The Return of the Holiday Layaway

/PRNewswire/ --Layaway may sound like an old-school concept, especially in today's "buy now, pay later" society. But the idea of setting aside products to pay for gradually is making a comeback, and is a great alternative to using credit cards this upcoming holiday season.

"The credit card allows shoppers to buy on impulse without the immediate worry of how to pay for their purchases," said Dorothy Guzek , GreenPath Debt Solutions financial counselor. "Unfortunately, when the credit card bill comes due, consumers are left with a surprise balance they can't afford to pay, because they forgot to keep track of each purchase."

Layaway may be the answer for those who can't afford to pay all at once or who simply want to avoid using credit cards this holiday season. An added benefit is that layaway helps keep prying eyes from gifts and presents before the big holiday celebration.

"Our customers are looking for ways to better manage their spending, while still getting the items they need and want," said Salima Yala , Divisional Vice President of Financial Services for Sears Holdings. "Layaway is a financial tool, much like an interest-free payment plan, that allows them to pay over a set period of time."

In addition to traditional in-store layaway, stores like K-Mart and Sears are offering online layaway programs. Online layaway lets you browse and shop for items on the web, pay over time just as you would with traditional layaway, and then pick up the merchandise in-store.

"Layaway provides customers with innovative ways to shop – and with the launch of online layaway, the younger generation of online shoppers are able to manage their budgets, and shopping needs, in a smarter way," said Yala.

GreenPath Debt Solutions offers the following tips for buying on layaway:

1. Get a copy of the store's layaway policies and staple it to your receipt. You may also find layaway policies on the store's website.
2. Make sure you understand the policies such as schedule of payments, late fee policies, refund and exchange policies, markdowns on sale prices and loss or damage of items while in layaway.
3. Be realistic in what you can afford over time and what you put on layaway.
4. Keep clear and accurate records of payments made (staple them to the original receipt and layaway policy statement) in case you have disputes later.
5. When going to the store to make a payment, use the direct in-out method. Walk into the store and directly to the layaway counter to make the payment and then walk back out to your car. Avoid the urge to shop. Preferably, make your layaway payment online and avoid the stores altogether.
6. Don't forget that, until you pay off the items in layaway, the store has your money and merchandise. If the store goes out of business while you're still paying, you could be out both the cash and goods. So only deal with reputable businesses.


Other stores offering layaway this holiday season include Sears, T.J. Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Marshalls and Toys R Us, among others. You many find more stores by searching the Internet.

GreenPath's Guzek reminds shoppers, "Regardless of how you decide to shop this holiday season, make a budget in advance, shop from a list, track your expenses and stick with your original plan."

-----
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP

LocalPrice Introduces the First Website to Compare Prices of Local Services

(BUSINESS WIRE)--LocalPrice, the only website to allow users to compare prices for everyday services, announces coverage of more than 20 categories of Atlanta area service providers.

COMPARISON SHOPPING FOR LOCAL SERVICES

Shopping online has become second nature to many consumers. The online shopping experience is enhanced by the wealth of pricing and product information available through Internet retailers and shopping comparison sites. But this experience is largely limited to shopping for products.

Online shoppers searching for services like movers, locksmiths, and dentists face more difficulty getting quotes and comparing providers. Such services are usually provided by smaller, local businesses that generally don’t publish their prices. Gathering a few quotes often requires substantial time on the phone or meeting with providers.

LocalPrice is the first company to apply online comparison shopping to local services. Though they account for more than $1 trillion of US consumer spending, no other site offers price comparisons for the services LocalPrice covers.

LocalPrice's founder, Rob Shields, created the company after realizing how little pricing information was available online. "If you want to find the best price for a product online, it's only a few clicks away. Our goal is to bring that same level of convenience to shoppers searching for services in their area."

“This is an interesting approach – one that we frankly haven’t seen before,” said Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, a research firm that studies local advertising. “Service-oriented businesses are looking to advertise on sites that aggregate potential customers. Any site that can corral wallet-ready consumers is going to find itself in a very good position.”

OBJECTIVE, UNBIASED COMPARISONS

Many sites allow users to compare service providers based on consumer reviews. But unlike Yelp, YellowPages.com, and other sites offering subjective comparisons, LocalPrice compares providers based on a wide range of objective criteria tailored to each service category.

“Someone considering LASIK surgery can easily find online reviews,” said Shields. “But only LocalPrice provides comparisons of surgeons based on price, number of procedures performed, method used and the details of the warranty. This is important stuff to know before you pay a surgeon $4,000 to shoot a laser into your eyes.”

LocalPrice compares: movers, locksmiths, dentists, LASIK surgeons, limo companies, pet sitters, hardwood flooring installers, granite countertop installers, carpet cleaning, pressure washing, home security, pest/termite control and junk removal.

BUSINESSES RESPONDING POSITIVELY

LocalPrice offers businesses free listings to ensure that consumers receive the most comprehensive comparisons. Soft launched in 2008, LocalPrice has tested business response to its site. This has been largely positive. In fact, many businesses decide to list their rates on LocalPrice, even though they don’t list them on their website.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

New Online Treasury Management Course Available

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Government Finance Treasury Management course is now available online through a collaborative effort between the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Treasury Management is a self-study, 30-day, CEU-awarding course offering the basics of treasury management in a governmental environment.

Treasury Management is one of several online Government Financial Management programs offered by UGA. The course will familiarize you with the legal and political considerations and parameters within which a treasury management system functions.

"The Treasury Management class becomes the fifth online class we've launched in governmental finance to keep meeting our client demands for distance learning. We feel participants will gain a great overall understanding of treasury in a government setting by participating in the online Treasury Management Course," said Sabrina Wiley Cape at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

You will also learn how governments utilize investment economics and various investment alternatives, banking systems and how they affect local government treasury management and the concepts of contracting for banking services.

Online lessons include:
-- Cash Management
-- Banking Services
-- Forecasting
-- Collections
-- Disbursements
-- Investments
-- Internal Controls
-- Staffing and Supervision
-- Accounting and Reporting


For more information or to register, please contact Bob Wells at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education at (706) 542-6692, (800) 325-2090 or e-mail Bob.Wells@georgiacenter.uga.edu. The Online Treasury Management course can be viewed at www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/is/treasury.

For more information on other online Governmental Finance courses offered, please visit www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/is/govtacct and www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/is/debt. Additionally, new Governmental Finance courses are being developed and will be available in 2009.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page