Wireless Phone Plans

Picking the service plan for you: Determine when, where and who will be using your cell phone most to select a plan that's just right for you. Pre-paid Plans are a good option if don't like long-term contracts and want to limit your phone expenses. The increasingly popular Family Plan (local, regional, or national in scope) gives parents peace-of-mind and ready access to on-the-go kids. Shared Plans function like Family Plans, giving you the freedom to define the group's members. No Contract Plans offer simplicity and convenience linked to your credit card. However, most wireless phone plans require you to sign a one- or two-year contract and charge a steep penalty if you cancel before the contract expires.

The most popular wireless phone plans today involve purchasing a "block" of calling minutes per month. You pay a flat fee for a set number of minutes-the going rate is about 10 cents a minute. With a 500-minute plan, for example, you could spend up to 500 minutes on the phone for $50 per month. On the other hand, if you only used 200 of the 500 minute-block that month, you would still have to pay the full $50.

The total number of minutes is not as important as when you can use them. Some of those minutes may be "anytime" minutes, but a big portion are typically available only on nights and weekends. For every minute you use beyond your block, you pay a hefty "penalty" rate (from .20 to .60 cents per minute). Very few carriers offer wireless phone plans that let customers roll over unused minutes to the next month.

Determine when, where and who will be using your cell phone most to select a plan that's just right for you. Pre-paid Plans are a good option if don't like long-term contracts and want to limit your phone expenses. The increasingly popular Family Plan (local, regional, or national in scope) gives parents peace-of-mind and ready access to on-the-go kids. Shared Plans function like Family Plans, giving you the freedom to define the group's members. No Contract Plans offer simplicity and convenience linked to your credit card. However, most wireless phone plans require you to sign a one- or two-year contract and charge a steep penalty if you cancel before the contract expires.

No matter what anybody says, there's no one wireless phone plan that's right for everybody. So, when shopping for a service provider and phone plan, don't let pressure or the offer of a "free" or cheap phone sway you. Take time to analyze your needs, arm yourself with accurate information, ask lots of questions, and then use your intuition and best judgment.