: $129.95.                           

• Weight: 1.25 pounds.

• Dimensions: 5.3 inches high, 5 inches wide and 2.1 inches deep.

• Devices remembered: The eight most recently used.

• Battery life: Up to eight hours of play.

• Charge time: About three hours using the wall charger.

• Colors: Blue, mint, red, black, white.

NerdWallet takes you shopping: The SoundLink Color comes in five hues and is the least expensive of the three Bose speakers. It has a compact, rounded design, ideal for slipping into a purse or backpack when you’re on the go. Although the Color is small, it can deliver full, big sound. It also features voice prompts, which guide you through pairing your speaker and Bluetooth device. It can connect to two devices at once, so two people can easily take turns playing music. The Color recharges using either a wall outlet or USB power source.

Good fit for: Travelers and casual listeners on a budget.

Buy on Amazon

» MORE: Bose SoundLink vs. Beats Pill

SoundLink Mini II

• Price: $199.95.

• Weight: 1.5 pounds.

• Dimensions: 2 inches high, 7.1 inches wide and 2.3 inches deep.

• Devices remembered: The eight most recently used.

• Battery life: Up to 10 hours of play.

• Charge time: About four hours using the wall charger.

• Colors: Carbon, pearl.

NerdWallet takes you shopping: The SoundLink Mini II has a rectangular shape and low-to-the-ground design. It offers full sound, like the Color, plus an emphasis on bass. This speaker also has voice prompts. The Mini II has one major feature that the Color and SoundLink III both lack — a built-in speakerphone. If you receive a call on your connected device, the Mini II will pause your music so you can answer and talk through the speaker. The Mini II charges with a wall charger, USB source or the included charging cradle. The charging cradle lets it function as a stationary speaker that always has a full battery when you’re ready to take it with you.

Good fit for: Individuals searching for a small, on-the-go speaker with big sound and the ability to take phone calls.

Buy on Amazon

SoundLink III

• Price: $299.95.

• Weight: 3.03 pounds.

• Dimensions: 5.18 inches high, 10.08 inches wide and 1.89 inches deep.

• Devices remembered: The last six used.

• Battery life: Up to 14 hours of play.

• Charge time: About three hours using the wall charger.

• Color: Silver.

NerdWallet takes you shopping: Bose says the SoundLink III is its “best-performing mobile Bluetooth speaker,” with more volume, bass and clarity than the Color or Mini II. It’s practical for shared listening in small group settings, like parties or picnics. It’s also the largest and most expensive of the three speakers. It has a thin, rectangular shape with curved edges. The SoundLink comes with a wall power adapter that can fold flat for easier transportation.

Good fit for: The more frequent user looking for loud sound and a long battery life.

Buy on Amazon

More from NerdWallet
Beats Studio vs. Bose QuietComfort 25
Amazon Echo vs. Sonos Play:1
Amazon Echo vs. Amazon Tap

Lauren Schwahn is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: lschwahn@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lauren_schwahn.

GoDaddy Builds App for Entrepreneurs to Get Idea Feedback

When you’re an entrepreneur there’s really no telling when your next great idea will hit you. Additionally, while you may sometimes instantly know that you’re on to something, other times your idea needs developing and some honest feedback. Traditionally this is where the advice of friends and family has come has been relied upon but a new app is making it so business owners can solicit advance from a much larger crowd of unbiased voices.

Introducing the Flare App

This week domain registrar GoDaddy unveiled an app called Flare that allows entrepreneurs to share their business ideas with others easily. As VentureBeat reports the free app is currently available for iOS and will come to the Google Play store soon. In terms of what the app is like, Flare has been described as being a “cross between Shark Tank, LinkedIn, and Tinder.”

While the Shark Tank and LinkedIn comparisons make a good amount of sense the Tinder one may seem a little out of left field. However the connection to the popular dating app comes from the functionality of Flare where users can swipe right on ideas they like when swiping left to indicate they don’t care for a given pitch. If an idea gets enough positive feedback then the entrepreneur can follow up by asking more questions regarding their specific pitch such as price point, location, etc.

According to GoDaddy’s VP of emerging products Rene Reinsberg, the idea for the app grew out of several inquires new domain registrants had for the company’s employees during their routine “thank you” calls. He says during such calls customers would ask team members, “What do you think of my business idea?” Reinsberg elaborated, saying, “Everyone has ideas, but too often they don’t go anywhere. We created Flare because we recognized the need for a community where people can get impartial feedback on ideas and connect with others to help them turn those ideas into something meaningful. Whether you’ve just had a fleeting thought and want to explore where you might be able to take it, or you’ve been dreaming of creating your own business your whole life, Flare is the first place to go for someone who wants to take the next step.”

Reinberg is also betting that people will join the Flare community simply out of a desire to help others. Although there’s no reward or gain for those offering their honest advice to the app’s entrepreneurs, the concept is that people will lend their knowledge similar to answering questions on Quora or editing a Wikipedia page. Flare is just the latest example of the sharing economy being a big asset for small businesses seeking advice following an influx of advice being doled out on platforms like Snapchat.

With GoDaddy’s Flare still in its first days it’s too soon to tell if the app will be a hit or will provide small business owners with the type of feedback their looking for. Additionally, while you’d hope that such a platform would attract nothing but a helpful audience, sadly no app or website is truly safe from trolls.  Still I have to say that this is an idea I’d definitely “swipe right” on.

The post GoDaddy Builds App for Entrepreneurs to Get Idea Feedback appeared first on Dyer News.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Mortgage Lenders

When you buy a home, you’re in it for the long haul. You’ll have a mortgage payment for 15, 20 or 30 years, after all, so before you commit, it’s smart to shop around to find the best mortgage lenders out there. Pick the wrong company and you could overpay for your home loan, or wind up in financial trouble after going with the wrong product.

Finding a mortgage lender involves more than just looking for a good interest rate; you want to work with only the best mortgage companies, staffed by top professionals who will explain the ins and outs of the process.

Here are five tips to get started.

In this article

Get your credit score in shape
Know the lending landscape
Compare rates from several mortgage lenders
Ask the right questions
Read the fine print

1. Get your credit score in shape

You can negotiate and compare mortgages all you want, but your credit score still has the biggest impact on how good a deal you’ll get on your home loan. Not everyone can qualify to buy a home; you have to meet certain credit and income criteria to assure a lender you can repay your loan. The higher your credit score and the more on-time payments you make, the more negotiating power you’ll have with potential lenders.

A lower credit score will mean a higher interest rate on your home loan, which can make or break your ability to repay it. Generally, if you have a score under 580, you’ll have a tough time qualifying for most types of mortgages.

The first thing to do is make sure your credit reports are accurate and free of errors. Get your report from the three major credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Each is required to provide you with a free copy of your report once every 12 months.

Next, try to pay off high-interest debts, and lower your overall level of debt as quickly as possible. By lowering your debt, you’ll improve your debt-to-income ratio, which will boost your credit score.

With credit cards, for example, keep a lid on the amount of your available credit you use. This is known as your credit utilization rate and is a key factor in determining your credit score. If you have a total credit limit on your cards of $20,000 and outstanding balances totaling $5,000, your credit utilization rate is 25%. In general, the lower your credit utilization rate, the higher your score. A good rule of thumb is to keep it below 30%.

And if you pay off credit cards and recurring loans before you buy a home, you’ll free up more money for the down payment.

2. Know the lending landscape

Mortgage lending is complex, and it’s difficult to discern who the best mortgage lenders are in a crowded field. Here are the most common types of lenders you’ll choose from:

• Credit unions: These member-owned financial institutions often offer favorable interest rates to shareholders (members). And many have eased membership restrictions, so it’s likely you can find one to join.
• Mortgage bankers: They work for a specific financial institution and package loans for consideration by the bank’s underwriters.
• Correspondent lenders: Correspondent lenders are often local mortgage loan companies that have the resources to make your loan, but rely instead on a pipeline of other lenders, such as Wells Fargo and Chase, to whom they immediately sell your loan.
• Savings and loans: Once the bedrock of home lending, S&Ls are now a bit hard to find. But these smaller financial institutions are often very community-oriented and worth seeking out.
• Mutual savings banks: Another type of thrift institution, like a savings and loan, mutual savings banks are locally focused and often competitive.

You can (and should) check out each lender you consider on the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry to see whether they are registered in the state you’re buying your home. Also, search the Better Business Bureau for unbiased reviews and information.

3. Compare rates from several mortgage lenders

This is where some homework and a lot of patience come into play. As noted, there are all kinds of mortgage lenders — neighborhood banks, big commercial banks, credit unions, online mortgage lenders. You have more options than ever.

You can search for the best mortgage rates online to start. You could also enlist the help of a mortgage broker who does the shopping for you, which saves time and hassle. Keep in mind that the rate quote you see online is a starting point; a lender or broker will have to pull your credit information and process a loan application to provide an accurate rate, which you can then lock in if you’re satisfied with the product.

Once you have several quotes in hand, compare all the costs and decide which one makes the most financial sense for you. Use your research as leverage to negotiate for the best mortgage rates possible.

While there’s more to finding a good lender than picking the lowest-rate offering, that doesn’t mean that getting a low rate isn’t important. The total interest you pay on a mortgage over the life of the loan is a big figure, and a lower rate can save you thousands of dollars.

4. Ask the right questions

Picking the right lender or broker to work with can be tricky. Narrow your choices by asking for referrals from friends, family or your real estate agent, or by reading online reviews. Once you have some names, it’s time to ask each:

• How do you prefer to communicate with clients (email, text, phone calls, in person)?
• How quickly do you respond to messages?
• What lender fees will I be responsible for at closing (commission, loan origination, points, appraisal, credit report, application fees)?
• Will you waive any of these fees or roll them into my mortgage?
• What are the down payment requirements? Note: If you’re looking for low down-payment options, a loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA loan), Veterans Affairs (VA loan) or Department of Agriculture (USDA loan) might be your best bets.
• How long are your turnaround times on preapproval, appraisal and closing?

Also check with your mortgage lender or broker to see whether buying points to lower your rate makes sense. With this strategy, you’re basically paying some interest upfront in exchange for a lower interest rate on your mortgage. Generally, one point equals 1% of the loan amount. For example, on a $200,000 mortgage, 1 point would cost $2,000, and could lower your interest rate by 0.25%.

This could be a good cost-saving move if you plan on living in the home for a long time. “Even though you pay additional points upfront to do so, you can save thousands of dollars in interest expense over the life of your loan,” says James Dowd, a San Francisco-based financial advisor and accountant.

5. Read the fine print

Principal and interest payments on a mortgage aren’t the only costs of homeownership; you should also ask your lender about estimated closing costs, points, loan origination fees, transaction fees and any other costs. Ask what each fee includes. If you are unsure of something, ask the lender for an explanation.

Some mortgage lenders will require an “earnest money” deposit to start the loan process. However, be careful of contracts specifying that the earnest money will be kept regardless of whether the lender offers a loan or the loan closes, says Kevin Stophel, a financial planner and advisor in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ask the lender to specify under what circumstances the earnest money will be kept, and if the answer is vague, keep shopping around.

Don’t forget to examine the fine print of your loan documents, particularly the initial Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure. These will tell you the exact finance terms, who pays closing costs, what items are and aren’t included in the home, whether there’s a home inspection contingency, the closing date and other important details.

More from NerdWallet
Compare online mortgage refinance lenders
Compare mortgage rates
Find a mortgage broker

Deborah Kearns is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: dkearns@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @debbie_kearns.

Steve Nicastro is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: Steven.N@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @StevenNicastro.

This article was updated May 27, 2016. It was originally published April 8, 2014.

Best Buy Offers Memorial Day Sale With 4 Days of Savings on Apple, More

However you choose to spend Memorial Day weekend, Best Buy is offering a special sale for you.

For four days, the electronics store is hosting a Memorial Day blowout with discounts on major purchases like HDTVs, laptops, tablets and more. And there are more than a few Apple products included.

We rounded up some of the deals that caught our eye:

• Save up to $200 on Apple Watch
• Get an iPad mini 2 16GB free with any MacBook Pro or 27-inch iMac
• Buy the iPhone 6S Plus 16GB and get a free $100 gift card with activation and monthly installment plan for AT&T
• Samsung 58-inch LED HDTV for $549.99 (regularly $649.99)
• Save $150 on select Microsoft Surface devices
• Save $60-$170 on select computer monitors

» MORE: How to guarantee a good Memorial Day deal

This sale runs through May 30. Best Buy offers free shipping on orders of $35 and up.

Find this deal at Best Buy.

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Kabbage or OnDeck: Which Is Right for You?

If you’re looking for financing fast, you could try a short-term small-business loan or a business line of credit from Kabbage or OnDeck. Unlike a traditional bank loan — which takes time, great credit and, often, collateral, these online lenders promise quick funding, minimal paperwork, easy application and higher approval rates.

Here’s a comparison of the two lenders to give you an idea of which one may best suit your small business.

Loan amount
$5,000 to $500,000 for term loans Up to $100,000 for lines of credit	$2,000 to $100,000
APR
9% to 98% for term loans 14% to 36% for lines of credit	32% to 108% APR
Repayment term
3 to 36 months for term loans 6 months for lines of credit	6 or 12 months
Speed of funding
Funding as fast as 24 hours, but typically in a few days to a week	Approval in less than 10 minutes, with funding immediately to a few days
Minimum qualifications
• At least 1 year in business • $100,000+ annual revenue for term loans and $200,000+ for lines of credit • 500+ personal credit score for term loans and 600+ for lines of credit • No personal bankruptcies in past 2 years • Jump to more OnDeck details	• At least 1 year in business • $50,000+ annual revenue • Must have a business checking or online payment platform • Jump to more Kabbage details
Good option for:
• Expansion • Working capital • Businesses with consistent sales	• Working capital • Covering day-to-day expenses
Apply now at OnDeck	Apply now at Kabbage

Should you choose Kabbage or OnDeck?

When to go with OnDeck: With borrowing amounts up to $500,000 and repayment terms stretching to 36 months, OnDeck term loans are better for business expansion, such as buying inventory, renovating real estate or hiring employees. Businesses with consistent sales or those that prefer smaller, more frequent repayments should also go with OnDeck, as the lender requires daily or weekly repayments.

When to go with Kabbage: Kabbage is a better for bad credit borrowers. The lender does not have a minimum credit score requirement (compared with OnDeck’s 500 credit score minimum for term loans and 600 minimum for lines of credit). It’s best for working capital and managing ongoing expenses. Kabbage is also best for businesses that are seasonal, with more lumpy sales, or that prefer larger, less frequent repayments, as the line of credit is repaid monthly.

Kabbage is a good option if:

• You have bad personal credit
• You need fast cash for working capital

Kabbage offers a line of credit repaid over six or 12 months. Credit line amounts range from $2,000 to $100,000. (Read our review.)

Speed: The online application process can take less than 10 minutes, with no documents needed and a loan decision on the spot. You can get funds immediately or in just a few days, depending on how fast Kabbage can verify your business data and bank account and on your method of receiving the cash. A direct transfer to your bank via your debit card or an instant transfer to your PayPal account is faster than an automatic deposit to your bank.

Minimum qualifications: You’ll need to have been in business at least one year, have annual revenue of at least $50,000 and a business checking account or online data source such as PayPal or QuickBooks. Find out more about the application process in our step-by-step guide.

Costs: You must repay money you borrow from a Kabbage line of credit monthly over six or 12 months. Each month, you pay a percentage of the amount borrowed (the principal) plus a fee, from 1% to 12% of the total loan.

With the six-month plan, the fee is higher in the first two months (up to 12%), before dropping to 1% in the remaining four months. With the 12-month plan, the fee is higher in the first six months, before dropping to 1% for the remaining six months.

The annual percentage rate for a Kabbage line of credit is from 32% to 108%. APR measures the true cost of borrowing, with all fees and interest included.

There are no early-payment fees, and if you do pay off early, you’ll save on fees. Since you pay most of the fees in the first two months in the repayment schedule for the six-month option, the savings would be minimal. Repaying early makes more sense with the 12-month option, but only if you repay it within the first six months.

Best uses: With a line of credit, you borrow money only when you need it and pay interest only on what’s borrowed. This makes Kabbage a better option for working capital and for covering day-to-day expenses, such as payroll and inventory.

Learn more at Kabbage

[back to the top]

OnDeck is the best option if you:

• You need fast cash for an expansion or for working capital
• You need to borrow more than $100,000

OnDeck offers term loans, which provide a lump sum of cash at closing that is repaid daily or weekly, and a line of credit. Term loans range from $5,000 to $500,000, with repayment terms of three to 36 months, while credit line amounts go up to $100,000, repaid over six months. (Read our review.)

Speed: The application process is simple and takes about 10 minutes, with a loan decision in minutes and access to funds in as little as 24 hours. You can apply online on the company’s website or by phone. Find out more about the application process in our step-by-step guide.

Minimum qualifications: To qualify for an OnDeck term loan, you’ll need to have been in business at least one year, earn a minimum of $100,000 in annual revenue and have a personal credit score of 500 or better, with no personal bankruptcies in the past two years. A personal guarantee also is required, and the company may file a lien on the assets of the business so it can take ownership of those assets to repay the loan if you default.

For the line of credit, you need to have a majority owner with a minimum personal credit score of 600 and minimum annual revenue of $200,000. OnDeck’s line of credit also requires the borrower to sign a personal guarantee. Unlike OnDeck’s term loans, its lines of credit do not require a lien on your business’s assets.

Finally, your business cannot be on the restricted industries list, which includes banks, real estate brokers, property managers, tax preparation services, auto sales and attorneys.

Costs: The APR of OnDeck’s term loans is 9% to 98%, which includes an origination fee of 2.5% of the total loan amount. The fee drops to 1.25% for your second loan and 0% for all loans thereafter.

You repay OnDeck term loans either daily or weekly, and payments are deducted automatically from your business bank account. The company doesn’t charge prepayment penalties and now offers prepayment options that include potential interest reductions if you pay early.

The APR of OnDeck’s lines of credit is 14% to 36%. Each individual draw on the credit line is repaid weekly over six months.

Best uses: OnDeck’s term loans are generally better suited for business owners who need a significant amount of money to buy equipment, open a new location, hire employees or make a large inventory purchase. Its lines of credit are a good option for businesses that need working capital or to handle unexpected costs.

Learn more at OnDeck

 
Steve Nicastro is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: Steven.N@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @StevenNicastro.

To get more information about funding options and compare them for your small business, visit NerdWallet’s best business loans page. For free, personalized answers to questions about financing your business, visit the Small Business section of NerdWallet’s Ask an Advisor page.

This post was updated May 27, 2016. It was originally published May 25, 2015.

Save up to 40% Off at Microsoft Memorial Day Sale

If you’re in the market for a Microsoft product, the computer and electronics retailer starts its Memorial Day sale on Friday.

Shoppers can save up to 40% on laptops, tablets, Xbox bundles and more.

Discounted items include:

• 128 gigabyte Intel Core i5 Microsoft Surface Book on sale for $1,349 (regularly $1,499).
• 128GB Intel Core i5 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 on sale for $849 (regularly $999).
• Dell Inspiron 13 2 in 1 PC on sale for $699 (regularly $999).
• Xbox One + Kinect Bundle with free game and controller on sale for $399 (regularly $499).

Make the most out of your Memorial Day savings with smart shopping tips, and check out our list of the best Memorial Day Sales and Deals of 2016.

Find this deal at Microsoft.

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Guaranteed Rate Review 2016

Guaranteed Rate doesn’t shy away from calculated risk. In fact, the online lender embraces it by offering conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and jumbo mortgages for both purchases and refinances. Now, it’s taken a step forward by offering borrowers a simpler and faster digital mortgage process.

Headquartered in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate has closed more than $100 billion in mortgage loans since its inception in 2000. The company has weathered housing booms, busts and everything in between with a single goal: to transform the mortgage industry by offering customers transparency and efficiency.

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NerdWallet is a free tool to find you the best credit cards, cd rates, savings, checking accounts, scholarships, healthcare and airlines. Start here to maximize your rewards or minimize your interest rates. Deborah Kearns

AT A GLANCE

• Minimum credit score: 620 (600 for FHA loans)
• Offers fixed-rate and adjustable rate loans
• Offers FHA, USDA, VA loans

Get Started

Moving into the digital age

Online, you’ll find that Guaranteed Rate enjoys high marks and hundreds of positive reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau, Yelp and LendingTree.com. With a more than 95% customer satisfaction rate, Guaranteed Rate is proud of its track record, and is working on making customers even happier with its new Digital Mortgage platform, says Kasey Marty, Guaranteed Rate’s executive vice president of secondary marketing.

Launched last July, the new platform offers an entirely online mortgage process — entering your current loan details, seeing your free credit scores from the three main bureaus, securely uploading and digitally signing all of your loan documents. Customers don’t have to speak to anyone to get approved for a mortgage refinance or purchase loan, Marty says.

Guaranteed Rate offers purchase and refinance loans, including cash-out, FHA, USDA, VA, various ARMs and longer-term loans. Borrowers who might feel overwhelmed by the choices the company provides can still talk to a qualified loan officer who can walk them through any part of the application process.  Keeping rates low while making the process more transparent and accessible helps customers be active participants in the lending process, Marty says.

“We’re confident in our low rates, and we encourage people to compare us to other online lenders,” Marty says. “The platform creates efficiency for all involved, and it drives lower closing time periods and higher quality.”

Who is it for?

Almost anyone with a good credit score, a stable income and solid credit history can use Guaranteed Rate. What sets the online lender apart from its competitors is its willingness to work with borrowers who might not bring a high down payment to the table, but are otherwise well-qualified for a new loan or refinance.

As more online lenders shy away from government loans and those tailored to jumbo borrowers, Guaranteed Rate has filled the gap without hesitation, Marty says.

“Other firms have put their gloves up and said that potential compliance and regulation issues make it difficult for them to offer FHA, VA or USDA loans because of delinquencies and defaults,” Marty says. “We feel the opposite. We’re very tight with our guidelines, and we want to enrich the [lending] experience and make lenders accountable.” He adds that loan defaults are rare among Guaranteed Rate’s customers.

How it works

Jason Miller, head of product, and Joshua Smallwood, vice president of software development, gave NerdWallet a step-by-step rundown of how Guaranteed Rate’s Digital Mortgage platform works:

1. When you start the process, you can “Explore Loan Options,” where you can choose either a new home loan or a refinance. We’ll walk through the refinance portion.
2. Then choose what’s most important to you: lower payments, a lower rate or a shorter term. You can skip this section if you like.
3. Next, select how you plan to use the property, e.g., a home to live in, vacation home or investment property; then indicate what sort of property it is, such as a single-family home or a condo.
4. In the next few steps you’ll provide your ZIP code and details about the estimated value of your home, your remaining loan balance and how long you plan to own the home. There’s also a question regarding military status to help steer borrowers toward VA products, if applicable.
5. Next, you’ll provide your credit score range and indicate whether you’re working with a loan officer. Then you’ll be shown loan rates and product options — all without having to provide personal information, Smallwood says. “Most lenders make you fill out a contact form,” Smallwood says. “We don’t because not everyone wants to talk to a loan officer.”
6. Once your loan options pop up, you can choose a product, ask questions virtually or by phone, and get more details. In all, the process to up to this point takes just a few minutes.
7. If you decide to apply for a loan, you’ll be walked through the loan application process, which takes about 15 minutes. You’ll be eligible to earn a $250 credit for completing the digital mortgage application at the close of the transaction.

Where Guaranteed Rate shines:

• Works with most borrowers as long as they have good credit scores and incomes.
• Provides a user-friendly digital platform that’s thorough in covering all types of borrowing scenarios.
• Has a 95% customer satisfaction rate, according to company data.
• Offers a $250 credit for Digital Mortgage customers, which offsets some of the upfront fees.

Where it falls short:

• Charges upfront fees, such as a $1,040 loan origination fee and a $150 application fee.
• Offers many products, which might confuse or overwhelm borrowers.
• Rate tool requires several click-throughs to complete.
• Doesn’t consider nontraditional credit history, such as rent and utility payments, for majority of products.

Get started with Guaranteed Rate

More from NerdWallet:
Compare online mortgage refinance lenders
Compare mortgage rates
Find a mortgage broker

Deborah Kearns is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: dkearns@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @debbie_kearns.