Bank rate returns and best credit cards

[edna_mode]

Searching for the best banking deals:

http://bankdeals.blogspot.com/

Capital One and Chase are offering $50 and $100 bonuses for opening checking accounts there.

Best reward credit cards:

Fidelity offers an AmEx (2% back on everything, redeem into your Fidelity brokerage account) and a Visa (1.5% back on everything). Discover offers 5% back on certain things, depending on what kind of card you get. One of them is 5% on gas/automotive, the standard one rotates through “categories” quarterly, so that Q1 you get 5% on travel, Q2 “home” stuff, Q3 gas and theme parks…you get the idea. No annual fees, no inflatable “points” system, no problem.

I believe Charles Schwab is also offering a Visa with this good of a rebate, and is reported to not charge foreign currency transaction fees.

I can attest that Capital One’s MC does NOT charge foreign currency fees as of my May statement. But for the great gory lowdown, go to flyerguide:

http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Credit/Debit/ATM_Cards_and_Foreign_Exchange

[Anonymous]

Most on-line banks are real bricks and mortar banks. You’re doing business with their internet division. That doesn’t make them more or less “safe” than any other bank but FDIC insurance does. You will not lose your money in an FDIC insured bank failure. I’ve had two in two years.

Netbank was actually First Bank of Atlanta. When it folded, I got a FDIC splash screen stating the bank was closed when I tried to log in one Saturday. It scared the snot out of me as my checking, savings and $30K in CD’s were there but, they were back up and running Monday as Netbank, division of ING direct. (a big Dutch bank) Two months to convert everything over. No input on my part. Easy. Even kept the rate on the CD’s.

Indymac bank was a “bricks and mortar” bank. I had a $40K CD with them held in my Smith Barney account. I got my $40K back but they terminated my CD early and I actually lost about two weeks’interest and had to find a new home for my money.

A couple on-liners that usually pay above average rates are Discover Bank (discover card), Eloan Bank, (Banco Popular New York, a branch of a Puerto Rican parent, both FDIC insured, Puerto Rico is America as far as banks are concerned)ING Direct (I use and like them.)

As far as your rate of return at the bank you’re at. Interest rates are quite low everywhere. A 2.8% is the best you can do and that aint much. You’d probably need $50k to get that. Any money you have in any bank is losing value fast anyway. A dollar you had in the bank on January 1st is today worth only ninty three cents. If you’re looking for an investment, look elsewhere. If this is the loose cash in your checking account. You pretty much just got to take it. Last year cash was the place to be as the stock market and bonds and real estate plumeted all at the same time. This year, low rates and rapid currency devaluation make that probably the worst place to keep your money.

There currently is NO SAFE PLACE to keep money. There is huge market risk, default risk and inflation risk everywhere you look. A bold player that makes the right play will become wealthy. Everybody else will get fleeced. This is the nature of major economic and political shifts.

Think Ammo and canned goods. (just kidding, but not much.)

[Anonymous]

Most on-line banks are real bricks and mortar banks. You’re doing business with their internet division. That doesn’t make them more or less “safe” than any other bank but FDIC insurance does. You will not lose your money in an FDIC insured bank failure. I’ve had two in two years.

Netbank was actually First Bank of Atlanta. When it folded, I got a FDIC splash screen stating the bank was closed when I tried to log in one Saturday. It scared the snot out of me as my checking, savings and $30K in CD’s were there but, they were back up and running Monday as Netbank, division of ING direct. (a big Dutch bank) Two months to convert everything over. No input on my part. Easy. Even kept the rate on the CD’s.

Indymac bank was a “bricks and mortar” bank. I had a $40K CD with them held in my Smith Barney account. I got my $40K back but they terminated my CD early and I actually lost about two weeks’interest and had to find a new home for my money.

A couple on-liners that usually pay above average rates are Discover Bank (discover card), Eloan Bank, (Banco Popular New York, a branch of a Puerto Rican parent, both FDIC insured, Puerto Rico is America as far as banks are concerned)ING Direct (I use and like them.)

As far as your rate of return at the bank you’re at. Interest rates are quite low everywhere. A 2.8% is the best you can do and that aint much. You’d probably need $50k to get that. Any money you have in any bank is losing value fast anyway. A dollar you had in the bank on January 1st is today worth only ninty three cents. If you’re looking for an investment, look elsewhere. If this is the loose cash in your checking account. You pretty much just got to take it. Last year cash was the place to be as the stock market and bonds and real estate plumeted all at the same time. This year, low rates and rapid currency devaluation make that probably the worst place to keep your money.

There currently is NO SAFE PLACE to keep money. There is huge market risk, default risk and inflation risk everywhere you look. A bold player that makes the right play will become wealthy. Everybody else will get fleeced. This is the nature of major economic and political shifts.

Think Ammo and canned goods. (just kidding, but not much.)

[Anonymous]

Most on-line banks are real bricks and mortar banks. You’re doing business with their internet division. That doesn’t make them more or less “safe” than any other bank but FDIC insurance does. You will not lose your money in an FDIC insured bank failure. I’ve had two in two years.

Netbank was actually First Bank of Atlanta. When it folded, I got a FDIC splash screen stating the bank was closed when I tried to log in one Saturday. It scared the snot out of me as my checking, savings and $30K in CD’s were there but, they were back up and running Monday as Netbank, division of ING direct. (a big Dutch bank) Two months to convert everything over. No input on my part. Easy. Even kept the rate on the CD’s.

Indymac bank was a “bricks and mortar” bank. I had a $40K CD with them held in my Smith Barney account. I got my $40K back but they terminated my CD early and I actually lost about two weeks’interest and had to find a new home for my money.

A couple on-liners that usually pay above average rates are Discover Bank (discover card), Eloan Bank, (Banco Popular New York, a branch of a Puerto Rican parent, both FDIC insured, Puerto Rico is America as far as banks are concerned)ING Direct (I use and like them.)

As far as your rate of return at the bank you’re at. Interest rates are quite low everywhere. A 2.8% is the best you can do and that aint much. You’d probably need $50k to get that. Any money you have in any bank is losing value fast anyway. A dollar you had in the bank on January 1st is today worth only ninty three cents. If you’re looking for an investment, look elsewhere. If this is the loose cash in your checking account. You pretty much just got to take it. Last year cash was the place to be as the stock market and bonds and real estate plumeted all at the same time. This year, low rates and rapid currency devaluation make that probably the worst place to keep your money.

There currently is NO SAFE PLACE to keep money. There is huge market risk, default risk and inflation risk everywhere you look. A bold player that makes the right play will become wealthy. Everybody else will get fleeced. This is the nature of major economic and political shifts.

Think Ammo and canned goods. (just kidding, but not much.)

[Anonymous]

Most on-line banks are real bricks and mortar banks. You’re doing business with their internet division. That doesn’t make them more or less “safe” than any other bank but FDIC insurance does. You will not lose your money in an FDIC insured bank failure. I’ve had two in two years.

Netbank was actually First Bank of Atlanta. When it folded, I got a FDIC splash screen stating the bank was closed when I tried to log in one Saturday. It scared the snot out of me as my checking, savings and $30K in CD’s were there but, they were back up and running Monday as Netbank, division of ING direct. (a big Dutch bank) Two months to convert everything over. No input on my part. Easy. Even kept the rate on the CD’s.

Indymac bank was a “bricks and mortar” bank. I had a $40K CD with them held in my Smith Barney account. I got my $40K back but they terminated my CD early and I actually lost about two weeks’interest and had to find a new home for my money.

A couple on-liners that usually pay above average rates are Discover Bank (discover card), Eloan Bank, (Banco Popular New York, a branch of a Puerto Rican parent, both FDIC insured, Puerto Rico is America as far as banks are concerned)ING Direct (I use and like them.)

As far as your rate of return at the bank you’re at. Interest rates are quite low everywhere. A 2.8% is the best you can do and that aint much. You’d probably need $50k to get that. Any money you have in any bank is losing value fast anyway. A dollar you had in the bank on January 1st is today worth only ninty three cents. If you’re looking for an investment, look elsewhere. If this is the loose cash in your checking account. You pretty much just got to take it. Last year cash was the place to be as the stock market and bonds and real estate plumeted all at the same time. This year, low rates and rapid currency devaluation make that probably the worst place to keep your money.

There currently is NO SAFE PLACE to keep money. There is huge market risk, default risk and inflation risk everywhere you look. A bold player that makes the right play will become wealthy. Everybody else will get fleeced. This is the nature of major economic and political shifts.

Think Ammo and canned goods. (just kidding, but not much.)

[Anonymous]

Most on-line banks are real bricks and mortar banks. You’re doing business with their internet division. That doesn’t make them more or less “safe” than any other bank but FDIC insurance does. You will not lose your money in an FDIC insured bank failure. I’ve had two in two years.

Netbank was actually First Bank of Atlanta. When it folded, I got a FDIC splash screen stating the bank was closed when I tried to log in one Saturday. It scared the snot out of me as my checking, savings and $30K in CD’s were there but, they were back up and running Monday as Netbank, division of ING direct. (a big Dutch bank) Two months to convert everything over. No input on my part. Easy. Even kept the rate on the CD’s.

Indymac bank was a “bricks and mortar” bank. I had a $40K CD with them held in my Smith Barney account. I got my $40K back but they terminated my CD early and I actually lost about two weeks’interest and had to find a new home for my money.

A couple on-liners that usually pay above average rates are Discover Bank (discover card), Eloan Bank, (Banco Popular New York, a branch of a Puerto Rican parent, both FDIC insured, Puerto Rico is America as far as banks are concerned)ING Direct (I use and like them.)

As far as your rate of return at the bank you’re at. Interest rates are quite low everywhere. A 2.8% is the best you can do and that aint much. You’d probably need $50k to get that. Any money you have in any bank is losing value fast anyway. A dollar you had in the bank on January 1st is today worth only ninty three cents. If you’re looking for an investment, look elsewhere. If this is the loose cash in your checking account. You pretty much just got to take it. Last year cash was the place to be as the stock market and bonds and real estate plumeted all at the same time. This year, low rates and rapid currency devaluation make that probably the worst place to keep your money.

There currently is NO SAFE PLACE to keep money. There is huge market risk, default risk and inflation risk everywhere you look. A bold player that makes the right play will become wealthy. Everybody else will get fleeced. This is the nature of major economic and political shifts.

Think Ammo and canned goods. (just kidding, but not much.)

[Author]

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