Keep a Lid on Your Debt

Many people assume that they can afford something if they can simply make the monthly payments. But that's exactly the type of short-term thinking that will fetter you to a lifetime of interest charges on things that will break, wear out or become useless long before the last payment is made.

You Can't Afford Not To

One of the most fundamentally responsible ways of managing your daily financial affairs is to know how much money you have available in your checking account.

A Discussion of Credit

Simply put, credit is a system by which you can buy and enjoy goods and services now, and pay for them later. There are many different types of credit accounts available – personal loans, credit cards, home mortgages, merchant charge accounts, lines of credit, and the list goes on.

A few Persistent Myths about Money

Myths persist in a given society because they're needed to conceal the underlying truths that they pertain to. In order to deal effectively with them, they must be confronted head-on with balanced thinking and wise insight, and without the fear and rationalization that initially brought them into being.

Be Wise to Financial Scams

Scammers can appeal to the best and the worst in each of us. Some appeal to our generosity, others to our greed and desire for quick riches. They're savvy, and they know that such tactics will work at least some of the time, and that's good enough for them to profit from.

Choosing a Checking Account

Some free checking accounts are only free if you maintain a pre-set minimum balance. Do you want to pay for the printing of your checks? On some Premium accounts, checks are free; you ll almost certainly have to pay for them with free checking accounts.

Certificates of Deposit

Certificates of Deposit,are deposit accounts that have conditions. You agree to deposit your money into an account for a predetermined period of time. The length of this term can vary from three months to as long as ten years.

Is Internet Banking a Good Idea?

There are now a number of banks that are strictly internet-based. These institutions have taken full advantage of the generally-positive attitude with which consumers have embraced online banking. With lower overhead costs due to the fact that there are no local branches to pay for, these banks can pass on some of that savings to their customers in the form of higher rates on deposit accounts

Glossary of Banking and Credit Terms

Be familiar with these basic banking and credit terms. Knowing and understanding the terms that are on your bank and credit card statements can possibly save you dollars every month.

Factors Influencing Interest Rates

An interest rate is the amount received in relation to an amount loaned, generally expressed as a ratio of dollars received per hundred dollars lent. However, a distinction should be made between specific interest rates and interest rates in general. Specific interest rates on a particular financial instrument reflect the time for which the money is on loan.