With the New Year upon us, banks are vying for your business. This is good news for you, because instead of just offering standard perks like no fees, free checking, or a free pen when you sign up for an account, some banks are raising the stakes with cold hard cash, giveaways, and great interest-bearing products. [...]

Best New Bank Account Promotions, Offers & Free Money is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

You might not realize that selecting a bank is one of the most important financial decisions you’ll ever make. Banks can avail you of financial opportunities like high interest savings accounts and free checks, or they can cost you money and inconvenience you in a myriad of ways from monthly maintenance fees to limited ATM [...]

How to Choose a Bank That’s Right for You is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

At a time when banks are making record profits and customers are paying higher fees, many people are seeking financial institutions that will help them save money. One such institution could be your local credit union. Credit unions offer numerous financial products that help people maximize their incomes and increase their savings, often with fewer or lower fees than [...]

Credit Unions vs. Banks – Differences, Pros & Cons is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Most of us are always on the lookout for ways to cut the amount of time we spend on mundane chores. One of the ways online banking has helped free up our time is through the advent of automatic bill pay. You can set up automatic payment plans for utility, entertainment, household, and other bills. [...]

Automatic Bill Payment Plans – Advantages & Disadvantages is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Banks are constantly being gobbled up by larger financial institutions looking to expand their empire. This trend can be extraordinarily frustrating if you’ve spent a long time with a bank you like and then a larger one takes it over and changes all the rules. Getting accustomed to the changes can be unsettling and even [...]

9 Steps to Take with Your Accounts During a Bank Merger or Acquisition is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Safe, low-risk investments have historically returned low interest rates. However, these days, rates have become abominably low. The interest rates offered on savings and checking accounts, for example, often do not provide enough incentive for people to keep their money there. In response, some banks now offer a higher-return, low-risk account: the rewards checking account. [...]

How to Maximize the Best High-Interest Rewards Checking Accounts is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

If you are able to keep your expenses in check and use credit cards wisely, paying for your daily expenses with credit or debit cards is a no-brainer. Using plastic can greatly facilitate budgeting, since sites like Mint.com can automatically track your purchases, and you can also avoid unsafely carrying large sums of money for [...]

Difference Between Credit Cards vs Debit Cards – Which Is the Right Way to Go? is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

In this day and age, where competition seems to be fierce in just about all of the retail service-oriented industries, it is beyond me how so many companies just fail to get things right. I can only guess that they either think they are too big to make customer service a priority, or that they [...]

Top 5 Companies with the Worst Customer Service is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

What do you mean my bank can fail? Yes, even the well-trained managers at your seemingly secure bank can make poor business decisions. Plenty of people thought it was impossible, but banks do make mistakes – like the numerous bad loans that eventually crushed major financial institutions in the past few years. If you weren’t [...]

What to Do If Your Bank Fails – 4-Step Checklist is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Credit card companies are in the business of making money, and they use all the techniques at their disposal to make sure that whatever you borrow from them, you’ll be paying back ten-fold. After the credit bubble burst and defaults on their ledgers skyrocketed, banks and credit card issuers started pulling new tricks out of [...]

3 New Credit Trends and How They Affect You is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Like most people, I rely on the wonders of banking technology to receive my pay checks and pay my bills. Banks offer the near magical feature of having money just appear in your bank account (i.e. direct deposit) or having bills paid on a schedule while you worry about other things. Modern technology is often [...]

4 Bank Errors & Mistakes Waiting To Happen is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

If, like many Americans, you’re fed up with big bank fees and poor customer service, you might be considering other options when it comes to banking. Three of the most popular alternatives are online banks, credit unions, and small local banks. While switching financial institutions is a good idea in the long run, the initial [...]

7 Easy Steps to Switch Banks without Worry is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

I remember noticing the letters “FDIC” stenciled on the bank door when I was a little kid. Everyone has seen the acronym at some point:  in television commercials, on web advertising or posted somewhere in the bank. The term became especially well known during the financial meltdown of 2008 when FDIC insurance became a major topic. [...]

What is FDIC Insurance? – Coverage, Limits & Rules for Banks is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

In another recent article here on Money Crashers, we offered some suggestions on how to opt out and get less junk mail coming to your house. You can even use websites like Catalog Choice to stop junk mail. I think the reasons for blocking junk mail are sound, and probably smart, except… well, I like [...]

Why Stop Receiving Junk Mail? 4 Types of Junk Mail I Actually Like Getting is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

I can vividly remember the day last summer when my wife and I were walking into a movie at the theater when I received a phone call from an unknown number. I decided to listen to the voice message before we went in for the show. As I heard the words “your bank account has [...]

Debit & Credit Card Skimming Fraud – How to Avoid Card Skimming Devices is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

The earlier you begin investing, the better your payoff will be, so begin investing as soon as you can afford to do so. An important piece of advice along these lines is to “pay yourself first, and then invest.” If you contribute, even in small amounts, to a smart savings or investment plan, you’ll see [...]

What is a Money Market Account and How to Choose the Best with High Yield Rates is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

What’s the first thing you look for when you get to the cash register and dig into your purse or pull out your wallet? Are you still writing personal checks, do you whip out a plastic card, or is it cold hard cash? If you’re like the majority of Americans, you probably pay with some [...]

The Way We Pay in America – Most Popular Payment Methods, Federal Reserve Payments Study 2010 is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of ING Direct. I have an ING Direct savings account and checking account, and I’ve never had any issues with ING Direct. They have a decent online savings interest rate, their online checking has a ton of features, and their online security is great. They are [...]

ING Direct Orange Black Friday Savings Account Deals 2010 – Save Money Instead of Spending It! is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

Leaving your old bank is never easy. You have to change all of your bill payments, cancel automated transactions, and switch your money over to a new financial institution. It just seems like a time-consuming hassle. While it would be great to never have to leave your bank, there are some times when you need [...]

4 Tips on When It’s Time To Open A New Bank Account is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.

There have been numerous posts written about the importance of having a savings account. These articles range from where to open your new savings account to what to look for in a savings account. But one of the most overlooked financial products in personal finance is a checking account. A checking account is a deposit [...]

Tips to Open A Checking Account is a post from the Money Crashers personal finance blog.