etf

Listeners of The 404 Show have plenty of financial questions, so we look to our resident expert Jill Schlesinger from "CBS MoneyWatch" to make sense of it all. From ETFs to IRAs and everything in between, Jill and Jeff navigate the choppy waters of personal finance. They'll also talk about Apple in great detail, and whether the company's sinking stock price is a sign of things to come.

Jill hits up The 404 Show every three weeks, so if you've got a question you want answered on the show, be sure to send a tweet or e-mail us! … Read more

What happens when you sign a two-year contract with a carrier and you soon discover that network is painfully slow?

Unfortunately, you may be stuck with that service. In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer some advice on what one Sprint customer can do to get out of his contract without paying a hefty early termination fee. I also offer some information on the new Sprint 4G LTE deployment in Atlanta.

Breaking up with Sprint

Dear Maggie, I have a family plan with Sprint. I have an iPhone 4S and three iPhone 4's on Sprint. We love the … Read more

Early-termination fees got you down? ETFs are fees that phone carriers charge customers in case they want to cancel their contracts early. Agreements usually last two years, but if you want to leave a carrier before then, the company uses ETFs as a way to recuperate money from selling you a subsidized phone. Some argue, however, that these fees are grossly expensive and exploitative. Our main advice is to read the terms of your agreement carefully and drum up a lot of attention with your carrier if things aren't going exactly the way you think they should be. For … Read more

We talk a lot about early-termination fees, or ETFs, here at CNET because we have a love/hate relationship with signing a two-year service agreement (or three years if you're in countries like Canada). On the one hand, who doesn't love being able to own a $500 or $600 smartphone for $200, $50, or even a penny? You just can't swing that in the unlocked phone market.

On the other hand, few people enjoy being tied to a carrier, and to their carrier's phone selection, over the course of two years or longer. What if you change your mind about the service quality, what if your dream phone just came out on another carrier -- what if? Once you sign your name on the dotted line, there's little you can do to avoid an up-to-$350 fee to jump ship.… Read more

Sprint has joined AT&T and Verizon Wireless in increasing its early termination fees (ETFs) for advanced devices. Sprint used to charge a $200 ETF for those who skip out on their contracts early; now it's $350. However, it will be prorated depending on how many months left you have in the contract.

Verizon Wireless increased its ETF for advanced devices to a prorated $350 in November 2009, and AT&T increased it to a prorated $325 in June 2010. Advanced devices includes smartphones, tablets, laptops, and Netbooks. T-Mobile is currently the only carrier that has not … Read more

Verizon is eliminating early termination fees for its DSL service as the company also simplifies its plans for broadband customers.

The company on Monday announced that it would now offer just two tiers of DSL service: basic and enhanced. The new basic service will offer between 500 kbps and 1.0 Mbps download speed service for $19.99 per month or $14.99 per month if ordered online. The enhanced service will offer download speeds in two ranges--between 1.1 to 3.0 Mbps and 3.1 to 7.0 Mbps; or between 7.1 and 15 Mbps--depending on what … Read more

Those hoping to upgrade to an AT&T smartphone early, beware: the company has raised the price for doing so by $125.

When AT&T customers attempt to upgrade their mobile phone to a new smartphone less than 18 months into their current two-year contract, they will now be leveled with a $200 charge. Previously, AT&T charged customers $75 for an early upgrade to a smartphone. The iPhone is an exception to the new rule.

The increase was first discovered by Boy Genius Report, which obtained an alleged internal AT&T document discussing the change. … Read more

Have you ever wondered why it's so difficult to find information about when your wireless contract ends? Or have you ever gotten so angry at a service provider that you threaten to cancel all the services you get bundled from them?

Well, you're not alone. This week in Ask Maggie, I answer one reader's question about finding information on a wireless carrier's Web site as to when a contract ends. I checked in with the major carriers and will walk you through how you can access information about contract expiration and early-termination fees online.

I also … Read more

Breaking up is hard to do, but when you're slapped with an early termination fee, the sting hurts even more. Then tack on a sales tax, and who wouldn't be crying in their beer?

In this week's Ask Maggie column, I tackle a tough question about being charged a sales tax on top of an early termination fee for canceling a wireless service early. I also tell a reader about a U.S. carrier that cuts customers a break on their monthly bills when they bring their own phone. And finally, I explain the likelihood of whether … Read more