Baffled by the business of choosing a cell phone carrier? You’re not alone. Not only do new phones hit the market seemingly every week, but the remaining big four US carriers – AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and (for now) T-Mobile – constantly change service plans and pricing to compete more effectively. Because carriers spend millions on advertising, we are treated to commercial after commercial touting the benefits of one over the faults of the others.

How do you make sense of the chaos? No worries. Read on for helpful hints on navigating the shifting sands of cellular. While much of our advice is geared towards smartphone owners who are looking for affordable data plans and faster networks, note that every major carrier offers an array of feature phones that offer voice, text messaging and perhaps email and applications. Most of those devices can be had for free if you sign a new two-year contract.

Before you do anything, check the terms of your current cell plan if you have one. Terminating early to move to another carrier can cost several hundred dollars in fees and ruin any financial benefits you might gain from switching. Also, ask your current carrier what special incentives they have to keep you around. They usually provide deep discounts toward the purchase of a new phone – as long as you’re up for a multi-year service plan.

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