Personal Finance Blog By MoneyRates - Savings Account
Add deficit reduction to the list of priorities waiting for improvement in employment
January 3, 2011
Read about what your savings have to gain--or lose--from decisions about deficit reduction
Most say 'no thanks' to debit-card overdraft protection, poll says
November 16, 2010
About one-fifth of consumers say they've signed up for their banks' overdraft protection programs for ATM and debit-card transactions, according to poll results released Nov. 16 by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. The survey was conducted about six weeks after new federal regulations went into effect Aug. 15 requiring banks to get [...]
Why aren't Americans saving more for retirement?
November 9, 2010
Although a vast majority of Americans realize how important it is to save for retirement, a sizable portion don't follow through with action. More than a third of Americans, 39 percent, are not saving for retirement at all, according to a survey released in October by TIAA-CREF, a national financial services organization. The online survey, [...]
How the dollar and the deficit threaten savings accounts
October 13, 2010
A lower dollar might help US trade, but if taken too far could turn the budget deficit into the next financial crisis.
Will money market rates be a victim of the Fed (again)?
September 13, 2010
Find out what leading experts say the Fed's next move will be -- and what your response should be.
Do you track your checking account with your cell phone? Most consumers remain wary.
September 7, 2010
Although a growing number of consumers are taking advantage of mobile banking, most have yet to use their cell phones or PDAs to manage their checking or savings accounts. The two biggest reasons, says an August report by Javelin Strategy & Research in San Francisco, are concerns about security and a "lack of a compelling [...]
Half of bank customers choose checking account overdraft protection, American Bankers Association survey says.
August 31, 2010
Despite all the advice from personal finance experts to choose inexpensive ways to cover accidental checking account overdrafts, a lot of folks are apparently willing to pay 25 to 35 bucks a pop to ensure their debit card transactions go through when their balances are zero. Almost half of bank customers, 46 percent, said they [...]
Surprising number of debit card holders want checking account overdraft protection
August 10, 2010
Apparently a lot of folks run their checking account balances close to the line. An online July poll by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found that 26 percent of Americans plan to opt-in for debit card overdraft protection, in spite of the hefty fees involved -- up to $35 each time the balance dips [...]
Declining Profit Margins a New Threat to Bank Rates
July 28, 2010
It's a delicate balance. Sometimes banks want to attract deposits in savings accounts, money market accounts, and CDs. Other times, those accounts can be almost a liability. According to a recent story in US Banker, now is one of the latter times, when some banks may actually shun new deposits. No, that doesn't mean you have [...]
Earnings Send Disappointing Signals for Bank Rates
July 26, 2010
Indications from second quarter earnings releases are that banks are continuing to suffer from bad loans tied to the real estate sector. That's bad for banks, and in this case, what's bad for the banks is also bad for bank customers. Money market rates, CD rates, and savings account rates continue to bump along at extremely [...]
