General structure of a co-branded credit card relationship between the program sponsor and the issuing bank.
Target RED Card Debit: Zero Fraud So Far
In the massive data breach at Target, see why the Target REDCard debit cards experienced zero fraud.
Lending Club vs Bank Account with FDIC Insurance
Santander Bank’s extra20 checking and savings accounts offer a better return with full FDIC insurance than P2P lending through Lending Club.
CurrencyFair Suspends Foreign Exchange Service for US Customers
CurrencyFair stops offering service to US customers. See what else you should use for sending money overseas.
Where Big Banks Are Better Than Credit Unions
My reward checking account with a credit union is fully up and running. I got my first monthly interest at the end of September. As expected, I got 3% APY on my $20k deposit for having used my debit card 18 times during the month. Those 18 debits came to a grand total of $91.34. […]
Using a Reward Checking Account For Emergency Fund
A reward checking account is a checking account that pays a high interest rate up to a balance cap but requires you to use its debit card X number of times a month among some other easy-to-meet requirements. For instance the account I recently opened with a credit union pays 3% interest on balance up […]
World MasterCard Price Protection Refunds the Difference If You See a Lower Price
When you get a new credit card, you usually also receive a small brochure describing the various benefits your new card offers. Most of the benefits are common: rental car coverage, protection against loss or damage of a new purchase within the first X days, extended warranty, travel accident insurance, etc. Don’t just throw away […]
How To Get Money Off Rebate Debit Cards
I bought tires from a tire shop when it offered a $100 mail-in rebate for a set of 4 tires of certain brands. The mail-in rebate came in the form of a prepaid debit card instead of just a plain old check. Companies do that because their rebate vendors convince them prepaid debit cards work […]
Using a Wire Transfer for Real Estate Settlement
One logistical challenge in refinancing a mortgage is getting a certified check for the amount you have to bring to the table at the time you sign the closing papers. Even if you are doing a no-cost refinance, you still have to pay pre-paid interest for the partial month and escrow deposit. If you are […]
Can You File An Extended Warranty Claim After A Credit Card Is Closed?
My Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS running watch broke. It keeps resetting at random times. I refreshed the firmware. It didn’t help. Raindrops got into it some time ago. That probably messed up something. I bought the watch in July 2011. The manufacturer has a 1-year warranty. I paid with my Starwood American Express card, which […]
What Happens After the ATM Ate Your Check Deposit
I was too trusting of the nifty ATMs that take checks without an envelope. I used the ATM outside our cafeteria at work to make deposits many times. I never had any problem, until last time. I usually deposit printed business checks. This time it was a handwritten personal check. The machine took it, tried […]
Keep a Local Bank Account As Backup When You Use an Online Bank
When you use an online bank without a physical branch near you such as Ally Bank or USAA for your main checking account, sometimes it’s helpful to keep a local bank account as a backup for what you need done in person at a branch. I use a Citi Checking account for this purpose. I […]