Richard Barrington
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Richard Barrington, CFA, is the personal finance expert for MoneyRates.com, the source for personal finance where you can research best bank rates and compare savings accounts. Richard has earned the CFA designation and is a 20-year veteran of the financial industry, including having previously served for over a dozen years as a member of the Executive Committee of Manning & Napier Advisors, Inc. He has written extensively on investment topics, including investments, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and personal finance as it relates to retirement and has been quoted by numerous top media publications.

Blog Entries by Richard Barrington

5 Essential Facts About the Greek Currency Crisis

(6) Comments | Posted May 30, 2012 | 4:34 PM

The latest wrinkle in the Greek financial crisis is a rush by its citizens to withdraw their savings from banks. This is both a symptom of the fear that Greece might leave the euro zone and a potential catalyst to force that exit.

While Americans might view news like this...

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Faceplant: 4 Lessons From the Facebook IPO

(6) Comments | Posted May 29, 2012 | 4:48 PM

The Facebook IPO is shaping up as one of the biggest opening flops in stock market history. By the end of its third day of trading, the stock was down by more than 18 percent from its initial offering price, and regulators were investigating amid accusations that the investment bankers...

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Testing the Fed's Predictions

(0) Comments | Posted May 22, 2012 | 6:39 PM


How good is the Federal Reserve at its job?

That can be a difficult question to answer. Monetary policy is subjective, and it can take years before the results become apparent. However, MoneyRates.com has found a way to hold the Fed accountable...

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Would You Change Banks for a Mercedes?

(0) Comments | Posted May 16, 2012 | 7:00 PM



It's nothing new for banks to offer gifts to new customers -- a free toaster is the age-old example. However, a bank in Florida has come up with something a little sexier: a new Mercedes in exchange for opening a 5-year CD.

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Stagflation With a Twist

(0) Comments | Posted May 8, 2012 | 1:54 PM

Along with disco, leisure suits and Watergate, one of the horrors of the 1970s was stagflation. Economic signs in April hinted at its return, with a 21st-century twist that could be especially hard on money market accounts.

Stagflation is a worst-of-both-worlds mix of a stagnant economy and high...

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The Fed Shows a Steady Hand in Stormy Seas

(1) Comments | Posted May 3, 2012 | 10:21 AM

In its latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, the Federal Reserve resolved to stay the course with its current policies, despite some disturbing signs in recent economic data.

As a result of its two-day meeting on April 24 and 25, the FOMC showed no change in its conviction that...

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Where the Jobs Are: 5 states Leading the Recovery

(5) Comments | Posted May 2, 2012 | 2:05 PM

Last Friday the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a report showing that the unemployment rate declined in 30 states during March, compared with just eight states that saw unemployment increase (the unemployment rate was unchanged in the remaining 12 states). But while the actual employment situation is...

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The High Cost of the Fed's Low Rates

(2) Comments | Posted May 1, 2012 | 3:17 PM

With the economic recovery still lagging, the intended rewards of the Federal Reserve's aggressive campaign to lower interest rates have yet to be realized. But the cost of that campaign to depositors can be counted, and according to the latest MoneyRates.com analysis, it may have exceeded $200 billion in...

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Beware of Regional Rate Differences

(0) Comments | Posted April 24, 2012 | 5:30 PM



Regional and community banks are often recommended as a solution to the low interest rates offered by large banks -- and for good reason. MoneyRates.com has found that the rates on savings accounts and money market accounts offered by the nation's...

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America's Best Rates 2012 Q1: A Rate Hunter's Guide

(0) Comments | Posted April 19, 2012 | 2:08 PM

Just when it seemed savings and money market rates couldn't fall any lower, finding decent rates somehow got a little tougher in the first quarter of 2012. But MoneyRates.com's America's Best Rates feature is still here to help savers maximize the returns on their deposit accounts.

America's Best Rates differs...

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Spending Rises Despite Flat Incomes

(1) Comments | Posted April 19, 2012 | 9:14 AM



The latest personal consumption data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) suggests that U.S. consumers are spending more in 2012 in spite of relatively flat incomes.


After increasing by about 0.4 percent for the entire...

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Stocks Show a Fear of Judgment Day

(0) Comments | Posted April 18, 2012 | 10:15 AM

On Wall Street, vague feelings of optimism about the economy have given way to specific fears of judgment day. The S&P 500 lost 1.71 percent Tuesday alone, and is down 3.47 percent already in April. In the process, falling stock prices have dragged bond yields down, which has ominous implications...

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Are Money Market Rates Poised for a Comeback?

(5) Comments | Posted April 10, 2012 | 3:55 PM

Is your money market account stuck in a rut?

If so, you're not alone. Money market rates have been locked into a long and steady descent for a few years now, resulting in average money market rates of just 0.14 percent as of the end of March. Finally,...

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Retirements Survey Finds Many Tripping Over Financial Hurdles

(0) Comments | Posted April 10, 2012 | 12:38 PM



The 2012 EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey is out, and the results reflect the importance of continuing to strive for new goals as you move through life.


The EBRI is the Employee Benefit Research Institute, and their...

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Money and Puberty: Equally Difficult Topics for Parents?

(5) Comments | Posted April 6, 2012 | 9:27 AM

Is money really as difficult to discuss with children as the facts of life?

A new study by T. Rowe Price suggests that many parents have trouble talking to their kids about financial matters. For example, 28 percent of adults questioned for the Parents, Kids & Money Survey...

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Seven Ways to Straighten Your Boomerang Child

(3) Comments | Posted April 3, 2012 | 6:52 PM

Blame the economy. And get the spare bedroom ready.

The recent wave of young adults returning to live with their parents has spawned the term "boomerang generation," named for the object that turns after you throw it and sails back to you -- a painful event if you weren't expecting...

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Road Rage: The Truth About Gasoline Prices

(53) Comments | Posted April 2, 2012 | 5:08 PM

Americans are outraged over the steady rise in gasoline prices, and as president, Barack Obama has to take responsibility for what happens on his watch. A recent Reuters/Ipsos online poll indicated that 68 percent of Americans disapprove of how Obama is handling rising gas prices.

While the backlash...

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What Chinese Steel Means to U.S. Savers

(0) Comments | Posted March 28, 2012 | 11:45 AM


Sometimes the world economy seems like a giant spider web: Touch one part and the vibrations are felt throughout the structure. So it is that slowing demand for steel in China could have an impact on U.S. savings accounts.

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Best States to Make a Living 2012

(1) Comments | Posted March 21, 2012 | 1:20 PM



Where is the best place to make a living? In today's tough economy, it's an especially relevant question. A recent CareerBuilder survey found that 44 percent of workers said they'd be willing to relocate for a job opportunity.


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More U.S. Jobs Added in February

(16) Comments | Posted March 19, 2012 | 2:22 PM

The latest employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) saw yet another gain in U.S. jobs, but there are still plenty of reminders that the road to economic recovery will be a rocky one.

With another month of solid employment growth, the job market looks increasingly...

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