day 4 - "finding personal finance angles on any beat"

Thursday, May 13

Show them the Money!

Finding personal financeangles on any beat

Today’s agenda:

Transportation

Health care

Show them the money! Finding personal finance angles on any beat

Big piece of art

To readers, nothing is sexier than a dollar sign!

The $even Dimensions of Personal Finance

Finding consumer stories in the transportation sectors

Adding value to the baggage-fee story

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2010/04/common_vacation_hidden_fees_an.html

Transportation

Earning: Careers. Endless possibilities; people aren’t

going to stop moving around any time soon. From engineering and alternative power to design to manufacturing, selling, etc. – check BLS occupational handbooks for job forecasts, outlook.

Small business. Service, sales, detailing, aftermarket of all personal transport. Vendors.

Transportation

Spending: Cars/trucks/bikes ~ 2nd largest purchase

Selling prices/depreciation (Edmunds, KBB)

FSBO / classifieds

Warranties, extended warranties pros & cons

Recalls, investigations, safety alerts

Fuel mileage

Rentals, exotic rentals

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/45310/article.html

Transportation

Spending: Aftermarket services, trends

Maintenance/repair caveats, DIY angles Franchises, innovations

Options Factory options – what’s worth it, what’s not, novelties

AAA and other memberships

On-board mobile assistance (On-star, etc.)

Sat radio, GPS, SYNC, other digital options, trends

Transportation

Spending: Airline travel

Fees, routing, Internet brokers (Expedia,Orbitz etc.)

FF programs – how to work the angles – hotels, cc, etc.

Similar angles for rail, bus travel

Public transport, tolls, commuting

Transportation

Borrowing: Auto lease/loan terms ~ loan lengths

Incentives, interest rates

RVs /boats/light planes ~ credit markets, op costs

Trucks – owner/operator/small biz

Saving: Maintenance tips

Vehicle-sharing programs, rentals

Transportation

Taxes Gasoline taxes

Landing fees, excise taxes on air tickets, rail

Sales tax

Investing Local angles – manufacturers, airline hubs etc. – pension

and retirement issues, labor contracts.

Franchises – car washes, detailing shops, etc.

Transportation

Risk Insurance – auto, boat, bike, RV, etc. – depends on

state requirements. Min/max, high-risk pools, etc.

Civil infractions – a metro story could become a pocketbook package

Travel insurance, liability, etc.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100427/METRO05/4270380/Many-speed-limits-set-too-low

Finding consumer stories in the health care sectors

Health care

EarningCareers possibilities are endless. Worth a

series.

Look for offbeat niches. Home visits, NURSECAR, travel/temp RN, MD jobs

Cost of training vs. earning potential for RN, EMT, CNA, etc. – community colleges, etc.

Bioscience, R&D – college grad outlook, start-ups and incubators

Question: With medical insurance reform in the news, have you searched your own beat for a health oriented consumer tie-in?

Please answer Y or N.

Health care

Spending Implications of health care reform.

Shopping for insurance / evaluating benefits

Flexible spending accounts

Health savings accounts

Alternative service providers: walk-in clinics, dial-a-nurse

Imaging centers – pros & cons

Health care

Spending Free/low-cost drugs at mass merchants

Drugmaker programs for elderly, low-income

Child insurance through state programs

Internet, cross-border Rx / medical tourism

Pet health

Dental, vision, fitness, wellness, sports med, electives, physical therapy

Health care

Borrowing Medical collections

Financing elective procedures – cash, credit, in-house loans, etc.

Downsides of dipping into home equity, long-term savings to finance unsecured debt

Health care

Savings Overlap with “spending”

Where not to cut costs

Homeopathic, alternatives

Avoiding medical scams

Participating in studies

Free clinics, screenings – worth it?

Mail-order supplies

Health care

Taxes

Deductible medical expenses; record-keeping, mileage

Investing

Start-ups, focused funds

HSAs

** Risk: Overlaps with insurance spending. Beware dubious products like cancer insurance

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/health/policy/25scam.html

Friday: Financial services and personal finance storytelling

Please feel free to e-mail me with additional questions at MPreddy@aol.com.

Show them the money! Finding personal finance angles on any beat