Watch for new bank fees, and safeguard your accounts and cash Published: Mon, Dec 19, 2011 It's the holiday shopping season, a time when banks and pickpockets hope you're concentrating more on spending than on safeguarding your money. Bank fees are on the rise again, especially since consumers won the protest against monthly charges for access to their own money in the form of debit-card fees. Now, banks... Read More

Culling the crop of credit cards Updated: Tue, Nov 29, 2011 DEAR BRUCE: With all the credit-card information out there, I've been reading as much of the fine print as I can stand, so I decided it would be easier to use your knowledge. As I'm sure a lot of people have done over the years, my husband and I have acquired so many credit cards that we never use, and there have... Read More

Fees, tight credit a direct response to fed policy on banking industry Published: Mon, Oct 24, 2011 Yes, it's outrageous that Bank of America is going to charge me $5 a month if I use a debit card to spend my own money! And it's not alone. Wells Fargo announced last month that it will test a $3 monthly fee for debit card users in five states, and Chase is testing a monthly fee for debit card usage in northern... Read More

New credit card regulation offering hits and misses Updated: Tue, Feb 22, 2011 Fewer interest rate hikes and less in late fees are among the benefits to credit card customers, a year after new regulations curbed a spate of questionable billing practices. Federal officials say over-the-limit penalty charges also have been dramatically curtailed. The findings were released by the newly created... Read More

Don't Toss the Expired Sunscreen Updated: Wed, Nov 3, 2010 Dear Mary: I have four bottles of sunscreen that have expired. I know that they have lost their full effectiveness as sunscreen, but is there another use? I hate to throw them out. -- Dorothy G., Florida Dear Dorothy: Great question! And good for you for realizing that sunscreen does expire (a good reason for... Read More

The perils of credit cards Updated: Wed, Oct 20, 2010 With the protections of the Credit Card Act of 2009 in full effect, a nationally representative Consumer Reports survey shows a slightly lower level of dissatisfaction among Americans with their credit cards than last year. However, credit cards remain one of the lowest-rated services CR has ever analyzed; only 45... Read More

Annual Fees the Latest in Credit Card Surprises Published: Thu, Sep 9, 2010 My son has been saving to buy a house. He got a credit card through our bank to build a credit history. Now he's received a letter saying the bank is going to start charging an annual fee. He feels he's stuck because canceling the card would look bad for his credit history. What are his options? Read More

How Bank Accounts of the Future Will Cost You Updated: Tue, Jun 29, 2010 Once upon a time, the banks wanted your business so badly they actually gave you a free toaster as an incentive to make a deposit. That's a time few remember -- a tale told by elders to amuse the younger generation. It's one thing to stop giving incentives; it's quite another to start charging you for the privilege... Read More

Get back at your creditors Updated: Thu, Jun 24, 2010 Late fees, punitive interest rates, over-limit fees, loading up your credit report with negative information -- it's enough to make you scream! It's not that your creditors are doing anything illegal. You just didn't understand the power you gave them when you accepted those cards. It was buried in the fine print.... Read More

Closing credit accounts safely Published: Tue, Mar 2, 2010 Q: I've had my credit card for many years and always paid on time. Now they've notified me that they'll start charging an annual fee. I'm angry — but afraid to cancel the card because it will hurt my credit score. What should I do? A: Your concern is understandable, since it seems the credit card companies have... Read More

Avoid those hidden fees in your bills Published: Thu, Jan 21, 2010 Unexpected fees hidden in bills are the biggest everyday annoyance for Americans, according to a recent survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. These fees are often small, but they're cropping up in more places. You can't do much about some fees, like the special taxes on products and... Read More

How to use a financial adviser Published: Fri, Apr 25, 2008 The life of a financial adviser — it isn’t just numbers and money. “It’s amazing the things we get into,” said Jeff Ashford, a certified financial planner in Oklahoma City. Matchmaking, for instance. Ashford had been working with an unmarried couple, each of whom had their own children, assets and... Read More

How to use a financial adviser Published: Sun, Apr 27, 2008 The life of a financial adviser — it isn’t just numbers and money. “It’s amazing the things we get into,” said Jeff Ashford, a certified financial planner in Oklahoma City. Read More