October 2011

Forget the “What Ifs” of Your Personal Finances

Thumbnail image for Forget the “What Ifs” of Your Personal Finances by Kasey Steinbrinck October 31, 2011

The other day I was looking through the real estate listings in the Sunday paper and immediately regretted it. Every time I see how far home prices have fallen in the past several years it makes me wonder if my wife and I made a bad decision when we bought a home in January 2006. [...]

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BofA Changes Its Tune on $5 Debit Card Fees

Thumbnail image for BofA Changes Its Tune on $5 Debit Card Fees by Kasey Steinbrinck October 28, 2011

If you ever doubted the power of consumers to make a big difference – this should change your mind. About one month ago, Bank of America announced plans to start charging customers $5 a month if they used their debit cards in 2012. The fee was in response to new federal regulations limiting the money [...]

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The Most Valuable Lesson of the Great Recession

Thumbnail image for The Most Valuable Lesson of the Great Recession by Kasey Steinbrinck October 27, 2011

Money and possessions can’t buy happiness. We’ve heard it a million times. Maybe some of us actually believe it. Yet how many of us really lived it? The past several years have been difficult for Americans of all different backgrounds and income levels.  The entire country has had to learn from the mistakes we’ve made. [...]

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Fat, Drunk & Stressed Out. Thanks U.S. Economy!

Thumbnail image for Fat, Drunk & Stressed Out. Thanks U.S. Economy! by Kasey Steinbrinck October 21, 2011

If you’re not careful, this economy could kill you! Okay, that might be going a little far. But the truth is there is evidence to show that the health of the general population suffers in an economic downturn. Some of those unhealthy habits come from people “trying” to cut costs, others come when we look [...]

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Why Credit Card Reviews on Check Advantage?

Thumbnail image for Why Credit Card Reviews on Check Advantage? by Kasey Steinbrinck October 13, 2011

Today we are introducing a new feature on the Check Advantage blog, and you might find it to be a bit strange. I’ve done a lot of credit card bashing on this site – and in many cases – that’s something you’ll also see on other personal finance blogs. But the truth is – not [...]

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Are Capital One Reward Cards Really Worth It?

Thumbnail image for Are Capital One Reward Cards Really Worth It? by Mike Dolen October 13, 2011

The following is a credit card review from guest writer Mike Dolen, the guy behind CreditCardForum, which is a discussion board about using credit responsibly. First it was Alec Baldwin, peddling the Capital One Venture with “double miles.” Now there’s Jimmy Fallon, who’s hawking the Capital One Cash card with a 50% bonus. The high [...]

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How Big Banks & Debit Cards Robbed America

Thumbnail image for How Big Banks & Debit Cards Robbed America by Kasey Steinbrinck October 10, 2011

Debit cards can be an extremely convenient tool and an excellent payment option. The debit card was the most-used  non-cash payment method in the U.S. according to a 2010 Federal Reserve study beating out both personal checks and credit cards. But behind all the convenience is a shady story of deception and law-bending corruption. I [...]

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Go Ahead…Make a Big Stink About Bank Fees!

Thumbnail image for Go Ahead…Make a Big Stink About Bank Fees! by Kasey Steinbrinck October 7, 2011

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan speaks the truth when he says banks have a “right to make a profit.” But you also have rights… You have the right to move your money to a different bank if you are unhappy with fees. You also have the right to whine, complain and throw a temper [...]

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