Presidents’ Day sort of sneaked up on me this year. At times in the past, I’ve written about Presidents’ Day as a time to appreciate our democracy and celebrate the many freedoms we have as a result. As thoughts of democracy come to mind, the war in Ukraine looms large. With President Biden traveling there […]

How do you pick out a bank? It’s more difficult than it seems. Many people choose a branch near them. But, banks can have practices that are detrimental to consumers who want to spend money wisely. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or FDIC has downgraded Transportation Alliance Bank or TAB Bank to “needs to improve,” […]

I’m now a T-Mobile customer. Darn. I switched because I was upset that Verizon wouldn’t give me a deal on a new iPhone and I wanted to be in a family plan with my grandson from Spain who’s going to college in Massachusetts. T-Mobile announced last week that its customer records have been hacked again. […]

One thing that financial writers recommend when you’re having money problems is to review your subscriptions. Sometimes subscriptions that you aren’t using anymore keep renewing or you didn’t realize you had signed up for one. “Negative option” programs include subscription services that automatically renew unless the consumer cancels, and trial marketing programs that charge a […]

Wells Fargo is at it again. It shows why consumers should be skeptical about trusting big banks. The repeat offender has agreed to a settlement that requires it to return more than $2 billion to consumers and pay a $1.7 billion civil penalty for legal violations across several of its largest product lines, the Consumer […]

For years, I’ve suggested that consumers consider banking with a credit union rather than a bank. Why? Consumers often can’t trust banks not to gouge them with high interest rates and fees. It was great to listen to President Biden speak on the radio and on television about the action his administration is taking on […]