Sometimes that difference between short-term rates and long-term rates expands and sometimes it narrows. That difference has narrowed in the last two years, which hampers banks’ ability to profit from the difference.

To be able to lock in those kinds of returns without risk is attractive to investors at a time when bond investments are lucky to be break even.

It’s a fairly insignificant risk.

It’s really a wise strategy to do that — to throw whatever you can at the balance.

When the yield curve inverts, banks’ funding costs rise above what they earn by lending. This can produce a credit crunch.

With bank fees rising and interest checking accounts remaining at low yields, consumers need to be more conscientious than ever in finding the best options for their money.

They do have some attractive features relative to the other cards in the industry.

Making two withdrawals each week from another bank’s ATM is throwing away more than $300 per year.

The cost of refinancing is quite [a bit] lower than it was five or 10 years ago. Anyone who has taken out a mortgage in the past few years should look into refinancing.

Eighty-six percent of institutions will charge you for using a different bank’s ATM.

For consumers, it will create some confusion. Saying you have a credit score of 750, for example, takes on a whole new meaning. It was a good score on the old system but is only...

The extended low-rate holiday that consumers have enjoyed is a thing of the past.

Credit Unions are not-for-profit, which means they exist for the benefit of their members.

You’ll be hurting your credit history.

[In 2002, rates on both types of cards are nearly certain to rise. Even fixed-rate cards are no shelter.] The jockeying around to find a low-rate card is really only half the equation, … The...

The fees aren’t going to go away, but you’re not hostage to them, either.

Go armed to the dealership with your own financing lined up at a bank or credit union,

That difference of roughly 1.5 percentage points is enough to generate $150 in interest income that you’d otherwise leave on the table with a $10,000 investment.

It’s decidedly less attractive now.

There’s no incentive to go into that longer maturity now.

Over a year ago, we tried to buy a building near the (Indiana Memorial Union) that has been vacant for some time. We were just told that it was going to be used for education,...

That’s where the payment pain is going to come for a lot of households.

The process is much more convenient if you stick with your current lender.

The prospect of future rate hikes will push yields on CDs even higher, making them even more attractive.

The environment has improved dramatically thanks to the Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. Cash investments look pretty good right now.

Bouncing a check results in a punitive fee from your bank, and the punishment is growing increasingly harsh.

[According to the old rules for refinancing, it wasn’t worth your while unless you could lower your rate by 2 percentage points. ‘ Now that the process is easier and cheaper than ever, that’s no...

Fee income is the great stabilizer of bank earnings, particularly in unfavorable interest rate environments such as the one we’re currently experiencing.

I don’t think there is any doubt that credit standards are tougher at this point than they were a year ago. The very best rates only go to the very best credit profiles.

Not knowing where your money is going is a huge obstacle in achieving financial independence. The first step toward saving is to set some limits on your spending.

These are really drawing investors attention, because for the first time in years, you are actually earning something after inflation.

There are some very attractive savings offers for consumers right now. Average rates on [certificates of deposit] are the highest they have been in almost five years.

You’re not getting much additional yield by tying up your money for longer periods of time.

Stringing a car loan out is not healthy. Four years on an auto loan is normal. Seven years is not. Your loan shouldn’t last longer than the car.

We’ll continue to see some movement in response to anticipation of future Fed rate hikes.

It sounds like nickel-and-dime stuff, but it adds up to real money.

Conspicuous in their absence from the Best Deals are the largest institutions, with large branch and ATM networks and extensive regional footprints. Not so among the 20 Worst Deals, … Better-than-average yields and low minimum...

[The numbers look good now.] But how the borrower performs after taking out the loan isn’t’ the best indicator of what’s to come, … The peak for delinquencies and defaults comes between years three and...

One thing is evident looking at the different bank fees and rates. They maximize revenue and minimize risk, and that’s what the institutions are geared toward, that’s what they’re in business for, like it or...

A budget can help you accomplish all of that.

If you apply to too many cards, it may raise red flags to lenders.

This has been a good time for CD investors. It’s long overdue. Income-dependent investors like retirees are seeing their cash investments finally bear fruit.

As a borrower, you have nowhere to hide.

The beginning of the year is an opportune time to look at all aspects of your finances. Part of that is getting better organized for 2006.

If you carry a balance, your focus should be on credit cards with the lowest interest rates.

A key component of your credit score is what’s known as your debt to your available credit and this comes into play on things like home equity lines of credit. If you open up a...

It’s the price of not doing business with a particular institution. Just as non-account holders bear the costs associated with an ATM network, banks are now assessing non-account holders for in-branch check cashing,

It’s the punitive fees that are escalating so quickly. What some banks are doing now is cutting the cost of the first bounced check so the guy who bounces a check once in a while...

The best accounts continue to be those offered by Internet institutions. Better still was the fact that half of the best Internet accounts were truly free — no monthly service fee and no per-item fees...

Pay your bills on time, and pay your debt down over time. Together, those factors account for 65 percent of your credit score.