Bankers are sure trotting out the appealing straight talk to defend the recent increase in rates on various consumer banking services. First it was Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan telling folks that adding a $5 monthly fee for debit cards was okay because they “have the right to make a profit.” Now an American Bankers Association has an interesting turn of phrase to defend the jackup in checking account costs, most recently done by Citibank. [More]
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Bankers Association Defends Checking Rate Hikes: "We Don't Expect To Pay Nothing To Ride The Train"
By 10.7.11
Bank Of America CEO Defends $5 Fee Hike: We Have "Right To Make A Profit"
By 10.6.11
Bank of America has taken a lot of flack over the bank’s decision to levy a $5 monthly fee on debit card holders. Now the CEO is firing right back. [More]
Obama's Debt Reduction Plan Includes Letting Debt Collectors Robo-Call Cellphones To Collect On Federal Student Loans
By 10.4.11
One part of the debt-reduction bill Obama sent to Congress is a provision that would let debt collectors robo-call cellphones to collect on what’s owed to the government, like federal student loans. [More]
Banks Marketing 1% APR Bank Accounts As "High-Yield"
By 10.4.11
Considering how “high-yield” savings accounts used to give returns of 4-5%, reader Phil thinks it’s a bit disingenuous for banks to continue marketing them as such when the rates are only 1%. He sent in a picture of a recent piece of junk mail he got from American Express to illustrate. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 10.4.11
7 times to call your card issuer [MSN Money] “Staying in touch is the best way to prevent inconveniences such as having your account blocked or major problems such as fraud.”
10 Career Lessons from Julia Child [Get Rich Slowly] “The top 10 career lessons you can learn from Julia Child.”
15 Tips for Shopping Consignment Sales [Parenting Squad] “Before you pay top dollar for new clothes, think consignment sales.”
Simply Finishing College Offers the Best Chance to Gain Financial Education [Moneyland] “College graduates pretty much have, or through experience and learning ability soon will acquire, enough personal finance smarts to effectively manage that part of their life.”
Double your salary in the middle of nowhere, North Dakota [CNN Money] “Believe it or not, a place exists where companies are hiring like crazy, and you can make $15 an hour serving tacos, $25 an hour waiting tables and $80,000 a year driving trucks.”
Bundle Together Several Small Scholarships
By 10.3.11
Rather than banking on one big scholarship, students are finding success by stringing together several small scholarships. By filling out an online questionnaire, you can get matched up with organizations that focus on specific subjects, talents, interest groups, ethnicities, and industries. Here’s your first step: [More]
Roving Tellers Spread Banking To India's Hinterland
By 9.30.11
Human ATMs are traveling from village to village in India, sometimes by rickshaw, armed with computer gear and taking deposits. They’re part of a state-wide initiative to spread banking to the vast rural population that normally has no access to it. [More]
VISA And Mastercard Plan To Hike Debit Card Fees On Small Items For Merchants
By 9.29.11
VISA and Mastercard are planning to sharply raise the debit card transaction fees for small purchases for merchants, according to an analyst note. A $2 cup of coffee incurs about an 8 cent fee currently, but under the new policy, the fee will hike to 23 cents. [More]
You Can Get $500 If An Autodialer Calls Your Cellphone
By 9.28.11
Your cellphone rings from a number you don’t recognize. You pick it up. At first there’s silence. Then the sound of a call center kicks in and a person asks, “Hello, can I speak to Karen?” It’s a telemarketer, or a debt collector, using an autodialer. And they just broke the law. And just for funsies, you can collect $500 or $1500 with just a few hours of work if you go after them. [More]
Seeking Pro Help With My Messed Up Money Flow
By 9.28.11
Reader CosmosHuman is overwhelmed by her bills. She’s current on all of them but needs help managing her money flow in a more sane fashion. She’s afraid that a CCCS (Consumer Credit Counseling Service) will “mess” with her credit report. “I really don’t want my credit reports stating I am a failure,” she writes. It’s a shame, because a non-profit, free, legit, CCCS is a really good option. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 9.27.11
The Secret to Living Well on $40,000 a Year [US News] “The father of two says that his family of four can live well on his $40,000 a year salary.”
Make a million with $225 a month [MSN Money] “If you choose wisely and persevere, a modest monthly investment can produce a nest egg that will let you retire comfortably.”
6 Reasons Why Used Is Better [Wise Bread] “My top six reasons why buying used is better.”
How Would You Sell a Collection? [Get Rich Slowly] “If you had a collection of 300+ Barbie dolls, how would you sell them?”
6 new tools to help you get out of debt [CNN Money] “Knock out the money you owe before it ruins your dreams with these six new online debt-busting tools. “
How To Have A 20-Minute Conversation With A Partner About Money
By 9.26.11
The lifestyle changes you need to get out of debt can seem overwhelming. They can seem impossible if you don’t feel your partner isn’t on board with your plan. That’s why it can be very helpful to set up a dedicated 20-minute conversation where the two of you discuss it so you can get them on your wagon of change. But you’ll want to set up the parameters and a few ground rules so that the two of you will get the most out of the talk. [More]
The Four Most Interesting Finance Sites At Finovate
By 9.22.11
This week there was a finance technology conference in New York called Finovate. I was able to slip in incognito because my press pass had been printed out as, “Ben Popken, Managing Editor, The Consumer Blog.” Freed from the shackles of people knowing who I was and thereby trying to influence my reportage, I was able to survey the scene with a clear and penetrating gaze. Here are four of the new sites that sounded the most interesting. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 9.20.11
My New Credit Card Strategy [Free Money Finance] “The majority of your charges will earn you at least 5% cash back.”
4 Home Buying Lessons We Should Never Forget Again [Moneyland] “Here is a list of real estate trends the recession has triggered that we hope will stick around.”
How to Deduct Your Pets [Smart Money] “Believe it or not, there are legitimate reasons to deduct dogs, cats and other animals.”
25 Best Places to Retire [CNN Money] “Each of these towns offers amenities galore for the post-work crowd — plus a cost of living that’s pretty darn sweet.”
5 things car salesmen won’t say [MSN Money] “Consumers are arming themselves with information before buying new wheels, and the folks at the dealerships are responding with a few new tricks of their own.”
Visa Will Incentivize Stores To Install Smart Card Terminals
By 9.19.11
We could start to see “smart cards” — credit cards embedded with a PIN-encoded chip instead of just a magnetic strip — take hold in America next year due to a big move by Visa. They are offering some very enticing financial incentives to stores to get them to install point of sale terminals that can read smart cards. [More]
What It's Like For A Blind Man To Use An ATM For The First Time
By 9.13.11
Have you ever been waiting for the ATM to dispense your monies and seen that little headjack for blind people and wondered, hey, how does a blind person use an ATM? This video shows what happens when Tommy Edison, a blind man, uses the ATM for the first time. It takes him 11 minutes. [More]
Personal Finance Roundup
By 9.13.11
5 ways to get rich…or poor [MSN Money] “It comes down to several factors, such as marriage, homeownership and college education, as well as the choices you make.”
5 Surefire Ways to NOT Get the Job You Want [US News] “Here are some mistakes to avoid.”
Financial Confession – I Sold My Hair [Budgeting in the Fun Stuff] “Most hair is usually sold for $30 or more an ounce.”
The Rise of Tattoo Remorse: Heavy Cost to Erase What’s Often an Impulse Decision [Moneyland] “The [removal] procedure will wind up being far more painful and way more expensive ($3,600!) than when you got tattooed in the first place.”
For Investors On the Go, the Best Apps [Smart Money] “More people are checking their brokerage accounts via smartphones. The best for speed, trading, data and more.”
Credit Card Bills So Bad I Avoided The Mailbox
By 9.12.11
Young, dumb, and full of debt, Beverly was dealing with it in the worst possible way: not dealing with it. Things got so bad that her plan for coping with all the angry letters from creditors filling her mailbox was to simply not get her mail anymore. [More]
