· Bryan / College Station

· Brenham

· Caldwell

· Hearne

· Hempstead

· Huntsville

· Madisonville

· Navasota

Is there a deal to be had by buying at government auctions? Our bargain-hunting money reporter Stacy Johnson went to find out, and filed this report.; auction; debt; investing; According to some industry websites, 3 out of 4 frequent flier miles are never redeemed. Part of the reason is that many people fly different airlines, so they don't accumulate enough miles in any one for a free trip.; family; miles; Travel; There are now almost 50 million Americans without health insurance. But even for those who do have coverage, collecting on it can sometimes be frustrating.; family; Health; insurance; You have heard that travel agents get big discounts when they travel. If true, maybe you should become one before you hit the road this summer.; family; Travel; Getting a driver's license is a coming-of-age for many kids. It's their ticket to freedom, no longer having to rely on family and friends to get around. But there¿s a price to be paid for freedom: high insurance rates.; auto; family; insurance; You've heard the old saying... it can¿t hurt to ask... And when it comes to your credit card interest rate, just asking the bank to lower your rate could save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars.; credit; family; You've seen the offers... 0% interest if you transfer your credit card balance to a new card. But have you ever considered borrowing at zero and earning money on the bank's with the bank's money?; credit; Interest; investing; If you're going to hire people to work around your house, how do you find the best help? Asking your friends for referrals is a good idea, but an even better one might be to ask everyone in town.; home improvement; real estate; Hiring a licensed contractor for your next home improvement project should assure you that they¿re honest and competent. The problem is making sure they¿re actually licensed contractors.; home improvement; real estate; Nationwide, home prices are expected to decline this year: Bad news for both builders and home owners. But as with many dark clouds, this one has a silver lining.; real estate; remodel; Want a better credit rating? The usual way to get one is to pay off debts... but some people are now doing something different: piggybacking on someone else's score to make theirs look better.; credit; Cellular plans can be complicated and costly. But there are simple ways to save. For example, you can use dial-around services to call long distance... even internationally for less than 5 cents a minute.; family; phone; By the time a police car hits the auction block, it's often got a hundred thousand miles on it. But it's cheap, it's fast and it's built to last. Are used police cars a steal?; News; auto; June is the month of weddings, which also makes the month when newlyweds start changing their last names. Whether it's the bride, the groom, or both, using the right system will make the process easier.; family; marriage; wedding; What if you were paying twice as much for your health insurance as identical new customers are paying? That's exactly what happened to our consumer reporter, Stacy Johnson.; family; health insurance; insurance; With the spiraling cost of gasoline, insurance and cars, getting to work is getting expensive. But it doesn't have to be that way...; alternative energy; auto; car; environment; You write a check, the money leaves the account the next day. But you deposit a check, it could be a week before you get the credit. Is it fair? Uncle Sam seems to think so.; bank; checking; credit; loan; If you've noticed more banks in your neighborhood, but fewer names, you're seeing the results of mergers in the banking business. But with fewer banks competing for your business, does that mean higher fees ahead? ; bank; investing; loan; You pay 20 cents a gallon more... but is that premium gas really worth that premium price? Can you simply switch to regular?; auto; car; gasoline; mileage; We all have stories about horrible customer service on the telephone. How can something so good go so bad?; credit; customer service; family; shopping; There's an old expression that says "Buy staw hats in winter." It means buying things out of season can save you money. As it turns out, for every shopping spree, there's a season.; credit; family; season; shopping; With the cost of energy skyrocketing, many people are turning to things like solar to shave their power bills. But you don¿t have to spend 10s of thousands of dollars to make a difference.; electricity; energy; environment; real estate; With the focus on the high cost of energy, alternative ways to heat and cool your home are gaining traction. But are they finally going to become affordable?; energy; family; real estate; solar; If you've ever dreamed of being a published author, a new movement called Public Publishing can make that dream come true for as little as $13.; Publishing; family; writing; The cost of a wedding these days is approaching 30 grand. Will you be vowing till debt do you part?; family; marriage; wedding; It's June, the wedding month. And if you're about to walk down the aisle, there are lots of things to talk about, including family finances.; family; marriage; wedding; Stacy Johnson attempts to explain how to shop for the best health insurance policy for you. Part 2 of 2.; Health; home; insurance; policy; While the health care system in the US is one of the world's best, the ability to pay for that healthcare has been a crisis for years. Part 1 of 2.; Health; family; home; insurance; As fun as they can be, boats are expensive and require a lot of maintenance. But now they don't have to be!; Travel; boat; loan; Are you sending a kid off to college soon? If so, you've got a lot to plan... including how to protect their possessions with insurance.; college; insurance; student; 16-million students are expected to enroll in U.S. colleges this year... But most of them will fail miserably when it comes to a real-life lesson known as Insurance 101.; Health; auto; college; insurance; Dont have health insurance? Well, if your lack of coverage is a temporary problem, you'll need this advice from Stacy Johnson.; college; health insurance; temporary; It pays to keep an eye on your valuables, and that includes the information kept about you by credit bureaus... your credit score.; credit; debt; monitor; Summer vacation isn't too far away... so if you haven't already started planning that family getaway, then we've got some bang-for-your-buck vacation ideas.; Travel; destination; home; If your family observes the ritual of 'Spring Cleaning,' there may be one place still left to tidy up.... your financial paperwork!; family; home; paperwork; tax; Whether you're starting out or just trying to grow your business, it never hurts to have a little expert assistance... if you know where to find it!; business; family; help; small business; Thanks to today's heightened security, you now need a Passport to travel to Mexico, Canada and even the Caribbean.; Travel; home; passport; We put those weight loss solutions to the test to find out if you get what you pay for. Part 2 of 2.; diet; exercise; family; weight loss; We put those weight loss solutions to the test to find out if you get what you pay for. Part 1 of 2.; Health; exercise; family; weight loss; Have you ever wished your vacations were a little less money, but a lot more rewarding? If so, then you've gotta see this!; Travel; vacation; volunteer; Do you think your credit card charges high fees? Well try this: $247 up-front, for a $300 credit line!; bankrupt; credit card; debt; fees; Think trading the stock market is confusing? You ain't seen nothing yet! Soon you'll be able to trade in markets all over the world, 24 hours a day...; Funds; Stocks; bank; foreign; investing; Don't you wish you had an extra $1000? Just follow our quick, easy ways to save a grand!; debt; family; loan save money; You've gotten your refund check. But before you go shopping, how about a few ideas that might be a little more on target...; bank; investing; refund; tax; taxes; Chrome rims are really in fashion these days. But are they "wheely" worth the money? Let's find out!; auto; car; chrome; rims; wheels; If you've got a 401K, 403B or other retirement plan, you probably think you don't pay any fees for it... but you're more than likely wrong!; 401k; Retirement; bank; fees; investing; If you're throwing a few bucks in the company 401k, that's a great way to save, but we'll tell you how to earn even more for your retirement.; 401k; Retirement; bank; investing; http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1078599979http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=492828725