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 […]
Is a Vantage Score Good Enough?
I don’t care much about my credit score as long as I still get the best rates when I borrow. In previous posts I showed you don’t need a top score to get the best rate. I don’t buy credit scores. My bank Alliant Credit Union shows me a VantageScore by Experian every quarter for […]
Debit Card Discounts vs Credit Card Rewards
I heard a legal settlement between retailers and Visa and MasterCard got rid of a credit card network rule that prohibited retailers from surcharging credit card purchases. Although it’s a theoretical possibility, I don’t think we will see surcharges any time soon. More likely we will see discounts for debit card purchases. Although the lack […]
How To Withdraw [A Large Amount of] Cash From Online Bank Account
Last time I wrote about How To Deposit Cash To Online Bank Account. This time I’m writing about the opposite: when you use an online bank for your main checking account, how do you withdraw cash, especially a large amount? If you answer ATM or cash back with debit card purchase at a store, that’s […]
Union Plus Prepaid Card: 5% Savings Account FDIC Insured
[Update in September 2015: Union Plus prepaid debit card closed. Existing customers will get a refund.] If you liked Mango Prepaid card with its 6% savings account (4.6% after taking into account idle cash) but you wished you could put in more than $5,000, here’s another one that does pretty much the same thing. It’s called […]
Priceline Rewards Visa Review: 2% Cash Back On Everything Every Day, No Annual Fee
I have Priceline Rewards Visa. It’s a great card. The only thing I’m not sure of is how long it will stay at 2% cash back. [Update: New applicants only get 1% cash back now. Existing cardholders are still getting 2% cash back. If you don’t already have this card, get the Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ […]
Transfer Money by ACH Push, Not Pull
When you transfer money between two accounts you own, the transfer goes through a system called ACH, which stands for Automated Clearing House. You can initiate the transfer either from the sending account or from the receiving account. When you initiate the transfer from the sending account, it’s an ACH credit, or figuratively an ACH […]
Bluebird by American Express: A Full Featured Checking Account That Never Overdrafts
American Express is offering a new checking account and debit card alternative with Walmart called Bluebird. A key benefit of it is that it will never overdraft. Add Cash at Walmart Adding cash to the Bluebird account at Walmart is free. This can be a good way to deposit cash. Walmart is open in evenings […]
BBVA Compass Build My Savings Match Bonus: Effectively 6% Return FDIC Insured
[Update in October 2015: BBVA changed the terms of the Build My Savings account. Accounts opened before July 2015 are still on the old terms described here. New accounts have a maximum transfer period of 12 months and a maximum match bonus of $50.] I updated this post I first wrote a year ago. I […]
Low Early Withdrawal Penalty On a CD Is Not Worth It
When the yield on a CD with a lower early withdrawal penalty is meaningfully lower, go for the CD with a higher yield even though the early withdrawal penalty is larger.