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Review of Capital One 360′s Remote Deposit

by Luke Landes
ING Direct

Several readers contacted me yesterday with this piece of good news. After months of promising its customers to launch the new feature soon, Capital One 360, formerly ING Direct, now offers remote check deposit. The delay was likely caused by the efforts that resulted in Capital One purchasing ING Direct USA. Previously, in order to ... Continue reading this article…

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How to File a Free Income Tax Extension

by Luke Landes

I finally provided my tax details to my accountant yesterday. As I expected, there won’t be enough time to work out the details before today’s tax filing deadline, so I’ll be filing extensions. In years past, when I filed for myself and my taxes were simpler, I usually waited until the last day. My procrastination ... Continue reading this article…

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The End of the Cent (in Canada)

by Luke Landes
Cents

In 2011, the United States government lost over $60 million through the minting of pennies. One-cent pieces now cost the government 2.41 cents, each, to produce. When the American cent was introduced in 1793, a typical annual salary for a teacher may have been about $60, so a cent would represent 0.016 percent of this ... Continue reading this article…

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How Do You Preserve Your Money?

by Luke Landes
Money Bags

Preservation of capital is an important aspect of any financial plan, but in today’s economy, this is impossible without taking on some risk. At one time, you could confidently place any money you might need within one year in a high-yield savings account and be relatively confident that your money could buy at least as ... Continue reading this article…

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How to Invest in a Broadway Show

by Luke Landes
Broadway show

If you’re interested in theater and have money you don’t mind losing, you may consider expanding your horizons by investing in a Broadway or off-Broadway show. Be prepared to lose money, though, because according to a variety of producers, only one show in five breaks even. When a play or musical is in the planning ... Continue reading this article…

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Customers Say Retailers Are Not Living Up to Durbin Amendment Promise

by Luke Landes
Cashier checkout at Walmart

Retailers, represented by the National Retail Foundation, promised that consumers would benefit when retailers, particularly small businesses, were to benefit from regulated interchange (swipe) fees charged by Visa and MasterCard. The regulation, commonly called the “Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act,” would lower the cost for businesses who were subject to an effective duopoly between ... Continue reading this article…

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Bank Switch Kit and Checklist

by Luke Landes
Broken piggy bank

With Wells Fargo changing their policies to be less consumer-oriented this week, I’ve received several questions about the logistics switching banks. In previous decades, closing your account at one bank and opening an account at another was a simple process. All that was required was to walk into one branch, ask to close your account, ... Continue reading this article…

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Amazon.com Retail Stores: Another Threat to Small Businesses?

by Luke Landes
Books

I was torn when Amazon.com, the online-only retailer for books, music, and movies, became popular. I liked the convenience, but it was clear that local brick-and-mortar bookstores would have difficulty competing with Amazon’s prices in the long term. I was swayed enough to the side against Amazon when I participated in a boycott of the ... Continue reading this article…

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