Is your bank jacking up its fees on your checking account? You have one great response available. Move your money. Now. Find an institution that competes for your business on price as well as service – probably an online bank, community bank, or credit union. Even pre-paid debit cards can be a smarter choice than [...]
What’s one of the country’s top New Year’s resolutions? “Get my personal finances on track.” It competes with “Lose five pounds” and way outdoes “Spend more time with family and friends.” If you get control of your money, you might even find it easier to control other niggling issues (like that extra Christmas weight). Here [...]
If an IRS warning suddenly pops up in your email, do not – repeat, not – click on the link. Trust me, the government isn’t reaching out to help you. You’re being phished, and not by a garden-variety spammer. You’re hearing from Avalanche, the largest and one of the most sophisticated [...]
Are you thinking of signing up for “courtesy” overdraft protection linked to your debit card? Hold off, until you’ve read this column. Those fees are protection, all right — a protection racket. A federal district judge, who examined the way the giant bank, Wells Fargo, handles debits, called the practice “gouging [...]
Auto dealers are swarming Capitol Hill, asking their Senators to exempt them from scrutiny by the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency. They’ve already won an exemption from the House of Representatives. If the Senate gives them a free pass, too, it will hurt consumers, turn a blind eye to predatory practices, and violate the principle [...]
