The economic climate has forced millions of people around the globe to search for ways to spend less and stretch what little they do spend as far as it can go. Thankfully, there are many options to help you save, including a variety of choices at your bank that’ll ensure you stretch those important pennies a long way.

Many people are not very familiar with the vast variety of bank accounts available these days. In fact, most people tend to have the same account that was first opened for them when they were growing up and opened up an account under the guidance of their parents. Although convenient to ignore and just hope that your bank account is doing its best for you, the benefits of shopping around and ensuring you’re really getting the most from your bank account can be fairly significant.

Continue reading ‘Making the Most of Your Savings’ »

Despite the falling cost of travel, those going away are being reminded to make themselves aware of the various expenses that jetting off can incur.

Although the cost of air travel has fallen over recent years that should not be an excuse for people not to take steps to make the most of their money, one industry commentator suggests.

In an article for Lifehacker, Angus Kidman points out that although “air travel is cheaper than ever”, holidaymakers who have been able to secure a low-cost flight may find this is “rarely the end of the story”.

Once the likes of taxes and baggage fees have been taken into account, Mr Kidman claims “your cheap fare may not be quite so cheap”.

As an example of this, he points out taxes come to around $50 for domestic travel. However, those looking to go overseas could find such costs “ratchet up into the hundreds”.

Continue reading ‘Travellers ‘urged to beware hidden costs’’ »

Commercial businesses need options for securing their money with readily available access. This can often be done with a business checking account, which may simplify such processes as account reconciliation, expenses tracking and cash flow management. Many banks across the nation offer business accounts complete with personalized checks and a debit card. However, some financial institutions provide more bang for the buck, with free offers and tiered interest rates that accommodate small and large corporations alike. Provided here, therefore, is a list of the four best business bank accounts.

Bank of America provides businesses with a choice of two different business accounts. The first is called the “Business Advantage Checking Account” and caters to owners of small- or medium-sized businesses. The second, “Business Checking Account,” is a basic account more ideal for businesses with only one or two team members. The Advantage account requires deposits of at least $10,000 per month to avoid service fees, but it offers more perks than the basic option. Both can be considered among the best business bank accounts available. Continue reading ‘Best Business Bank Accounts: Where to Find the Best Deals’ »

The title of this article goes against pretty much everything that personal finance writers ordinarily stand for.

You are meant to worry at your personal finances according to these people: sort them out, budget them, generally check them at almost very possibly opportunity but never just leave them to their own devices.

And yet, and yet: life creeps in. Personal finance, as even some of its most ardent fans will surely admit, is an unforgivably dry and boring subject and there are much more important demands on nearly everybody’s time.

Demands like spending time with family, indulging in hobbies or just relaxing or even, and here the personal finance community will surely agree, actually doing those things which people will pay us for and will help to increase the amounts in the bank accounts we’re worrying about in the first place. Continue reading ‘How to Let Your Personal Finances Sort Themselves Out’ »

It is crucial that people take steps to prevent their financial information from being compromised by identity thieves, it has been reported.

Britons are being urged to prevent their personal details from falling into the wrong hands.

In particular, CreditExpert – the ID fraud protection service from Experian – claims that young people need to take caution.

Research from the firm indicates that young single adults who typically live in shared rented accommodation and are on a reasonable income are at greatest risk of having their credit cards, bank accounts and other financial products compromised.

Single Britons in their 30s living in rented flats and “high-flying” graduates saving for a mortgage deposit are also among those deemed to be particularly susceptible to be targeted by such fraudsters. Continue reading ‘Young people ‘popular target for credit card fraudsters’’ »

The new European rules will take effect on November 1, and specify that all banks and building societies are required to provide advance warning to customers of reductions to rates paid on bank accounts.

Savings accounts providers will also have to communicate details of rate changes to account-holders when a bonus period comes to an end. This is likely to affect the majority of savers, as most top-paying variable rate accounts now offer introductory bonus rates, which generally revert back to an uncompetitive rate after this period ends.

Account providers have been criticised in the past as many savers are unaware that their account no-longer pays a competitive rate.

The new law follows months of rate cuts to accounts made by providers, often without informing customers, despite the fact that the Bank of England base rate has remained unchanged at its record low of 0.5%. Continue reading ‘Savers to be informed of rate changes’ »

Bankruptcy is a very real situation that can happen to anyone. Even rich people who have huge savings in their bank accounts can fall victim to bankruptcy if they do not pay attention to their way of life. Getting stuck in a debt problem is a serious matter. If you find yourself in any of the following situations, it would be best to address the problem right away. Here are the ten signs that you need to talk to a bankruptcy attorney, immediately.

Your expenses offset you monthly income.
Stop and take an objective look on your spending. Do you spend more than what you actually earn in a month? It could be easy to deny this fact. However, the best way to answer this question is to calculate all your monthly expenses in detail. List them down, every little cent you spend in a month should be included, be honest.

After calculating the sum total of all your expenses, subtract it from your salary, and you should be able to come up with an accurate answer to the question. Continue reading ‘10 Signs You Need to Talk to a Bankruptcy Attorney’ »

Bankruptcy is a very real situation that can happen to anyone. Even rich people who have huge savings in their bank accounts can fall victim to bankruptcy if they do not pay attention to their way of life. Getting stuck in a debt problem is a serious matter. If you find yourself in any of the following situations, it would be best to address the problem right away. Here are the ten signs that you need to talk to a bankruptcy attorney, immediately.

Your expenses offset you monthly income.
Stop and take an objective look on your spending. Do you spend more than what you actually earn in a month? It could be easy to deny this fact. However, the best way to answer this question is to calculate all your monthly expenses in detail. List them down, every little cent you spend in a month should be included, be honest.

After calculating the sum total of all your expenses, subtract it from your salary, and you should be able to come up with an accurate answer to the question.

Continue reading ‘10 Signs You Need to Talk to a Bankruptcy Attorney’ »