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☆ A Federal Tool Could Soon Make It Easier to Compare Credit Cards
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Ann Carrns | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If a card’s rate depends on the applicant’s credit score — as most do — banks must report the lowest and highest rates charged, as well as the median A.P.R. (Credit scores are three-digit numbers that summarize your credit history; higher is better.) Now, the 25 biggest card issuers have to answer questions about all of their credit cards, not just their most popular offerings. The bureau is seeking more information about each card — asking, for instance, if it is a “secured” credit card, which requires a security deposit to establish a credit limit and is often used by people with limited credit histories or low credit scores. More than a dozen commercial websites already offer credit card comparison tools.

Below, you'll find our top picks for the best banks for avoiding ATM fees. The best banks for avoiding bank ATM fees have free regional or national ATM networks, so you won't be charged for using an ATM. The Best Banks for Avoiding ATM FeesLendingClub Bank: Best online bank for avoiding domestic ATM feesConnexus Credit Union: Best credit union for avoiding domestic ATM feesChase: Best national bank for avoiding domestic ATM feesCharles Schwab: Best institution for avoiding international ATM feesTD Bank: Best regional bank for avoiding domestic ATM feesBetterment: Best online banking platform for avoiding domestic ATM feesWe've included brick-and-mortar banks, online banks, credit unions, and online banking platforms, so you can choose from a variety of options. Unlimited refunds on out-of-network ATM fees Check mark icon A check mark. You could also refer to the schedules of fees document to review ATM fees and ATM withdrawal limits."

☆ With a recession looming, it's an important time to have an emergency savings account, finance expert Suze Orman says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch now"There has never been a time that as much as right here and right now in the recent past that an emergency savings account is vital, absolutely vital," Orman said. In 2020, she co-founded SecureSave, a company working with employers to provide emergency savings accounts to employees. "If you go back through my entire history of almost 40 years now, I've been [saying] emergency savings, emergency savings, emergency savings," Orman said. How your emergency fund deposits are insuredAn important part of emergency savings is easy access, which means most people are looking at some kind of high-yield savings account. Generally, deposit accounts are eligible for $250,000 coverage for the sum of accounts at an institution in this category, which includes checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit or money market deposit accounts.

Chase Overdraft Assist is available with all checking accounts except Chase First Checking, Chase High School Checking, and Chase Secure Checking. Chase Overdraft Assist is available with all checking accounts except Chase First Checking, Chase High School Checking, and Chase Secure Checking. What to do if you can't get your overdraft fees coveredUnfortunately, you might not always get a refund on an overdraft fee. With free overdraft protection, you won't have to pay an overdraft fee or a fee to utilize overdraft protection. Many online banks and credit unions either have free overdraft protection or don't charge any overdraft fees.

LAS VEGAS, March 28 (Reuters) - Mid-sized U.S. lenders are getting creative as they try to hang onto customer deposits after two bank failures rattled consumers and spurred a $119 billion exodus from small institutions in recent weeks. Industry executives discussed strategies to bolster trust in their institutions at an annual meeting of the Consumer Bankers Association conference on Monday in Las Vegas. Paying higher rates on deposits is the most common way to make them stick, executives said. Despite the recent flight in deposits to large banks, one banker at a mid-sized bank said they were confident the lender could survive the recent exodus. Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer and Nupur Anand in Las Vegas; Editing by Lananh Nguyen and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ This fintech enables banks to offer charitable giving services. Check out the 13-slide pitch deck Spiral used to raise $28 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Spiral, a fintech startup that helps banks offer charitable giving services, has raised $28 million. The startup believes it can help banks differentiate their brand and attract Gen Z customers. Check out Spiral's 13-slide Series A pitch deck below:A startup that enables financial institutions to embed charitable giving into their services has raised $28 million in fresh funds. New York City-based Spiral has developed a system it calls "impact-as-a-service" that it offers to banks, credit unions, and other financial service providers. The startup believes it can help banks differentiate their brand, attract Gen Z customers who are keen on more sustainable products, and increase customer loyalty and retention.

☆ Silicon Valley Bank became the go-to bank for startups with a network of top-tier VCs. Underrepresented founders say that created barriers to access for them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( April Joyner | Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But some early-stage founders told Insider they had trouble getting access to SVB's services. SVB's reliance on VC networks made it less accessible to some underrepresented founders, they said. With its focus on venture-backed startups, Silicon Valley Bank provided loans and lines of credit to businesses that often wouldn't qualify for such services at a larger bank. But the earliest-stage companies — those without significant venture funding or a notable VC backer — were still sometimes shut out, founders told Insider. Jean-Charles and Alvarez-Bailey said they didn't believe bias or discrimination was at play in SVB's decisions — they simply didn't meet the bank's VC funding threshold.

Currently, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC)guarantees deposits of up to $250,000 per person, per bank. More than $9.2 trillion of U.S. bank deposits were uninsured at the end of last year, accounting for more than 40% of all deposits, according to U.S. central bank data. COULD THE GOVERNMENT RAISE THE DEPOSIT INSURANCE LIMIT? Some U.S. lawmakers have said Congress should consider whether a higher federal insurance limit on bank deposits was needed in the wake of the collapse of SVB and Signature Bank. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, and Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican, have questioned whether the $250,000 deposit insurance limit is still appropriate.

With the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) and Signature Bank (SBNY.O) and the U.S. government backstopping all deposits at those firms, here is the state of play of deposit insurance in the United States:WHAT IS THE U.S DEPOSIT INSURANCE LIMIT? Currently, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC)guarantees deposits of up to $250,000 per person, per bank. Any losses to the FDIC's deposit insurance fund will be recovered by a special assessment on banks, the FDIC said. COULD THE GOVERNMENT RAISE THE DEPOSIT INSURANCE LIMIT? Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, and Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican, have questioned whether the $250,000 deposit insurance limit is still appropriate.

If you're in debt or need help with your taxes, you can often get free help. Some situations may require the help of a financial advisor, and a fee-only advisor can be a good choice. Whether you simply don't want to pay for a help or are unable to, there's good news: Expensive professional help isn't the only way to solve your financial problems. The National Foundation for Credit Counseling provides credit counseling for any income level. Investing for retirementThe Financial Planning Association allows financial planners to provide free advice for families experiencing cancer, households needing help after COVID-19, and more.

☆ Can the Fed help fend off a banking crisis while also cooling the economy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

To stave off the latter, the Fed offered a solution that seemingly contradicted its hawkish flight path: looser purse-strings. That means the Fed can still fight the battle against inflation even while it shores up the banking sector. Although the Fed’s new program is an extraordinary action to ensure bank stability, the Fed is engaged in the lending business every day, Brusuelas noted. “The Fed buys and sells government securities each day to maintain the range of its policy rate — the federal funds rate — between 4.5% and 4.75%,” he said. Once that returns, the central bank can shift its focus back to restoring price stability, he said.

To help you get started, CNBC Select rounded up a list of the best mortgage lenders first-time homebuyers should consider. Types of loans offered: The most common kinds of mortgage loans include conventional loans, FHA loans and VA loans. The most common kinds of mortgage loans include conventional loans, FHA loans and VA loans. Fees: Common fees associated with mortgage applications include origination fees, application fees, underwriting fees, processing fees and administrative fees. Common fees associated with mortgage applications include origination fees, application fees, underwriting fees, processing fees and administrative fees.

Annual Percentage Yield Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. 5.00% Minimum Deposit Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. $0 Annual Percentage Yield Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. 4.60% Minimum Deposit Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. $1,000 Annual Percentage Yield Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

☆ Factbox: Key elements of Fed's new US bank funding program
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Bank Term Funding Program (BTFP) will offer loans with maturities of up to a year to banks, savings associations, credit unions and other eligible depository institutions. Here are some key elements of the Fed's program:STRESS RELIEFThe Fed has raised rates from near zero a year ago to between 4.50-4.75% now to combat inflation that hit a 40-year high last year. The same collateral terms will also be available for loans drawn from the Fed's "discount window," its traditional lender-of-last-resort facility. Ordinarily, loan amounts were governed by the market value of the pledged collateral. In fact, the Fed loans are made with "recourse beyond the pledged collateral," which takes into account the fact that the collateral may be impaired.

☆ VIEW US intervenes to shore up SVB deposits, stem financial fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

March 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. government announced actions to shore up deposits and stem any broader financial fallout from the sudden collapse of tech startup-focused lender Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) (SVB), sending U.S. stock futures higher. "The market turbulence sparked by SVB has upended rising market expectations on the Fed rate path. The fact that SVB and Signature Bank depositors will be made whole is critical in maintaining trust in the financial system and should help stem contagion fears this week. But it also means that 50 basis points (a possible Fed interest rate hike) is off the table." Given what's happened in the U.S. financial system, a 25 basis point hike is more likely than a 50 basis point hike."

☆ Instant view: US intervenes to shore up SVB deposits, limit financial fallout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

March 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. government announced actions to shore up deposits and stem any broader financial fallout from the sudden collapse of tech startup-focused lender Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O) (SVB), sending U.S. stock futures higher. ALVIN TAN, HEAD OF ASIA FX STRATEGY, RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, SINGAPORE:"Markets remain unsettled from the SVB failure. "The market turbulence sparked by SVB has upended rising market expectations on the Fed rate path. ANTHONY SAGLIMBENE, CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST, AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL, TROY, MICHIGAN:"It was imperative that regulators stepped in and decisively acted before markets around the world opened for the week. GREG MCBRIDE, CHIEF FINANCIAL ANALYST, BANKRATE:"While the Fed has talked about a lot in the past year, until today it has been in the context of monetary policy.

☆ Why Trump is being called out in the Silicon Valley Bank collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some Democrats have been blaming Trump-era regulations for Silicon Valley Bank's collapse. In 2018, Trump signed into law a bill that rolled back provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act and loosened oversight over banks. On Friday, regulators shut down Silicon Valley Bank following a tumultuous few days of failing to raise capital and a flood of customers withdrawing their funds from the bank. "Greg Becker, the chief executive of Silicon Valley Bank, was one of the ‌many high-powered executives who lobbied Congress to weaken the law," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote in a Monday opinion piece. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a statement that the "failure of Silicon Valley Bank is a direct result of an absurd 2018 bank deregulation bill signed by Donald Trump that I strongly opposed."

☆ Bernie Sanders says Silicon Valley Bank's failure is the 'direct result' of a Trump-era bank regulation policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sen. Bernie Sanders is blaming a Trump-era policy for the Silicon Valley Bank run. "Now is not the time for US taxpayers to bail out Silicon Valley Bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation shut down the Silicon Valley Bank on Friday following a catastrophic bank run. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has now become the largest bank failure in the US since the 2008 financial crisis. However, startups with money in Silicon Valley Bank exceeding $250,000 are now in danger of not being able to make payroll next week.

If a bank fails, insured deposits will be moved to another FDIC-insured bank or paid out. Checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit are examples of FDIC-insured bank accounts. Single bank accounts and joint bank accounts are examples of different ownership categories. If you want to keep more money in the bank than the FDIC will insure, you could open another bank account at a separate bank. Aside from Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, the last bank failure happened in October 2020.

☆ U.S. government steps in and says people with funds deposited at SVB will be able to access their money
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Those with money at the bank will have full access starting Monday. The Treasury Department designated both SVB and Signature as systemic risks, giving it authority to unwind both institutions in a way that it said "fully protects all depositors." The Fed facility will offer loans of up to one year to banks, saving associations, credit unions and other institutions. The SVB failure was the nation's largest collapse of a financial institution since Washington Mutual went under in 2008. Authorities had spent the weekend looking for a larger institution to buy SVB, but came up short.

Up to $250,000 is secure in individual bank accounts and $500,000 is safe in joint bank accounts. If you're concerned about whether money is safe in a bank during a recession, there's good news — your money will be likely secure in a bank account. Savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, and CDs are examples of federally insured bank accounts. Up to $250,000 is secure in individual bank accounts, and $250,000 is protected per owner in joint bank accounts. If you're worried about keeping money in your bank account during a recession, you can rest assured that your money will likely be safe at a financial institution, and you won't need to take it out of your bank account.

Below, CNBC Select rounds up some of the best balance transfer credit cards. And issuers also factor in the total cost of the balance transfer, which includes any balance transfer fees. And issuers also factor in the total cost of the balance transfer, which includes any balance transfer fees. Balance transfer credit cards are typically for consumers with good to excellent credit scores. Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our credit card marketplace or get personalized offers via CardMatch™.

High-yield savings accounts reward you with higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts and allow your money to grow faster thanks to compound interest — which lets you earn interest on interest. While rates can fluctuate over time, high-yield savings accounts generally offer APYs over 10 times greater than the national average on savings accounts. To determine which high-yield savings accounts are the best overall, CNBC Select analyzed and compared dozens of savings accounts offered by online and brick-and-mortar banks, including large credit unions. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best high-yield savings accounts.) Our methodologyTo determine which high-yield savings accounts offer the best return on your money, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of U.S. savings accounts offered by online and brick-and-mortar banks, including large credit unions.

Pros Check mark icon A check mark. Pros Check mark icon A check mark. No minimum opening deposit Check mark icon A check mark. Eligible for new accounts after your child turns 13 Check mark icon A check mark. But if you'd like to open a savings account for your child, it only lets you open one of the bank's regular savings accounts as a joint bank account.

While rates can fluctuate over time, high-yield savings accounts generally offer APYs over 10 times greater than the national average on savings accounts. To determine which high-yield savings accounts are the best overall, CNBC Select analyzed and compared dozens of savings accounts offered by online and brick-and-mortar banks, including large credit unions. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best high-yield savings accounts.) Find the best savings account for you: Help your money grow by finding the savings account that offers the best rates and features for you. Our methodologyTo determine which high-yield savings accounts offer the best return on your money, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of U.S. savings accounts offered by online and brick-and-mortar banks, including large credit unions.

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