| "Don't look back," baseball
great Leroy "Satchel" Paige once warned. "Something
might be gaining on you." That's often good advice -- unless
the monster already has you in its grip and you don't know it.
Like termites chewing away a foundation, banks, credit companies,
mortgage brokers and other finance firms can swallow your
money in such small bites that you may not notice: The
$1.50 ATM surcharge at the bottom of your bank statement,
a late charge buried in your credit card statement, that unused
equity line at the bank.
Looking over bank statements, credit card bills and other
financial flotsam doesn't take too long, but it can save you
plenty. Follow our five-day plan and by the end of the week,
you'll know exactly where you stand. And that's a good place
to be when you start budgeting for the new year.
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