Posted January 19, 2010 - 07:00 by Nora Dunn
Following is a Financial IQ Test, designed to help you determine how healthy your bank accounts –- and your interaction with them -– are. Tally up your score and see how you fare. Then you can reference some relevant articles on the topics you need some refreshers on.
Posted January 17, 2010 - 08:00 by Xin Lu
This week a government committee is investigating the cause of the financial crisis by interrogating bank titans what exactly went wrong. Complicit: How Greed and Collusion Made the Credit Crisis Unstoppable by Mark Gilbert is exactly what these government officials need to read to learn what went on in the last few years to cause the debacle. Here are some of what I learned from the book.
Posted December 3, 2009 - 23:01 by Sierra Black
My bank charged me almost $100 in overdraft fees, even though my bank statement never went negative. As one of my colleagues here at Wise Bread reported last week, banks use this shifty accounting to screw customers for excessive fees. It’s not just me being irresponsible once in awhile; it’s a system designed to rob people exactly at the moment their finances are least resilient. Overall, banks are expected to make over $38 billion on overdraft fees this year.
Posted August 28, 2009 - 12:00 by Philip Brewer
I don't pay any bank fees, except rental on my safe deposit box. That leaves me of two minds about the fees. On the one hand, I feel bad because the fees tend to fall hardest on the people who can afford them the least--the poor, the ignorant, the stupid, the careless, the lazy, and the unlucky. On the other hand, the fees other people pay help cover the costs of the many free services that I get from the bank.
Posted August 12, 2009 - 12:00 by Xin Lu
Reward checking accounts are currently some of the highest yielding accounts available at FDIC member banks. These accounts currently have yields of up to 6% and that is much higher than yields of 2% to 3% paid by CDs and savings accounts. Here is a quick introduction to what they are and how you can take advantage of these accounts.
Posted August 4, 2009 - 05:00 by Philip Brewer
I got a notice from one of my credit cards a bit ago, announcing that they were raising the interest rate. It's only of theoretical interest to me, of course--I use credit cards for transactions, not to borrow money--but looking at the rate they're charging reminded me that there are really three interest rates.
Posted June 18, 2009 - 21:41 by Silicon Valley Blogger
When shopping for a money market savings account or other bank products, I don't believe it should be all about the yield. You should also be aware of how much it costs to bank with your financial institution because bank fees can very easily neutralize the interest you are earning on your savings. On that note, I offer a few ways to lower your banking costs.Posted February 15, 2009 - 14:18 by Jabulani Leffall
Our spending and money management choices may be influenced by factors we can't control in our own minds as well as factors we couldn't control growing up. You may ask, to what are you referring Willis? Well the question is this: How would Arnold Jackson have faired in his personal finances if not for Phil Drummond or would he have been fine?
Posted January 26, 2009 - 07:31 by Philip Brewer
Of all the changes you might make to live more cheaply, the most fundamental is finding a cheaper place to live. Sadly, it's an option that's largely closed off to people who are underwater on their mortgages. Unless they have cash to cover the difference between what their house will sell for and what they owe, they're pretty much stuck. Here are six options for people in that situation.
Posted December 10, 2008 - 03:15 by Philip Brewer
It will not, I think, surprise my regular readers to hear that I like to read books about money. All kinds of books about money--not just books on personal finance and frugality, but just about anything, including monetary histories and stories of wealth. Dinkelspiel's new book hits those last two categories (besides being an engaging biography as well).
Have more to say? Join the discussions at Wise Bread's Finance and Frugality Forums.
| Posts | Cmts | |
|---|---|---|
| Andrea Dickson | 2 | 14 |
| Elizabeth Sanberg | 2 | 2 |
| Julie Rains | 2 | 4 |
| Linsey Knerl | 23 | 12 |
| Marla Walters | 2 | 4 |
| Myscha Theriault | 2 | 8 |
| Nora Dunn | 2 | 7 |
| Paul Michael | 3 | 0 |
| Philip Brewer | 4 | 12 |
| Sasha A. Rae | 2 | 5 |
| Sonja Stewart | 2 | 7 |
| WC Porter | 5 | 9 |
| Xin Lu | 3 | 8 |
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