A few weeks ago, when I called an appliance repair service to fix a problem with my refrigerator, the technician was extremely clear about the cost of his services. The minimum for a house call was $89, and after that, he billed in 15-minute increments for his labor. He would not be charging for his travel time. However, the parts were extra, and at that point he didn’t know if any would be needed to fix a freezer with a layer of ice building up underneath the ice cube trays. I appreciated his direct approach and transparency. Upon arrival, he quickly diagnosed the problem and made the tricky repair. The total bill of $170 didn’t surprise me, Read more

Overview
Established in 1963, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is a nonprofit trade association that consists of more than 60,000 professional members from all spheres of the kitchen and bathroom remodeling industry. The association’s stated mission is to enhance the success and excellence of its members, promote professionalism and ethical business practices, and provide leadership and direction for the kitchen and bathroom industry worldwide. Read more

Like house painting, preparing to prepare your tax return comprises the bulk of the work. With good preparation, actually completing your tax return is a piece of cake. If you’re one of those people who carefully manage tax documents all year long, pat yourself on the back. If you’re like those of us who find tax preparation painful at best, read on.

First: Organize
Whether or not you’re using a tax preparer, having organized paperwork will make all the difference. As your W-2s, mortgage interest statements and bank paperwork arrive, put them in a large, well-marked envelope. Ideally, throughout 2014, you’ve done the same with all of your receipts for tax-deductible expenses (if you haven’t, Read more

For the uninitiated, real estate can be like learning a new language. In this article, we cover some of the basics, from key industry terms to commonly asked questions.

Distinguishing Designations
With all the different titles in real estate, it can be hard to keep track of who’s who. Here’s a simple breakdown of the main real estate designations:

Realtor: A realtor can be an agent, broker or other real estate professional. What defines a realtor is not their designation, but their adherence to the Code of Ethics set forth by the National Association of Realtors, which you can read here.

Agent: An agent possesses a salesperson license with the California Department of Real Estate (DRE). Read more

Maybe you’ve heard about the Diamond Certified Preferred Consumer Membership but still aren’t quite sure what it’s all about. Maybe you just haven’t had a chance to learn more, or maybe your consumer “spider sense” has kicked in and you’re detecting some kind of sales gimmick.

The fact is, not only is becoming a Diamond Certified Preferred Consumer incredibly easy, there’s positively nothing to lose because it’s always 100 percent free. Here are a few of the benefits that come with being a card carrying member of our Preferred Consumer program:

Member hotline
Whether to ask a question, lodge a complaint or compliment a Diamond Certified company on their great work, Read more

Several weeks ago, I received a phone call from a representative who told me we had failed to pay for our newspaper subscription since September. He said I could pay the past due amount by credit card along with another three months in advance: a total of $400. I was so embarrassed about being late on the bill that I almost fell for the scam. Just a few days later, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a full-page ad warning subscribers that this particular company wasn’t authorized to offer renewals (almost double the usual amount) and to ignore the calls and notices sent by mail. Read more

Have you received your free copy of the Winter Diamond Certified Directory Update in the mail? It provides instant access to hundreds of local, top rated Diamond Certified companies across a wide range of service industries, from auto repair and landscaping to optometry and dentistry.

Every Diamond Certified company must continue to deliver on its promises to you, the consumer. That’s why we conduct ongoing customer satisfaction research, perform credential-based ratings, monitor each company’s performance, and back you up with mediation and the Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee.

If you haven’t received your copy of the 2015 Winter Diamond Certified Directory Update, simply click this link and we’ll send one as soon as possible. Read more