Banking Blog

No matter how old you are, leaving your house to take care of your banking needs seems so last year. The results of a new American Bankers Association survey show that the majority of older Americans now prefer online banking versus visiting a branch, using the mail or any other method. While younger consumers were

For some community banks in Georgia, the past three years have marked a sour period in the Peach State. Over the Labor Day weekend, the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance closed two small institutions, Cumming-based Patriot Bank and Woodstock-based Creekside Bank. The two closings bring the tally for bank failures in Georgia to a

As you’ll see in our upcoming 2011 Checking Study, free checking accounts are quickly becoming hard to find, especially at big banks. Banks are dealing with the loss of lots of juicy overdraft income as a result of the “opt-in” rule in Regulation E, and they’re about to lose even more in “swipe fee” income

It’s never too soon — or too late — to introduce a young child to savings and bank savings accounts. That’s this year’s back-to-school message from the ABA Education Foundation, an affiliate of the American Bankers Association, and the ACA International Education Foundation, an affiliate of the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals. Both organizations

The Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South, or BBB, is warning consumers about a magazine subscription service that allegedly debited consumers’ bank accounts without their permission, supposedly after mailing out notices about automatic renewals of magazine subscriptions. The company, Global Subscription Services, has an F rating with the BBB and operates with a Memphis, Tenn.,

Disaster preparedness usually focuses on safeguarding people and property. But what about your financial data? Would you be able to make purchases, access your bank and investment accounts and find your income tax returns after an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or other natural catastrophe? If not, the Independent Community Bankers of America, a trade group of

Bank of America has agreed to sell 13 billion shares of China Construction Bank, or CCB, to a group of investors in a private transaction, generating $8.3 billion in cash proceeds and an after-tax gain of $3.3 billion. The sale, subject to customary conditions, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011, the

What’s more important: Paying off debt or increasing savings? The answer, of course, is “both,” according to Gail Cunningham, a spokeswoman for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, or NFCC. “As important as it is to handle debt responsibly, the truth of the matter is that the unplanned emergency is inevitable, and savvy consumers will

If you’ve been complaining about bank fees, it turns out that you’re in the minority. A new survey from the American Bankers Association shows that 71 percent of account holders aren’t paying a dime for their banking services.  The survey, conducted by market research firm Ipsos Public Affairs, asked more than 2,000 adults how much

As more bank fees pop up in the face of financial reform, reading emails from your financial institution is more essential than ever before. Soon, PNC’s checking account holders will get one of these essential reminders in their inboxes. Beginning Sept. 12, the bank’s Free Checking account holders will no longer enjoy the privilege of