Cost Cutting Round 1: Battling 3 Behemoths

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After a decade of retirement when we watched our net worth grow steadily, we began to indulge in the luxury of ignoring our monthly expenses.

But the double-digit market decline last year coupled with high inflation was a wake-up call to review our budget and make sure we aren’t throwing money out the window. So I fired up Quicken, ran expense reports for the last few years, and flagged some categories of concern.

Ironically, they’re almost the same as my blogging partner’s. In his recent post on spending, Chris reported on the reality of inflation in his family’s budget and the common frustration with steady increases in bundled bills for insurance and cable/Internet. It’s not much money as a percent of his budget, and the inconvenience of changing providers is substantial. But it feels like he’s being taken advantage of, and that’s motivation enough to explore alternatives.

I’m in the same boat. So this month I’m going to recount my attempts to cut costs or increase returns in three areas of almost universal interest: online savings, mobile phone, and cable service.

I put several hours into each in an attempt to save money, with mixed success. I’ll report on my findings below. Next month, I’ll explore another half-dozen categories from our budget.

Online Savings

I keep three to six months of living expenses in a readily-accessible savings account. Back when interest rates where in the gutter, I didn’t worry much about what we were getting paid. But that attitude needs to change with rates rising now into the mid-single digits. That’s potentially a couple thousand dollars annually in lost interest income.

Comparison Shopping

For decades I’ve done all my banking at USAA. But I knew there were online banks with better rates. Now it was time to investigate them. I started at Bankrate.com to get a simple sorted list of savings rates. (Be sure to scroll past the featured offers.)

The highest rates were typically at smaller, unfamiliar banks. Yes, they were FDIC-insured, but did I trust them to manage my account efficiently and be responsive with customer service? Would my money be available when I needed it? A computer snafu at the wrong time can feel just as threatening as a financial loss.

I found DepositAccounts.com quite helpful for comparing financial health and customer service at various banks. Unfortunately, horror stories abound in the reviews. Just remember that people seem more motivated to post negative reviews than positive. Many complaints center on funds availability. All banks have a certain “float” time before transferred funds become available and these times are usually well explained.

Switching Banks

I thought I’d found a winner in CIT Bank, which got decent reviews and offered an interest rate over 4%. I went to their website, spent several minutes filling out the online application form, and pressed Enter. Poof! All my data disappeared and I was immediately returned to their home screen with no error message. Sorry, disqualified. I’m not going to trust my money to a bank that can’t offer a bombproof application process.

So I stepped up to a more recognizable name, with decent reviews, and a passably generous interest rate of 3.3%, Discover Bank. Their application process was seamless and in about ten minutes I had a new, empty savings account. I proceeded to schedule a transfer from USAA and that process was equally seamless.

In the weeks since, I’ve been happy with Discover Bank. I messaged their customer service with a question about how they implement two-factor authentication and got a prompt, informative reply.

A week later, because of multiple test transfers I was performing, a fraud alert was raised and Discover temporarily froze my account. Their fraud team answered my call promptly, did a verification with USAA, then unfroze my account. This took about twenty minutes. I was told this is not uncommon with new accounts. Unless it gets to be a major inconvenience, I’d prefer my bank err on the side of caution when it comes to fraud.

Finally, Discover recently raised our rate to 3.4%, then again to 3.5%. Not big bucks, but it shows they aren’t going to play the game of forcing us to open a new account to take advantage of higher rates. Or at least not right away.

Mobile

Averaging more than $150/month, our cell phone bill for two is another non-trivial ongoing expense. But it’s a critical one. I’m leery about giving up the Verizon network, which has served me well in my many far flung travels. But thanks to a recent post on Bearfoot Theory, I’m now aware of a lower cost option that still uses Verizon.

Same Network, Lower Cost

It’s called Visible.com and it’s a separate company, owned by Verizon, that uses Verizon’s hardware but with a different cost and service structure. This appears to be Verizon’s answer to competing with lower cost providers, without muddying their premium brand.

Bottom line, Visible gives you unlimited talk, text, and data and a much lower cost per month in exchange for limiting the speed of your connection and international talk/text in some circumstances. Also, all Visible customer service is via chat, though I usually prefer that to waiting on hold anyway. Visible offers two plans, one for $30/month, one with fewer limits for $45/month. I’ll let you read their website for the details. (Breaking news: Visible has just reduced their plans to $25/month and $35/month through March 31st.)

The key question is how much or how often does that speed limit present a problem? The report from Bearfoot Theory is encouraging, especially if you’re a traveler who uses lots of data.

But Not The Same Service

I started down the road of activating Visible for this post, but ran into some hurdles with transferring my current number.

First, the site seemed to have difficulty recognizing my Verizon account number. Then it requested a “PIN.” Only after some aborted attempts and reading the fine print did I realize this was a special “Number Transfer PIN” that must be generated by the original provider — Verizon for me in this case.

Next I saw that mobile number transfers can take 4-24 business hours to complete and I got cold feet. Caroline is away as I write this so if my phone goes offline I’ll be cut off from the world. I decided to wait and retry this process when she’s home and I have access to her phone as backup.

I’m still planning to try Visible, but as is so often the case, the transition is not quite as simple as the sales pitch promises.

Cable/Internet

I’ve watched with distaste as our Xfinity bill creeps up by $10-20 most years. But until recently I hadn’t taken the time to do anything about it. I still don’t have a solution, but I’ll report on the state of my efforts.

In our area, Xfinity is the fastest available Internet. They’re the only game in town if you demand speed.

Internet Alternatives

Dish is available, at typically slower speeds. And their customer service is unimpressive. I called for a quote and they informed me that Dish was not available in our area, despite the Dish antenna sitting on our roof from the previous owner!

Verizon Home Internet, a 5G wireless service, is not yet available in our medium-sized city.

If you’ve already got an Internet connection, there is much buzz on the web about “skinny streaming bundles.” These give you cable-like service with local channels and live shows over an Internet connection. But the prices don’t seem that skinny to me: Hulu + Live TV currently goes for $69.99/month, and YouTube TV goes for $64.99/month.

Untangling Our Bundle

The problem is getting that underlying Internet connection. As I wrote, Xfinity is the fastest option in our town. It would be nice if I could get cheap Internet from them, then add one of those skinny bundles on top to save money. The crux is trying to pry cheap Internet out of Xfinity.

We currently have their “Starter” package with 500 Mbps Internet plus 125 almost-unused TV channels. How much of our $156 monthly bill goes to Internet and how much to TV? Good luck finding that out. Xfinity does its very best to hide the answer on their web site and in our statement. And don’t bother asking their cantankerous digital Assistant.

Calling works, if you’re able to navigate their phone tree. But don’t bother searching for the phone number on their website. Fortunately Google can find it, and I’ll post it here: 1-800-934-6489.

When you call, avoid getting shunted off to the automated Assistant. Instead say “speak with an agent.” Answer the following prompts with “remove a package,” “downgrade,” and “cable TV.” At last you may be speaking with a human being who can change your service.

I was quoted $78/month after taxes and fees for 400 Mbps Internet or $88/month for 800 Mbps Internet. I was also advised, helpfully, that promotions for contracts with 800 Mbps Internet will be offered on Xfinity’s web site in early March for $70/month.

Worth the Effort?

But, even if I got the best of those deals, and assuming there are no other hidden fees, by the time I add back in a skinny bundle, I only save about $20/month. So far I haven’t been willing to go through all the hassle for that kind of savings.

If you do decide to cancel your cable TV, this article at Reviews.org is worth consulting to get all the details right, including returning your Xfinity equipment. Bring a lot of patience and document every step you take.

I’ve read that you can call Xfinity, ask for their “Retention” team, threaten to cancel your service, and attempt to negotiate a lower price. That’s not my style, but I encourage anybody who would enjoy the exercise to try taking Xfinity down a notch.

I’ve also been attracted to a service called Trim that offers to do the negotiation for you, along with some other benefits. It seems to get decent reviews and purportedly can save you as much as 30% on some bills, of which Trim takes a 15% cut.

So far I’ve yet to take the plunge. One of Trim’s main services is scanning your accounts for and helping you cancel unwanted subscriptions. I can handle that task on my own. I don’t have a problem with forgotten subscriptions. I’m painfully aware of them all each month. Also, Trim interacts with you exclusively through texting, which sounds distracting to me. I’m not looking for another texting buddy right now.

Share Your Savings Wins

OK, that’s the report from my front lines with cable, mobile, and online banks. If you have recent, relevant experience with these three behemoths, please leave a comment below!

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[The founder of CanIRetireYet.com, Darrow Kirkpatrick relied on a modest lifestyle, high savings rate, and simple passive index investing to retire at age 50 from a career as a civil and software engineer. He has been quoted or published in The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Kiplinger, The Huffington Post, Consumer Reports, and Money Magazine among others. His books include Retiring Sooner: How to Accelerate Your Financial Independence and Can I Retire Yet? How to Make the Biggest Financial Decision of the Rest of Your Life.]

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37 Comments

  1. Valuable post, Darrow. We use Verizon now after switching from Spectrum, which supposedly used Verizon towers, but as it turned out, only a subset of them which often left us without cell during travels. Finding optimal solutions that balance cost with service in many realms (not just cell carriers) can be overwhelming. Your shared experience is helpful.

  2. We dropped Spectrum Internet and cable a couple years ago after a fiber to the home competitor came to our neighborhood. With 500 mbps and Hulu Live, we are saving more than $50/month with much better service. We are fortunate to get local stations over the air. As far as banks go, we can’t say enough good things about Ally Bank. Competitive rates and easy to get in touch with a live person with little or no wait time.

  3. I share your frustration with finding tech related savings. We have used T-Mobile magenta plans available to those over 55. We have 2 lines for $70/month and have had reliable coverage plus we use wifi at home and aren’t big data users. Note that we live in a large metro area and service in the hinterlands might vary. The availability of service outside the US has been good providing you use WhatsApp for phone calls—regular calls are .25 a minute. You can also switch off roaming while abroad and use wifi calling in a hotel or similar location as well. There are also some extras like a basic Netflix package currently being included. Your mileage may vary.

    https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans/unlimited-55-senior-discount-plans

    1. YouTubeTV can be legitimately shared, which we do with our adult sons. That saves a bunch. Since we live on Whidbey Island, cell coverage is poor in many areas on most networks. We have saved by using MVNOs which use the big boys’ networks. Mint Mobile is a favorite which uses the T-Mobile network, and my wife uses that. I have been trying another, which I can’t recommend quite yet, and it uses the AT&T network. Our coverage then is maybe a bit more complementary. We depend on wifi calling at home. We don’t seem to need unlimited data, as we are usually on wifi. For internet, we now pay $65/mo for Whidbey Telecom fiber @100MBPS, which seems adequate. They offer up to 1GBPS. One main benefit with this service is uptime during the too frequent power outages. Another cable option was too unreliable, though cheaper. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.

  4. – Savings: Betterment cash reserve is currently paying 4.00%.
    – Mobile: US Mobile is a Verizon MVNO; $16.48/month for 1 line, unlimited talk & text, 2 GB data (I primarily use WiFi).
    – Internet: CenturyLink; $45/month for 80Mbps (for life, or until I move anyway).
    – YouTube TV: $68.56/month. Considering downgrading to Sling and using an antenna for local channels, but then there’s the whole OTA DVR issue.
    – Insurance bundle: State Farm home + auto; $240/month. Unfortunately I’ve shopped around and this is about as good as it gets. I considered Hartford but the deductible on a new roof could be significantly more out of pocket, and since I’ve already had to get two new roofs from hail damage in the last decade… it’s about a wash.

  5. Thanks for sharing your cost-cutting efforts. I recently moved 2 lines from Verizon’s unlimited plan to T-Mobile’s equivalent Magenta plan and I have been very pleased with the coverage and performance. If you qualify for the 55+ plan, it is even cheaper. The T-Mobile service worked seamlessly on a trip to Canada, unlike my experience with Verizon. Want another reason to switch? You get Netflix for free.

    I have Xfinity too and just have the base internet service that costs $80/mo. I have thought about moving to a 5G option through the big 3 Carriers that are being advertised but worry about reliability and performance since I work remotely so will pay the premium for now.

  6. Fidelity pays 4.22% today on their core position (money market) and higher for CDs. Why go anywhere else? Note: you might have to switch into the proper core position since Fidelity offer more than one. It’s painless and takes about a minute.

  7. Hi Darrow,

    Thanks for your article. You provide a good discussion about cost cutting and investigating options to evaluate how you want to proceed with this process. I can add one comment on High Yield Savings Accounts. I also use USAA but am not willing to change due to all the financial connections for income and payments that are completed using this account.

    I opened an account with SaveBetter for utilizing a high yield savings account and earning interest on some of my cash. This bank offers an easy way to access Savings Accounts and CD’s, among a number of smaller banks that can offer higher yields and are FDIC insured. I have transferred money three times over the last weeks and all has been seamless for me. The bank I started with had the highest rate when I started, but has recently increased the APY to 4.35% to keep up with others. I will continue to monitor this, and provide any updates on this change.

  8. We signed up with New York Community Bank, on-line. Has the float days for transfer and takes a week or two on initial set up but once that is done, good rates. They have only gone up since we opened the account several months ago, now paying 4.38%

  9. – Savings: VMFXX is currently paying ~4.50% at Vanguard. If you need banking functions, Fidelity is a good bet. I linked a brokerage account with SPAXX (~4%) as the core fund to a cash management account where I keep $0 as I have automatic overdraft coming from my brokerage. The main advantage to using the CMA account is free ATM withdrawls.
    – Mobile: Check out RedPocket’s annual deals on Ebay. I used to pay $60/year per line, but recently upgraded to ~$90/year. I’ve been with them for years with relatively few issues, and the price seems to be stable.

  10. I switch to Consumer Cellular a long time back. I pay ~$45 for 2 lines, with my AARP 5% discount. But I don’t use much in the way of data and not sure about coverage in the areas you get out to.

    I also ditched cable. I get all the major stations OTA + my OTA Tivo (with all-in-service) and I’m covered for most things. Then I just get/drop select streaming services based on my current need. My internet service without bundling is $75 here.

  11. My heart skipped a beat reading this. Break up with USAA? I could never do it. They’ve been with me through thick and thin for 48 years, through mortgages and moving, through ex-spouse and son’s DUIs, and insured and financed 20 cars.

    Having said that, I PARK my cash in a MM at Schwab and move to USAA’s checking and excellent bill pay service when needed.

    I also can’t quit Sprint. We have an 20 year old plan with unlimited international roaming and data for 3 lines. Pricy but reliable and worth it.

    And we went to FUBO for TV. My husband loves it for sports. I like its recording function. Cut our screen costs from $225+ to about $150 for FUBO and a handful of other streaming services.

  12. I have a Vanguard brokerage account. The Vanguard Fed Money Market Fund (cash sweep vehicle) is currently paying 4.52% SEC 7day yield.

  13. Hi Darrow,
    My wife, myself and are two kids each transferred from my Verizon family plan to Visible in December 2022. I agree, the transfer process is not as easy as it seems. It took my wife and I about 3 hours to complete the transfer and that included having to chat with customer service multiple times. The PIN transfer piece is definitely the biggest challenge. I will say though, the customer service folks are very nice even via chat.

    One piece of advice, perform the transfer process via your phone. I made the mistake of enrolling into the new plan via my laptop. I did not recognize until it was too late that I would need a Sim card rather than being able to do the transfer virtually. It took a couple extras days to actually complete the transfer and another chat with customer service because the process using the Sim card did not connect immediately. Fortunately, they were able to correct everything from their side.

    None of my family has experienced any differences between plans so I am very happy to be saving $100/month. They seem to change their promos often. We actually got the $45 premium plan for the first 12 months at the base plan price of $30. Good Luck!!

  14. I finally tried an Internet bank. I opened a CD with Comenity Bank. Six months later they changed their name to Bread Savings. Their login page didn’t recognize my password and they make it nearly impossible to contact them. I was finally able to change my password after days of struggle and worrying about whether my CD money would disappear.

    A local credit union has competitive rates now, 4.3%, so I happily dumped some new money in a CD there. I’m done with the online experiment.

  15. Cell Phones- Consumer Cellular, top rated, uses the ATT or T-Mobile network. We pay $40 a month for 2 lines with all we need, if we go over on data, bump it by $10 to $50!!

    We just quit ATT uverse @ $200 per mo for TV and internet, kept the internet @$50, went with Hulu live for $70, saving $80 per mo and it’s great!

  16. cell plan – I use US Mobile which in my area uses Verizon towers. I am a low data user. Found the service when looking at a post on Mr. M site – the post provided a phone plan comparison tool by another blogger that Mr. M linked to. Your solution may be different. The clincher was that I got wifi calling which was essential in a rural area where the signal was week on my property for any of the providers.

    Internet – I use internet only service several years ago it was comcast and now that I am in a rural area I have a high speed DSL service through the local phone service (century link) – which is just as fast as my previous cable connection. I pay 45.00 per month. I add a VOIP line on top of that with the entry level service from OOMA for around 6.00.

    1. Note the wifi calling only works if your phone has it already in the operating system for your smart phone. They do not provide any apps like the major carriers do. My wife’s phone even though it was from a major manufacturer did not support.

  17. My favorite for cellular service for years has been consumer cellular. They receive service from multiple towers, low monthly plans, no contracts, and always excellent customer service! I cut my cellular bill in half, as well as my parent’s bill… for the same plans.

  18. I’m trying savebetter.com for holding yearly funds. Seems to be working well right now? Was easy to set up and transfers go well. I do like getting 4.57 APR right now. We have a $65 internet access from CenturyLink and steam a couple of services. Use the antenna for OTA channels for live programing. Fought and fought with comcast and finally had enough. Once I left them, they offered the $65 rate. I said I was done and we moved on! Looking for the solution to the banking accounts, yet. For cell service we have Verizon, due to always working for us. Have a plan that is no longer offered. Have to get new phones, so will buy them on the open market. We have no need for 5G or the cost of the plans!! We travel around the country and I am more interested in the service working where I am, since there is no 5G outside of the major cities. Insurance, I used to spend a day every two years comparing and possibly switching. Now I use a broker and let them work it out.

  19. Since you have Xfinity for internet, you may want to consider Xfinity Mobile for cell service. Xfinity Mobile is a re-seller of Verizon in my area. No complaints as switching form AT&T about 14 months ago.

  20. I enjoy your articles, thank you. I just wanted to tell you my experience wit CIT Bank has been excellent. My application process was uneventful and I am getting that high interest rate. I wire money out of there and transfer between accounts at another bank. I did cal customer service once, and I have to say that they were great. Just wanted to let you know!

  21. Thankful that we have a choice between Fios and Xfinity .. paying $45 for Fios internet only. Just threw out an offer from Xfinity. Ask if there is a loyal customer discount, a discount for a two-year contract … If not think about cancelling right before you go on vacation and signing up for a new account when you are back in the other person’s name.
    We cut the cord, mostly just have Peacock, every once in a while something else for a month (World Cup, March Madness). I know cutting the cord is difficult for sports lovers, especially if your team’s games are broadcast by multiple broadcasters and, like us, over-the-air reception is spotty. My solution has become the Matthew Loves Ball youtube channel for the highlights … 20-25 minutes instead of 2 hours for a college basketball game, maybe I watch it the next day instead of later that day. But a huge time savings, never mind the $.
    T-Mobile for cell phone, did not know about Visible. Got the people at the store to handle the switch from the old carrier.

  22. We were on Consumer Cellular but recently switched to Tello and our mobile bill is half of before for 2 phones (about $25/mo for the two). Seems fine for our needs. I use Ziply for internet at $40/mo. It’s a Verizon fiber network that sold to Ziply and I get the cheapest 30Mbs plan which is fine for multiple video streams and modest intensity gaming. We have a landline using Ooma. It’s roughly $7/mo of taxes. I don’t have a good solution for cable but I want local news and we can’t get any over-the-air reception so I’m stuck paying $46/mo (inclusive of taxes/fees) for the cheapest basic cable offered. This one really pisses me off. For online saving, I have Ally and I pointed mom to Markus. They seem OK but I read CIT seems to be close to the best over time, consistently raising rates when appropriate. Recently, the core MM accounts at Fidelity and Vanguard seem to pay a bit better than online savings so I’ve moved money there. I’ve also started buyng 3 mo. treasuries on Fidelity to squeeze out an additional 0.5%. IMO, may not be worth the hassle unless you have 6 figures of purchases.

  23. Our “savings win” has been to eliminate cable TV and go with an OTA HD antenna. We’re 30 miles outside chicago so we get 40+ stations. If you aren’t addicted to HGTV or lots of live sports, you can get by with 1-2 streaming options (e.g. Netflix, Prime, etc) and stay well under your old cable bill. For internet, the Verizon cube for $25/mo is great.
    Between that and downsizing to one car, we’re doing ok.

  24. We went to the mobile phone kiosk at a local Costco to inquire about new cell phone plans. The kiosk attendant represented several carriers – AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc. and had no stake in whomever we chose. He made some recommendations based upon our circumstances but didn’t push any particular carrier over another. Since our Verizon contract had expired, we switched from Verizon to T-Mobile on the spot for the exact same plane yet reduced our monthly cell phone bill for two phones from $115+the ever-fluctuating taxes to a flat/all inclusive $70 per month with unlimited text and data with no contract. Although we haven’t really taken advantage of it, we even got free streaming HBO Max with the deal! (Although this perk may not be currently available, similar ones might be.) Most importantly, the kiosk attendant was extremely knowledgeable and performed the conversion for us – contacting Verizon, changing SIM cards, etc. It turned out to be a seamless conversion. Going in, we were skeptical and wary about the change but were pleasantly surprised. This is not a “plug” in favor of Costco. Just an option for some to explore, if available.

  25. With regard to on-line savings accounts, please don’t forget to consider money market accounts that invest in US treasury bills. Vanguard, and other discount brokers, has a money market account that invests only in US Treasury that is yielding over 4.5%. Since it invests in US Treasuries, there is no state or local tax on your earnings. If you are in a high tax state, California or New York, you could be easily in the 8 or 9% state tax bracket which reduces your after tax return. The same thing goes for certificates of deposit. You can buy US Treasury securities on treasurydirect.com with no commission on the transaction. Think after tax savings rates.

  26. While we do a much worse job than you do in tracking our expenses, your monthly burn rates on these services are far beyond anything we’d ever consider.

    Online savings: Vanguard has the best Treasury money market account, paying 4% plus and of course state tax exempt. Schwab’s Treasury MM fund has a higher ER, but you can easily just buy 13 and 26 month T-bills at auction there and roll them over. Why complicate your life to earn less with online banks? On the other hand, keeping a few months worth of expenses in a local credit union (or bank, if you must) where you can actually walk in and access your funds is IMHO a great idea, whether the concern is cyber-attacks on brokerages or another pandemic.

    Cell phones: We pay $16 a month each using Ting, a Horizon MVNO (they also offer T-Mobile but you can ask for a Verizon SIM). Great customer service – for years. This is well-trodden ground; the Mr. Money Mustache forums have been offering comprehensive strategies for years. Paying more than $50 a month for a couple is highway robbery.

    Internet and cable: I don’t see why any couple that aren’t elite coders and multitaskers both playing complex video game simultaneously would need more than 50MBPS internet speeds. 40 We grudgingly pay ~$50 a month for about that speed from our lousy local ISP (Cox here in Tucson) and then are serial subscribers to Netflix, Britbox, Parmount + and other streaming services, always putting an alert in our calendar for expiration dates and exhausting the TV series and/or movies we want to see on one or two providers before cancelling and signing up for the next. We refuse to pay for TV or streaming services with ads and are much better off for it. Internet and streaming services together cost us well under $100 a month.

  27. If you are a senior (55 years or older), then you get a better deal with T-Mobile, unlimited text/calls/ Data with 5G capability in most USA.

  28. Darrow, just FYI, we have been completely satisfied Discover Bank customers for more than a decade. All transactions have been quick, seamless and painless. Inquiries to the customer service staff have been answered promptly and professionally. We have consistently received notification of rate increases tied into the Fed’s actions.
    Communication about the status of transfers and holds on deposits is prompt and clear. We decided a long time ago that, for us, chasing slightly higher rates anywhere else was not worth sacrificing Discover’s user-friendly interface and excellent customer service. I trust that your experience will be a positive one, as well.

  29. I just completed a comparison of my auto, condo and umbrella insurance policies and found I can save over $400 per year by switching companies (and even get some improvements in coverage). I did a similar comparison 5 years ago and my cost then was competitive. I have been with the same insurance company for more than 15 years. Companies are not rewarding loyal customers. “Buyer beware” holds true. It really pays to shop and compare.

    1. Similar experience here. My auto insurance was set to go up 32% having stayed with the same insurer for several years and no claims in the last 5 years. Then my daughter who is under our policy bought a new car. I switched and was able to keep my premium the same as I have been paying. Shopping around I found quite a range on quotes. One company was twice the rate I chose.

  30. We have also been looking at options, and looking, and looking…so far many wasted hours. We do have a great cell phone plan from Verizon: Unlimited 55+ Loyalty for less than $100 a month, limited to 2 lines. We have been with Verizon for many years. I look forward to the next posting! Thank you.

  31. Thanks for posting this article very informative! I have Visible now for about a year and like them very much, previously I had Republic Wireless switching to Visible was seamless for me. As far as banking I have been a long time Alliant Credit Union member. Their custom service is very good, and although there rates are not the highest they are competitive plus they offer a credit card that offer 2.5% cash back with no annual fee. I have Verizon home internet and Amazon Prime video as well as Apple TV+ I get my news from PBS which I can access online. As far as cable tv I don’t use it anymore can’t stand all the commercials but I know of some people that buy a digital antenna and that may work depending on where you are located.

  32. Darrow, I am glad to see you writing for “your” site again. I just checked it for the first time in perhaps two years, since it had become irrelevant to me.
    I just went through my annual “negotiation” of begging Cox for a better rate on my internet/TV/landline bundle. To my surprise, I’m now paying 10% less for the same services. Although I no longer need the land line, nor most of the TV channels.
    Phoenix is supposed to be saturated with Verizon 5G Ultra, but I can’t get their home internet in my neighborhood for unknown reasons. When that changes, I will probably finally drop Cox and rearrange all my services.

  33. I would proceed cautiously with Trim. I tried them and found that they have a habit of finding what I would call are false savings. Basically they can see that a discount is about to expire and they renew the discount while asking for their cut of these fictional savings. Buyer beware.

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