Banking Advice | BankingAdvice.com » Checking

Watch Out for Your Bank’s New Checking Account Fees

walter — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:22:17 +0000

When new laws were passed in 2011 to reduce the fees that banks could charge for certain debit card transactions, the hope was that the changes would be passed along and result in lower fees to consumers. Instead, many large banks have instituted new account fees in order to recoup their lost income. Keep in mind that your bank can change the terms of your checking account upon 30 days advance notice. So when you receive a letter from your bank, review it carefully to make sure that you won’t be subject to any unexpected new fees going forward. Here are...

What is ATM Card Skimming and How to Protect Yourself From It?

walter — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:25:13 +0000

ATM cards are a convenient and popular way to access the funds in our bank and checking accounts. But using an ATM card is not without risk. Unfortunately, the practice of “ATM skimming” has become a problem in recent years. ATM skimming is when a thief installs a card reader inside the ATM card slot. This device will read the information on your ATM card’s magnetic stripe when you insert the card into the machine, so that the thieves can “clone” your card and use it to withdraw money from your account or make purchases at retail stores. Many times...

Advice on How to Protect Your Banking Account from Unauthorized Use

walter — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:27:27 +0000

Banking accounts, and especially checking accounts, are the backbone of most people’s finances. We usually deposit our paychecks into our checking accounts and then use that checking account to pay our bills, and to fund our savings and investment accounts. But like other modern financial accounts, particularly in the age of the Internet, our checking accounts are vulnerable to attack from thieves and vandals. If someone has your checking account number, plus some other personal information about you, then they might be able to access not only the funds in your checking account, but potentially the funds in your other...

Setting up Direct Deposit is Easier than You Think

walter — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:47:07 +0000

An important part of taking control of your financial health is recognizing the value of certain types of automatic payments and money transfers. For example, when you set up your checking account to automatically transfer a specific sum into your savings account each month, this “forced” savings habit keeps you progressing towards your goals. A foundation for these automatic transfers is direct deposit. With direct deposit, rather than receive a paper paycheck from your employer every pay period, your salary or wages are automatically transferred into whatever checking or savings accounts you specify. Setting up direct deposit is a straightforward...

How to Find a Truly Free Checking Account

walter — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:43:00 +0000

We’ve all read about the changes to the financial industry over the past few years. Perhaps we’ve even experienced some of these changes ourselves firsthand in the form of increased fees for common banking services, as well as new fees for common products. New and increased bank fees seem to be proliferating across just about every type of product. Even products that were commonly available for no charge just a few years ago are becoming harder to find these days without fees. Even the free checking account, which used to be a standard offering at nearly every bank, seems to...

Why You Should Consider an Internet Bank Account

walter — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:33:48 +0000

Recent controversies over new bank and debit card fees have many people wondering whether it’s time to move their accounts to a new bank. Many consumers have also begun to consider the possibility of joining a local credit union to conduct their banking business. Another option, and one which isn’t getting quite the same amount of press coverage, is to use an Internet only bank. Internet only banks are different from your local banks in that most do not have any physical locations whatsoever. Deposits are handled either through electronic transfer, or by sending deposits in via the mail. Withdrawals...

Strategies to Manage Your Financial Filing and Organization System

walter — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:26:52 +0000

For many people, organizing personal finances poses the biggest challenge in managing their lives. Sometimes it feels like there’s an overwhelming amount of documentation and other paperwork that needs to be managed, including budgets, accounts, receipts, and tax records. But putting a financial filing and organization system in place can help you reach your financial goals. The good news is that organizing your finances isn’t as difficult as you might think. It requires two things: a workable plan and actually taking steps to follow through on that plan. The easier your systems, the easier it is to follow through. Here's...

How to Switch Your Bank and Checking Account

walter — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:13:15 +0000

Setting up your first checking account is a simple process. You simply fill out a form, deposit some money and wait for your checks and debit card to arrive. But you’ll most likely switch banks at some point in your life, and that’s where things can get complicated. When you switch checking accounts, it’s important to take the right steps to ensure that the transition is smooth. A mistake could leave you with overdraft charges, missed direct deposits and a number of other unnecessary headaches. Here’s some information and advice to guide you through switching bank accounts with as little drama...

5 Reasons Online Checking Pays Off

walter — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:28:50 +0000

For decades the checking account has been the cornerstone of many personal financial plans. Many of us have our paychecks deposited directly into our checking accounts, and we use our accounts to pay our bills, move money into our savings accounts and fund our IRAs or other retirement plans. In recent years, a new checking account option – online checking – has matured to the point where it can be a viable alternative to the traditional way of accessing our checking accounts. Online checking accounts are offered by most local banks, as well as by a number of online-only banks....

How, and When, To Use A Prepaid Bank Card

walter — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 14:18:27 +0000

Prepaid bank cards look similar to traditional credit and debit cards. Since they carry the Visa or MasterCard logo prepaid cards are accepted as payment nearly everywhere traditional cards are accepted. In truth, however, prepaid bank cards are a special type of payment method. With a prepaid bank card, the cardholder deposits a certain amount of money with the card company, and can then make purchases using the card. Each purchase reduces the balance of their card account, so when their account balance is too low, the card will no longer work. In order to open an account, the cardholder...