The Pros and Cons of Banks vs Credit Unions

Banks vs Credit Unions superimposed over picture of boxing gloves.

For many consumers the global economic disaster caused by the American housing market and the financial services industry still linger in their minds when they think about money. The financial crisis was a wake-up call and a living case study as to how fragile the financial system can be. As a result many consumers no … Read more

Get Ready to Buy a House by Improving Your Credit the Right Way

Buying a home is a central part of the American Dream. This has seemed a little out of reach to many families in recent history with the fallout from the housing bubble. Lenders are more skittish than ever to loan money to those with less than perfect credit. In addition, new government legislation has creditors … Read more

How to Save Money When Shopping

If there’s one thing that a lot of consumers have had to learn or relearn over the last few years, it is the importance of saving money and maximizing every dollar spent when shopping. The economic downturn has changed many consumers’ shopping habits and forced a lot of people to rethink the way they purchase … Read more

Nothing comes without a price

Stacks of Money

So there’s been news of the Payment Protection Insurance or PPI scandal floating around for a long time now. Although we can try to make light of the situation by noting the bonus-like repayments that victims are receiving, or the boost in the economy that has come as a unexpected bi factor of the scandal;[1] … Read more

What Should I Do With My Tax Refund?

hand-holding-large-wad-of-cash

Most of us expect a pretty decent tax refund every year. It’s a nice incentive to look forward to after working hard the whole year and staying productive! The size of the tax refund you receive depends on a number of factors including: Income Dependents Tax exemption statuses and the amount you withhold from your earnings … Read more

Americans Using Alternative Financial Services Over Banks

Checkbook - Alternative Financial Services

The number of Americans using alternative financial services is on the rise. The most recent survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) reveals surprising statistics on just how many Americans choose to have little to no financial relationships with traditional banking institutions, choosing instead to patronize alternative financial services or AFS. Data from the FDIC survey now estimates … Read more

The Best Airline and Travel Rewards Credit Cards for Winter 2012

credit cards

The year is quickly drawing to a close, and that means millions of people will be booking airline flights across the state, across the country, or across the globe to visit their family. A common mistake many people will make when booking their flights, however, is failing to purchase their flights with credit cards that … Read more

Health Insurance Enrollment & Expected Care Costs

Businessman excited

For many companies, health insurance enrollment is either here, or coming soon. Many employees will just allow their employers to renew whatever they had last year, but some employees will certainly want to re-evaluate their options. Upcoming Medical Procedures If you have an upcoming medical procedure, or you think something may happen then you should … Read more

Advantages of Prepaid Cards

credit cards

Prepaid cards are an interesting financial product. They allow a person the convenience of traditional credit cards, without the interest and without the traditional ties to a bank. For some, prepaid cards are the perfect solution. If you are bad at paying off debt with discipline, or spending way more than you should, then prepaid … Read more