Savings Archives

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As if we needed another sign that this may be the Great Recession, it appears some companies suspending their 401(k) match may not restore it completely. Read more»

What do you do if your employer eliminates your 401(k) match? Human resources consultant Hewitt Associates offers these tips for keeping you retirement savings on track even if your company stops pitching in. Read more»

Bank Savings AccountsIt’s not every day that you see American Express (Stock Quote: AXP) offer a financial product that doesn’t involve a credit card transaction. Read more»

For consumers hit by the recession, pinching every penny has become a necessity. Getting the best value for your dollar is important, and that includes the amenities offered by your bank. For those who are unhappy with their current financial institution, the process of shopping around for a new bank can be difficult. Read more»

“Thank goodness for caller identification.”That’s likely the refrain of late-paying mortgage, credit card, and auto loan borrowers, just to name a few, who dread talking to debt collectors on the phone.Caller ID is the one saving grace of being mired in debt, you know when debt collectors are calling you, and don’t have to talk to them. Read more»

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new study of 401(k) plans has revealed that black and Hispanic workers save significantly less for retirement and tap into their accounts more frequently than white and Asian employees.The study of 3 million 401(k) plans at more than 50 large companies concludes that unless some changes are made to encourage more saving by some minority groups, they run the risk of retiring into poverty. Read more»

Do consumers really want bank overdraft protection? That’s a question the venerable Federal Reserve is studying in 2009. The Fed is mulling giving bank consumers the right to opt out of a bank overdraft program – and may even give consumers the right to have small debit card transactions canceled, rather than have them trigger an overdraft. Read more»

The yield curve has steepened substantially over the past year, and it’s steeper now than it was just a month ago. Does it make sense, then, to tie your money up for the long term?Unless you’re an interest-rate aficionado, you may be saying, “Huh?” So let’s back up. Read more»

It was another brutal week for U.S. banks, as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. closed down five more financial institutions, bringing the grand total for 2009 to 45 shuttered banks. The FDIC was unable to find a buyer for one of the banks, Community West Bank of Georgia. That’s bad news for bank customers with assets over the FDIC insurance line – the FDIC won’t cover those assets. Read more»