Some Bank of America customers in Georgia must decide just how badly they enjoy getting monthly account statements in the mail—because the fee for this basic service has gone from $0 to $8.95 a month.
Investing
Cheapskate Wisdom … About Why You Don’t Have to Do Business with a Big, Fee-Crazy Bank
“10 years ago, there weren’t many other choices for banks. Like a short, fat guy with no social skills, you took what you could get. But now, things have changed, and our short fat guy has turned into a prince with lots of options.”
Q&A with Trent Hamm, Author of ‘The Simple Dollar’
“The trick is to just make sure you’re not spending a lot of money on stuff you don’t use or appreciate very often.”
Guess Who’s Most Likely to Strategically Default on Mortgages? The Rich
If you’ve got a mortgage of $1 million or above, you’re significantly more likely to be delinquent with payments compared to homeowners under the $1 million mortgage mark. Why are the wealthy falling behind or walking away from their mortgages? “The rich are different: they are more ruthless,” says one economist who helped compiled the data.
How a $20 Investment Saved Me $2,000
On the morning of the Fourth of July, an incident occurred in my kitchen that first caused me great aggravation—and that later, after I’d had a cup of coffee and could view the situation with some perspective, gave me reason to smile and give myself a little pat on the back. So what happened?
10 Consumer Questions Including: Is Your Contractor Lying to You? And: Do You Care About Product Recalls?
Also: Is it better to invest or pay off your mortgage early? Is Hulu Plus worth the $10 a month they’re asking for it? Are you paying too much in property taxes?
Monster Money-Saving List Round-up: Freebies, Outlet Store Rip-offs, Remedies to De-Stink Your Shoes, Coupon Secrets and Coupon Sins
Also: stuff you should never pay for, including certain insurance policies, brand-new technology, checking accounts, and ridiculous plastic surgeries. Cankle liposuction anyone?
Of Employment, Weight Gain, Hunger, Risk, and Weird Economic Theories
Having a job may cause you to gain weight. Not having a job may also cause you to gain weight.
There’s Still No Reason to Pay for a Checking Account
Recent reform measures that restrict debit-card overdraft fees and tighten credit card regulations are expected to save consumers as much as $5 billion this year. No one expects the banks to sit back and do nothing while once-easy revenue streams dry up, and the speculation is that one tactic banks may soon bank on is the reintroduction …
Want a Job? Want to Retire? Avoid these Strange, All-Too-Common Blunders
Neither getting a job in today’s economy, nor retiring after the portfolio-busting Great Recession, is an easy task. They’re both especially difficult to accomplish if you’ve made silly, shortsighted mistakes through the course of your quest. One quick tip: During a job interview, it’s probably not a good idea to answer your cell phone …
Bank Fee Watch: No More Free Checking?
When Bank of America eliminated announced it was eliminating debit card overdraft fees, many observers were puzzled. Why would BoA give up such a big money-making scheme entirely, rather than simply tweak it to fall into line with new regulations regarding overdraft protection and fees, like most other banks are doing? And, more …
Cheapskate Wisdom about … Whether a College Education Is Worth the Money
“One needn’t necessarily be a liberal-arts graduate to regard as distinctly and speciously utilitarian the idea that higher education is, above all, a route to economic advancement.”