Archive for the Bank Category

Several media sources report that 1 in 12 households or 10% of Americans today do not use bank checking accounts, but use cash for everything. Most people have had checking accounts at some point.  Some have had to close them because they never learned to manage them well. Others closed accounts after life’s circumstances put… Read More »

People are aware of inflation, since it is talked about all the time on the news and they see gasoline prices increasing astronomically and erratically. You may have heard someone talk about loss of purchasing power, but what does that mean? As a quick review, when you invest or save money, and you pull it out… Read More »

The banking industry has never been known as innovators or centers of creativity, that’s why an article in the Wall Street Journal caught my attention today: Ice-Cream Bank’s Rocky Road. I’ll get to the article in a moment, but my gripe with credit cards and gift cards is that although they provide a definite convenience,… Read More »

I’ve talked to several people who have been having difficulty staying current on their mortgage, some just over the past year, and others that have been struggling for several years that have qualified for help recently, and they are able to stay in their homes.  Some have even been turned down for loan modifications and short-sales… Read More »

If you’re one of the millions of people who’ve faced losing your home through a wrongful foreclosure, you might get help, but you must act quickly. Homes that were foreclosed on in 2009 and 2010 should find out about the free Independent Foreclosure Review (IFR) process. The IFR process is by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency… Read More »

Often I am asked what I think about loans between friends or family. There are usually two reasons where I see this happening, either to help bail someone out of a difficult financial situation or as way for the lender to earn interest, while helping a friend reduce their debt. If the motive is purely… Read More »

The credit card industry, within the last few years, has come under closer oversight and regulation. Dave Ramsey in his Financial Peace University class lessons of Dumping Debt and Credit Sharks in Suits has been particularly critical of the bad behavior and sometimes illegal practices of credit card companies. Just last week Capital One Financial… Read More »

Interest rates continue to plummet for borrowers, with mortgage rates dropping below 4% for 30 year fixed, and less than 3% for shorter term mortgages like 15 year plans. Conversely investors continue to see interest rates drop for their investments and savings accounts. For conservative investors and those wanting to put emergency savings in a… Read More »

I just spoke to a good friend and veteran in Columbus Ohio that has a mortgage with JP Morgan Chase for 30 years at just over 6%. Chase lowered their interest rate to 1% for 3 years, which made their monthly payment drop by about $400. They were told that this was a special program… Read More »

There is quite a bit of miss-information when it comes to whether someone should pay-off their mortgage. On one hand it is wise to have as a goal to someday have a mortgage free home, especially as one enters the retirement years, and minimizing of cash flow and simplification are goals. Many people wonder if… Read More »