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Banking

Wells Fargo Testing $3 Monthly Debit Card Fee

by Flexo
Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo Bank, the primary brick-and-mortar bank I’ve been holding onto for my branch-based banking, ATM deposits, and immediate check-writing, is jumping on the debit card fee bandwagon. Chase was one of the first banks to start playing around with fees and debit card changes. Chase increased its ATM fee to $5, eliminated the short-lived ... Continue reading this article…

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ING Direct Now Offers Paper Checks

by Flexo
ING Direct

The internet is a-twitter with the news that ING Direct is now offering paper checks to accompany its Electric Orange “paperless checking” account. Apparently, customers have received emails from the bank confirming this long-needed enhancement, but I have not received an email yet. A box of 50 checks costs $5 through the ING Direct website. ... Continue reading this article…

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Aurora Bank Review

by Flexo

In my neverending quest to find more options for banking in today’s environment of low-yield high-yield savings and money market accounts, I’ve come across Aurora Bank. I don’t move money around from one account to another to chase high rates, but until I get around to simplifying my banking options, I tend to open accounts ... Continue reading this article…

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According to Wells Fargo, My Name is Business Customer

by Flexo

I chuckled when I received my replacement business debit card in the mail yesterday. Although I never had any problems with my account, and I’ve always received mail from Wells Fargo addressed properly, at some point, someone in the bank decided the name of the owner of my business accounts is “Business Customer.” As Wells ... Continue reading this article…

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Bank of America Settles Overdraft Fee Lawsuit

by Flexo
Bank of America Lawsuit

If you qualify for the Bank of America overdraft lawsuit settlement, you may have already received a postcard in the mail from the bank. Here is information on the overdraft lawsuit, only one of many class action lawsuits against Bank of America. If you recently received a check from Bank of America for about $98, ... Continue reading this article…

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ING Direct Financial Independence Days Sale

by Flexo
Fireworks

Online bank ING Direct is offering some goodies in July in time for Independence Day. July 4 is a bank holiday in the United States, so this sale starts early. July 1 and July 2 are the only days this sale will be available, so this offer is only around for a very limited time. ... Continue reading this article…

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Capital One Buys ING Direct, Now What?

by Flexo

ING Direct has been on sale for the past few years, and I’ve speculated on the rumors of possible buyers like Ally Bank and GE Capital. The winning bidder has been announced. Capital One has purchased ING Direct for $9 billion. Capital One is a financial institution that is historically known as a credit card ... Continue reading this article…

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GE Capital May Buy ING Direct

by Flexo
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Update: Capital One has purchased ING Direct. A few weeks ago I mentioned that Ally Bank was considering buying ING Direct, the United States deposit bank arm of the Dutch ING Group. In exchange for a European bailout, ING was forced to agree to sell ING Direct by 2013. As the date nears, more rumors ... Continue reading this article…

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How to Choose the Best Savings Account

by Flexo
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Born in the 1970s, I didn’t get to experience the days when anyone with a bank account could earn 18 percent APY in their savings. When I started being aware of interest rates — something that didn’t happen for me until I was out of college, struggling to earn a living, and thinking of a savings ... Continue reading this article…

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Student Checking Accounts Comparison, February 2012

by Flexo
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As we head into summer, thousands of young adults will be heading to college for the first time. It’s important to get started on the right financial foot, and a free student checking account is an essential tool, particularly when combined with a savings account. Obtaining a student checking account that’s convenient for both students ... Continue reading this article…

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The Difference Between Savings Accounts and Money Market Accounts

by Flexo
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Savings accounts and money market accounts are different from each other practically in name only. From a saver’s perspective, there is no difference between these types of accounts. There are many misconceptions about the supposed differences between savings accounts and money market accounts, and if you’ve ever tried to learn about these differences online, even ... Continue reading this article…

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Are Online Banks Safe?

by Flexo

Anyone who is accustomed to being able to walk into the local bank branch, access accounts through a teller, and discuss banking options with an account manager on-site might still have reservations about moving money to an online-only bank. The benefits are big. Usually, online-only banks offer higher interest rates on savings and certificate of ... Continue reading this article…

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Ally Bank in Talks to Buy ING Direct

by Flexo

Update: Capital One has purchased ING Direct. A little less than eighteen months ago, I mentioned that ING Direct was scheduled to be sold off. The online bank’s parent company, ING Group, received taxpayer assistance. The plan is for ING Group to sell ING Direct USA to pay back the European Commission. The New York ... Continue reading this article…

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US Bank Offers Free Rewards Account, Then Cancels Offer

by Flexo

Xenocid is having a frustrating experience with US Bank. A customer service representative moved his account into a new tier, offering a free account with cash back rewards when using his debit card. Xenocid promptly received a letter saying they would start charging $25 per month for this free account. Here’s his side of the ... Continue reading this article…

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ING Direct Electric Orange Checking $50 Bonus

by Flexo

I’m aware that many regular Consumerism Commentary readers already have ING Direct savings accounts. Those who have been reading this website since the beginning know that I’m a fan. Their interest rates may not be at the top of the chart these days, and there is some concern that ING Direct’s parent company plans to ... Continue reading this article…

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The Saver’s Dilemma

by Flexo

At Consumerism Commentary, I’ve been writing about putting money into high-yield savings accounts for as long as this website has been around. Just as people started getting the message, banks pulled the rug out from under their customers. The Federal Reserve made cash easy and cheap from banks to access, and since the low federal ... Continue reading this article…

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Citibank Changes Overdraft Procedure: Fewer Fees

by Flexo

At the end of March, Fifth Third Bank changed its procedure for dealing with overdraft fees. When a customer has many debits (withdrawals) posting on the same day, and they are not real-time debits, banks often start with the largest amount. Ordering the debits from largest to smallest ensures that customers who do not have ... Continue reading this article…

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ING Direct Electric Orange Raising Credit and Margin Rates

by Flexo

On May 16, ING Direct will change the rate is uses to determine the cost of overdrawing the Electric Orange checking account. ING Direct’s overdraft system is a little like Passover, where we ask how this bank is different than all other banks. Rather than charging an overdraft fee if you send an electronic check ... Continue reading this article…

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Chase Increasing ATM Fee to $5

by Flexo

Chase Bank can’t seem to stay out of the news. Last week, I mentioned that the bank was considering limiting debit card transactions to $50 or $100 as a protest against the industry’s regulation of interchange (swipe) fees. Today, there is news that the bank has increased the ATM fee for non-customers to $5 in ... Continue reading this article…

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Moving Away From Banks and Other Companies “Too Big to Fail”

by Flexo

The FDIC is progressing in its development of new rules that will apply to financial firms — not just banks — deemed “too big to fail.” The rules would establish procedures for unwinding companies whose failure would pose a threat to the economy, when that failure appears to be imminent. The government organization approved a ... Continue reading this article…

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