Banking

Stop Paying Annoying Bank Fees
Banking

Stop Paying Annoying Bank Fees

Banking fees are frustrating…and often unfair. Here’s how to determine your financial institution’s potential charges…and avoid paying them. Request disclosure.…

The Bond-Fund Meltdown
Banking

The Bond-Fund Meltdown

Bonds are supposed to be steady, reliable, even boring investments—but they’ve created plenty of drama this year. The Bloomberg US…

Best Places to Stash Your Cash Now
Banking

Best Places to Stash Your Cash Now

Lift-off! After punishing savers with two years of near-zero short-term interest rates, the Federal Reserve expects to hike its benchmark…

Beware Money-Market Fund Dangers
Banking

Beware Money-Market Fund Dangers

The benefits of a money-market fund have faded as the coronavirus-caused recession has lowered interest rates.

Best Places to Stash Your Cash Now
Banking

Best Places to Stash Your Cash Now

With the return of low interest rates, savers must draw on some shrewd strategies and search for the best sources of higher yields on their savings. Here’s some help.

How to Avoid the Pitfalls When Trying to Get a Break on Bills
Banking

How to Avoid the Pitfalls When Trying to Get a Break on Bills

These are the best ways to get a break on payments for credit cards, mortgages, cable and satellite TV, Internet, car loans and more.

Your Bank Safe-Deposit Box Might Not Be as Safe as You Think
Banking

Your Bank Safe-Deposit Box Might Not Be as Safe as You Think

Losses from safe deposit boxes are not uncommon for reasons ranging from bank mistakes to floods.

The Best Bank Accounts to Boost Your Yields Now
Banking

The Best Bank Accounts to Boost Your Yields Now

As interest rate increases have stalled, some money-market, savings, checking and CD accounts still offer attractive yields. Here are the best.

Beware CD Rates That Are Too Good to Be True
Banking

Beware CD Rates That Are Too Good to Be True

Lofty CD rates are sometimes just marketing ploys to lure you into buying high-commission financial products.

How to Earn Much More on Your Savings Now That Interest Rates Are Rising
Banking

How to Earn Much More on Your Savings Now That Interest Rates Are Rising

After more than a decade of extraordinarily low interest rates, savers are finally seeing yields perk up now.

Yields on Money-Market Funds Finally Perk Up
Banking

Yields on Money-Market Funds Finally Perk Up

Yields on money funds at mutual fund companies have risen as the Federal Reserve has boosted interest rates, and the trend is expected to continue.

Top 10 Credit Unions Anyone Can Join
Banking

Top 10 Credit Unions Anyone Can Join

There is no shortage of reasons for consumers to consider abandoning banks. And credit unions are attracting many of those disaffected customers.

Free Checking More Common at Credit Unions Than Banks
Banking

Free Checking More Common at Credit Unions Than Banks

No-strings free checking now is more than twice as common at large credit unions as at large banks. About 84%…

Bank Inactivity Fees More Common Than You Think
Banking

Bank Inactivity Fees More Common Than You Think

Does it seem like your bank charges fees for everything these days? It might be worse than you think—some banks…

States Stealing Little-Used Accounts
Banking

States Stealing Little-Used Accounts

If you fail to contact the companies that manage your financial accounts every few years, the money in those accounts…