In the first of a new series of Q&As with personal finance experts, the TV host and author of Generation Debt offers her thoughts on everything from why she would never pay cash—or even put more than 20% down—when buying a house, to why she always pays top dollar for quality tequila.
Investing
125 Tips for Saving Money, Shopping Smarter, Finding Jobs, and Just Getting Through a Bad Day
This week’s tip roundup includes things you must do (find a checking account that doesn’t charge fees), products that come with less “product” than they used to (like Häagen-Dazs), and coupons you probably don’t use but should.
Bank of America’s New Checking Accounts Offer More Options, and (You Knew It!) More Fees
In a new pilot program, the biggest bank in the U.S. says it wants to provide customers with more checking account options—and more transparency regarding the fees that come along with each option. “We are trying to provide you choices on how you compensate us,” explained on BofA executive. What’s transparent about that statement is …
Coming in 2011: More Bank Fees
What with the number of checking accounts without minimum balance requirements on the decline, consumers are increasingly likely to be hit with monthly bills by their banks. Fees for ATM withdrawals, wire transfers, and other services are also on the rise.
Need Work? You Might Want to ‘Have a Little Work Done’ on Your Face First
Frustrated older workers are discovering that all their decades of experience—not to mention all their wrinkles—are hurting their chances of finding jobs. So, to give off a more youthful appearance and boost the likelihood of getting hired, many out-of-work Baby Boomers are fudging their resumes and electing for cosmetic surgery.
The Quirky Reason Big Bank Customer Ratings Are Improving
At the same time banks are losing customers, their customer satisfaction ratings show clear improvement. Huh?
Credit Unions and Small Banks Cream Big Banks in Customer Satisfaction Survey
The results of a new survey show that 88% — 88%! — of credit union and small bank customers say they’re satisfied with the service they receive, and only 1% of credit union customers report being dissatisfied.
Q&A: Matthew Schifrin, Author of ‘The Warren Buffetts Next Door’
A new book profiles ten unknown, ordinary investors—including college dropouts, engineers, a former truck driver, a retired DJ, most of them without MBAs or fancy degrees. What makes these investors extraordinary, however, is that they’ve managed to do what the wisdom on the street says can’t be done by consistently pulling in amazing …
Shout Out: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ (Investopedia Edition)
“When on CNBC there arose such a clatter/ Investors sprang from their chairs to see what was the matter./ Up to the TV they flew like a flash,/ To hear the latest rumors and political trash.”
The Nation’s Most Fiscally Responsible Citizens Hail From … New Jersey?
My home state, much derided as a haven of McMansions, malls, and obnoxious, tanning-booth-crazed reality TV stars, and a place regularly accused by its own residents of having one of the country’s most fiscally irresponsible governments in the land, actually boasts the country’s most financially capable and responsible people. Who says …
Cheapskate Wisdom … About Why You Keep Money in a Bank Account with Paltry Interest Rates
“Consumers are opting for safety over income when they stash their money in the banks. That means picking savings or checking accounts at FDIC-insured banks.”
How You Slowly Lose Money with Bank Accounts
Banks used to be good not just as holding pens for your money, but as places your money could grow slowly but surely. But considering the evil combo of rising fees and pathetic interest rates, the net result is a slow but sure loss of value even when there’s not much inflation. The main reasons for putting money in standard checking and …