Five Types of Checks You Should Never Cash
Paper checks are going the way of the dinosaurs—and fast. Only about .05% of payments are made by check these days, and as you might imagine most of those are…
The Difference Between a Mortgage’s APR and Interest Rate
When shopping for a mortgage, you’ll likely encounter two key terms: Annual percentage rate (APR) and interest rate. While these terms often get thrown around interchangeably, understanding the difference between…
This Is The Worst Time to Get a Long Car Loan
The ideal situation for buying a car is still paying in cash and in full. (Whatever you do, never lease a car if you can avoid it.) But with both…
What the Fed’s Rate Increase Means for Your Savings Account
The Federal Reserve announced last month another 0.25% interest rate hike. Part of the ongoing efforts to combat inflation, this quarter percentage point increase brings the fed funds rate to…
Three Bank Services You Can Get From Your Post Office
Photo: Jonathan Weiss (Shutterstock) If you’re one of the more than 7 million people in this country who are “unbanked,” you know how hard it can be to live a…
Why You Should Stop Sending Checks in the Mail, Especially Now
If you’re dropping checks in the mail to your landlord or utility provider, it’s time to look for a different way to pay your bills. Check fraud and mail theft…
What It Means to Be “Unbanked” (and What It Costs You)
To keep our money safe, most of us have, at minimum, a checking and a savings account. But many Americans have no sort of bank account at all. Outside of…
Here’s What Happens When Everyone Panics and Pulls Money Out of Banks
Photo: guruXOX (Shutterstock) Last month, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was the second-biggest bank failure in U.S. history. News of bank failures naturally fuels concerns for bank customers…
All the Ways Your Bank Will Try to Rip You Off
You probably think of your bank as a place to stash your money, and it’s easy to forget that the bank is only happy to take it because they can…
How to Tell Whether Your Money Is Safe in the Bank
Photo: Sundry Photography (Shutterstock) The collapses of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank earlier this month were the second- and third-biggest bank failures in U.S. history. While those institutions…