ABC NEWS Airs Weeklong REAL MONEY Series Beginning Tonight

Imagine finding hidden money you didn't know you had. During a special weeklong series of "Real Money" reports on "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer," ABC's Paula Faris crisscrosses America in search of easy and inventive ways families can cash in by making small changes at home. "Real Money" week begins tonight, Monday, July 15 Watch.

The broadcast will cover The Following topics:

Americans pay $225 in bank fees every year. "World News" highlights a free tool you can download today that helps to insure that you never get pinged with a penalty fee ever again and shows you how to earn 33 TIMES the national interest rate on your checking account.
Americans spend over $130 billion to go to the dentist annually. Roughly half of Americans lack dental insurance, nearly four times the number without health insurance. "World News" profiles a free service that negotiates prices with your dentist and can lower your bill by 30 to 50%.
Every year Americans spend $36 billion to get their cars fixed, but like gas prices and prescription drugs, auto repair costs vary wildly from mechanic to mechanic. 66% of drivers think they have been ripped off by a repair shop. "Real Money" tunes up your wallet -- saving you 40% on your next car repair by making mechanics fight for your business.

The average family spends $2,200 on energy each year. "Real Money" shows you the easy five-second change you can make in your home that can potentially save you up to $400.

The "Real Money" series gives viewers information they can apply to their own lives in tangible ways. Since launching the series last year "World News" has helped 16 families keep over $125,000 in their pockets. In March "World News" profiled Joyce Ann Huston of Las Vegas who has been a musician her entire life - she is one of the 26% of Americans who say that they or a family member have struggled to pay medical bills in the last year. She owed $25,000, but after learning from "World News" about assistance programs available at not-for-profit hospitals, she was able to reduce that bill by $18,000 (HYPERLINK "http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/03/28/real-money-hidden-money-at-your-hospital/"Watch). In February, with the help of ABC News, one family learned they could lower their monthly prescription drug bill from $20,000.19 to $1,252.28 -- saving them $18,747.91 (HYPERLINK "http://abcn.ws/YwQMLR"Watch). And in January "Real Money" saved the Barry family from Marshfield, MA $1,400 on their annual cell phone bill

Don't Miss a TV News Story Sign up for all the news on the Spring season, discounts & more...