Banks make money by charging fees on products or services it provides customers. Fees can add up and become rather costly if you do not know how much you are assessed, the charges you can be assessed for, and what the differences between the two main categories of fees are. Before you choose to open a new checking account for the first time, it helps to know the difference between the fees one bank charges up front and the compounded fees another bank charges that may surprise you. [Read More]

If you've recently suffered a death in your extended family, you may be witnessing firsthand the potential consequences of failing to adequately plan for one's heirs. If someone dies unexpectedly, without a will, surviving family members may scramble to uncover bank accounts and other potential assets without many clues as to these assets' whereabouts. However, in an age where large-scale security breaches and identity theft happen on seemingly a daily basis, you may be reluctant to leave a list of all your assets and financial accounts without taking precautions against this information falling into the wrong hands. [Read More]

You may not get your credit report in the mail each month, so you may not think about it frequently, but it is important that you keep an eye on it. If your credit report has bad marks on it, it will affect your chances of securing a loan or even getting a credit card. In fact, if you plan on renting an apartment or home in the near future, a bad credit history could impact the decision making. [Read More]

If you have recently inherited jewelry from a relative and know that you will never wear it, consider selling it to get some fast cash for your expenses. The process to sell your gold is not overly difficult. The following guide walks you through a few things about selling the jewelry that you may not already know. No Proof of Inheritance Is Needed Many people think that they need to be able to prove from where the jewelry came, but that is not the case at all. [Read More]