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EPISODE 8~ MAKE MORE: Go Undercover As A Mystery Shopper And Test Products, Services

TODAY in our “make more” segment WE’RE TALKING ABOUT BECOMING A MYSTERY SHOPPER. ACTUALLY, MYSTERY SHOPPING IS AN AMAZING WAY TO “MAKE” MONEY AND TO “SAVE” MONEY, SO I’M DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE UNUSUAL AND SPREADING THIS TOPIC OUT OVER BOTH SEGMENTS OF THIS SHOW. HERE TO TELL US HOW IT WORKS IS PAMELA OLMSTEAD, PRESIDENT OF THE INDEPENDENT MYSTERY SHOPPERS COALITION AND A MYSTERY SHOPPER HERSELF. PAM, WELCOME TO EASY MONEY!

FIRST OF ALL, EXPLAIN TO OUR LISTENERS, JUST IN CASE THEY DON’T KNOW, WHAT IS MYSTERY SHOPPING?
Mystery shopping is where companies hire you to test their product or service, usually without their front line employees knowing you are checking up on them.

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET STARTED IN MYSTERY SHOPPING?
I was working at a school district in California and another employee came in and talked about a mystery shopping job she had that night. I said, “what is that? What do you do” She explained she would be going out to dinner with her husband and would get reimbursed for the meal and paid for a report. I said, “that sounds like something I would love to do part time.” She gave me the name of one company because she didn’t want to give me all of her contacts.

I applied to that company that night and they weren’t accepting shoppers. So I researched and saw lots of ads. Lots had fees attached. But I researched and found a company and started. That was the year 2000. I didn’t take another day off for 7 years. I worked full time and mystery shopped nights and weekends —even Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It became an absolute addiction for me.

In 2001 I realized I was making almost as much mystery shopping as I was for the school district and I would like to be home with my daughter, who was 8 years old at that time. I wanted to pick her up from school. So I stopped working at the school and went into mystery shopping full time.

YOU MENTIONED LISTINGS WHERE PEOPLE WANTED *YOU* TO PAY TO BECOME A MYSTERY SHOPPER. THAT’S A SCAM I WORRY ABOUT AS A CONSUMER REPORTER. HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND LEGITIMATE MYSTERY SHOPPING WORK?

Never pay anybody anything. Mystery shopping should pay you not the other way around. We have a membership where shoppers pay $25 to become a member and get help from me and other groups. But brand new shoppers that come in I say make money first. I believe in holding up the ladder so others can climb too. I don’t believe in competition. I have neighbors I have brought into mystery shopping. There is so much work out there ,there is no reason to worry about competition and some have rotations once in a lifetime or once every six months. So find the organizations that will help you for free. We are one of them.

GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL MYSTERY SHOPPING ASSIGNMENTS.

WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW LONG DO THEY TAKE?
It is a huge variety. The key is finding out where companies are and who to work with.

There are almost 400 companies out there and you are independent contractor. There is work for everybody. A hotel report could take 6 hours. A cruise job could take 3 days. A grocery report could take 10 to 15 minutes. A drive thru report is an easy 5 to 8 minutes. There are companies that have super easy jobs or fun jobs. I did Disney Land for several years and inside that there were 8 or 9 reports that took an hour a piece. But going in they would send me tickets to California Adventure and Disney Land.

They reimbursed us for eating and parking. There was a secret club that I got to go to. It is a lot of work but for me it is rewarding and it is an addiction. Even when people go to other jobs, the always come back.

YOU’VE HAD SOME HILARIOUS AND DRAMATIC ADVENTURES ALONG THE WAY. PLEASE SHARE!
I’ve had people chase me out of gas stations with brooms because I’m taking photos. I had people threaten to call the police on me because if a gas station isn’t in compliance, the owners don’t want that info out. They will bribe you or threaten you.
Some mystery shopping jobs involve shooting undercover video and that can be nerve wracking!

OK, SO LET ME ASK THE QUESTION EVERYBODY IS WONDERING ABOUT: HOW MUCH MONEY CAN YOU MAKE AS A MYSTERY SHOPPER?
—Individual jobs pay between ___ and ___, depending on how complicated and lengthy a job it is.

— In a good year, I do $65,000 in payments. And nearly double that in reimbursements.
*Elisabeth’s Note: Be sure to read the Episode 8 “Save More” blog for more on mystery shopping, because mystery shoppers can save 6 figures a year through reimbursements!

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EPISODE 8~ SAVE MORE: Never Pay For Gas or Groceries or Vacations Again Thanks to Mystery Shopping

Save more money with The Easy Money Show

I’VE BEEN DELIBERATELY AVOIDING ASKING PAM ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENTS, BECAUSE THAT IS THE SAVINGS”ASPECT OF MYSTERY SHOPPING. SO LET’S TRANSITION NOW INTO OUR SAVE MORE SEGMENT OF THE SHOW.

SO, PAM, EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHY YOU ARE EVEN MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENTS YOU GET THAN THE MONEY YOU MAKE.
My reimbursements for the year are about double my payments. And reimbursements aren’t taxable income, which makes them even more valuable than my actual payments. This is the point that needs to be brought out. It’s not about how much money you make but what you keep. I haven’t spent my own money on groceries since 2000. I do 4 to 8 grocery mystery shopping trips a week. I get a $12 reimbursement per location. The biggest thing is learning to buy smaller portions. If we want rib eye I will buy one at this store, one at the other. It takes some time to figure out how to do it.

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU HAVE SAVED MONEY THROUGH REIMBURSEMENTS?
Often it is stuff I would have to spend money on anyway. Oil changes, car washes, clothes. When we go to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse that is a $160 or $180 reimbursement. We wanted to go to San Francisco. I found a hotel mystery job. They reimbursed me $440 for the nightly fee and paid me $50 on top of it to write the report. WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY THINK OF YOUR MYSTERY SHOPPING CAREER? A while back my husband said can we just go somewhere and not mystery shop?

It took him a while to understand that the reimbursements really add up!

But now he gets it. My family gets to do things we could not normally afford to do. My daughter had the luxury of a mom who was always home. WELL, AT THIS POINT, YOU’VE GOT PEOPLE’S ATTENTION AND MANY ARE GOING TO WANT TO TRY MYSTERY SHOPPING THEMSELVES. WHAT ARE SOME RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE TO GET STARTED?

We operate several Facebook groups where we share information with each other. These are closed groups, but people can request access and I will grant it.

Connecting mystery shoppers, schedulers, editors and mystery shopping company owners:
www.facebook.com/groups/IMSCshoppers/

IMSC Job postings for mystery shopping:
www.facebook.com/groups/IMSCjobposts/

Website main page:
www.imscinfo.com/

Becoming a mystery shopper:
www.imscinfo.com/register-for-companies

Online training and resources:
www.imscinfo.com/education-resources

MEANWHILE, YOU ALSO PUT ON MYSTERY SHOPPING CONFERENCES. ARE NEWBIES WELCOME AT THOSE?
In 2009 the MSPA, which used to do shopper conferences, decided it wasn’t beneficial to have shoppers there so they canceled their conferences. So mystery shoppers decided to do their own conference. I held my first conference six months later in Las Vegas. Ended up at Greek Isles. Off the strip but we had over 135 shoppers and over 60 companies. This told me there was a need for this. I continued on. I’ve had at least one conference every year. Sometimes two or three. Now we get 150 – 300 people at each conference.

AND, DON’T BE SHY, TELL US ABOUT YOUR “HOW TO” BOOK ON MYSTERY SHOPPING
I wrote a book on it. The Essential Guide to Mystery Shopping. When things would happen. It took me years. I started writing down everything that happened and going back in and putting down notes on how to fix it. Everywhere I went people said “how do I do that?” I got so tired of telling people, I was like, let’s put this in a book.

AND YOU’VE GOT ONE VERY SPECIFIC WORD FROM THE WISE ABOUT HOW TO ACCEPT PAYMENT FOR YOUR MYSTERY SHOPPING WORK.
Some companies pay every week or two but other companies pay 30, 60 or 90 days out. You don’t want to go broke doing $200 dinners and not getting paid back for a long time. So insist on being paid more frequently.
*Elisabeth’s note: Be sure to read the Episode 8 “Make More” blog for details of how much money mystery shoppers make and how to get into the business.

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EPISODE 8~ FIND YOURS: How To Find And Claim A Lost Pension

Find unclaimed money with The Easy Money Show

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW TO FIND LOST PENSION MONEY.

THE PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION IS THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK. THE PBGC IS AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY CREATED BY THE US GOVERNMENT TO INSURE PENSIONS AND PAY THEM IF THE COMPANIES BEHIND THEM FAIL. THE PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION HAS A SEARCHABLE DATABASE OF 38,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE OWED $300 MILLION DOLLARS IN PENSIONS. THE AGENCY SAYS IT OWES INDIVIDUALS AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 12 CENTS TO A MILLION DOLLARS. I WILL LINK YOU TO THE PBGC SEARCH PAGE FROM EASYMONEYSHOW.COM/08.

A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT NOTES: THE PBGC IS ONLY INVOLVED IN OLD FASHIONED PENSIONS, NOT 401KS OR PROFIT SHARING PLANS. AND IT ONLY COVERS THOSE EARNED AT PRIVATE COMPANIES. THE FIRST STEP, WHEN YOU GO TO THE AGENCY’S WEBSITE IS TO LOOK AT THE LIST OF COMPANY PENSION PLANS THE PBGC HAS TAKEN OVER AND SEE IF YOURS IS AMONG THEM. THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF DEFUNCT COMPANIES ON THE LIST, FROM CIRCUIT CITY, THE ELECTRONIC STORE CHAIN… TO LEHMAN BROTHERS, THE BIG FINANCIAL FIRM THAT TOPPLED DURING THE 2008 FINANCIAL CRISIS.

NEXT YOU SHOULD SEARCH YOUR OWN NAME ON THE PBGC SITE. OR IF YOU ARE THE BENEFICIARY OF SOMEONE LIKELY TO HAVE A LOST PENSION, SEARCH THEIR NAME. YOU DO THIS ON THE MAIN SEARCH PAGE UNDER “UNCLAIMED PENSIONS” AND, ONCE AGAIN, I WILL LINK YOU TO THE RIGHT SPOT. IF YOU FIND YOUR NAME, YOU CAN CLICK ON IT AND FILL OUT A FORM TO BEGIN THE CLAIM PROCESS. YOU COULD BE RECEIVING CHECKS IN AS LITTLE AS TWO MONTHS.

IF YOU DON’T FIND YOUR MISSING PENSION, BUT FEEL SURE YOU HAVE ONE, THE PBGC HAS AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE ABOUT HOW TO DO THE DETECTIVE WORK OF AN ADVANCED SEARCH AND I WILL ALSO LINK YOU TO THAT FROM EASYMONEYSHOW.COM/08.

I LOOKED IT UP AND IF YOUR PENSION WAS INSURED BY THE PBGC, YOU ARE GUARANTEED A PENSION OF BETWEEN 16-THOUSAND AND NEARLY 200- THOUSAND DOLLARS, DEPENDING WHAT AGE YOU WERE WHEN YOU LEFT THE COMPANY. SO IF YOU WERE EVER IN A PENSION PROGRAM AT ONE OF YOUR JOBS, THIS IS WORTH LOOKING INTO!

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EPISODE 8~ GUEST BLOG: The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping has been around for a very long time, yet it still mystifies most. That’s why I wrote a book to help take the mystery out of this job and get you started right away. What I’ve created is a step-by- step guide to starting, performing and reporting your “mystery shops.” Yes, a “shop” is a noun in our world!

In the book, you will find a list of legitimate companies —those that will not charge you to work for them. You should never have to pay to mystery shop. They should pay you! I also provide company websites, types of “shops” those companies perform and an explanation of what they expect from you. Right in the book, I tell you where to look for support as well as where to talk with other shoppers.

This book is called The Essential Guide to Mystery Shopping. It’s a comprehensive guide for you to start mystery shopping and making money right away.

*Elisabeth’s note: You can purchase Pam’s book here:
www.happyabout.com/mystery-shopping.php

Guest Name: Pamela Olmstead
Guest Title: President, Independent Mystery
Shoppers Coalition
Guest Contact: www.imscinfo.com/

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EPISODE 7~ TOP TIP: The 5 Words You Should NEVER Say TO A Telemarketer

WHEN TELEMARKETERS CALL AND INTERRUPT OUR DINNERS —AND YES, THEY’RE STILL DOING IT DESPITE THE NATIONAL DO NOT CALL LIST— WHAT MANY OF US INDIGNANTLY SAY IS “TAKE ME OFF YOUR LIST!” THAT’S NOT ONLY WRONG, IT’S THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY! WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY IS “PUT ME ON YOUR LIST, YOUR INTERNAL DO NOT CALL LIST,” WHICH IS A LIST EVERY TELEMARKETER MUST MAINTAIN OF PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WISH TO BE CONTACTED. WHEN YOU SAY ‘TAKE ME OFF YOUR LIST’ AN UNSCRUPULOUS TELEMARKETER COULD USE THAT AS AN EXCUSE TO NOT PUT YOU ON THAT INTERNAL DO NOT CALL LIST. ASKING TO BE PUT “ON” THE INTERNAL DO NOT CALL LIST, ALSO WORKS FOR CATEGORIES THAT ARE EXEMPTED FROM THE NATIONAL DO NOT CALL LIST, LIKE CHARITIES, POLITICIANS AND SURVEY COMPANIES.

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EPISODE 7~ MAKE MORE: Like, 30 Percent More, BY Investing In Another State’s 529 Plan

WE’RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW YOU MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE MORE MONEY TO PAY FOR COLLEGE BY INVESTING IN AN OUT-OF- STATE 529 PLAN. OF THOSE WHO INVEST IN A 529, 80 PERCENT CHOOSE THE ONE IN THEIR OWN STATE, ACCORDING TO THE INVESTMENT COMPANY INSTITUTE, WHICH DID A STUDY. MANY PARENTS DON’T EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ELSE IS POSSIBLE.

THAT’S WHY I COVERED THIS TOPIC IN ONE OF MY WASHINGTON POST COLUMNS AND WHY I’M BRINGING IT UP HERE. YOU SEE, SOME STATE 529 PLANS FEATURE HIGHER RETURNS AND LOWER FEES THAT CAN HELP YOU SAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FOR COLLEGE. SOME NUMBERS FROM NERDWALLET.COM DRIVE THIS POINT HOME: IF YOU INVESTED $5,000 IN OREGON’S PLAN IN 2010, FIVE YEARS LATER YOUR ACCOUNT WOULD HAVE GROWN TO $7,714. BUT IF YOU INVESTED THE SAME $5,000 IN MICHIGAN’S PLAN, FIVE YEARS LATER YOUR ACCOUNT WOULD HAVE GROWN TO $10,017. THAT’S $2,303 MORE AND JUST ON 5- THOUSAND BUCKS OVER 5 YEARS! TO BE CLEAR, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT 529 PREPAID TUITION PLANS, WHICH ALLOW YOU TO LOCK IN TODAY’S TUITION RATES, USUALLY AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN ONE OF THE 11 STATES THAT OFFER THEM. NO, I AM TALKING ABOUT 529 SAVINGS PLANS, WHICH ARE INDIVIDUAL INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS THAT GROW TAX-FREE AS LONG AS YOU USE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR COLLEGE COSTS.

IT’S TOO BAD THAT BOTH TYPES OF PLAN HAVE THE TERM “529” IN THEIR NAME. THIS CAUSES A LOT OF CONFUSION AND LEAVES MANY PARENTS THINKING THEY CAN ONLY START A 529 IN THEIR OWN STATE OR USE IT TO PAY FOR IN-STATE TUITION. AND THAT’S TOTALLY WRONG! OK, SO NOW YOU KNOW YOU CAN INVEST IN AN OUT-OF- STATE 529 SAVINGS PLAN. NEXT DILEMMA: WHICH STATE DO YOU CHOOSE? HERE’S THE KEY: WEIGH ANY TAX DEDUCTIONS OFFERED BY YOUR OWN STATE FOR INVESTING IN ITS PLAN, AGAINST THE HIGHER PROFITS AND LOWER FEES THAT MAY BE POSSIBLE IN ANOTHER STATE’S PLAN. HERE ARE THE CATEGORIES —AND THE STRATEGIES— YOU SHOULD BE KEEPING IN MIND.

States that offer a tax deduction or credit for investing in their 529 plan: States: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. THE Strategy WITH THOSE 27 STATES PLUS DC IS TO Assess how valuable THEIR tax deduction really is. THERE ARE BIG DIFFERENCES. the website SavingForCollege.com SAYS a couple making $100,000 a year and PUTTING $100 a month INto their child’s in-state 529 plan would get a TAX deduction of $360 A YEAR in Indiana, but just $37 in North Dakota. If your state’s tax

deduction is worthwhile, one strategy is to invest the maximum deductible amount in its plan and also invest in another state 529 plan to take advantage of low fees and high returns. This is also a way of diversifying your portfolio. States that do not offer a tax deduction for investing in their 529 plan; States: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey and North Carolina.

NINE STATES DO NOT OFFER A TAX DEDUCTION. THE STRATEGY THEN, SINCE THERE’S NO PAYOUT FOR STAYING IN-STATE, IS TO CHOOSE A 529 SAVINGS PLAN WITH A GOOD BALANCE OF LOW FEES AND HIGH RETURNS. FEES VARY DRAMATICALLY, FROM JUST .05 PERCENT OF YOUR ACCOUNT BALANCE FOR ONE MASSACHUSETTS 529 PLAN TO 1.09

PERCENT FOR ONE ALASKA PLAN. States with no income tax, so no 529 income tax deduction: States: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. ANOTHER NINE STATES DO NOT HAVE AN INCOME TAX SO CAN’T OFFER A DEDUCTION AGAINST IT. IN THAT CASE, ONCE AGAIN, THERE IS NO MONETARY INCENTIVE FOR STAYING IN-STATE, SO YOU CAN CHOOSE A 529 SAVINGS PLAN WITH A GOOD BALANCE OF LOW FEES AND HIGH RETURNS.

States that give you a tax deduction for investing in any state’s 529: States: Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Montana and Pennsylvania.

AND FINALLY, THESE FIVE STATES WILL GIVE YOU A TAX DEDUCTION FOR INVESTING IN ANY STATE’S 529 PLAN. GOD LOVE ‘EM. IN THIS CASE, LUCKY YOU, YOU’RE GOING TO GET A TAX DEDUCTION REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU INVEST, SO PICK A STATE 529 SAVINGS PLAN WITH A GOOD BALANCE OF LOW FEES AND HIGH PROFITS. HAVING STATED ALL OF THOSE STRATEGIES, I KNOW IT’S HARD TO FIGURE OUT ON YOUR OWN WHETHER YOUR TAX DEDUCTION IS WORTHWHILE AND WHICH STATE 529 PLANS OFFER THE BEST BALANCE OF LOW FEES AND HIGH PROFITS. FORTUNATELY THERE ARE MANY RESOURCES ONLINE.

RATING SERVICE MORNINGSTAR RANKS 529 PLANS EITHER GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE, NEUTRAL OR NEGATIVE, BUT WITHOUT LISTING THEIR FEES OR PERFORMANCE, SO CONSIDER THIS RATING AN OVERVIEW. NERDWALLET HAS A CALCULATOR THAT ASKS YOU YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCE AND THEN SUGGESTS WHETHER YOUR OWN STATE PLAN IS WORTH LOOKING AT, PLUS OTHER PLANS TO CONSIDER. I LIKE NERD WALLET’S TOOL BECAUSE IT TELLS YOU HOW ITS RECOMMENDED 529S PERFORMED OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD AND HOW MUCH THEY CHARGE IN FEES.

FINALLY, COLLEGESAVINGS.ORG OFFERS THE MOST DETAILED COMPARISON TOOL. YOU CHOOSE PLANS YOU WANT TO COMPARE AND IT MAKES A CHART FOR YOU, WITH DETAILS LIKE WHAT THEIR FEES ARE, WHETHER THE STATE MATCHES 529 CONTRIBUTIONS (A FEW STATES DO THIS FOR LOW INCOME CITIZENS.) AND ALSO MINIMUM STARTING CONTRIBUTIONS AND MAXIMUM LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS. IF YOUR CASHFLOW IS TIGHT, YOU MAY WANT TO CHOOSE A STGATE LIKE UTAH THAT ALLOWS YOU TO START BY INVESTING AS LITTLE AS A PENNY. BY CONTRAST, ONE NEW YORK PLAN REQUIRES $1,000 TO GET STARTED. YOU SHOULD ALSO THINK ABOUT MAXIMUM CONTRIBUTIONS PARTICULARLY IF YOU THINK YOUR CHILD WILL GO TO GRAD SCHOOL.

SOME MORE EXAMPLES: TWO OF VIRGINIA’S PLANS ALLOW YOU TO CONTRIBUTE AS MUCH AS $500,000. BUT ONE OF MICHIGAN’S 529 PLANS ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO SOCK AWAY $88,000.

I KNOW THIS SOUNDS COMPLICATED BUT THERE’S BIG MONEY AT STAKE SO IT’S WORTH DIGESTING THIS INFO. IF YOU’RE STILL WORRIED YOU WON’T GET IT RIGHT, THOUGH, RELAX, MANY 529 PLANS ALLOW ROLLOVERS, GIVING YOU THE CHANCE TO TRANSFER YOUR MONEY FROM ONE 529 TO ANOTHER. PLUS, INVESTING IN ANY 529 IS BETTER THAN INVESTING IN NONE AT ALL.

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EPISODE 7~ SAVE MORE: How To Save As Much as 20% On a New Vehicle By Buying A “Dark Horse Car”

Save more money with The Easy Money Show

WE’RE STARTING WITH OUR “SAVE MORE” SEGMENT BECAUSE IT IS A JUICY

ONE: HOW TO SAVE BIG BUCKS ON A VEHICLE BY BUYING A “DARK HORSE CAR.” HERE TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS AND HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE BY BUYING ONE IS RONALD MONTOYA, EDMUNDS DOT COM SENIOR CONSUMER ADVICE EDITOR. WELCOME, RON!

I THINK PEOPLE KNOW THE EXPRESSION “DARK HORSE” REFERS TO A HORSE THAT’S NOT VERY WELL KNOWN AND COMES OUT OF OBSCURITY TO WIN THE RACE. BUT A FEW YEARS AGO EDMUNDS COINED THE TERM “DARK HORSE CAR.” RON, WHAT IS A DARK HORSE CAR?

Dark horse cars are vehicles that are equivalent to the most popular models but are less well known, less popular. When we first coined this term the classic example we used was the Nissan Altima, which is a dark horse equivalent to the more well known Toyota Camry. They’re really similar in quality and features, but the Altima is significantly less expensive.

WE’LL TELL PEOPLE JUST HOW MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE IN A MINUTE, BUT FIRST, DO DARK HORSE VEHICLES EXIST IN EVERY CATEGORY? They sure do. From compact cars to luxury cars, SUVs to pick up trucks, Edmunds has always been able to identify dark horse vehicles that can save you money. OK, SO LET’S GO THROUGH THEM, CATEGORY BY CATEGORY. YOU GIVE ME THE POPULAR CHOICE AND THE DARK HORSE CAR IN EACH. AND LET’S GO FROM THE CATEGORY WITH THE LEAST SAVINGS TO BE HAD AND BUILD TO THE ONE WHERE YOU CAN SAVE THE MOST MONEY BY BUYING A DARK

HORSE CAR.
Midsize Three-Row SUV
Mainstream: 2017 Toyota Highlander $31,590 (TMV $29,959)
Dark Horse: 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe $31,695 ($27,974 w/$2,000 incentive) ***$1,985 difference 7%

Luxury- Midsize Sedan
Mainstream: 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class $53,075 (TMV: $46,812)
Dark Horse: 2017 Volvo S90 $47,945 (TMV: $40,927)
*****$5,885 difference 13%

Compact Sedan
Mainstream: 2017 Honda Civic $20,415 (TMV: $18,857)
Dark Horse: 2017 Kia Forte $19,395 (TMV: $16,483 w/$2,500 incentive)  *** $2,374 difference 13%

Midsize Sedan
Mainstream: 2017 Honda Accord $24,030 (TMV $21,019) Dark horse:  2017 Hyundai Sonata $22,435 (TMV: $17,773 w/$3,350 incentive)  ***$3,246 difference 15%

Minivan
Mainstream: 2018 Honda Odyssey $30,930 (TMV, is sticker)
Redesign year
Dark Horse: 2017 Kia Sedona $27,850 (TMV: $26,422 w/$1,000 incentive) *** $4,508 difference 15%

Compact SUV
Mainstream: 2017 Honda CR-V $24,985 (TMV: $23,881)
Redesign year
Dark horse: 2017 Ford Escape: $24,645 (TMV: $19,707 w/$3,900 incentive)  *** $4,174 difference 17%

Luxury- Compact SUV
Mainstream: 2017 BMW X3 $41,045 (TMV: $37,764)
Dark Horse: 2017 Acura RDX $36,645 (TMV: $30,271) ****$7,493
difference 20%

Important Pricing disclaimers. Base models with no options were chosen for the starting MSRP. The savings were estimated from the average price paid in the Santa Monica, CA zip code. People's numbers will vary based on their negotiated price. On vehicles that have an incentive, the numbers are based on offers for the month of June 2017. Many of them will expire on July 5 2017. That being said, on any given day, you're likely to pay more for the mainstream vehicle, so the same concept applies.  If they are leasing, the numbers will be different and the incentives are likely to change as well. The savings numbers aren't meant to be taken as gospel. They are meant to showcase other vehicles that due to heavy incentives or the lower starting price, can be a better purchase for price conscious shoppers. THE SAVINGS ARE IMPRESSIVE, BUT I HAVE TO ASK: ARE DARK HORSE CARS AS GOOD QUALITY AS THE MORE POPULAR CARS WE’RE COMPARING THEM TO?

We’ve chosen these dark horse models carefully with quality in mind. Not just ANY alternative make/model makes a worthy dark horse. But it’s easier to find good dark horse picks these days because ALL cars have gone up in quality in recent years. On the flip side, some of the savings we see is because of the power of supply and demand and the fact that the most popular makes/models are marked up because they’re in demand.

TO SEE GREAT USED DARK HORSE CARS, CHECK OUT THE EPISODE 7 GUEST BLOG POST!

GUEST: Ronald Montoya, Senior Consumer Advice Editor

GUEST BIO:
Ron Montoya is a senior consumer advice editor for Edmunds where he helps shoppers navigate the car-buying process. He has plenty of first-hand knowledge of how to do that, since he buys and sells the cars in the Edmunds long-term test fleet.

Ron joined Edmunds in 2008, where he has held a number of different roles and written more than 100 articles as part of the Consumer Advice team. Prior to Edmunds, he worked at two Honda dealerships, which is where he first started developing his extensive knowledge of the car shopping process.

Ron received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from California State University

Northridge.
Currently driving:

2017 Mazda 3
First car / favorite memory: My first car was a 1984 Toyota Corolla. My favorite car memory was driving up the California coast to the Concours D'Elegance, in Pebble Beach, in a 1989 Yugo.

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EPISODE 7~ FIND YOURS: Check Different Versions of Your Name To Make Sure You Find Your UNCLAIMED Money

Find unclaimed money with The Easy Money Show

AND NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT OUR ‘FIND YOURS’ TOPIC FOR TODAY: NAMELY, HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU’VE FOUND ALL OF YOUR UNCLAIMED MONEY BY CHECKING EVERY POSSIBLE VERSION OF YOUR NAME. WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? THE SIMPLEST EXAMPLE IS MARRIED WOMEN WHO HAVE TAKEN THEIR HUSBAND’S NAME. THEY SHOULD ALWAYS SEARCH FOR UNCLAIMED MONEY UNDER THEIR MAIDEN NAME AND THEIR MARRIED NAME.

BUT THERE ARE ALSO LESS OBVIOUS NAME VARIATIONS TO SEARCH AS WELL. HERE’S A LIST OF THINGS TO TRY WHEN USING THE WEBSITES MISSINGMONEY.COM AND UNCLAIMED.ORG (NOTE, THAT’S .ORG) TO SEARCH FOR UNCLAIMED MONEY:

NUMBER 1: SEARCH YOUR NAME BACKWARDS BECAUSE THE BUREAUCRATS WHO ENTERED IT COULD HAVE FLIPPED IT. SO, I WOULD SEARCH UNDER ELISABETH LEAMY, BUT ALSO UNDER LEAMY, ELISABETH.

NUMBER 2: SEARCH JUST YOUR LAST NAME AND DON’T PUT ANYTHING IN THE FIRST NAME FIELD. SOMETIMES FIRST NAMES GET LEFT OFF OF RECORDS. YOU’LL VERIFY IT’S YOU IF YOU’VE LIVED AT THE ADDRESS LISTED.

NUMBER 3: PUT JUST YOUR FIRST NAME IN THE LAST NAME FIELD AND SEE IF ANY OF THE LISTINGS MATCH AN ADDRESS WHERE YOU HAVE LIVED.

4, PUT YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME IN THE LAST NAME FIELD. IT MAKES SENSE TO TRY THIS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE GLITCHES THAT HAPPEN WHEN COMPUTERS MERGE SPREADSHEETS.

5TH, SEARCH COMMON MISSPELLINGS OF YOUR NAME. PEOPLE OFTEN THINK MY LAST NAME IS LEAHY INSTEAD OF LEAMY, FOR EXAMPLE.

6TH, SEARCH VARIATIONS ON YOUR NAME. LIKE IF YOUR NAME IS KATHERINE, YOU’LL WANT TO SEARCH KATHERINE WITH A K, CATHERINE WITH A C AND KATHRYN WITH A Y NEAR THE END. I’D THROW IN KATHLEEN TOO.

NUMBER 7: SEARCH FORMAL AND INFORMAL VERSIONS OF YOUR NAME, LIKE ELISABETH, LIZ, LIZZY AND BETH.

8. TRY DIFFERENT NAME PUNCTUATION: FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOUR NAME HAS AN APOSTROPHE IN IT, LIKE THE NAME O’NEILL, TRY ENTERING THE NAME WITH AND WITHOUT THE APOSTROPHE. AND IF YOUR NAME HAS A PREFIX LIKE MACARTHUR, TRY THAT ALL AS ONE WORD AND WITH A SPACE BETWEEN MAC AND ARTHUR.

9: PUT THE NAME OF BANKS AND BROKERAGE FIRMS WHERE YOU HAVE DONE BUSINESS IN THE LAST NAME SLOT BECAUSE SOMETIMES UNCLAIMED INVESTMENT OR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS ARE LISTED UNDER THE BANK OR BROKERAGE INSTEAD OF UNDER YOUR NAME. YOUR NAME MAY HAVE GOTTEN BUMPED DOWN TO THE ADDRESS FIELD IN THIS CASE.

AND 10TH AND FINAL TIP: PUT THE NAME OF COMPANIES WHERE YOU HAVE WORKED IN THE LAST NAME FIELD AND, AGAIN, LOOK FOR YOUR NAME IN THE ADDRESS FIELD. THIS CAN HAPPEN WITH MISPLACED 401K AND HEALTH INSURANCE MONEY.

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EPISODE 7~ GUEST BLOG: Save Up To 20 Percent with a USED Dark Horse Car

Top 10 Dark Horse Cars of 2015

By Ronald Montoya, Senior Consumer Advice Editor, Edmunds.com

Elisabeth’s note: These are the cars Edmunds.com chose as great “dark horse” vehicles back in 2015, along with commentary on why. If you’re looking for a used car in 2017, 2-3 year old vehicles are the sweet spot, so this list is very timely! Former Edmunds editor John DiPietro originally compiled this list.

2015 Buick LaCrosse:
www.edmunds.com/buick/lacrosse/2015/?sub=sedan
“The 2015 Buick LaCrosse is a well-rounded large sedan that pampers its occupants and drives nicely — especially with the V6.”

2015 Chrysler 200:
www.edmunds.com/chrysler/200/2015/?sub=sedan
“With a more powerful base four-cylinder engine and a thoroughly overhauled interior, the midsize 2015 Chrysler 200 sedan has what it takes to fight for a spot in your driveway.”

2015 Ford C-Max Hybrid:
www.edmunds.com/ford/c-max- hybrid/2015/?sub=wagon
“The 2015 Ford C-Max Hybrid is an interesting alternative to compact crossovers, wagons and hybrids. Its high fuel economy and refined driving manners make it especially appealing.”

2015 Ford Fiesta:
www.edmunds.com/ford/fiesta/2015/?sub=hatchback
“The 2015 Ford Fiesta is a fun-to- drive small car, with a nicely trimmed cabin, excellent build quality and plenty of connectivity features. If you’re looking for an economy sedan or hatchback that feels like a more expensive car than it really is, the Fiesta deserves serious consideration.”

2015 Hyundai Genesis:
www.edmunds.com/hyundai/genesis/2015/?sub=sedan
“The Hyundai Genesis has always offered plenty of features at a very agreeable price. But this
year’s redesigned 2015 Genesis has all that, plus the quality interior and overall refinement it was missing previously. It’s a top choice for a luxury sedan.”

2015 Hyundai Sonata:
www.edmunds.com/hyundai/sonata/2015/?sub=sedan
“The 2015 Hyundai Sonata further refines the midsize sedan formula with a new look, revised powertrain and plenty of tech and convenience features. If you want plenty of passenger room and a quiet, easy-to- live-with cabin, this Sonata definitely has what you’re looking for.”

2015 Kia Forte
www.edmunds.com/kia/forte/2015/?sub=sedan
“Upscale design, quality and value underscore the 2015 Kia Forte’s appeal. It’s certainly a great choice for a small sedan, hatchback or coupe.”

2015 Kia Sedona:
www.edmunds.com/kia/sedona/2015/?sub=minivan
“With more modern style, a new interior, a fuel-efficient V6 and loads of standard features, the 2015 Kia Sedona should make a compelling alternative to established minivan choices.”

2014 Mazda 5:
www.edmunds.com/mazda/mazda5/2014/?sub=minivan
“The sporty 2014 Mazda 5 is a good option for small families who don’t need all the space and amenities of a full-size minivan but still want three rows of seating.”

2015 Nissan Altima:
www.edmunds.com/nissan/altima/2015/?sub=sedan
“The 2015 Nissan Altima continues to be a top choice among family sedans, delivering excellent fuel economy and a rare blend of comfort and agility.”

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