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Those big changes at Costco: What you need to know

Those big changes at Costco: What you need to know
June 20 -- Jud Linville, global cards chief executive officer at Citigroup, discusses the partnership between Citigroup and Costco and the release of new credit cards available exclusively to Costco members. Bloomberg A shopper leaves a Costco store in Portland, Ore. Costco shoppers who have been limited for years to American Express credit cards may be able to pluck a new option from their wallets or purses next year when an exclusivity deal between the two companies expires on March 31, 2016.(Photo: 2011 photo by Rick Bowmer, AP)Costco switched credit card providers to Citi Visa[1] on Monday, ending its 16-year relationship with American Express, creating some big changes for many among the wholesale club's 81.3 million members.Now, Costco's TrueEarnings American Express can no longer be used. Instead, Costco is mailing out new Citi Visa cards, officially called the Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi. The changeover was automatic, with no credit checks required, Costco says. Also, all of its members' cash-back credits are being transferred to the new card accounts.Citi began the process of mailing out new cards late last month. Here are some other key facts about the new card:• Is there an annual fee for the new Visa card? Costco includes the cost for the card as part of your annual $55 Costco membership, so there is no additional fee to get the new card and no annual fee to use it beyond your Costco membership.• Will other credit cards — such as from American Express, Discover or MasterCard — work at Costco? Visa is taking over as the exclusive credit card for Costco, which means all other non-Visa credit cards will no longer work.That said, you do not need to use the Costco-branded Visa card. Other Visa cards will be accepted. You can also still pay with…
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Ticketmaster pays up in ticket-fee settlement

Ticketmaster pays up in ticket-fee settlement
USA Today Network Cameron Knight, The Cincinnati Enquirer 5:04 p.m. EDT June 20, 2016 Sunday, Ticketmaster alerted its customers it would be issuing vouchers in response to a class action lawsuit settlement.(Photo: AP)Eddie Vedder must be smiling: Ticketmaster[1] is settling[2] a decades-old legal battle over ticket fees.On Sunday, Ticketmaster alerted its customers it would be issuing vouchers in response to a class action lawsuit settlement.Any customer who purchased a ticket through Ticketmaster's website between Oct. 21, 1999 and Feb. 27, 2013 will receive online codes for discounts on ticket purchases, discounts on ticket shipping and vouchers for tickets.The class action suit filed in 2003 claimed that Ticketmaster, purchased by Live Nation in 2009, violated California law by charging order-processing fees that overstated the cost of processing orders, along with fees on UPS-handled tickets that exceeded delivery charges.These fees prompted Pearl Jam to boycott Ticketmaster-associated venues in the mid-90s and attempt to organize an alternative tour."We got to see up close what it was like to be crushed by a huge corporate giant. That was extremely interesting, educational and disappointing," Vedder, the band's lead singer, said in a Chicago Tribune interview[3]. "The surcharge on a ticket was just one more aspect of being a band we wanted to handle in a responsible way."Ticketmaster and Live Nation have never admitted any wrongdoing in connection with the fees or the class action lawsuit.Billboard Magazine reported that about 50 million Ticketmaster customers will receive discount codes, UPS codes and ticket codes as a result of the settlement, which legal experts say will cost the company $397 million.If you are one of those customers, you can expect the following:One $2.25 discount code for future Ticketmaster purchases for each transaction made between Oct. 21, 1999 and Feb. 27, 2013.One $5 discount code for UPS shipping for…
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Theme Park Survival Guide

Theme Park Survival Guide
As summer kicks into high gear, many of us are planning our family vacations. Unsurprisingly, theme parks still rank as one of the top visited attractions in all seasons, but particularly in the summer months. According to a recent IAAPA survey, over 43% of Americans plan to visit a theme park in the next 12 months. Additionally, 56% of the families traveling to theme parks had stays of two or more days, noting that their amusement park trip was their main family summer activity--definitely a vacation hot spot! But amusement parks can be pricey, particularly if you're visiting one of the larger, more magical places on earth, and for families with children, it can be a huge investment. Not only is it expensive, but it's time consuming, especially for parents of little ones. But when you think of the wonderful memories, special moments, and thrilling adventures in store for you just past the main gates, all of the minor troubles just slip away--or, they will once you read our amusement park survival guide! Check out these tips, tricks, and hacks to help make your visit the best vacation you've ever had--and don't forget to include your own in the comments. 1. Prepare your people If you and your family aren't regular theme park visitors, take some time in advance to set expectations. Visit the park's website, watch YouTube videos, and print maps to help everyone familiarize themselves with the park. Let your children know how the days will likely go, from breakfast, to wait times, to parades or special events the family wants to see, all the way through bedtime. If you and your family agree to a game plan before hand, you minimize the risk of tantrums. Talk with your kids about waiting in line, and be prepared with…
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Theme Park Survival Guide

As summer kicks into high gear, many of us are planning our family vacations. Unsurprisingly, theme parks still rank as one of the top visited attractions in all seasons, but particularly in the summer months. According to a recent IAAPA survey, over 43% of Americans plan to visit a theme park in the next 12 months. Additionally, 56% of the families traveling to theme parks had stays of two or more days, noting that their amusement park trip was their main family summer activity--definitely a vacation hot spot! But amusement parks can be pricey, particularly if you're visiting one of the larger, more magical places on earth, and for families with children, it can be a huge investment. Not only is it expensive, but it's time consuming, especially for parents of little ones. But when you think of the wonderful memories, special moments, and thrilling adventures in store for you just past the main gates, all of the minor troubles just slip away--or, they will once you read our amusement park survival guide! Check out these tips, tricks, and hacks to help make your visit the best vacation you've ever had--and don't forget to include your own in the comments. 1. Prepare your people If you and your family aren't regular theme park visitors, take some time in advance to set expectations. Visit the park's website, watch YouTube videos, and print maps to help everyone familiarize themselves with the park. Let your children know how the days will likely go, from breakfast, to wait times, to parades or special events the family wants to see, all the way through bedtime. If you and your family agree to a game plan before hand, you minimize the risk of tantrums. Talk with your kids about waiting in line, and be prepared with…
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LG's robovac: a killer cleaner with a few flaws

LG's robovac: a killer cleaner with a few flaws
Electronics giant LG just released a new robot vacuum, and we had the chance to test it in the same labs where we've put best-sellers from iRobot and Neato through their paces. While LG has sold robot vacuums worldwide for more than five years, the LG VR65502LV Hom-Bot (MSRP $749) is the company's first foray into the U.S. market. It features a square design for improved corner cleaning, two cameras for obstacle sensing and room mapping, and seven customizable cleaning modes. We spent a week with it, and found that LG has created a worthy competitor to some of the more established names on the market. The Hom-Bot not only looks great, but it has excellent dirt pickup, is easy to use, and can even clean tall carpet—a task a lot of the competition struggles with. However, it lacks some of the basic features that less-expensive models boast. Clean look, clean house If you ascribe to the KonMari method of living simply—as outlined in Marie Kondo's best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up[1]—you may have reservations about buying a new gadget that will always live on your floor. However, the Hom-Bot may still fit with your style. Its handsome, ruby-red exterior has won design awards[2], and with over an hour of battery life, this LG can easily cover an entire open-concept floorplan. Unlike other robot vacuums, you don't even have to tip it over to empty the dustbin. And when—not if—the vacuum gets interrupted, it automatically picks up cleaning where it left off. That's easy for the Hom-Bot, since it has a learning mode that memorizes obstacles in a room in order to avoid them during future cleaning sessions. We're a bit puzzled by a few of the Hom-Bot's features: Yes, it lets the user choose from different cleaning…
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Cut taxes in retirement with these moves

Cut taxes in retirement with these moves
Kelley Holland, CNBC 12:58 p.m. EDT May 28, 2016 Taxes are an important part of retirement planning.(Photo: Thinkstock)Big tax bills in retirement can put a damper on your golden years, even for those who were steady savers.Unfortunately, most people fail to plan for taxes, according to Ray Benton, a certified financial planner and investment advisor at Lincoln Financial Advisors."They don't have a clue," he said.High tax costs in retirement can sharply increase your risk of running out of money, according to Putnam Investments[1]. Using a portfolio invested 60 percent in stocks, 30 percent in bonds and 10 percent in cash, and assuming that investment performance matched long-term historical levels, the firm calculated that an investor withdrawing 5 percent of savings every year and paying no taxes had a 77 percent chance of making the money last for 30 years.But if that same person had a 15 percent tax rate, the odds of the money lasting drop to 58 percent. At a 25 percent tax rate, the odds fell to 44 percent, and the investor would be more likely than not to run out of money.Luckily, there are ways to legally reduce what you owe the IRS[2].Know your bracketThe first step is to make sure you know your current income tax bracket and the risk of crossing into a higher one. For example, if your income tips you into a higher bracket, your marginal tax rate will go up and you may also sharply increase the share of your Social Security check[3] that is subject to taxes, Benton said.If your adjusted gross income, including municipal bond income, and half of your Social Security benefit is between $25,000 and $34,000, 50 percent of your benefit may be taxable. Above $34,000, 85 percent of your benefit may be taxable. For retirees whose income…
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