Personal Finance Advice and Commentary

Consumers want more from their banks, even if it comes at the cost of sharing information as personal as their fingerprints.

Finding special CD offers takes some work. Savers may have to call the bank or credit union or go to the website to find out what specials are on tap.

One woman in the U.K. accidentally transferred $40,000 into the wrong checking account over two years.

A trick to start and stick to saving monthly is to sign up for an automatic savings program.

Consumers who don’t use direct deposit or maintain a minimum balance face greater difficulty avoiding bank fees, a study finds.

It’s no accident that moving your checking account can be kind of a pain. As I’ve pointed out on this blog before, banks promote direct deposit and bill pay in part because it makes switching banks much more difficult. Would-be bank switchers have to coordinate moving over their various direct deposits and automatic bill payments

Beginning May 1, Social Security will require all new recipients to get their payments by either direct deposit to a bank account or via a debit card. Recipients who are already receiving Social Security have until May 1, 2013, to convert to one of these electronic delivery systems. Cutting out paper checks and postal delivery

A new paperless mandate from the Obama administration has gotten a lot of attention. Seems Uncle Sam will stop sending out paper benefits checks next March. That means that your Social Security, Railroad Retirement, unemployment insurance and veterans benefits will all go directly into your bank account. If you don’t have a bank account, the feds will