| Beware of the Four-Square rip off
If you or somebody you know is looking into purchasing a new vehicle, this is a must read. We know new and used car salesmen can be some pretty slick dudes, but many of us step on the lot with a great deal of emotion and usually little preparedness. Even us car nuts may come in knowing more than the next guy, but a great deal of knowledge about the product you're about to buy may still not prevent you being taken for a ride.Some dealers use a selling system called the "Four-Square" to play psychological warfare with your wallet. They work this confusing system several times per day, while you purchase a new car every few years. Obviously, they're the wolf and you're the sheep. The "Four-Square" is a sheet of paper with boxes for trade-in, vehicle price, down payment, and monthly payment. It looks very simple, but for most people, it's like solving Rubik's Cube.
KC Council committee endorses breaks for projects
The use of tax increment financing to a conversion of the long-vacant Chatham at 37th Street and Broadway into residential condominiums. The abatement of property taxes for 10 years for as many as 35 single-family houses to be built on and near 21st Street and Prospect Avenue. House builder Bill Brown has constructed three houses and three more are under construction. The average sale price of the houses is $170,000. .
Money expert to speak
Dave Ramsey, the nationally syndicated radio talk-show financial adviser, will appear this afternoon at Freeman Coliseum. Ramsey is author of the 2003 New York Times best-seller "Total Money Makeover." KTSA-AM radio airs the three-hour Dave Ramsey program on its weekday afternoon lineup. Ramsey also made appearances in San Antonio on Friday at KTSA-AM and WOAI-TV. In his late 20s, Ramsey lost a $4 million real estate portfolio that was heavily dependent on short-term debt. That experience put him on a quest to better understand wealth creation and in 1988 he formed a biblically based company in Nashville to advise others on how to get out of debt and build equity. His first book, "Financial Peace," tells the story of his financial crisis and recovery.
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