ACCOUNT

Did you know that 9.6% of customers switched banks in 2011? While this survey that I read wasn’t directed at strictly college students, the findings are valuable for young adults that are just getting started with banking. Chances are that you have a bank account right now. You might be content or you might be [...]

Residents of the following States: AZ, CA, CT, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OK, TN, and VA. For those living near a Bank of America branch in one of the above States, Bank of America is offering a $100 new personal checking account bonus with offer code [...]

Susquehanna Bank is offering a $100 bonus for opening a personal checking account and for completing 5 transactions each month for the first four months. The offer is listed at this Susquehanna Bank promo page, and it requires that you fill in the form to receive a $100 offer coupon in the email. You then [...]

This is a post from Make Love, Not Debt staff blogger, Abby. George Keeps an Eye on Me and I Keep an Eye on Him Image: Paul Sapiano Confession time: I am horribly selfish with money. Well, maybe not selfish – just particularly cautious. In my adolescent years I watched my parents’ marriage implode, and [...]

Residents of the following states: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC. For those living in the above states, BB&T is offering a $100 bonus for opening a checking account with promotion code is AIEAP. In order to qualify for the $100 bonus, new [...]

The Fed will be holding its third FOMC meeting of the year next Tuesday and Wednesday. No policy changes are expected. If there’s going to be more quantitative easing (i.e. QE3), it’s more likely that it will be announced later this year after Operation Twist (which is scheduled to end in mid-June). Regarding the line [...]

Many banks may have ended their free checking accounts, but at least a few are still offering new account bonuses. Customers will have to be more careful if they plan to take advantage of these promotions. That’s the case with BB&T which is offering a $100 bonus for opening a checking account and performing some [...]

Many banks may have ended their free checking accounts, but at least a few are still offering new account bonuses. Customers will have to be more careful if they plan to take advantage of these promotions. That’s the case with BB&T which is offering a $100 bonus for opening a checking account and performing some [...]

Stay up to date on the latest Save The Bills posts. You can subscribe to the RSS feed via email or follow me on Twitter @savebills. There’s no point in accumulating all of that extra interest in an online savings account if you don’t keep your money safe. You can’t rely on the bank to [...]

Retirement planning is one of those things that need to be a priority in the lives of everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are 25 or 55, you should be actively involved in the retirement planning process. This means selecting a good retirement plan that will makeyou money while reducing your taxes at the same [...]

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Consumer Price Index Summary for March on Friday, and the numbers were in line with expectations. According to this Seeking Alpha article, “there is little evidence yet that rising gasoline prices are feeding through to broader inflation.” Thus, we shouldn’t expect this CPI data to have the Fed [...]

I first heard of the investing website Betterment.com about a year ago when I was looking into our options for investing outside of my company 401(k). We were hoping to open a Roth IRA where we could invest for myself and my wife, and after doing quite a bit of research we had narrowed it [...]

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES./ TORONTO, April 13, 2012 /CNW/ – Tricon Capital Group Inc. (TSX: TCN) (“Tricon” or the “Company”) today announced that it has closed a separate investment account for approximately US$150 million (the “Transaction”) with a large Canadian institutional investor to support the [...]

For those looking to maximize on opening a Chase Checking account, you can now get $200 Cash Gift Card Bonus by buying the coupon from eBay. Typically, you can do the “Buy It Now” option for around $20 or less. Once you have the unique coupon code, you can redeem at any Chase branch or [...]

April 12, 2012 Swiss Court Blocks IRS Efforts to Obtain Account Holder Information by Mark Robyn In recent years the IRS has been trying to crack down on those notorious Swiss bank account holders. Since 1996 Swiss and U.S. authorities have had an agreement to share information in order to curb international tax evasion. In 2009 we [...]

Brokerage Account Closeout Fee Tax Deductible Or Not? By TFB By moving my brokerage account from Wells Fargo to TD Ameritrade, I earned a signup bonus from TD Ameritrade, but I also had to pay a $95 account closeout fee to Wells Fargo. I could’ve left the minimum amount necessary to keep the Wells Fargo [...]

It has become common for brokerages to offer free checking accounts. These provide another option for those who want to leave their megabank. Last year the brokerage firm Scottrade launched Scottrade Bank to offer deposit accounts to it brokerage customers. According to last year’s press release the bank was rolled out to only certain parts [...]

Accounts mentioned in this post. Rates as of April 11, 2012. When TIAA-CREF launched its new internet bank TIAA Direct last February, the launch didn’t go smoothly. Many readers tried to apply for the TIAA Direct 1.25% savings and money market accounts. Some were told that only TIAA-CREF employees were eligible to open accounts. Several [...]

The yen gained versus all of its 16 most-traded counterparts as Japan returned to a current-account surplus, bolstering the currency as a refuge amid concern the global economic recovery is slowing. The euro touched a one-month low versus the yen before German data tomorrow that may show exports fell in February. The dollar weakened against [...]

As much as the current account deficit is important, it’s just a symptom of a bigger underlying problem, i.e. an overvalued currency. – National Bank, Weekly Economic Letter, March 19, 2012 Canada’s sterling reputation for stability has developed into a serious economic problem, as countries and businesses look to the Canadian dollar as a safe [...]

The simple answer for 90% of people reading this is no. However, how do you know if you’re one of the 10% – or the 90%? To answer that question you need to understand the following: What is an ADR? What are the benefits and disadvantages of ADRs? What assets are you attempting to trade? [...]

Brokerage Account Signup Bonus Taxable Or Not? By TFB I’m following the lead from my own post Huge Bonus Offers From Brokers: Fidelity, Schwab, TD Ameritrade, ETrade, Merrill Edge. Although I’m satisfied with the service of WellsTrade brokerage account provided by Wells Fargo Advisors, the huge bonus offered by its competitors is just too good [...]

After reaching all-time highs in early 2010, Teva Pharma (TEVA) has struggled, falling to below $40 a share for the first time since 2007 before rebounding to its current level of $45. However, it seems like the market is underestimating the growth of the generic market and Teva’s standing is one of the big dominant [...]

Chase Freedom Visa Card offers a $200 bonus after $500 in purchases within the first 3 months. In addition, you will earn 5% cash back on categories such as gas, groceries, department stores, travel, etc. The categories change every 3 months with 5% cash back up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter. You’ll get 1% [...]

Chase Bank is now offering a $150 Chase personal checking account bonus, valid through May 15, 2012. You’ll get a $150 cash bonus when you open a qualifying Chase checking account and set up a direct deposit. This exclusive Chase bonus offer is only available to new Chase checking account customers. The Chase personal checking [...]

The March employment report was a disappointment. It’s another indication of sluggish growth. It’s not the growth that we need to encourage the Fed to pull in its expectations for rate hikes. However, it’s too soon to expect more stimulus from the Fed. Minutes from the Fed’s March meeting were released this week, and according [...]

HomeStreet Bank’s latest checking account promotion makes it incredibly easy for just about anyone to earn $300. Here’s how you can get a piece of that cake – and eat it too.About the Promotion When you open any personal checking account form HomeStreet Bank, you will be asked to choose among a variety of special [...]

The new Chase Bank $125 cash bonus promotion is now available with direct deposit good until May 12, 2012. Simply set up direct deposit along with $100 opening deposit to receive $125 cash bonus. You could apply online or print out the coupon and take it to the nearest branch. Chase Checking Account Benefits: FREE [...]

I recently needed to make an update to the status of my dependents for my file with the VA. I could easily do this with a paper form, but I decided to try the Veterans On-Line Application, or VONAPP. The government is trying to move more processes online which reduces paperwork and saves them time [...]

CIT Bank has recently launched an internet savings account called CIT Savings. CIT Bank first launched its internet bank offering CDs last October. The savings account interest rate isn’t that great compared to other new internet banks, but the rate is competitive. It’s 0.85% APY for a daily balance of at least $25,000 and 0.80% [...]

By Tanisha Warner Credit Care Tanisha Warner is the communications manager for Money Management International, where she manages educational content designed to teach consumers about personal finance topics. Ask a question ‘Credit Care’ archives Dear Credit [...]

There continues to be signs of a slowly strengthening economy. This week the Labor Department reported that new jobless claims fell to a new four-year low. Next week the employment report for March will be released, and the consensus is for the unemployment rate to remain unchanged at 8.3%. That would support Bernanke’s claim (that [...]

By Tiffany Hsu and E. Scott Reckard Los Angeles Times March 31, 2012 LOS ANGELES — MasterCard Inc. and Visa Inc. warned Friday that some of the data in their cardholder accounts may have been breached. The companies don’t directly issue credit cards — they process card transactions for the banks that do. MasterCard said [...]

By LAUREN WEBER When Boris Siperstein travels for work from his home in Austin, Texas, he often does so with a folding bicycle tucked under his arm. He expensed the $180 Dahon model, bought on sale, to his private-equity firm, but biking to meetings in such locales as New York City, Mumbai and Mauritius, he [...]

In the past year alone, banks have taken many actions to make up for lost profits, including eliminating free checking, raising fees, and pushing consumers to buy more financial products from them. The shifting landscape of banking has yielded checking accounts that have become increasingly complicated and difficult to sift through and compare:     A big [...]

The first online stock broker I came to know happens to be ETrade, and this was way back in the 1990′s. So I’m a bit more familiar with this company than I am with other brokers, only because ETrade has been around longer and is certainly considered as one of the most recognizable. However, being [...]

U.S. cell phone users are used to having the right to keep their numbers when they switch networks. As the practice of making account information “portable” spreads, competition for subscribers in emerging markets is already getting more intense — and profit margins are feeling the strain. From a consumer’s perspective, the appeal of cellular portability [...]

Source: goodfinancialcents.com via Jeff on Pinterest We’ve joined over 140 other bloggers to promote the Roth IRA Movement. Thank Illinois Certified Financial Planner Jeff Rose for this awesome idea! How We Found Out About Roth IRAs According to my statements, my Roth IRA was opened in 1996. I was in high school at the time and got into [...]

Everyone loves the Roth IRA. If you read any personal finance blog, website, or listen to any financial guru they will rave about how the Roth IRA is the best thing since sliced bread. What makes this investment vehicle even better is that back in 2010 anyone could convert their Traditional IRA (therefore pre-taxed) accounts [...]

Councillor Carmine Perrelli is accusing Mayor Dave Barrow of “buying” municipal election votes and plans to address the issue at tonight’s council meeting.The town’s operating budget, proposed tax increases and a new council expense policy are also on the agenda for tonight’s meeting.Mr. Perrelli is expected to raise town’s council sponsorship account as a budget [...]

Almighty Zeus launches new Trojan War against our bank accounts This is an update of a “Street Sweeper” column that originally ran on September 26, 2011. This is a saga worthy of the title the “Trojan War.” For now, at least, Troy is in flames, the Greeks have won – or, in more modern [...]

The rising Treasury yields over the last few weeks has provided some hope that interest rates may have finally bottomed. The good economic news have eased fears of a recession and a European debt crisis. However, as this WSJ article describes, we have seen several short periods of rising Treasury yields over the last few [...]

Good Morning Green Panda Friends.  Today we are discussing our own investment independence. We are young twenty-something’s who are trying to graduate from college, land our dream job, and basically find our place in the world.  We may have always lived under the watchful eye of our parents, our teachers, and our older siblings; but [...]

Bank of the West is offering up to $125 in checking account bonuses, plus a $25 donation to local schools when you open an account through April 27, 2012. Bank of the West products are offered to residents of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, [...]

Sometimes bigger is better – especially when it brings you access to savings and deals not found with many other banks, which is the case with Citibank checking and savings accounts. Citigroup is listed by the Federal Reserve as the third largest bank by deposits in the US. What does that mean for the average [...]

There’s a long tradition in China during the Lunar New Year celebration that, in addition to eating dumplings and getting new clothes, parents, grandparents, or even relatives give children red envelopes containing a small amount of money. The money is for the whole year since parents usually don’t give kids any extra allowance during the [...]

It is high time the District School Board of Niagara acknowledges that “service to the surrounding community” receives proper weight when making final decisions on closing St. Catharines high schools. That criteria reflects the number of students that actually reside within the “catchment area” the school was built to serve. Using that benchmark, West Park [...]

Welcome to Money Smarts! If you’re new here, please read the “About” page to find out more about this site. If you would like to receive updates by email then sign up here or you can subscribe to the RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! I received a very interesting email from Sandra recently [edited for [...]

Just when you thought the era of new online banks splashing into the market was over, TIAA-CREF is on the hunt for customers’ deposits. TIAA-CREF Trust Company, FSB was established in 1998, and the bank just began offering deposit accounts in the last month. The products, under the name TIAA Direct, are intended to compete [...]

Washington Federal is offering a new checking account promotion in which customers can receive either an Amazon Kindle or Kindle Fire. The details are listed at Washington Federal’s promotion page. The promotion is scheduled to end on May 31, 2012. To qualify for the Amazon Kindle ($79 value), a Simple or Performance Checking Account must [...]

BBH FX Strategy 03/20/12 – 10:36 AM EDT The following commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet’s guest contributor program, which is separate from the company’s news coverage. By Marc Chandler NEW YORK (BBH FX Strategy) — On Monday the eurozone reported that its January current account surplus of [...]

Have you noticed unexpected Tweets by your account? Have you seen unintended DM’s (direct messages) sent from your account? Maybe you observed other account behaviors you didn’t make or approve (like following, unfollowing, or blocking). If so, your Twitter account is likely compromised and being used to spread what’s coined “the DM virus”. If you [...]

We set up an RESP for our daughter just a few weeks after she was born.  Being new parents with little free time, we just opened the most straightforward RESP account that was available – an RESP GIC Account under a family plan. This account was easy to open and set-up our monthly contributions.  The RESP [...]

Bank of the West has just started a new checking account promotion with a bonus of up to $100. In addition, the bank will donate $25 to local schools. You can also earn another $25 by opening a credit card with the checking account. I didn’t include this in the total bonus since there are [...]

The ING Direct Business Savings account is offering a $50 banking bonus when you open a new Business Savings account from ING Direct. New ING Direct $50 Business Savings Bonus Available Online – No Promo Code Necessary You can now apply online for the ING Direct Business Savings account with no promotional code necessary to [...]

The FOMC meeting went as expected this week without any policy changes. The Fed continues to say that it anticipates that “economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through late 2014.” There was one dissenting vote. Richmond Fed President Lacker voted against this policy action because [...]

Check your MyPoints account for 10 points when you answer 3 quick 2-3 click questions. We just did this and it took us not even a minute to click the question and close the browser! We don’t have a lot of time for surveys or emails, that is why we love MyPoints. MyPoints is one [...]

Tweet Tweet The Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a popular tool used by professionals to prepare for their retirement years. With the uncertainties surrounding employment, the fragility of the global economy, and the inadequacy of Social Security to address needs in one’s retirement years, it is only prudent that one sets aside a fraction of [...]

TORONTO, March 14, 2012 /CNW/ – Within a year of its launch, ING DIRECT’s no-fee daily chequing account, THRiVE Chequing™, has saved Canadians over $18 million in unnecessary bank fees, and paid more than $100,000 in interest. More than 100,000 Canadians are using THRiVE Chequing and avoiding the nickel and diming from most banks that [...]

Handout // REUTERS Adam Carroll, left, and Vic Toews. By Jordan Press OTTAWA — Adam Carroll, the former Liberal party staffer behind the Vikileaks30 Twitter account that revealed unflattering details about Safety Minister Vic Toews’ past, is being summoned to appear before a Commons committee this week — and only a doctor’s note will get [...]

If you are a student, then you must be shopping around for a bank account which has the best student overdraft facilities. You might be thinking how a student bank account is different from a normal current account? Put it in simple words, you will get better rates on overdrafts. There are only a few [...]

By Charles | March 5, 2012 – 3:44 pm – Posted in Forex Forex market is now easily accessible to anyone on the internet. Any average person can trade in different foreign exchange market from the comfort of his home. If you are interested in trading currencies, its important that you first find an online [...]

A better-than-expected February employment report should reduce the chance that the Fed will announce new monetary stimulus in its meeting next week. However, the Fed continues to plan for new stimulus if the economy and employment don’t improve enough. There are reports that a new stimulus called sterilization is being discussed by the Fed. As [...]

Following the new and threatened fees from Wells Fargo and Bank of America, NerdWallet conducted a study to analyze the current state of the top 5 banks’ checking account fees and requirements by comprehensively combing through every account offered (3-8 checking accounts per bank) and the 50+ fees and requirements associated with each account. This [...]