DM Business and Student of Integrity Award Winners Named
Five business and five student winners were honored for their honest business practices and integrity at the BBB Annual Integrity Awards luncheon April 16, 2009 at the downtown Des Moines Marriott. Winners were selected by a panel of business leaders following an extensive nominating and application process. "These winners demonstrate the values of honestly and fairness that define a BBB Business," stated BBB Board Chair, Greg LaMair. The 2009 honorees are:
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President's Column:
Small Business Advice: Save Money by Bartering
Greetings to BBB Accredited Business owners. I am sure the changing season has you hoping that business trends will change soon too. We are working hard to make sure BBB Accredited Businesses are positioned well by their high letter grade rating and Accreditation status to thrive in the current marketplace.
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BBB Alert:
Many Billed for "Free" Guidance on Obtaining Federal Government Grants
The BBB is warning the public to be extremely wary of companies that offer "free" advice on how to get government grants. Dozens of Web sites claim that because of the recently passed stimulus package and other actions taken by President Obama, consumers can easily get government grants to pay bills or get out of debt. Contrary to such claims, the federal government does not award grants to help consumers pay general debt and complaints to BBB show that people who sought free advice were ultimately charged as much as $69.95 every month on their credit or debit card. Immediately following the approval of the $787 billion stimulus package, Web searches for the word "stimulus" returned sponsored link sites like officialstimuluschecks.com and ObamaStimulusGrant.net, in addition to many news stories and Web pages discussing the bill. Ads for grant schemes used enticing testimonials such as, "I got my stimulus check in the mail in less than 30 days..."
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Credit Card Holders Could Experience Hike in Interest Rate; BBB Advice on Keeping Rates Low
Anyone who has recently seen the interest rates on their credit cards more than double isn’t alone. Citing economic conditions, American Express, Bank of America, Citibank, Capital One, and HSBC are raising rates on potentially millions of credit card holders. Fortunately though, there are a few steps that credit card holders can take to try and keep their old rate and Better Business Bureau offers the following advice for fighting back against skyrocketing interest rates.
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Ad Reviews
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New Members
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Anniversaries
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