Knowyourbank.com’s blogs are focused on topics such as personal finance, credit, and bank fees. Our goal is to help provide readers with information that will help them make better decisions, save money, and avoid unnecessary fees.
Bank Reviews
Reviews are an important part of today's decision making process. Whether you're looking for a new checking account, or making a major decision like buying your first home or refinancing your existing one, reviews are one of the best ways that you can get feedback from others about their experience and find the right people [...]
Debt Leverage: Personal vs. Banks
"Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I will move the entire earth." Archimedes (c. 287-212 B.C.) In the world of finance and investing, leverage is used as a way to increase the potential return on investment. Basically, you borrow money in order to get more than you normally would [...]
Four Tips for Choosing the Right Credit Card
This is a guest post by Jim Miller, Senior Director of Banking Services, J.D. Power and Associates After several years of dramatic changes due to legislation, increased fees and limited credit availability, there finally is stabilization in the credit card industry, and the stability is reflected in a third consecutive year of increased credit card [...]
Have Banks Been Paying Back TARP Funds?
One of the points of interest to the public is whether or not banks are repaying the TARP funds they received as part of a bailout following the 2008 financial crisis. The Troubled Asset Relief Program was designed to help banks shore up their financial situations. The idea was to provide low-cost loans to troubled [...]
Peer to Peer Lending Basics
With traditional banks making it harder for people to get approved for loans, many are turning to peer to peer lending. Banks often have hoops for you to jump through, and may perform a hard inquiry on your credit before approving you. And if you want a substantial amount of money for an unsecured loan, [...]
How to Switch Banks
With a number of banks implementing new fees, and cutting services and rewards programs, many consumers are interested in changing banks and how to switch banks. However, the process can be somewhat daunting. In order to help you break it down into manageable tasks, here is a checklist of actions to take: 1. Find a [...]
ChexSystems
Have you bounced checks or made overdrafts in the past? Have you ever had a problem opening a new bank account? It may be a result of your previous bank logging a complaint with a company called ChexSystems (consumerdebit.com). ChexSystems is used by the majority of banks and credit unions as a part of the [...]
SBA Loans for Small Businesses
Starting a small business isn’t easy. Obtaining the financing can be difficult, especially since you might have trouble finding a bank that is willing to take a chance on you. One of the ways that the government encourages banks and credit unions to help small businesses thrive is by guaranteeing a part of the loan [...]
Checking Account Fees: What to Watch For
Many banks have been changing their fee structures, looking for ways to increase revenues. Citing debit card transaction fee caps and other regulatory changes, banks are looking to boost revenue and profits, and that means that they are turning to consumers. It's important that you read communications from your banks, so that you know what's [...]
How Do Banks Make Money?
When you take your money and put it in the bank, you might think that it just sits there, waiting to be called into use by you. However, that's not how it works. Here's how banks make money. Using Your Money to Make Money You have a record of how much money is "yours." A [...]
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