Understanding the Ins and Outs of a Money Market Bank Account

Money market accounts are a popular choice for many individuals looking to grow their savings while still having easy access to their funds.

In this blog post, we will delve into the world of money market accounts and break down how they work, their benefits, and how you can make the most of this financial tool.

What Is a Money Market Account?

A money market account (MMA) is a type of savings account offered by banks and credit unions that typically provides higher interest rates compared to standard savings accounts. 

These accounts combine the features of both savings and checking accounts, offering the ability to earn interest on deposited funds while still providing easy access to your money, often including check-writing capabilities and a debit card. 

The interest rates on MMAs are variable and tend to respond to changes in the overall interest rate environment, making them an attractive option for savers looking to maximize their returns. 

However, to take advantage of the higher interest rates, money market accounts usually require a higher minimum balance than traditional savings accounts, which is something to consider when choosing the best place to park your savings.

How Do I Open an Account?

Opening a money market account is a straightforward process that closely resembles setting up a standard savings or checking account. The first step is to research and select a banking institution that offers competitive interest rates and minimal fees. 

Once you have chosen a bank, you can usually initiate the application process online, over the phone, or in person. You will be required to provide personal information, including your Social Security number and a valid form of identification. 

Additionally, most banks will require an initial deposit to open the account, the minimum amount of which can vary depending on the institution's policies. After completing these steps, your account will be open, and you can begin enjoying the benefits of a money market account.

What Are the Big Benefits?

One of the primary advantages of a money market account is the higher interest rate it offers, which can significantly increase your savings over time compared to a traditional savings account. 

This makes MMAs particularly appealing for individuals looking to build their emergency funds or save for short-term goals without sacrificing accessibility to their funds. 

Additionally, money market accounts often come with the ability to write checks or use a debit card, providing flexibility and convenience for account holders who may need to access their money with ease. 

Furthermore, MMAs are typically insured up to $250,000 by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), offering a level of security and peace of mind that is valuable for savers.

In conclusion, money market accounts represent a savvy choice for individuals looking to beef up their savings while maintaining ready access to their funds. 

With their higher interest rates, convenience of access through check writing and debit cards, and the security of FDIC or NCUA insurance, MMAs strike a balance between the earning potential of a savings account and the flexibility of a checking account. 

Whether you’re saving for an emergency fund, a major purchase, or just looking to get more from your deposited funds, a high-interest credit union money market could give you an excellent addition to your financial strategy. 

As with any financial decision, it’s important to do your homework and choose an account that aligns with your savings goals and financial situation.

Tips for Growing Your Bank Account

When it comes to personal finance, one of the most important things you can do is grow your savings. After all, having a healthy bank account is key to weathering life's unexpected financial storms. But how exactly do you go about growing your savings? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Create a Budget and Stick to It

One of the best ways to grow your bank account is to create a budget and stick to it. This may seem like an obvious tip, but it's one that far too many people ignore. 

Before you can start putting money away into savings, you must ensure that all of your other financial obligations are taken care of first. Sit down and figure out how much money you need to cover your basic expenses such as rent, food, utilities, etc. 

Once you have that figure, you can start allocating money towards savings. And, if you find extra money left over at the end of the month, don't be afraid to put it into savings as well!

Pay Yourself First

Another great way to grow your bank account is to pay yourself first. This means that before you spend money on anything else, you should transfer a fixed percentage of your income into savings. 

This will help ensure that you always have money for a rainy day. And, over time, you may even find that you're able to increase the percentage of your income that you save each month.

Create Specific Savings Goals

When it comes to saving money, it can be helpful to set specific goals. This will give you something to work towards and help keep you motivated. 

For example, maybe you want to save up enough money for a down payment on a house or a new car. Or perhaps you're aiming to build up your emergency fund so that you have at least six months' worth of living expenses. 

Whatever your goal may be, make sure it's specific and realistic. Then, once you reach it, celebrate your accomplishment! And then, set a new goal and get started on saving for that. Speaking with a wealth management professional may also help you set specific financial goals for your future.

Saving money can seem daunting, but it's definitely doable with careful planning and discipline. By following the tips above, you'll be well on your way toward growing your bank account in no time!

Critical Differences Between a Bank and a Credit Union

Banks and credit unions both offer the same loan and financial products to borrowers and clients, but there are critical differences between each type of institution. If you are trying to decide where to open an account or where you should apply for a loan, understanding these critical differences is an absolute must. While some people will use terms like bank, savings institution and credit union interchangeably, here are the distinct differences all prospective clients should be aware of.

How Your Money is Used by a Bank

From the outside looking in, credit unions and banks are one and the same, but when you scratch the surface and learn about the operations, you will find that the two are extremely different. When you open an account with a bank, the money that is deposited will be used to invest and earn profits for that institution. This is why there are minimum balances for accounts or else you will be charged a fee. 

How Your Money is Used by a Credit Union

With a credit union, which is not a for-profit organization, you become a shareholder when you deposit money into your account. The dollars in the account are actually buying shares, and you are part owner of that company. Credit unions like PenFinancial Credit Union are not corporate entities and you, along with other members, have a say in how the company is run. Because members have an interest in how the company performs, they tend to take more pride in being a customer and a shareholder when doing business with a credit union rather than a bank.

The Presence of Banks vs. Credit Unions

Another thing that sets a credit union apart from a bank is its presence. Typically, banks have a nationwide presence, which creates the need for large advertising and marketing expenditures. Banks are also known to participate in lobbying efforts with the government to fight for new legislation that will help grow their profit margin. Their goal is to be on top, above competition in the industry.

The presence of a credit union is very different. Most of the time, only people with certain employers or in a specific community are able to become members. Because there is exclusivity, the credit union does not need to advertise. They partner with organizations and offer their products in a way that is spread through word of mouth. Being not-for-profit means that any profits are reinvested into the company to offer lower interest rates and better products. 

The Balance Between Customer Care and the Interest of the Institution

Credit unions want you to feel like part of the community. After all, you are part owner and deserve to receive the best customer care. While offering competitive products and services is important, these institutions have made a commitment to take build relationships and exceed their members' expectations.

Banks have to find a good balance between their motives to earn profits and the cost to provide customer care. All activities that the bank has should result in profits, and this can affect your bottom line. Banks are also allowed to use your deposit funds on a multitude of potentially risky investment options designed to increase the profits of their shareholders. These actions show where their loyalties truly lie.

As you can see, there are critical differences in the interests of a bank versus the interests of a credit union. Ultimately, you will need to decide if you want to be a depositor funding the profits of a bank or a shareholder of a credit union providing excellent rates and customer care.

Is It Easy To Escape The Loopholes Of Short Term Financing?

Loans (Photo credit: zingbot)

Short term financing today has emerged as one of the major means by which borrowers can turn to their immediate cash needs. In spite of the high rates of interests borrowers are found turning to it to meet urgent needs like paying off a car repair fee or else a medical bill. The fact that they are provided without lengthy credit checks has acted in their favor. For instance, if a borrower finds himself in a cash strapped situation while he has to pay off a huge hospital bill he would definitely look for availing alternate resources that would provide him with fast cash. 

Traditional loans would take a certain degree of time to be arranged whereas there is no assurance that friends and relatives will always turn helpful in these cases. Short term loans turn out to be very helpful and perhaps the only recourse during these times. Listed below are some of the advantages of payday loans alternately known as the cash advance, or fast cash or same day loans:

They can be secured very fast and involves very simple documentation process- once approved, he can get the money credited to his account within 24-48 hours.

It is very easy to qualify for these loans. The borrower just needs to fulfill the following requirements in order to qualify:

• He should at least be 18 years of age 
• He should have a savings or checking account in his bank 
• He should be able to prove that he has a good source of income so that he can pay off the debt on time.

The borrower gets a chance to rollover the debt in case he defaults

Most of the lenders conduct business online, so it gets easier for borrowers to browse through multiple lenders and zero in on a choice accordingly.

Being Careful Matters

The high rate of interest might discourage you to secure these loans, but a few measures on your end can ensure that you're avoiding all possible loopholes like debt trap and bogus lenders.

Educating yourself duly about short term loans remains crucial. There might be a number of changes brought about in payday legislation that you should be aware of. Know for a fact that there are a number of bogus lenders in the market who have perfectly authentic-looking websites. Providing sensitive details like your bank account number, monthly earning etc would be dangerous. As a result, take care of the fact that you're checking out the reviews of the site you are consulting properly. Additionally, weigh your needs and ability to repay properly before you're trying to get fast cash loans. There is simply no need to apply for them if you think that the need, for which you're considering the loan, is not that urgent. Make sure that you're duly aware of the repayment terms and conditions. Its not really advisable to opt for a rollover as that would lead to further escalation of rates of interest. Please think carefully whether you would be able to pay such high interest or not. 

Financial Loans Even With A Bad Credit History

In this financial world we all are bound with daily expenses. Our job gives us a regular paycheck by which we lead our daily life. But sometimes it becomes difficult to make both ends meet when we require urgent cash in the middle of the month. Urgencies like medical treatment, accidental car repairs, urgent grocery bills and late payment of credit cards do not come planned. 

And thus people fall in a dilemma where they need urgent cash to meet such financial requirements. This leads to borrowing money from various sources such as friends and relatives. But one tries to avoid such financial transactions from relatives. The best option here lies is the source of quick loans available in the market today.

If you have a bad credit history and are worried about getting a loan, you can get a loan easily through no credit check loans available in the market. It helps you to get a loan even if you have a bad credit rating. The eligibility for such a loan is very simple. You just need to be 18 years of age with a regular job and should have an active bank account to show financial transactions. The loan amount borrowed for such loan ranges from £100 to £1,500. The repayment of no credit check loans ranges from 7 to 30 days depending on your next payday. It helps you to make the repayment at your next payday.

No credit check loans can be searched and applied online. You can search for the right lender over the internet and then apply for no credit check loans online by just filling up an online form. Once you submit the online form you receive a verification call for the documents you have submitted. Once they are satisfied the loan is approved and you receive the cash in your given bank account within a day.

No credit check online saves you a lot of money as there is no fees required for processing the loan. The main advantage for such loan is that your credit history is not checked upon for approval of the loan. Also if you have collateral against the loan you can save a lot on the rate of interest. But if you do not have collateral against the loan amount you have to pay higher rate of interest as the lender has to borrow money as his own risk. But always remember to make the repayment on time because if you fail there can be undue circumstances of paying higher interest rates.

Thus if you have a bad credit history and you need cash in the middle of the month, you have the best option to apply for no credit check loans online. It helps a lot to improve your credit rating if you can make the repayment on time and enjoy other financial benefits in future financial market.

Contemplating a 'Free' Checking Account? Four Red Flags to Watch For

Free checking accounts seem to be offered by every bank, but few of them are really free. While many of them come with hidden fees, other supposedly “free” checking accounts come with a lot of restrictions. If you're considering a free checking account, make sure that you answer these questions first.

1. What are the restrictions on the account?

In order to provide you with free checking, a bank has to make its money from somewhere. In most cases, this money comes from the fees they get from direct deposit or the fees they get every time you swipe your debit card. For this reason, most free checking accounts require you to have direct deposit and/or make a certain number of charges on your debit card each month. Make sure you can meet these requirements before opening the account.

2. Are you sure you can keep the minimum balance?

Banks are legally allowed to advertise free checking even if those accounts come with fees if you break one of the rules. The most common rule that customers break is a minimum balance requirement. These requirements set an amount of money that must be kept in the account at all times. If your spending ever forces the balance in the account to drop below this line, you get charged a fee. I some cases, the minimum balance on a free checking account is $15,000 or higher.

3. Do you have to order your own checks?

If you can meet the other requirements but the checks you need have to be purchased separately, one of these accounts might still be an all right deal if you don't use a lot of checks each month. Ordering a basic supply of Disney checks from http://www.checks-superstore.com/ is just a one-time fee, and the cost of ordering checks is often a lot less than paying fees on the account. Of course, if you go through a lot of checks each month, you might want to keep looking for other accounts.

4. Is there a time limit on “free”?

Even if you meet every other requirement, the fine print on many free checking accounts states that you will have to start paying fees once a time limit is up. If this is the case for the account you're considering, then it might make sense to either switch checking accounts frequently or look for a low-cost account that you can use for years.

Direct Debits You'll Need to Update When You Change Bank

I recently opened a new current account when I realised that a different bank could offer me a better interest rate as well as other benefits such as travel insurance. I think a lot of people avoid changing their bank account due to the admin that often comes with it though, such as filling in forms, attending appointments and then considering the actual money side of it too. This includes getting an employer to pay your salary to your new current account, as well as figuring out which direct debits are set up to your old account. Some banks will now help you change all of your direct debits, but if you are required to do this yourself, these are the types of services you might need to update...

Charity donations

Many of us have recurring payments for charities scheduled by direct debit each month. Changing bank account is an ideal opportunity to look at the donations you currently have set up, before analysing whether you want to continue giving the same amount. If you are happy with what you’ve previously set up, you should be able to set up a new direct debit schedule from your new account; remember to cancel the existing agreement.

Mobile phone

If you have a mobile phone contract, this is more than likely set up as a direct debit. It’s important you don’t miss this payment as you may incur charges for having a failed payment attempt. Therefore you should call your mobile phone provider if you will not have a new payment schedule in place on time and they should let you make a manual payment instead. Of course, if you’ve timed the expiration of your contact with the opening of your new bank account, you could look at new mobile phone deals online and simply set up a new agreement with the provider.

Satellite TV

Another service you may have is that of satellite TV such as Sky or Virgin Media. If you depend on these services so you can watch sports channels and more, you’ll want to make sure that you remember to update your payment with your provider. Again, make sure that the original agreement has been cancelled so you do not incur any charges with your old bank. You might even want to consider finding a service that doesn’t charge you monthly, such as a freeview box which just requires a one-off cost.

Energy bills

Many of us pay our energy bills through direct debit agreements, so make sure you check how your own bills are currently paid. Think about electricity, gas, water and even your council tax. If there are going to be any problems with making a payment quickly, it is a good idea to call each of your energy and utility suppliers as you can make alternative arrangements for payment. If you are going to call, you could also give them your latest meter readings to make sure that your payments aren’t too low or too high.