Finance Globe

Just a few years ago, banks were actually paying customers to sign up for new checking accounts. They were paying existing customers for referring friends and relatives. Meanwhile, existing bank customers enjoyed checking accounts and most of the benefits at no monthly charge. All that's changed.Sign-up perks are a distant memory and the number of free checking accounts is dwindling with less than 40% of banks offering a completely free checking account, according to a Bankrate.com...

Credit cards come with several different APRs: one for purchases, sometimes another for balance transfers, and a higher APR for cash advances. The highest APR of all is the default or penalty rate. The default rate is only charged in certain circumstances and thankfully, there are ways to avoid the expensive APR. Regular APR vs. Default APRTypically your transactions will get the regular rate for that type of transaction, e.g. purchases get the purchases APR, balance...

The number of adults living in shared housing and the number receiving food stamps increased since before the beginning of the recession through 2011, but the there was little change in the number receiving public assistance, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released on Wednesday.The Census Bureau defines shared housing as a home with an adult resident who is neither the householder or the householder’s spouse or cohabiting partner. Adult relatives, roommates, and other unrelated...

“Seize the day”, “Live for the moment”, and “You only live one” are feel good quotes that can mislead people into thinking only of today, not for the future. Much of today’s society is built around convenience. Business models and technology makes it easy for you to live in the moment. For example, you don’t have to meals because you can just pick up a microwave dinner or fast food on the way home from work....

When a business is struggling, it has to make big changes to keep operating. As opposed to laying off employees, the company may choose to administer pay cuts either to a couple of departments or across the board to all employees.You don’t have to accept a pay cut. However, refusing it may leave you out of a job. Depending on the job market (which is not that promising at the time of this article), it may...

These days, you can hardly shop without being asked to sign up for a store’s credit card. Saving 10% may be enticing, particularly on larger purchases, but declining the offer may be a better idea. Here’s why. Just a One-Time Discount You only save 10% the one day you apply for the credit card and only if you get approved for the card. Sure, getting a discount on a purchase is a good thing, but you...

It’s so important to be able to recognize the signs of financial trouble. If you can tell when you’re heading for disaster, you can stop what you’re doing and prevent something terrible from happening. A paycheck to paycheck lifestyle Living paycheck to paycheck can seem ok as long as all your expenses are being paid each month. But it’s like walking on a tight rope: one false move and you could fall to financial ruin. For...

How much thought do you give purchase decisions? Are they deliberate or impulsive? How you spend money, even on the seemingly insignificant day-to-day things, has a big impact on your entire financial life. Have you ever wondered why some of your friends or relatives are always broke, even though they seem to make a lot of money? Or others who don’t have the highest income have fewer money problems? Being financially responsible means thinking through your...

One of the biggest shopping seasons of the year is just a few days away. Already, stores are advertising Black Friday sales and no doubt the masses will be lined up waiting to take advantage of those elusive, annual deals. And Black Friday is just the kickoff for a four-week shopping frenzy. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype with advertisements all over the place – television, radio, internet, and the stores - and...

Gift cards are a great option when you don’t know exactly what to buy a person or when you don't have enough time to shop thoroughly. You basically have two options: a store-branded gift card that can only be used for that specific store or chain of stores or a bank/credit card gift card that can be used anywhere that credit card network is accepted. At first glance, the bank/credit card gift may seem like the...