As featured in The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, and more!

Banking

Citibank to Charge $20 a Month for Checking Account

by Luke Landes
Citi Checking Account Piggy Bank

For the last few years, savers have been punished by banks offering low interest rates. If that weren’t enough, banks now want depositors to pay for the privilege of putting money in a bank. In the world until recently, banks sought depositors because they used the public’s money to increase lending to borrowers who were ... Continue reading this article…

35 comments Read the full article →

How to Close Your Bank of America Savings or Checking Account

by Luke Landes
Bank of America

If you’re upset about Bank of America charging a monthly debit card fee or any other fee, if the bank has a policy you don’t like, or if you just have no need for this company’s particular set of services, consider closing your Bank of America account. There’s an initiative called Bank Transfer Day encouraging ... Continue reading this article…

69 comments Read the full article →

Bank of America Charging $5 Debit Card Monthly Fee

by Luke Landes

Last month, I noted that Wells Fargo was to begin testing a $3 debit card monthly fee in some areas of the country. Since the recession, banks are looking for more ways to generate profits from depositors. Historically, banks turned deposits around and approved loans for borrowers at higher interest rates than what was paid ... Continue reading this article…

15 comments Read the full article →

Current and Historical Checking and Savings Account Rates

by Luke Landes

Since many banks are constantly updating their interest rates offered on savings, money market and checking accounts, this chart should come in handy. On the 1st and 15th of every month, this page is updated to show the most accurate rate information available. This list is organized in two sections. The first section includes FDIC-insured ... Continue reading this article…

2 comments Read the full article →

Money Magazine’s Best Banks 2011

by Luke Landes

In early October, I will announce the winners of the Second Annual Plutus Awards, which will include the best bank, best credit card, best brokerage, and a number of other categories. Later today, the Plutus Awards website will list the finalists. Money Magazine has already completed its survey and announced the publication’s editor’s picks for ... Continue reading this article…

4 comments Read the full article →

10 Tips for Avoiding Overdraft Fees

by Luke Landes
Nickel and Dime

Bank of America is settling the overdraft fee class-action lawsuit that alleges the bank knowingly manipulated customers’ deposits and withdrawals in order to maximize the fees they would receive. Although the banks aren’t completely to blame for the proliferation of overdraft fees, policies were so much of a problem that the government and regulators needed ... Continue reading this article…

12 comments Read the full article →

Best 12 Month CD Rates, May 2013

by Luke Landes

The best 12 month CD rates may not be impressive overall today compared with historical rates. With the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates low for the near future, all types of deposits will not command the interest rates that were common before the recession. With nowhere to go but up, it may not make a ... Continue reading this article…

9 comments Read the full article →

Wells Fargo Testing $3 Monthly Debit Card Fee

by Luke Landes
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…

57 comments Read the full article →

ING Direct Now Offers Paper Checks

by Luke Landes
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…

17 comments Read the full article →

Aurora Bank Review

by Luke Landes

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…

8 comments Read the full article →

According to Wells Fargo, My Name is Business Customer

by Luke Landes

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…

11 comments Read the full article →

Bank of America Settles Overdraft Fee Lawsuit

by Luke Landes
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…

1,337 comments Read the full article →

ING Direct Financial Independence Days Sale

by Luke Landes
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…

7 comments Read the full article →

Capital One Buys ING Direct, Now What?

by Luke Landes

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…

68 comments Read the full article →

GE Capital May Buy ING Direct

by Luke Landes
3087272827_ba9e698655_b[1]

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…

9 comments Read the full article →

How to Choose the Best Savings Account

by Luke Landes
3369266837_8ee7dd1a59_b[1]

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…

6 comments Read the full article →

Student Checking Accounts Comparison, May 2012

by Luke Landes
27115903_4a04705496_o[1]

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…

20 comments Read the full article →

The Difference Between Savings Accounts and Money Market Accounts

by Luke Landes
237193087_dc8ff086d3_b[1]

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…

10 comments Read the full article →

Are Online Banks Safe?

by Luke Landes

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…

16 comments Read the full article →

Ally Bank in Talks to Buy ING Direct

by Luke Landes

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…

27 comments Read the full article →
Page 3 of 1612345···Last »