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The 404 667: Where we find out who Elizabeth Warren is (podcast)

Aunt Jill Schlesinger of CBS MoneyWatch is back again on the show today, and admits that she wants to marry CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric.

So, what does today's show title mean? If you're a news junkie, you probably already know, but to Jill and Wilson's surprise, even in the financial capital of the country, nobody really knows who the heck Elizabeth Warren is. (In case you don't know, she's the Chairman of the TARP Oversight Committee and will likely be appointed as a "Special Adviser to the President" to run and build the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.)

Warren has been a leading advocate for consumer financial protection for decades and was the person who initially came up with the idea for the CFPA. But what's interesting is that it was really the Internet, "The Daily Show", and social media that has made her into the "Money Momma." Unfortunately for Jill, "Money Aunt" doesn't seem to have the same ring to it. We won't get into other M-related alliterations.

As usual, Aunt Jill has some great advice for anyone who needs a little financial guidance in these trying times. For the tech enthusiast, there's Mint.com to manage and track your personal finances, and the best feature is its capability to automatically categorize your spending on your credit and debit cards. But keep in mind that you are giving up your personal financial information, user names, account numbers and passwords to a third party.

Some bullet points also to follow:

Don't buy actual gold; buy gold-based traded funds. In general, don't buy gold unless you know what you're doing.

Follow Jill at @jillonmoney for daily financial tips. We're still thinking of a Twitter hashtag for her to use. Send us your suggestions.

The First Time Home Buyers' Tax Credit has expired.

Only consolidate your student loans (and loans in general) if you're going to get a lower rate.

You're probably "SOL" if you bought a brand new car a few years ago, are still making payments, and want to get a new car. Jill's advice is to buy used always. She even did, and she definitely makes more money than any of the guys.

Finally, couples who want to start a joint bank account together should find a bank or network that is close by. If you're adventurous look into credit unions. And there are a few banks that don't really have branches but will refund all ATM fees.

If you have any financial questions or just want to send your love to Aunt Jill and The 404, feel free to send us an e-mail at the404 [at] cnet [dot]. Or call us at 1-866-404-CNET (2638) and leave a message. Jill demands that you follow her on Twitter @jillonmoney, or follow us at @the404, @rhapsodyartist, @malusbrutus and @jeffbakalar.

Episode 667 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

'Smart' credit cards get closer to consumers' wallets

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--I've been seeing demos of credit cards with rewritable magnetic stripes since I started covering start-ups in 1998, but it appears that Dynamics is going to be the first company to actually get this technology into the hands of consumers. At Demo Fall 2010, I saw a quick (and, to be clear, incomplete) demo of two kinds of credit cards that can have their magnetic stripes rewritten on the fly.

First, CEO Jeffrey Mullen showed a two-accounts-in-one card. The user could press a button to switch the card from one account to another. Second, he showed … Read more

Target to be first to sell Facebook Credits

Facebook Credits is making its way to Target stores, the retailer announced on Wednesday.

Starting on Sunday, Target stores nationwide will feature Facebook Credits gift cards in increments of $15, $25, and $50. The Credits can be used on the more than 150 games and applications available on Facebook. The retailer said cards will also be available on Target.com.

Facebook Credits is quickly gaining ground as an alternative payment option on the social network. It's currently supported by wildly popular Zynga titles, FarmVille and Mafia Wars, as well as Bejeweled Blitz and the recently announced Madden NFL Superstars. … Read more

The 404 648: Where we know exactly where you are (podcast)

Jill Schlesinger, aka Aunt Jill of CBS MoneyMoney, fills in for Justin, who is waiting for the cable guy. I believe they told him they'd come sometime between today and next week between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. (We all know how the cable guy loves to be on time).

On today's show, we talk about Facebook Places, a location-based check-in service. Say you're at a fantastic restaurant. You'll be able to check in with your mobile phone with GPS, leave comments about the food and service, tag your friends who … Read more

AT&T, Verizon to turn phones into credit cards?

AT&T and Verizon Wireless are teaming up to turn your cell phone into a credit card, according to a story published by Bloomberg on Sunday.

The nation's two largest cell phone operators are forming an alliance with the credit card company Discover Financial Services and global bank Barclays to create a new service that could displace credit and debit cards with smartphones, the news agency reported. AT&T and Verizon Wireless are believed to be equal partners in the venture, with T-Mobile--the fourth largest wireless operator in the U.S--holding a smaller stake, Bloomberg also reported. … Read more

With Facebook Gifts demise, Credits are maturing

The way you should look at the just-announced demise of the Facebook Gifts feature is that it's a step in the evolution of e-commerce on the site. For Facebook Credits, the virtual currency that powered the marketplace of virtual knickknacks, the training wheels are now off. E-commerce on Facebook has moved beyond the relative safety of the company's internal test bed and can now be fully focused on getting pushed out to the social Web at large.

As Facebook has proven in the past two years, its financial success lies right there: building something relatively simple atop its … Read more

Facebook scores virtual-currency deal in Asia

Facebook, on the verge of 500 million members around the world, might envision a global virtual currency with its Credits system. But the way that system is handled in different parts of the world is far from universal.

Very late Wednesday, Facebook announced that it's partnered with MOL Global, a Malaysia-based payment technology company, to offer its Facebook Credits virtual currency for sale through MOL's online channel and in retail stores across South Asia and Australia. MOL's "network" consists of over 500,000 outlets, including cybercafes, convenience stores, and online banks in countries including Singapore, … Read more

How to get an iPad for $399

I know plenty of people who would love to have an iPad, but aren't willing to spend $500 (minimum) on one. Well, how about $400? If that sounds a little more palatable, read on.

A new Citibank promotion is offering a $100 credit when you spend at least $300 using a new Citi Diamond Preferred Rewards Card.

That means if you use the card to buy a $499 iPad, the credit brings your bottom-line price down to $399. (Obviously the same math applies to any iPad model: basically, you're saving $100.)

There are, of course, a few terms … Read more

Reports: Zynga may launch social-games network

It may owe its fortunes to Facebook, but the word is that social-gaming giant Zynga is getting ready to launch its own site in a bid to wean itself from its dependency on the popular social network.

According to TechCrunch, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus hosted a company meeting Thursday afternoon in which he asserted that hit games like Farmville, Mafia Wars, Cafe World and others might soon appear on their own social games site called Zynga Live.

"'Pincus announced at a 5 p.m. meeting yesterday at Zynga that Zynga was going to launch a social game network called Zynga Live,'" TechCrunch wrote, quoting from an anonymous insider e-mail.

The theory here is that Zynga and Facebook are clashing over the percentage that the social gaming giant might have to pay to use Facebook Credits, the social network's nascent currency platform.

"'Facebook and Zynga [have] been negotiating on Facebook Credits and the talks turned for the worst,'" TechCrunch quoted the e-mail as saying. "'In the negotiation process, Facebook shut off Zynga's feeds and threatened to shut down games. Zynga, in the process, threatened to completely leave Facebook and prepared to do so in the previous upcoming weeks."… Read more

Blippy responds to credit card leak

Blippy, a social site focused on shopping, has pledged to take measures to avoid a repeat of the security failure that caused the credit card numbers of at least five users to appear in Google search results.

CEO and co-founder Ashvin Kumar apologized for the incident in his official blog on Monday. He also promised to revamp the site's security measures.

Kumar said he will hire a chief security officer and other staff to focus solely on the issue and will conduct regular security audits through third-party companies. He also pledged to invest in technology to filter out sensitive … Read more