Finance Globe

The South Carolina Department of Revenue suffered a massive data breach resulting in the theft of approximately 3.6 million social security numbers and 387,000 credit and debit card numbers. The majority of credit and debit card numbers were encrypted, but 16,000 of them were not. Even so, encryption isn’t foolproof. An intelligent hacker may be able to break the encryption. Worse, none of the social security numbers were encrypted. Anyone who has filed taxes in the...

If you recently used your credit card at a Barnes & Noble, you may have been a victim of a data breach. In September (2012), 63 stores were impacted by the data breach. The stores were located in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. In this particular breach, hackers were able to gain access to the keypads where customers swipe their debit or credit cards and enter PIN information....

The rule of checking accounts is that you should only spend as much as you have in your account. As a courtesy, your bank may process transactions that exceed your checking account balance however, that courtesy comes at a price. There’s not a legal limit to overdraft fees banks can charge, but most banks keeps fees at a certain level to remain competitive with other banks. An overdraft is unfortunate, but it’s important to take care...

Payday loan providers are known predators. The loans are generally easy to borrow, but difficult to repay. They’re attractive to many because no credit check is required. However, cash flow problems lead to some borrowers keeping the loans for several months and paying hundreds of dollars in interest. Despite warnings from government agencies and consumer groups, payday loan businesses are growing, even online. Online payday loans may attract borrowers who’ve maxed out the number of outstanding...

Over half of Americans don’t feel secure about their upcoming retirement and more than a third could be living their golden years in poverty, according to a bank survey of people ranging from age 25 to 75 years. The annual Wells Fargo Retirement Survey found that paying the monthly bills is the most important day-to-day financial concern for 52 percent of middle-class Americans, up from 37 percent who felt that way last year. And 53 percent...

You can kill a good credit score in a matter of months. It’s easy. In fact, you don’t have to do anything because not doing something, specifically not paying your bills, is precisely what makes you lose a good credit rating. Once your good credit score is gone, getting back won’t be so easy or as quick. Think of it as growing your hair long again after getting a haircut. It takes just a short time...

The TLC show Extreme Couponing popularized or rather re- popularized couponing habits, inspiring people all over the country to spend hours each week clipping coupons and looking for store deals in an effort to save hundreds of dollars. The show reveals how people are able to spend just a few hundred dollars for sometimes thousands of dollars in groceries and household goods. But, for some people, couponing, especially extreme couponing may not be worth it. Couponing...

Government agencies and consumer rights advocates have been speaking out against debt settlement for years and obviously with good reason. According to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA), only one in 10 consumers actually end up debt-free after paying for debt settlement services. Debt settlement is a process where your creditors agree to accept a lower payment on your debt than what you actually owe. Once you’ve made the settlement payment, the creditor writes...

Internet banking makes it seem like old-fashioned checkbook balancing is a dated skill, like brushing your teeth with baking soda or churning your own butter. It seems even more unnecessary, if you never actually write any checks and don’t have a checkbook or checkbook register. Checkbook balancing, to some degree, is still every much necessary for everyone who has a checking account. You need to make sure that the bank's record of your spending and your...

Complicated finances are difficult to manage and could even be costly. Simplifying your finances might be a much-needed stress reliever. It would also make it much easier to manage your money. Organize your financial documents, getting rid of those that are outdated. In general, you should keep tax-related documents, like returns or W-2 forms, for three years, but you may need to keep certain documents up to six years. You don’t necessarily need to keep bank...