For the quick answer, www.annualcreditreport.com is the government mandated site where you can get your free credit report each year from the three major credit reporting bureaus, no strings attached. In contrast, www.freecreditreport.com is a privately owned by Experian that "kinda" gives you your free credit report. Let's take a quick look at each service.

www.annualcreditreport.com

All consumers are entitled to free credit reports every year from each of the three major credit bureaus. In the past, the charge for receiving your credit report was about $10. As a result of the FACT Act (Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003), the three major credit-reporting agencies, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian, are now required to provide consumers, upon request, with a free copy of their credit report once every 12 months.

The annualcreditreport.com website was created by the three credit reporting agencies to comply with the FACT Act by giving consumers a way to obtain their free credit reports. There are three ways you can request a free credit report:

1. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com which is the only authorized source for consumers to access their annual credit report online for free.
2. Call (877) 322-8228
3. Complete the form on the back of the Annual Credit Report Request brochure, and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. The brochure, which can be ordered or printed, is available from the Federal Trade Commission.

If you choose to use the online option, be sure to only use AnnualCreditReport.com if you want your credit report free of charge. This site is government mandated and is the only website you can go through to get a truly free report.

www.freecreditreport.com

According to an investigation conducted by World Privacy Forum, there are more than 100 websites offering free credit reports. What many consumers don't realize at first is that these sites, like freecreditreport.com, offer the free report in exchange for signing consumers up for a credit monitoring service. The service is typically free for the first seven days, but after that consumers are charged a monthly fee.

Some of these websites that are offering "free" credit reports are operated by one of the three major credit-reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian) and this is causing people to automatically assume the report is free. Freecreditreport.com, for example, is owned and operated by ConsumerInfo.com, Inc., an Experian® company.

When you order your report through www.freecreditreport.com, you must sign up for a trial membership in the site’s “Triple Advantage Credit Monitoring” program. If you don’t cancel your membership within a 7-day trial period, you’re billed $14.95 a month. The Better Business Bureau has received nearly 10,000 complaints about the site in the last 36 months, with some complainants saying that they kept being billed even after canceling membership.

To its credit, Experian does disclose on the front page of its site that consumers who use its service will be enrolled in the Triple Advantage program. Here is the disclosure:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

When you order your free report here, you will begin your free trial membership in Triple AdvantageSM Credit Monitoring. If you don't cancel your membership within the 7-day trial period**, you will be billed $14.95 for each month that you continue your membership.
ConsumerInfo.com, Inc. and Freecreditreport.com are not affiliated with the annual free credit report program. Under a new Federal law, you have the right to receive a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies. To request your free annual report under that law, you must go to www.annualcreditreport.com.

There at least two reasons why a consumer would chose freecreditreports.com over annualcreditreports.com:

1. Credit monitoring services: If a consumer wants the credit monitoring service along with his or her credit report, freecreditreports.com is certainly a reasonable choice. These services are not available through annualcreditreport.com
2. Experian credit score: Consumers will receive their Experian credit score with their credit report from freecreditreports.com. Credit scores are not available through annualcreditreports.com.

If you do use www.freecreditreports.com to obtain your credit report and Experian credit score, keep a few things in mind:

• How to cancel: The only way to cancel the Triple Advantage credit monitoring service, at least that's disclosed on freecreditreport.com, is to call 1-877-481-6826. That number is buried in the terms & conditions that govern the service.
• How to get a discount: If you want to keep the credit monitoring service, call the cancellation number above and ask for a discount. While the published cost is $14.95 a month, freecreditreport.com has been willing in the past to lower this to about $9 or $10 to keep consumers signed up.

You can visit www.freecreditreports.com for more information.

And finally, I'll leave you with a collection of Free Credit Reports' entertaining commercials:

If you'd like more information on detecting business opportunity scams, check out www.ftc.gov/bizopps.

Discover Bank No Penalty CD

Discover Bank's 12-month no penalty CD is designed to allow depositors to withdraw their money without penalty should they lose their job. According to Discover Bank,

To be eligible, account holders must open or renew a 12-month CD with a minimum $2,500 balance between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2009. If the account holder involuntarily loses his or her job during the term of the CD, they will be allowed to make a partial withdrawal of the funds or close the account with a full return of their principal and any credited interest with no penalties. The program also applies to self-employed people under certain circumstances.

Ally Bank also has a 9-month no penalty CD. Unlike Discover Bank's offer, Ally allows a depositor to withdraw his or her money penalty free for any reason.

Discover Bank offers a number of CD products, and we have added it to our list of the best CD rates.

To get more information, check current rates, and open a no penalty CD online, visit www.discoverbank.com.

Discover Bank High Yield Savings Account

Discover Bank also has launched an online savings account that currently pays an extremely competitive rate. While there is no minimum balance requirement, Discover Bank's top rate applies to accounts with at least $500 in deposits. There are no monthly maintenance fees, and you can set up direct deposit from your checking account.

We have added Discover Bank to your list of high yield savings accounts.

To get more information, check current rates, and to open an account online, visit www.discoverbank.com.

Car insurance is an unavoidable expense that all vehicle owners must incur. Whether your bill arrives annually, bi-annually or monthly, car insurance is not an expense we enjoy paying. Thankfully, there are several steps you can take to reduce the costs of car insurance.

1. Be Careful on the Open Road.

While this is obvious, it's worth stressing. The very best and most basic way to reduce your car insurance bill is to exercise caution when you are driving. A good driving record means a lower rate on your car insurance. You can exercise more control over your record by doing the following:

Focus on the road: Don’t talk on your cell phone, send text messages or consume things that are difficult or messy to eat (like tacos or sub sandwiches) behind the wheel. Operating a GPS system behind the wheel is also dangerous. Pull over if you need to do these things.

And on this point I'll add one other thing--your kids are watching you. Do you want your 16 year old texting while they drive? They'll will follow your lead in how to operate car. If you text, they'll text (and I'm preaching to the choir on this one).

Obey speed limit signs: Speeding tickets add points to your record and often result in automatic increases in your insurance bill. This might mean that you need to allow extra time for driving so that you can arrive at your destination on time, but it will keep your insurance rates down. Driving under the limit can also increase your miles per gallon.

Use extra caution in residential areas, construction zones and school zones: These areas present more opportunities for accidents, and the fines for moving violations are higher.

Drive defensively: Be aware of other vehicles in front of you and behind you. When in doubt, err on the side of caution. I suspect the car that passed me yesterday could have avoided the accident. From my vantage point, he was more interest in not letting the SUV get in front of him than he was avoiding an accident.

Prepare in advance when driving in unfamiliar territory: Review maps prior to your trip. Pull over if you need to look at a map again or ask for directions.

Following these tips will make you safer behind the wheel and help you to avoid moving violations and accidents, which in turn will keep your car insurance bill lower than it otherwise would be.

2. Comparison Shop for Low Rates

Prices for car insurance will vary from company to company. At minimum, you should secure at least three quotes from three different companies when you are shopping for the lowest rates. You should also try a combination of local shopping with insurance companies and online shopping. When you shop local, ask coworkers, friends and family for referrals to companies that deal with auto insurance in your area. Referrals are a great way to find the lowest rates without spending a lot of time on the phone calling for quotes.

When you shop online, there are a variety of websites that will generate multiple results from different insurance companies. It's easy to compare auto insurance quotes from several insurance companies online through companies like Insureme.com.

3. Research Insurance Costs BEFORE You Buy a Car

Insurance rates vary depending on the make and model of the vehicle that you drive. It is important to do some research on costs associated with insuring the type of car you are considering before you buy. Certain factors that determine the cost of insurance include the price of the car, its safety record, likelihood of theft, and the costs of parts to repair the vehicle.

Foreign vehicles are often more expensive to insure because the costs associated with repairs are much higher. There are also a variety of safety features on a car that can reduce insurance costs. When you shop for a car, look for vehicles that have daytime running lights, anti-theft devices, air bags and other safety features. You can find a great deal of information regarding vehicle safety and safety features at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

For example, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety performs slow speed (3 to 6 mph) bumper crash tests and determines the cost of repairs. In the Institute's front full test, the Volkswagen Rabbit's repair costs exceed $4,000. You can check out all the test results and other helpful auto insurance information at the Institute's website.

4. Reduce Coverage on Older Cars

As your vehicle ages, the need for collision and comprehensive coverage begins to decline. A general rule of thumb is that if your car is not worth 8-10 times the premium rate, then full coverage may not be entirely cost effective. You can determine the general worth of your vehicle online with the services of Kelley Blue Book or by consulting with your local auto dealer or bank. Check the value of your car against the cost of your annual premiums and adjust your coverage accordingly each year.

There are also interactive online calculators that can help you determine the amount of coverage you need. You can find an easy to use coverage calculator at carinsurance.com.

5. Buy Home and Auto Insurance from the Same Company

Some insurance companies offer special rates to customers who insure several entities at the same time. Home and auto insurance packages are especially cost effective. You might even find special rates on insurance for other items such as motorcycles and recreational vehicles too when you purchase policies from the same company. When you purchase your policies for various coverage products through the same company, you may also be eligible for extra savings that are added on year after year in appreciation for your loyalty.

Bonus Tip--Increase the Deductible

As a bonus tip, I'll add that you should consider increasing your deductible. An insurance deductible is the amount the insured must pay before the insurance company will begin paying on a claim. Auto insurance deductibles are typically in the $100 to $250 range. But for many, while we'd rather not shell out a couple hundred dollars, we could if we had to. The point is, it may not be cost effective to pay higher premiums to insure amounts we could pay on our own.

Insurance deductibles are regulated by each state. Where we live, the maximum deductible allowed is $500, and that's what we have. Check with your insurance agent to see how much you can save by raising your deductible.

I was surpirsed at the "Borrow from your 401k" suggestion. While it's true that it's better than cashing out, so many people are being laid off unexpectedly. When this happens, it must all be paid back or considered a cash-out, which comes at a time when people are least able to repay because they just lost their job. It should at least have been mentioned as a consideration.

--Deborah in San Diego

Deborah makes a very interesting point. She's referring to an article entitled "Need Cash" that discusses 10 ways to raise cash quickly if you're in a jam.

How widespread is the problem? It's hard to find many statistics on 401k loans. But a Harvard report (pdf) cites two statistics that point to trouble. The vast majority of plans allow for borrowing (over 85% in 2005, Investment Company Institute, 2006). And they also report that 18% of 401(k) participants had a 401(k) loan in 2006.

We can't know for sure, but it's probably not an unreasonable guess that about one in five or six people who are laid off will have a 401k loan outstanding when they get the pink slip.

And, that's when Deborah's problem comes in. As a general rule, if you leave your employer you need to repay the 401k loan in full. You may be given a month or so, but that's it.

Any amounts that you fail to repay are treated like a withdrawal. That means that you add the amount of the loan to your income and you'll pay normal income taxes on it. Plus, you'll be liable for a penalty that equals 10% of the unpaid loan.

What can you do about it? First, if you have a 401k loan and think that you could lose your job, you need to take it seriously. Begin by estimating how much the taxes and penalties would cost you if you didn't repay part or all of the loan. It'll be bad. But since your income will be lower than previous years (because of the layoff), your tax rate should drop (that assumes no tax rate hikes).

In any event, you need to have some idea of how much the penalties and taxes are. You'll want to compare that to the cost of other alternatives.

There are a couple of withdrawal exceptions that might help in a layoff situation:

• You were age 55 or over and you retired or left your job
• You paid for medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income

What if you don't fit into one of those categories? Your options are limited, but you still have some choices to make.

Now might be the time to consider selling a car. Your ride needs to be worth more than any loans on it. Any cash you raise could help pay off the 401k loan. If you're not working, transportation won't be such a big issue. You can always buy another car when you're employed again.

Do you have a homeowner's line of credit or enough equity to refinance your home? That could provide some money to repay the 401k loan. Refinancing will be easier before you lose your job. So you might want to consider this if you expect to be laid off.

Using your credit card to pay off the 401k loan is a high-risk strategy. You'll probably pay a higher interest rate. And, you'll also need to keep making payments even if your income has dried up. Plus, you'll be consuming part of your credit line that you may need later.

The only advantage to shifting the debt to a credit card is that you avoid the tax problems of a 401k withdrawal. But it's wise to compare the numbers before you make a decision.

The unfortunate fact is that most 401k loans were promoted as an painless way to 'borrow from yourself'. Turns out that's not so true if times get tough.

Gary Foreman is the editor of The Dollar Stretcher.com and newsletters. Not only does the site host thousands of articles on various ways to save money, but you'll also find a vibrant forum where people share their dollar stretching ideas. You can comment on this entry here or follow Gary on Twitter.

The calculator is still in beta version, so please let us know if you encounter any problems. You can check out the calculator by clicking here.

As always, this past week saw a number of great blog posts and carnivals about personal finance. Here are few we found particularly useful:

Articles

• Got personal finance questions? Get answers at Moolanomy Answers. Pinyo has put together a first rate Q & A section to his site, and it's definitely worth a visit.
• Car Maintenance Tips: Help Your Odometer Reach 300,000 Miles (@Frugal Dad)
• Protect Your House While You’re on Vacation (@Being Frugal)
• Free and paid options for opting out of junk mail (@Bargain Babe)
• The sweepstakes ends June 30, so check out this opportunity to win $2,000 from Exxon and Citi.

Carnivals

• Carnival of Debt Reduction - “Four Pillars” Edition (@Four Pillars)
• Money Hacks Carnival #70 (@Blogging Banks)
• Festival Of Frugality- Honeymoon Destination Edition (@Financial Highway)
• Carnival of Personal Finance #210 – Punch Out Edition (@Suburban Dollar)
• Economy and your Finances Carnival- June 21, 2009 | OneMint (@One Mint)
• Carnival of Financial Planning #94 (@Canadian Personal Finance Blog)

So I've put together an exhuastive list of 0% credit card offers. For each card you'll find how long the zero percent interest deal lasts on balance transfers and on purchases. You'll also find the balance transfer fee and the annual fee, if any. Clicking on the card name will take you to either our review of the card or the card issuer's site where you can get more details on the card. And if you know of a 0% credit card we should add to the list, please let us know. With that, here's the list:

0% Credit Card Tips

As you evaluate the 0% credit cards to find the best one for your financial needs, consider the following:

Risk Based Pricing: Almost all credit cards today use risk based pricing. What this means is that the actual terms of the card will vary depending on the applicant's credit history. Varying interest rates and balance transfer terms, among other things, can be offered based on a individual's credit. As an example, here is the disclosure from HSBC:

It is our goal to offer you the credit card that best fits your credit profile, which may or may not be the card you originally inquired about. You may be offered a secured card or an unsecured card, which may not include a 0% Introductory APR or 1% unlimited cash back, and with different terms and conditions which will be disclosed to you before your application is processed.

Consider 2 or more cards: Depending on your financial needs, it may be best to have more than one 0% credit card. For example, if you want to take advantage of both a 0% balance transfer and get 0% on purchases, it's best to use two separate cards. There are several reasons for this. For example, if the 0% on purchases expires before the 0% on balance transfers, any extra payment you make will go to the higher interest on purchases first. This changes under the new credit card law, but not until 2010.

Second, you may want to use the entire available credit limit on a balance transfer, which would not leave any available credit to take advantage of the 0% on purchases.

Balance transfer fees: Note that all but a few of the cards charge a balance transfer fee. IberiaBank is currently the only issuer on the list to have a no fee balance transfer offer. Keep in mind, however, that the introductory rate lasts just six months, making some of the 12-month offers a better deal. If you'd like to know which card we think is the best for transfers, check out the Best Balance Transfer Offer Available.

Terms changed: Finally, keep in mind that credit card terms change frequently. While we strive to keep this page updated and accurate, you should always confirm the terms of any offer before applying.

According to First Midwest Bank, the CD is "open to individuals from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin only. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is valid as of 6/10/09 and assumes monthly compounding. Minimum balance to open this Certificate of Deposit (CD) and earn stated APY is $5,000 and is available only on money not on deposit with First Midwest within the last 90 days."

First Midwest is not the first bank to offer a rising rate CD, or its close cousin, the bump up CD. A bump up CD allows the depositor to increase the interest rate on the CD during its term if rates rise. Typically, depositors are limited to one bump up during the term of the CD. And many banks use the terms rising rate and bump up interchangeably, so make sure you read the terms of the CD carefully.

Bank of America currently offers what it calls a rising rate CD, which really acts like a bump up CD. Called the "Opt-Up" CD, it gives depositors the option to increase the interest rate one time after 6 months. Here are the details:

• 18-month term opened in any amount from $10,000 up to $250,000
• Get the typically higher rate of a long-term CD
• FDIC insured to the maximum amount allowed by law
• Option to increase your rate one time after six months, if interest rates rise during the term of the CD, with no fee or term extension
• If rates rise, you can increase your rate between your opening rate and the then-current rate offered by Bank of America on a new Opt-Up™ CD

You can get details on the CD by clicking here.

Soverign Bank also offers a rising rate CD, which allows you to increase the rate once during the CD's term. Dollar Bank offers a rising rate CD similar to First Midwest. With Dollar Bank's product, the interest rate can increase every 90 days on a 1-year CD.

Fact: Many of us have not tried to lower these monthly bills in the last year, if ever.

Fact: Many of us could save hundreds of dollars a month by taking a few simple steps.

Do you agree with the above statements? For me, it was the realization that I was sending unnecessary money out the door for monthly expenses that led me to write 99 Painless Ways to Save Serious Money. It's a book that provides tons of information, links, tips, and resources on how to reduce the cost of everything from cable to gas, health insurance to cell phone service, and online shopping to credit card debt.

In a moment we'll look at how you can get a copy of the book (for free), but first, we need to talk about how to get control of our monthly bills. It really is a simple 3-step process to bring "shock and awe" to our monthly bills. Here are the three steps:

1. Monthly Bills: Evaluate each monthly bill (e.g., phone, insurance, cable, credit cards) and ask three questions: (1) Can you get rid of this service, (2) Can you reduce the expense, and (3) Can you get the service for less from another provider.
2. Utilities: Reduce the cost of electricity and natural gas by making simple, inexpensive changes to your home.
3. Shop Smarter: Use the power of the Internet to get everything from vacations to books for less.

Let's now take a look at each of these steps.

Step 1: Evaluate your monthly bills

In this step, write down on a piece of paper or in a spreadsheet each of your monthly bills. Include bills that you pay every six or twelve months, too, like life and auto insurance. And next to each bill, write down how much you pay each month. If the expense varies from month to month, just guess at an average for now. Note that we are not including utilities, which we'll get to in step 2.

For many of us, monthly bills will include the following:

• Telephone service
• Cable
• Cell phone service
• Internet service
• Auto insurance
• Life insurance
• Homeowner's insurance
• Health insurance (even if provided through your employer)
• Mortgage/Rent
• Home equity line of credit
• Credit cards
• Credit monitoring
• Club/gym memberships
• Magazine subscriptions
• Car loan payments
• School loans
• Gasoline

Next, go down the list one at a time and ask these three questions:

1. Can I eliminate this expense completely?
2. Can I reduce this expense?
3. Can I get the product or service from another provider for less?

If you really start to think creatively, you can find ways to lower these monthly costs. Take cable service for example. First, can you get rid of cable completely? Today, free digital HD TV is an option.

Second, if you don't want to get rid of cable, can you lower the cost by, for example, reducing the channels you receive. Is Netflix a less expensive option than the movie channels offered by your cable company? And if you can't think of a way to lower the expense, call the cable company and ask them if there is a way to lower your bill.

And finally, consider whether you can get the same service from another provider for less. In the case of cable, consider satellite service through Direct TV.

And this is where my new book, 99 Painless Ways to Save Serious Money can help. I've listed tons of ideas and resources on how to attack just about every monthly bill one can have.

As you go down your list of monthly bills, keep track of how much money you are saving. It may be only $5, $10, or $20 per item, but it can add up to a significant sum once you complete step 1. And reducing these costs generally does not require any sacrifice in how we live our lives. Once you've gone through every monthly bill and asked the three questions, it's time to move on to utilities.

Step 2: Utilities

Each year, utilities consume a larger and larger portion of our monthly budget. Energy Star estimates that the average family spends about $2,200 a year on utilities. For many, it's a lot more. If we can shave even $50 off our monthly bill, we pocket $600 a year without sacrificing our standard of living, and we do our part to conserve natural resources and the environment at the same time.

What's great about step 2 is that there are some really simple and inexpensive steps we can take to bring down our energy use. I won't go through all of them here (get the book!), but here are a few ideas:

• Conduct an energy audit of your home: It's easy to do and will show you where your home is leaking money!
• Install a programmable thermostat: They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. According to Energy Star, a programmable thermostat can shave 20% of your heating and cooling bills.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs: They last longer, which means you'll replace bulbs less often. And the consume a lot less energy.
• Buy energy star products: This may be obvious to some, but energy star products consume less energy than other models. When shopping for everything from a refrigerator to a dehumidifier, look for the energy star label.
• Consider tax breaks: Today, significant tax breaks are available for energy efficient home improvements, so make sure to take advantage of these if you plan to make improvements to your home.

These are just some of the ideas you'll find in 99 Painless Ways. With a little effort and relatively small investment, we can bring down our energy costs.

Step 3: Shop Smarter

The final step deals with how we spend money on everything from groceries to vacations. The Internet provides a wealth of resources to help us get more for less. For example, did you know that. . .

• certain car tires can increase gas mileage
• finding the cheapest gasoline in your area is a snap on the Internet
• you can print grocery coupons off the Internet before you go to the store
• if you don't have prescription drug insurance, there is a website that can help you get significant discounts
• there is free software available for just about everything you would need to do on your computer

I could go on, but you get the idea. And that brings us back to 99 Painless Ways to Save Serious Money. In the book you'll find tips and resources to save money without sacrificing your lifestyle. This is not a book about eating out less, or spending less on clothes. 99 Painless Ways is instead focused on the three steps described above.

The book is free for those who subscribe to the weekly Dough Roller newsletter, which you can do by filling out this simple form:

I hope the book helps you bring some "shock and awe" to your monthly bills.

The company is privately owned and currently provides service is in 48 states throughout the U.S. The company headquarters is located in California and all of their customer service centers are located within the United States. Phone Power prides itself on offering their service at a less expensive rate than their competitors. And on top of all that, you can keep your current telephone number when you transfer telephone service to Phone Power.

Because of the potential to save a lot of money with VoIP service, we thought a review of Phone Power's key features would be helpful.

Residential/Small Business Plans and Features

The residential and small business plans start at just $14.95 a month. Phone Power offers four different unlimited calling plan options that include both the United States and Canada. The price for each plan is determined by the contract agreement you are willing to make. The longer you agree to keep the service, the cheaper the monthly price you will pay. There is also a prepay option available that allows you to prepay for an entire year and, as a bonus, you will receive a second year free. Below is a breakdown of the plan options.

• 24 month contract - $14.95 per month
• 12 month contract - $16.95 per month
• No monthly contract - $19.95 per month
• 12 month prepay - $199.99 (2^nd year free)

And if you sign up for the service online, Phone Power even waives the $15 activation fee.

Phone Power service comes with just about every conceivable feature and option one could want in telephone service. Here are some of the key features Phone Power offers:

• Find Me, Follow Me: This feature allows the user to set up multiple numbers (home, work, mobile) and have inbound calls routed in a particular sequence.
• Simultaneous Ring: Allows the user to set up multiple numbers (home, work, mobile) and have inbound calls ring all numbers at once.
• Voicemail to Email: When configured, allows a copy of the voicemail to be emailed to the user as a .WAV file.
• Anonymous Caller Rejection: Allows the user to reject callers who do not display caller ID information.
• Call Waiting: This allows a customer to receive a call while already on one. If you are on a call, you will get a notification via a beep that another person is calling. You can then switch back and forth between calls. This helps avoid people getting a busy signal when calling your Phone Power telephone number.
• E911 Service: Enhanced 911, also referred to as E911, is an advanced and updated version of emergency services that automatically sends vital information such as name, address and the geographical location in the event that 911 is dialed.
• Voicemail Viewer: Allows the user to view and listen to their voicemails via the My Account portal. It's just like looking at your email!

And perhaps one of the most important features is called "Number for Life." Phone Power can transfer your current telephone number from your current telephone service provider over to Phone Power, so you don't have to change numbers.

Business Plans and Features

Power Phone’s business and hosted PBX service packages range from single-line business accounts all the way up to multiple-location hosted PBX systems with fully-featured Auto-Attendants. All of the business plans offer the option to have Toll-Free numbers for the convenience of your customers.

There are two different packages available for business plans, a single line package or multi-line packages. Both packages offer unlimited inbound minutes and 5000 outbound minutes. The cost for exceeding the 5000 minutes is just $0.02 per minute. All business plans come with the following digital telephone features at no additional cost: Block/Allow List, Call Forwarding, Office Extensions, Call Hold, Call Hunt, Speed Dial List, Call Waiting, Click2Call, Caller Waiting ID, Music On Hold, Do Not Disturb, Electronic Operator, Simultaneous Ring, and Conference Calling.

The Single Line Package is called the Phone Power Basic and the monthly cost is $39.95 with no contract required. There is also no activation fee.

There are two Multi-Line Hosted PBX Packages available for the same monthly price of $54.95. The only difference between the two packages is the activation fees. If you choose a contract you get a smaller activation fee than if you choose NO contract. The pricing below is for one extension:

• 12 month contract - $54.95 ($10 activation fee)
• No contract - $54.95 ($25 activation fee)

With the Multi-Line Packages you have the option to get up to 50 extensions. Each extension you add increases the cost of your package and the cost of your activation fee. The total cost of your package will vary based on the total number of extensions you have. This package also includes an auto attendant that is used to direct your incoming calls. An Auto Attendant is a system that will answer the phone, play a recorded greeting and direct callers based on dial-pad input.

What is a Hosted PBX?

Power Phone’s Hosted PBX has all the functionality you would get with an expensive on-site PBX, but without the expensive install and maintenance contracts. Your users can be anywhere with an internet connection and are not required to be in the same office like a classic PBX system. Here’s a diagram of how the system works:

In addition to the standard features that come with the plans, there are many add-ons and upgrades that can be added to any business plan. A complete list is available at www.phonepower.com.

International Calling

Phone Power offers international calling with low calling rates that are determined based on where you are calling. You can get the exact per minute rate for where you are calling by visiting the phone power website. In fact, Phone Power offers a tool that will tell you the exact cost by simply entering the international telephone number. You can also view cost by country. Finally, Phone Power allows you to deactivate the international calling feature at anytime by logging onto your online account.

How to Get Phone Power Service

Starting service with Phone Power is easy. You can place your order for service on the Power Phone website by clicking here. There are three pieces of equipment that you need in order to get started. You need a high speed broadband internet connection, a land line telephone (it can be corded or cordless), and a Power Adapter that is provided for free by Phone Power. However, if you have your own power adapter and it is compatible with the Phone Power service, you can use your own equipment.

About Phone Power

Phone Power was established in 2005 and has already been recognized for their outstanding service. Phone Power has won numerous awards for its customer service and low cost. To date Phone Power is the least expensive VoIP service provider on the market that we can find, and has a reputation for good customer service.

For more information about Phone Power's service, visit www.phonepower.com.