That’s the $64,000 question. Seventy percent of economic output is tied to consumer spending. The idea is to raise rates enough to stave off inflation, but not so as to curtail spending.

What we’re seeing here is a growth in the punitive type of fees. The fees are really going to get you if you step outside the bounds set by financial institutions.

Whatever that percentage, any increase in the minimum is significant. People paying the minimum are doing so for a reason: Money is tight.

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 five.

It pays to shop around, because it can mean the difference between half of one percent or 4.5 percent on your money. You can?t afford not to because you?d literally be leaving money on the...

The prime rate moves in concert with the Fed’s interest rate moves, … The average rate for a home equity line of credit has increased from 4.7 percent in June 2004 to 5.9 percent as...

That could really crimp consumer spending and hold back economic growth.

Loyalty programs are popping up in many other areas of our daily activities, whether through the airlines or hotels, supermarkets or restaurants. It was just a matter of time before financial services joined in.

These are not things that are subject to price competition. No bank is going to advertise low bounced-check fees.

I don’t think we’ll see credit standards get too tight. To get the very best rate, borrowers are having to be more pristine in terms of their credit history and personal balance sheet. That makes...

In that case, you are easily looking at a 9-month, maybe a year, interest penalty.

A higher minimum will push some borrowers into default or bankruptcy.

The average homebuyer moves every seven to 10 years,

For borrowers who are stretched thin, this leaves little equity cushion if the value of the home declines.

It’s ratcheting up a quarter point — every time the Fed raises rates,

When you are looking to trim your debt portfolio in a falling rate environment, you keep your maturities shorter.

Pay off cards with low balances. This will create some breathing room in the budget that may be needed to keep up with the higher minimums on your other credit cards.

Even if someone pays the balance in full, that 2.5 percent fee they’re going to pay for the convenience outweighs the rewards they’re going to earn, especially on frequent flier miles.

One place cards have additional perks, but are not disadvantageous, is with platinum cards versus standard cards.

The account holder that occasionally bounces a check may catch a break, but the person who bounces more than once in awhile is really getting hit hard.

That’s the pocketbook risk to the American consumer.

Shop around, since there’s no need to pay some of these fees when the bank across the street doesn’t charge them. Also look for free non-interest checking, not an account whose interest is a pittance...

[Consumer banking experts don’t expect that to be a concern with the marriage of J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank One.] There’s very little geographic overlap in these two institutions, … The only area where they...

There’s a game of one-upmanship in terms of who’s offering the best yields, … Every household needs a liquid savings account in a place where you can keep up with inflation and the Internet is...

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

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.

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.

You’ll be hurting your credit history.

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.

[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.

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

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 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.