Checking Account

Checking Accounts That Pay Decent Interest

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 05.23.2012

High-yield checking accounts might be as rare as Sasquatch these days, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. An annual survey from Bankrate.com, ...

Catherine New

CFPB Looks To Make Rules For Prepaid Cards

HuffingtonPost.com | Catherine New | Posted 05.23.2012

The government's top consumer sheriff wants to rein in the Wild West of prepaid cards, even as some of the biggest players in the financial industry m...

Farmville Gets An Amex Card

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 05.23.2012

American Express is willing to farm for money. On Tuesday, the financial services company announced the launch of a new FarmVille-branded prepaid ...

Sorry, No More Free Checking Accounts At This Bank

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 05.21.2012

Free checking at Wells Fargo is officially over. Effective August 7, all Essential Checking customers will pay a $7 monthly service fee. Until rec...

The Latest Bank To Raise Fees

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 05.17.2012

Another bank is raising fees. U.S. Bank is bumping up overdraft fees for all its accounts beginning June 29, the Minneapolis-based bank confirmed o...

Chase Going After The Poor With New Card

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 05.10.2012

JPMorgan Chase wants it all, catering to everyone from the richest customers who provide hefty returns on deposits to the poorest who are willing to p...

Catherine New

This Man Has Not Had A Bank Account In 14 Years

HuffingtonPost.com | Catherine New | Posted 05.07.2012

Josh Crawford, 42, of Squaw Valley, Calif., has not had a checking account or credit card in 14 years. But that has not stopped him from participating...

Man Misses Mother's Funeral After Big Bank Denies Access To Safe Deposit Box

The Huffington Post | Harry Bradford | Posted 04.30.2012

Because his bank wouldn’t grant him access to his own safe deposit box, a New Jersey man alleges he was unable to see his dying mother for a last ti...

Bank Charges Customer $1,500 Behind His Back

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 04.09.2012

Stu Straus of West Orange, N.J., is the latest person to fall victim to a zombie bank account. According to the Star-Ledger, Straus was charged $1,...

Would You Stash Your Cash In An Apple iBank?

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 03.21.2012

Personal banking with Apple? It could happen. With the growing trend toward mobile banking, Apple is already serving as a digital "bank branch" fo...

How To Save For A Rainy Day

Emily Cohn | Posted 03.06.2012

Welcome to A Dollar A Day, where every day we'll dish out creative and quirky ways to save on your living expenses. We know it's tough to save, es...

Advancing Consumers' Interests

Richard Cordray | Posted 04.30.2012

Richard Cordray

We have heard story after story of consumers being hit with fees they did not expect and do not understand. We take these complaints very seriously.

Hey JPMorgan, A Bank Account Is Not Like A Gym Membership

The Huffington Post | Catherine New | Posted 03.01.2012

JP Morgan Chase wants consumers to believe that a maintenance fee for a checking account is just another ordinary item in a household's monthly budget...

Catherine New

How Closed Is Your Bank Account?

HuffingtonPost.com | Catherine New | Posted 02.13.2012

Some customers who closed bank accounts at Bank of America last fall recently received an unwelcome surprise: Their accounts reopened. Perhaps even mo...

Catherine New

Overdraft Settlements Cost Banks A Small Fraction Of What's Netted In Fees

HuffingtonPost.com | Catherine New | Posted 02.07.2012

When compared with the billions of dollars big banks have rung up in overdraft fees over the last decade, recent settlements with customers over unfai...

Catherine New

Overdraft Fees Reach A New High

HuffingtonPost.com | Catherine New | Posted 01.18.2012

The cost of not having enough money just got steeper. The median overdraft fee banks charge customers surged to $30 from $27.50 last year, accordi...

Catherine New

Banks May Get Creative With Fees In 2012

HuffingtonPost.com | Catherine New | Posted 12.29.2011

Squeezed by regulations under the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, banks are looking to find new ways to wring fees from customers. In 2012, expect to...

Bank Of America Retreating From Debit Card Fee, Reformer Keeps Pressure On

The Huffington Post | Luke Johnson | Posted 12.31.2011

Bank of America is reportedly scaling back its plans to charge a $5 debit card fee to its customers, but Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.) is still pushing le...

Fed up With Fees? 5 Steps to Switch Your Bank

Ellen Cannon | Posted 12.03.2011

Ellen Cannon

Some banks have "switch kits" online to make moving your checking or savings account to their bank a simple process. But if you want to take your business to a bank that doesn't have a kit, the task is still not too difficult.

Citibank To Impose $20 Fees On Some Customers

The Huffington Post | Bonnie Kavoussi | Posted 12.03.2011

Citibank will charge some customers up to $20 per month for low account balances starting later this year, according to a report in the Los Angeles Ti...

Say Goodbye to Checking Accounts?

Odysseas Papadimitriou | Posted 11.16.2011

Odysseas Papadimitriou

While you may still be happy with your checking account and may not have incurred additional fees as result of the Durbin Amendment, it's still important to be aware of major industry trends such as these.

The Debit Is in the Details

Len Hollie | Posted 11.06.2011

Len Hollie

In August, the Federal Reserve imposed a cap on the fees banks can charge retailers every time customers swipe their debit cards. Why is that important? In addition to banks, consumers may be the biggest losers.

5 Financial Facts of Life Every Parent Should Teach

Richard Barrington | Posted 10.16.2011

Richard Barrington

Teaching your children about banking may not exactly make for a Hallmark moment, but it is something that could really help make their lives more successful in the long run.

Three-Step Financial Action Plan for Graduating High School Seniors

Scott Gamm | Posted 08.15.2011

Scott Gamm

It is important for parents to talk about money with their children. An action plan for families to ensure their college-aged child is prepared for financial life in college and adulthood

Opt out of Overdraft Protection

Richard Barrington | Posted 08.08.2011

Richard Barrington

Despite new regulations that require banks to give people the opportunity to opt out of checking account overdraft protection programs, most people stick with them. It could be an expensive choice.