Discounts on your cellular plan - news to save you hundreds

A few days ago I talked to a representative from NAR who informed me that there are no current cell phone providers who have a discount arrangement for NAR members. So I have done some digging and come up with some very interesting news that might save you a few hundred dollars per year.

To recap an earlier post, I did find that my local board had a discount arrangement with Sprint for 10% of the monthly bill. In the comments an agent in California told me that agents in her area could get a discount of 7% on AT&T.

In talking to some other people here is more information I have discovered:

If you have an account with a credit union, you should be eligible for a discount of 10% on most plans with Sprint. It does not include the basic plans or unlimited plans, but it does include most other plans. In addition, activation fees are waived for credit union members. Information about this is at cusaver.com or check with your credit union. If you are not a credit union member, there is probably one that you can join.

If you are a current or retired union member, there is a discount available from AT&T of 15%, including iPhone plans. For information about this discount go to unionplus.org/ATT

If you are getting a new phone or new or extended plan, some frequent flyer programs offer frequent flyer miles for doing so through their website. An example of Continental's OnePass program. For information about their program you can go to onepasswireless.com You can check with your favorite airline to see if you can earn frequent flyer miles with a cellular provider.

We heard of at least one university that has a discount up to 23% for students and faculty members. If you have family members who are students or who work for a university, it might really pay to find out if there is a discount program available.

Various companies have special discounts with cellular providers. Many providers have a place where you can enter your work e-mail address. They will then let you know if there is a discount associated with that workplace. Or check with the HR Department to see what is available. Even though NAR does not have a discount contract, don't overlook your state association or the company where you or a family member works.

If you want a discount to apply to a current plan, be warned: they might require you to extend your current contract when they apply the discount. In that event, make sure you time your discount with any planned upgrades in phones or plans.

There are probably discounts you are missing where you already qualify or could easily qualify. It's worth doing a little bit of research to find out what you might be able to save. It could be hundreds of dollar per year.

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