Personal Finance Blog, Your Guide to Financial Fitness
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David Bakke
I have been a member of Discover for many years. Recently, while checking out my account on their site, I came across a service that they offer that I never even knew about. It’s called Discover Bank, and its catch phrase pretty much says it all: “A better way to save.” As part of Discover Bank, the service offers rates that are five times the national average for their online savings account.
Online Savings Account
Mark Riddix
Let’s take a look at a company that has quietly been making a name for itself in the discount brokerage industry. OptionsXpress is a multiple award winning broker that specializes in options trading for beginning and experienced traders. The company has slowly been building its market share over the past few years. Today, OptionsXpress is regarded as one of the best options brokers in the finance industry.
OptionsXpress is a subsidiary of OptionsXpress Holdings, Inc. The company has been operating as an online broker to options traders since 2000. OptionsXpress is based in Chicago, Illinois and offers a wide array of investment products for traders and investors alike. The company has consistently received high ratings from Forbes, Barrons, and Smart Money for its website, trading tools, competitive fees, and research information.
David Bakke
I recently had a chance to look at EverBank and in particular their Yield Pledge Money Market account. As far as I can tell, it’s one of the best out there. To give you a little background first, EverBank has a long standing history as one of the nation’s most prominent privately held mortgage companies. However, they have evolved into a family of companies now offering innovative banking, lending, and investment products and services. They are based in Jacksonville, Florida. They really pride themselves on innovative approaches to banking. They currently have a little over 500,000 customers.
The Yield Pledge
David Bakke
I have reviewed quite a few banking sites in the recent past and the first thing that struck me about FNBO Direct is that it is about as close to a “one stop shop” for banking that I’ve been able to find. One of their most attractive feature is their 1.1% APR for their online savings account. While this isn’t anything drastically out of the ordinary, you need to also consider all the other great services that they have to offer.
The Basics
Kira Botkin
If you’re a deal hunter, you’ll love Groupon. Each day, Groupon, which is a free service, offers a different deal on something fun to do, good food, a new experience, or something you’ve always wanted to try. It’s basically a gift certificate at a discount. Groupon has coupons available in dozens of metropolitan areas including multiple ares in some larger cities like Los Angeles or Washington, DC. It is also available in several Canadian cities and many countries outside the United States as it continues to expand and gain a huge following.
Sally Aquire
Being self-employed, I have more than a few receipts to keep track of in preparation for completing the dreaded tax return. Unfortunately, I’m not always the most organized person in the world so I was interested to come across a website called Shoeboxed, which makes it easy to keep track of your receipts. The idea behind the website is very simple: you send in your paperwork (receipts, business cards etc.) and they scan it in, enter the data and organize it for you. If you don’t have the time or inclination to do this kind of thing yourself, it’s the perfect way to ensure that you don’t miss out on anything vital.
How Much It Costs
This service is offered at various pricing options, including a bare-bones free version detailed further down below:
David Bakke
I recently have had the opportunity to review quite a few different online banking websites. WTDirect seems to offer quite a few features and benefits that I have yet to see in my experiences. I am not saying that these benefits are strictly unique to WTDirect, but they are worth checking out as you won’t find them everywhere. Keep in mind that WTDirect was one of the first high-yield online savings accounts.
1.21% APY
Mark Riddix
Have you been considering making the switch to satellite TV? The two major satellite companies are begging for your business. They are trashing each other’s reputations to win you as a customer. If you watch a DIRECTV commercial, then you will come away believing that Dish Network is a terrible value. Tune into a Dish Network commercial and you will believe that DIRECTV has horrible service. Who is really telling the truth? Which is the better value? Let’s size up both competitors and see who comes out standing:
DIRECTV
David Bakke
I recently took the time to review the website MoneyAisle. The site is basically an auction house for auto loan companies to compete for your auto loan business. They offer quotes for new car loans, used car loans, and for people who want to refinance their loan. They even have a section for bank CDs and high-yield savings accounts. If you’re in the market for getting a car loan on a new car or pre-owned car and you can’t pay for it in cash, then take a deeper look at my review of this website.
Their Edge
David Bakke
I recently decided to check out the website PerkStreet Financial, an online bank which offers a lot of things that you really won’t find anywhere else.
In this day and age, there are a wide variety of places that you can put your money, including a huge number of online banks. PerkStreet does a great job of setting themselves apart from most other online banking websites.
PerkStreet offers a checking account which is pretty much free. Here are the high points of what it has to offer:
David Bakke
I recently took some time to review the website Netflix.com. I would imagine that most of you have heard of it before. Personally, I am not a huge movie watcher, but after reviewing the site, I can certainly say that if I were, that Netflix would probably be my first choice.
There’s a reason why Netflix has become so popular in a short amount of time. Its prices are great and the movie selection is even better. Their intelligent algorithms that pick movies based on your movie interests and how you rated other similar movies is very accurate and helpful. Plus, they’re coming up with new ways to instantly watch their movies all the time.
David Bakke
I just finished reviewing the identity theft solutions product TrustedID. They offer practical identity theft solutions to protect individuals, families, and businesses. They also offer the industry’s most comprehensive protection regarding your personal information. What I immediately liked about TrustedID is the word “proactivity.” So many other sites out there that either claim to offer protection or claim to monitor your credit only do so in an “after the fact” sense. Meaning, they don’t do much about preventing identity theft, they can only help you once it’s already occurred. TrustedID offers more and that’s a big reason they are highly-touted and have received some great reviews. The website offers three basic products:
David Bakke
I recently had the pleasure of reviewing the coupon/deals site CouponCactus.com. They offer coupons to over 3,700 stores, helping you save money every time you shop online. Additionally, they have a cash back feature which allows you to get additional savings back in cash for all purchases made through their site.
Before I begin, I just want to say that I am no stranger to online shopping. In another business endeavor of mine, I do a great deal of online shopping. There are a wealth of so-called “coupon sites” out there. I am here to tell you that Coupon Cactus seems to be head and shoulders above the rest.
David Bakke
Recently, I took a good hard look at the website Equifax, which is devoted to products regarding monitoring your credit and protecting your identity. The site has some built-in credibility to it as it is one of the three main credit reporting companies, along with TransUnion and Experian. This means a lot in my opinion, because the number of websites and companies out there in this field are numerous, and some are much more trustworthy than others.
What They Offer
David Bakke
I was recently able to spend a good bit of time going through the myFICO site. Here you can get your most up to date FICO score for only $15.95. But the site offers much more than just your score. They have several other “tabs” on their home page that provide you with everything from a variety of products related to monitoring and protecting your FICO score to the latest in low interest credit cards.
FICO Score Defined
