Jet Blue Aims to Repair Its Customer Service – And Get Back Its Customers

Last week, Jet Blue announced a new customer service policy that would put cash in the pockets of its fliers if they are held on their airplane for any length of time.

If your plane lands, but you have to wait 30 minutes to taxi to the gate, you'll get $25. If you wait an hour to get to the gate, you'll get $100. If you wait three to four hours, you'll get the price of your one-way fare, and if you have to wait longer than four hours, you'll get your ticket price back.

Jet Blue also announced that departing passengers who are delayed three to four hours will get $100. If you're delayed longer than that, you'll get a voucher worth the price of the ticket you paid.

Finally, if Jet Blue cancels a flight within 12 hours of takeoff, you'll get your money back. But if they cancel a flight that's not due to weather or air traffic delays, you'll get your money back plus a voucher for another free trip.

Now, that's customer service.

Is It a Good Time or a Bad Time to Sell An Investment Property? Ilyce Glink Will Find Out

I spent last Friday morning in the office of a local title company closing on a piece of investment property.

The property is a beautiful 1750 square foot condo in a new building in a hot area, but as I signed my name and initials on each page of the loan agreement, I could feel my stomach start to clench a bit.

When my partner and I agreed to buy this condo, it was 2004. The real estate market was booming, and after looking at different options, my partner felt that this condo opportunity was exceptional.

And maybe it was three years ago. But now, with the number of vacant properties for sale at the highest level ever, this "sure thing" looks a little shaky.

The thing is, I never go into a real estate investment believing that I'll make a killing. I'm always only looking to beat the 5 percent I would have earned on my cash had it been sitting in the bank.

Has your Social Security number been stolen? Here's one way to test it out

There are a lot of ways to steal your identity, but the Internet may be the easiest and fastest way to grab thousands of Social Security numbers in a short period of time.

A great deal of personal information can be easily found on the Internet, particular in public databases that feature images of birth, death, and marriage certificates. You also have a ton of identifying information in court documents, such as divorce or bankruptcy records.

The Internet gives us an easy way to search for that information. But there are some concerned citizens and fast-growing companies that give you the ability to see if your Social Security number has been stolen.

Trusted ID, a company that sells tools to monitor your Social Security Number has compiled a database of compromised number that you can check. Go to stolenIDsearch.com and enter your Social Security number.

I got a clean bill of health. I hope you do, too.

Private Coaches Everywhere

I read a story recently in the New York Times about how some parents who believe Junior is going pro are hiring private athletic coaches now – when Junior is just 9 or 10 years old.

The coaches cost anywhere from $75 to more than $150 per hour, and the kids go two to three times a week.

It's like private lessons gone wild. But it isn't just kids who are getting coached these days.

Increasingly, adults are turning to professionals to coach them through the bumps and hurdles that might have otherwise been simply swallowed by an earlier generation.

Are you having trouble losing weight? You could join Weight Watchers or, like Oprah, hire a diet guru to design your unique weight-loss plan.

Having trouble at work? You can hire a work-life coach who will help you steer around obstacles that could limit your performance and hurt your career.

I'm all for getting the help you need – just don't go broke in the process.

Know Your Mortgage Before You Sign on the Dotted Line

I bought an investment property last week, and while I was signing on the dotted line, my husband, Sam, and I discovered that the interest rate on one of the loans was off by a quarter of a percent, a mistake that would cost us an extra $200 a year.

We caught it because I was reading over the loan documents carefully and asked a lot of questions to make sure I understood everything.

Unfortunately, most folks don't read the loan documents while at the closing. They just sign away without understanding anything.

I got a letter this week from a listener who has a 6-month adjustable rate mortgage. He knows that the rate can't fall below 6 percent and won't go above 12 percent, but hasn't a clue what that really means.

Buying a home is the single biggest purchase of your life. Homes are typically the biggest portion of our net worth. Take the time to know what you're signing – so you don't make the biggest mistake of your life.