THE Cambridge Connection - Episode 54

And I would tell anybody listening right now, if you have not become CPR certified, you should for so many reasons. Number one, the ability to want to save somebody that is having issues. Number two, there’s liability wrapped around helping people, and when you get certified and trained, you learn the things that you can and cannot do. Exactly. And that’s equally as important because you get to a position where if it’s ever that time where you have to jump in and help out, you do the best you can.

But training is pivotal, and I know you have a personal piece of understanding how important that is. Yes, I do. I do. As we mentioned before, my significant other passed of sudden cardiac arrest, and I was not properly trained in CPR, and the outcome wasn’t obviously what I would... But we worked together to agree that you did the best you can, and now you’re using opportunity to help other people, and you’re doing an amazing job doing so.

And I’m very grateful to Chris Vialli and Cambridge Credit Counseling for sponsoring the CPR and AED training, because there obviously is a cost to that. Nothing’s free nowadays. I strongly encourage all employers out there, if your employees are not certified, it’s something that you can give them to help save other lives. I mean, it’s a benefit. It’s certainly a benefit.

Absolute number one most important thing, I always find a way to loop everything back to financial wisdom and wellness. The worst thing you want to do is try to help somebody and find yourself in a lawsuit because you weren’t able to conduct yourself the way that you’re supposed to. They have certain protections for people, but you also have to know what you can and cannot do. Sure. And there are good Samaritan laws that’ll protect you even if you are certified.

Breast cancer awareness month

Yes, indeed. And keep doing your great work, sister. You’re doing an amazing job. Well, let’s talk about October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Indeed.

We all know, I’m sure there’s people listening right now that have family, friends, or acquaintances that they know that have been, maybe even lost their life from such a terrible disease. Obviously cancer is terrible all around. I think maybe we can make a goal here. I’m pretty sure there’s a ribbon for every month now. Or every day.

Or every, yeah. I think at least- Taco day. Yeah. At least every month we should just raise the awareness of each of these because again, the most important thing is health of an individual, a loved one, et cetera, but there are always financial consequences around all of these things and the more that you can do to try and lead a healthy life, the better for everyone. Right.

Yeah. One in every eight women will develop breast cancer, so yes, let’s raise awareness, save the tatas, wear pink. Yeah. And they have such incredible equipment to try to help early diagnosis of these things and just important that people are aware and that they should be paying attention to it. Exactly.

Introducing the Buyer’s Edge guest

Speaking of, what’s next? , which is a platform that helps you to save money on just about anything you can purchase. So we’re going to take a quick break. We’ll be back with Dan Walker. This is Gordon Oliver with The Cambridge Connection.

Interest rates are going up. Don’t let that get you down. Call 1-800-CAMBRIDGE and find out how our clients are repaying their debts in full at much lower interest rates. Welcome back everyone to The Cambridge Connection. I’m your host, Gordon Oliver here with my co-pilot, Tina Marie, and obviously this show is about financial wisdom and financial wellness and we are in very difficult economic times and it is a pleasure to introduce my guest, Dan Walker from the Buyer’s Edge.

Dan, welcome to The Cambridge Connection. Wonderful. Thanks very much, Gordon. Looking forward to it. Yes, sir.

I mean, we’ve been out on the road together and we met each other quite a ways back and some real important synergies about helping consumers. We obviously do a lot of education. We do a lot of informing consumers of different ideas about how they can work and save money, especially with tight budgets. So before we get started, can you tell our listeners and our audience about Buyer’s Edge? I’d be glad to, Gordon.

Buyer’s Edge Inc. is a buying service that has been around for about 40 years and we save our members money on major purchases, appliances, cars, furniture, kitchens, and a whole bunch more, car rental, theme parks, travel, about 25 different benefits and it’s a no-cost member to companies and organizations. Forty years Buyer’s Edge Inc. has been in business? That is correct.

Time flies when you’re having fun. Of course. And that’s incredible because, again, there’s a lot of things out there that are alleged to help people and help people save money and 40 years of being in business, that’s incredible. Well, thank you. Thank you.

So, you said there’s no cost to participating organizations for their employees. Can you kind of expand on that a little bit? I’d be glad to. Buyer’s Edge is a members-only service. We’re not available to the general public.

We offer our program at no cost to participating organizations, unions, companies for their employees or members, and no cost to them and their members, provided that they turn around and give it to their employees or members. Buyer’s Edge has been endorsed for close to 40 years with both New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut teachers associations as an example for for their members. Yeah, Cambridge Credit Counseling, the sponsor of this show, is also partnered with the Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York State, United Teachers, and it’s a lot of these group type organizations that I know in today’s day and age they’ve talked about the great resignation and to add value for your employees is a very very key piece of retaining employees looking for their employer to help them with things that will help save them money, especially in these difficult economic times. There’s no doubt about it. I know we both enjoyed the partnership that we we share with both NYSED organization and the Connecticut Education Association.

Both organizations take great pride in making sure that they have solid benefits that help their their membership and I’m delighted to be part of both organizations. Yeah you know I got to tell you the one that stood out for me was buying an automobile because you know there are some real good salespeople out there but there are plenty of the salespeople that you could just feel you know when you go in there and you’re trying to buy a vehicle you know you go through this process where they keep trying to upsell all kinds of things and it’s amazing having a service like that that will help people through a very transparent process I assume to buy a vehicle through the Buyer’s Edge. Well thank you. If you want me to expand upon it we if you as a member of Buyer’s Edge Inc. dot-com be it with like NYSED or Connecticut Ed our program we offer the savings on both new and used cars and the car market today is simply awful.

Supply and demand the pricing is way up and a lot of it is still at and above list price. With our program when you log in if it’s a new car you can take your time and build out the car the way you want it to make model color option and when you’re all done and hit next it’s going to give you one to two dealers and in writing tell you the exact inventory VIN numbers that each dealer physically has on their lot and what it’s going to cost you. So you know before you go out the door who they are what they have and what it’s going to cost you and it’s a really a neat program. So we encourage people to do your homework and our program should really help you. You know I just the values of what they’re paying for used vehicles at this point because of the supply and demand supply chain issues I mean it’s even a more tricky market because look let’s face it they’re gonna make their money and if they have to now charge more to pay commissions to sales people where they used to get paid by the manufacturers because they were just moving so much metal it’s just changed quite a bit now because of that supply chain situation.

It certainly has and we noticed that it’s starting to get a little bit better but it’s still at and above list price. We by the way people looking for used cars that they would they ask us do we offer leasing yes we offer leasing but we we encourage people that before they turn in the car and lease another car check out your lease because most leases are two three four years old at the old pricing and we’ve we strongly recommend that they look closely at their buyout you may be getting a very good deal considering buying purchasing the lease car that you had versus trading it in. How is Buyers Edge Inc helping a consumer during inflation times what are the differences say today versus maybe two years ago that you may have to offer a consumer because of the high cost? Well it’s it’s the buying power that we represent we hit we represent closest the four million members which which is great which is great buying power so consequently some of our major benefits we have great savings that we’re able to pass on. We have a low price guarantee for example on on appliances if you know the make and model of the appliance you call the appropriate appliance number for your area and they quote a price delivery your door often as quickly as the next day.

Should you buy through our program and then within 30 days and 50 miles of your home find it for less our various vendors are under contract to refund the difference plus 20% of course you’re not going to order an appliance or or kitchen unless you already know that the pricing and it’s a great vehicle that we’ve had for the over the 40 years. You know it takes the sales person it seems out of the equation when when you’re negotiating for groups you have these numbers to represent for the vendors I’m assuming so it feels like even just a simpler straightforward process for the consumer. We like to think so that that is correct Gordon. Well what if the consumer has particular questions individual questions that maybe only a seller would be able to answer where would they go for that those answers? Well that that is that is a great question at the neat one of the neat things about our program is that in many cases you’re not dealing with buyers as you’re dealing directly with a vendor which we call partners that are part of our program.

We own about 24 different 800 numbers that ring on the premises of the experts that do just appliances just furniture as an example and so we feel that it it’s a great opportunity you’re talking directly to the source the people that know the product that know the inventory that can also tell you when when it can be delivered. Again amazing that you can deal direct with the the vendor to get the information that’s needed when they’re obviously having questions about making a purchase and I think Dan what we’re gonna do is we’re up against a hard break right now so we’re gonna take a quick one and then we’ll come back and talk a little bit more about the different types of things that you can obtain through Buyer’s Edge. That sounds like a great plan. Thanks Gordon. You got it.

Buyer’s Edge services and membership details

This is Gordon Oliver with the Cambridge Connection. We’ll be right back. Inflation is pushing family finances to the brink. Don’t let that happen to you. Call 1-800-CAMBRIDGE and find out how to pay your bills in full while saving money in the process.

Take control of your debt before it starts controlling you. Welcome back everyone to the Cambridge Connection. I’m your host Gordon Oliver here with my co-pilot Tina Marie and our special guest Dan Walker from the Buyer’s Edge. Dan thank you so much for joining us. This is really important for employers to understand that your organization exists as an employee benefit that is no cost to the employer.

Is that correct? That is absolutely correct. So in looking through some of the information I noticed that you have some mortgage financing programs also through Buyer’s Edge? We have a relationship with an organization called Better Way Mortgage and they offer at the save you no lending fees and that can represent several several hundred dollars in savings right there and they have all different types of programs for first-time homebuyers, reverse mortgage and a number of options. Something I can’t speak to personally but again when you call one of our vendors be a call or do it online they have all the answers.

buyers, both with a mortgage and with real estate, we offer a savings on 15% off the commission. And these are with full service realtors throughout the country. This is on a nationwide basis. And for those members that have problems with credit, we have a wonderful relationship. One of our newest partners, Cambridge Credit Counseling, what a wonderful service, a non-profit assistant program that helps you become debt-free.

It’s really fabulous. And we also offer, for those that need credit repair, we have a relationship with Better Qualified, another long-time program partner of the Buyer’s Edge. Yeah, we had Paul on the radio program about a month to a month and a half ago, if I remember correctly. He’s right in line with the sponsor of the show, Cambridge Credit Counseling, trying to help consumers, especially when they make ... These are big transactions.

The mortgage industry and the mortgage, the real estate landscape right now is not really very favorable. Interest rates have hit about 7%. And the values of the homes in this past couple of years, just the amount of money people were overpaying off of list prices for mortgages and homes is just incredible. So Tina Marie, my co-pilot, is a certified counselor at Cambridge Credit Counseling, and obviously they have first-time homebuyer courses, right? We do.

We do have first-time homebuyer courses for the consumer. They can call 1-800-CAMBRIDGE if anyone is interested in that. And as he mentioned, the people that might be struggling with credit card debt, I am a certified counselor there. We have plenty of certified counselors there to help. So don’t hesitate.

Give us a call. We’re there for all your needs. Yeah. Dan, in inflationary times, obviously, as an industry, right, the amount of headlines that are indicating the most record-breaking applications for new lines of credit, people are just not making more money, but everything costs more money. I was just talking to a restaurant owner that said that his electric and energy bill is going to probably double in the winter months because just everything has just gotten so out of control with cost.

And for an employee or employers listening to the show, we’d like to, Dan, can you let people know how to find you if they’re interested in adding your services to their group or organization because obviously people can’t take advantage of this off the street. So it would have to be through an organization or through an employer. Can you tell employers that might be interested in adding Buyer’s Edge how to find you? Absolutely. com, and there’s a, are you a member on the home page?

And it lists about a hundred different name dropping, but you can put in the name of your organization to see if you’re already a member. If you’re not, there’s an organizational signup, as I said prior, that we offer our program at no cost to the association, provided we have one contact who will be responsible for getting it out to their employees or to their members, be it on the intranet, if it’s an HR or to the employees through their password protected website. Dan, does an employer have to have a certain amount of employees to take advantage of Buyer’s Edge? Well, ideally, we’re looking for organizations with 25 or more members, but we’re flexible on that because some, it’s interesting, Gordon, sometimes organizations with small employees do a better job of getting the word out to their members. You also, on our website, we have an 800 number, 800-755-5008.

If you’re not sure if you belong or want to find out how you can do it other than doing it online, give us a call. We’d be glad to help out. Again, for everyone listening, Buyer’s Edge is a no-cost buying service that offers a low price guarantee on many major purchases for its 4 million members, and those include appliances, cars, furniture, kitchens, debt consolidation, with the... All of the above. That’s right.

All of the above. Fine jewelry, hearing aids, home security systems, mortgage financing, pet insurance, real estate, travel. I mean, it’s just... Travel. The work that you do is so important.

Now, I know you’ve been around for 40 years, but there have been times, I’m sure, that you’ve seen things like this are needed more than not, especially when things cost so much money. Getting these opportunities to buy at reasonable costs has got to be important to so many consumers right now. It most certainly is, and we’re delighted to be around to help out in any way that we can. So, Dan, you do a lot of exhibiting at conventions to let people know that the product exists. What do you think in the last year have been the main questions that you’re being asked?

About the Buyer’s Edge? Yeah. The cost involved, and a lot of members do not realize that they’re members, and we explain to them, be it part of the teachers’ associations or the police organizations, that, no, this is a no-cost membership to you and your family. Just remember that if you have a major purchase, we probably have somebody on their contract to get you the lowest pricing on that particular product or service. All right, Dan, quick question, though.

So those that are vendors, what’s the cost to them to become a vendor? Usually there isn’t a cost other than we have a different arrangement where some vendors will pay us a small finder’s fee when certain things happen, or a percentage, or nothing. As a pass-through, we want to make sure that the most important thing is that our members get the best possible price in that particular product line, and we usually make exclusives. Our vendor partners, they’re going to be exclusive in that particular product line, and consequently, by us giving them additional volume that they would not normally have, they’re willing to have a sharper pencil for our members. That totally makes sense.

So even if you’re a vendor that’s listening, it doesn’t hurt to visit Buyer’s Edge and see if your product is being offered, and of course, reach out to Dan to see if their product can be added. Before we let you go, Dan, time runs fast on this show. Me and my co-pilot, it seems like every week our heads are spinning and the show is over. Before we let you go, can you please, one more time, let our listeners know whether they’re a vendor, an employer, an employee looking to bring it to an employer about adding the benefit, how to find you? Very simple.

com, and it says, are you a member? And there’s a phone number to give us a call or an application to fill out. If you’re an employee and you don’t see it, we encourage you to go to your HR, go to your benefits organizer, and tell them about Buyer’s Edge. There’s an easy form to fill out, or simply call us at 800-755-5008. Dan, and in these times, important for consumers to know they have a trusted place to go to try to get the best deal they can on products and services, so we appreciate you joining us today.

And once we get into the winter and we’re seeing where inflation is going, or if recession, the R word really comes into play, it seems like we are already anyway, we’d love to kind of bring you back and talk about this again for some people that may not know it exists. Well, that’d be great, Gordon, and Gina Marie, we really appreciate the opportunity to be able to tell our story. We appreciate you. Thanks, Dan. All right, we’re going to take a quick break, we’ll be right back to close the show.

Buyer’s Edge recap and sign off

This is Gordon Oliver with The Cambridge Connection. For over 40 years, Buyer’s Edge Inc. is a members-only buying service that offers a low-price guarantee on many major purchases, such as appliances, cars, furniture, kitchens, and many more products and services. Buyer’s Edge is a no-cost service to participating organizations for their employees and members, representing the buying power of over 4 million members. Not sure if your employer, union, or organization already belongs?

com, or call them direct at 800-755-5008. All right, this is The Cambridge Connection, here with my co-pilot, Tina Marie. Hey, man, Dan Walker, 40 years in the business of helping people save money on appliances. There’s some credibility there, obviously. Obviously, obviously, what he has to offer works.

Student loan forgiveness waiver deadline

Yeah, and you know, the show goes by very quickly, but I have to make sure also in October, we make sure that we’ve done shows on this, but the clock is ticking. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver, not to be confused with the Biden-Harris Loan Forgiveness of $10,000 or $20,000. Two totally different entities. And again, 1-800-CAMBRIDGE, if you need to talk about your student loans. There’s a process for people that have either not met one of the requirements of the loan forgiveness, and those pretty much are, you have to work for an eligible employer, which is a government, city, state, municipality, 501c3.

You have to have the right loan types, which are direct loans, and you have to make 120 eligible payments on the appropriate correct repayment programs that are eligible for this. That’s where people were making mistakes. That’s why they put this waiver in place. Come October 31st, it expires. And if you’re not too familiar, if you’re unsure, call Cambridge Credit Counseling at 1-800-CAMBRIDGE.

We do have answers. Absolutely. Or you can even contact your servicer. gov. You can listen to the episode, I think it was three episodes ago, with Betsy Mayotte again that kind of breaks down the Public Service Loan Forgiveness, but I have to bring this up until it expires because I just know people are going to miss the boat here.

And it’s so crucially important if you have 50, 60, 70,000 in student loans and you work for an eligible employer and you can get them forgiven tax-free. Don’t let it pass you by. You cannot. If you are listening to this right now, please share this with people that you know or have heard complaining about how much they owe on their student loans because there’s nothing more important than this process. We hope there’s going to be some kind of an extension, which again, it’s my understanding they can’t extend it because it’s attached to an act.

Let’s not bank on it. But hopefully they’ll write something different, but we’re not banking on that, right? Let’s not bank on it. We’re going to be proactive. Exactly.

Quote of the week and closing

Act now. All right. Quote of the week. Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. Elise Boulding.

All right, everyone. We’re here, 28 minutes each week here at The Cambridge Connection. Huge thank you to Leah and Lisa, our producers. We have experts on each week that are phenomenal to help with financial wisdom and financial wellness, and we have a bunch more lined up for the future. com, click on podcasts, or you can go where you listen to your most favorite podcast shows.

And once again, this great information we’re giving, we want you to be part of the conversation. org or feel free to call 1-800-CAMBRIDGE.