Are Prepaid Cards Finally A Good Idea?

Image via WikipediaLately the emergence of prepaid cards are making a dent in financial circles. When American Express starts to get into the business people take notice. You see these cards more and more at drug stores, supermarkets, and retailers. You usually find them next to the gift card card display racks.

What are prepaid cards?

Prepaid cards are re-loadable cards that can be used anywhere credit or debit cards are accepted. They're popular with people who can't afford a traditional bank account, or who have been turned off by overdraft fees and other costs. They also offer a way for consumers who don't have credit cards to shop online. They come with monthly fees and reloading fees. If you need plastic and don't have a credit card or a bank account, with a debit card, prepaid cards are your only option.

What's the downside?

According to Consumer Reports, there are many fees and charges. They did a study comparing 19 different prepaid cards.

1. Activation Fees

Twelve of the 19 prepaid cards come with activation fees. The worst offender: First Vineyard card and its $39.95 tariff.

2. Monthly Fee

Sixteen of the 19 carry this fee ranging from $2.95 to $9.95. Most of the cards will waive the monthly charge if a direct deposit — think allowance — is set up. But the Green Dot card actually requires you maintain a $1,000 balance or make 30 transactions per month.

3. Balance Inquiry Fee

All 19 prepaid cards charge a fee to withdraw cash. So you shouldn’t confuse this product with a debit card. But 18 of them are really pushing the envelope and taking an additional 45 cents to $1 if you dare to check your balance at an ATM machine.

4. Customer Service

Perhaps the most surprising fee — and the most offensive one — is a charge to speak with a customer service representative. At least two do this and they are BuyRight and Exact card. If they nickel and dime you just for calling, I can’t imagine the companies will be all that helpful if you have a problem.

5. Inactivity Fees

Like gift cards, some of the prepaid cards carry inactivity fees. The Exact card dares to yank nearly $10 off your account every month it sits idle in your wallet.

One thing is for sure, prepaid cards have many fees and gotchas. Make sure you check out all the fees first before you sign up for them. Bankrate.com has a nice comparison chart to help you in your selection.

Men: If You Want To Have A Longer, Healthier Life Have Your Wife Retire

Image by SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget via FlickrAARP has a Health Discovery article that claims men will have a longer and healthier life if their wife retires. Angela Curl, assistant professor of social work at the University of Missouri, did a survey analyzing working couples over many years at the university's Health and Retirement Study. The surprising results revealed men feel their health improves when their wives retire.

"Women tend to monitor their husbands' well-being, making sure they eat right, go to the doctor, get some exercise, socialize," Curl says. The reciprocal of the wives claim of a healthier life did not happen. It seems the wife has a much more natural care giving tendency than men do.

When the wives retire they generally rated their health as worse during the first few years after they left their jobs, but then said it improved as time went on.

I find that this husband/wife ecosystem extends to other facets of life. Women tend to socialize more outside their jobs while men have more friendships integrated to their workplace. Success in life and business tends to be increased when a wife is there to guide and nurture the situation, keeping things on track.

Lower risk from heart disease.

Men can thank their spouses again because the reason married men have a lower risk of death from heart disease may be because their wives encourage them (ok, nag them) to go to the E.R. when they’re having the symptoms of a heart attack.

But again the reciprocal doesn't hold true, married women having chest pain did not get to the hospital sooner than single women.

I see in my own life how the marriage dynamic keeps things on track for me. I am grateful to my wife for the consistent gentle persuasion or nagging that is good for my health and happiness. The odd thing is even if my wife isn't there at the moment, I hear that voice in my head telling me the right thing.

AARP article: Husbands Benefit From Wives' Retirement

10 Reasons To Not Use Credit Cards

Image via WikipediaThere are many reasons to use credit cards and just as many reasons to not use them. Credit cards are just disastrous in some peoples lives. It's true a lot of people use credit cards their whole life and never get into trouble. But when you don't understand the dangers and troubles that can occur from misuse it's better to stick with cash.

I have listed several ways the use of cash is better than using credit cards:

1. You will never be in debt. It's pretty hard to get into credit card debt when you don't have any credit cards. It's hard enough getting out of debt, staying out of debt is much harder with those plastic cards pulling at you.

2. Impulse purchases will disappear. Credit cards make it so easy to make impulse purchases, only limited by your credit line. Within no time you can be in debt and over your head. When you spend cash it hurts. Cash is always in limited supply. When it's gone you know it. There is a physical connection between you and your money. Credit cards are a cheat on the process and a disconnect.

3. Credit card purchases are traceable. If you value your privacy use cash. If you want some computer somewhere to know everything you purchase, use credit cards. It's none of anybody's business what you do, where you go, or what you spend your money on. Credit cards makes it easy to know everything.

4. Budgets are easier to keep. When writing out your budget every month knowing your income less your expenses is simpler. Even if you are not the best at budgets you can never go back to debt if you overspend and are short on some bill. You will know where every dollar went, you will be more organized.

5. You will spend less. When you use credit cards, statistics show you spend on average 19% more than what you would with cash. Credit cards disconnect your brain from making good purchasing decisions. Spending money is sexy with credit cards, it's visceral with cash.

6. Card bonus points are not worth it. You think you are winning when you earn rewards from your credit card purchases. But these reward programs are just a way for the credit card companies to keep you on the hook so someday you will get caught again and go into debt. If you don't play their game you will always win. If you do play, there is a very big chance they will get you.

7. Spending cash links work with spending. Credit cards always break that link with how much you need to work to pay for that purchase. Spending hard cash makes it very real that the computer you just bought for $1,000 means you just had to trade a month of you labor for that item. When spending money is viewed as trading your days time and work for a hunk of metal or plastic you look at purchase in a new way.

8. Debit cards work instead of credit cards. There will be a time where you will need plastic to make a purchase and that's your excuse for keeping a credit card. Using a debit card from your checking account works exactly the same way. I have reserved automobile rentals and hotel rooms without any hassle using my debit card. I then pay my bill in cash or with a check.

9. No wasteful fees to pay. I never have to worry about late fees, lost payments, finance charges, messed up accounting, or interest rates. Also I never get a bill from a credit card company.

10. It's a freeing experience to not be beholding to the bankers. With all we have gone through with the financial institutions these past few years there is a bad taste in my mouth with these companies. Not using their product is just my way to voice my disgust for their actions.

I like to use cash, I prefer it to credit cards. It's a shame how the use of credit cards and their abuse is now the norm in our society and using cash is the rarity.

Social Security Encourages You To Boldly Go To Their Website

Social Security has been running PSA ads touting the ease of using their online services. Recently they have been using actors Patty Duke and George Takei to make cute videos about how easy the Social Security website is to use.

It was three years ago when, Kathy Casey-Kirschling, the first baby boomer applied for Social Security. The preparation began for the increase of applicants many years before when the Social Security Administration streamlined there application process online. Today you can go online and apply for retirement benefits, disability benefits, Medicare, and extra help with your Medicare prescription drug costs.

Other things you can do online is get a personalized estimate of your future Social Security retirement benefits. Here you enter your name, social security number, and date of birth. You will see your benefits for full retirement at age 66 1/2, how much it will be at age 70, and if you apply at age 62. Start here for the retirement estimator.

If your ready to retire soon you can complete and submit your retirement application in as little as 15 minutes at the Online Retirement Application here.

If you need to apply for disability benefits, it's east to start your application here.

If you need to apply for Medicare, the application process begins here.

Your benefit amount can be affected by a number of different factors. If you already have a benefit estimate, you can use the charts and calculators listed on this page to find out how different retirement dates and situations affect your Social Security benefits. If you:

• are currently working and are eligible for retirement or survivors benefits this year, you can learn how your earnings may affect your benefit payments with our Earnings Limit Calculator.
• start benefits early, the amount may be reduced based on how long you will receive benefits before your full retirement age. If you want to find out how much retiring early reduces your monthly benefit as a wage earner or spouse, use our Retirement Age Calculator.
• will start receiving benefits after your full retirement age, your benefit may be higher due to delayed retirement credits.
• are trying to decide whether to retire early and take a reduced benefit,wait until full retirement age or delay benefits until age 70 we can help you decide if the higher benefit is worth the wait.
• know the amount of your full retirement benefit, you can
• compute the effect of early or delayed retirement on your benefit amount and
• include Medicare Part B Premiums in your calculations.will receive a pension from a  federal, state or local government job in which you did not pay Social Security taxes, it may reduce the amount of your Social Security benefit. 
• Find out what having a government pension will do to your Social Security benefit if it is based on: Your work, Your spouse's work.

Are You Afraid To Use Online banks?

Image via Wikipedia
With ever changing technology, we always seem to be playing catchup. Technology is progressing faster than the time it takes for us to adapt. Most technology in our lives is just enhancements of existing products. For example, cars today are technological marvels with their computer controlled engines, satellite radio, air bag technology and many other enhancements. But basically it still the same machine it was 50 years ago. It has a steering wheel, pedals, and four tires.

Other things like TVs, radio's, home appliances are all basically old inventions with enhancements and upgrades. One of the things that is completely new in the last 50 years are computers. The world has never seen a technology like this before. An even newer technology coming from computers is the Internet. The Internet has made our shopping, learning, and daily life quicker, faster, and easier. It is still relatively new and will take time to be integrated into our lives.

Many things that we used to do at the corner store we can now do on the Internet in a more efficient way. Every year more and more shopping is done on the Internet. Many of us have our old checking accounts that are able to be accessed and used to check balances online. But we know, if we ever want to, we can still drive down to the old brick and mortar bank and talk to a real person. This lifeline to the old and familiar make us feel more secure to use online banks and all their services.

Article: Why Use An Online Bank Instead Of A Brick and Mortar Bank?

What if there was a bank that was online just like the one you are using presently. But there was no physical bank to go to. Would it make you apprehensive? A lot of people don't like the idea of their checking account and savings account being exclusively on the Internet or as they say "In the cloud".

What are peoples number one worry about Internet banking? They want to be able to go to a physical building to see where their money is. If you do go down to your local bank and think your money is there you will be very disappointed. The bank teller won't be showing you your money. The best and only thing they will do is print up a piece of paper with your account balance on it. Banking online is the same thing. Only you can do it from the comfort of your home.

If you have a lot of money you are probably investing through a brokerage account. When you invest in mutual funds, bonds, and stocks where is your money. The only way you are able to see where that money is, is if you look at the balance on your online brokerage account. It's the same as your online checking account.

You are trusting that your money is in your brokerage account, why not take the step to trust the online bank.

Today there is an online bank that wants your business and is willing to give you rewards to have your business. Take the money from under the mattress and open an account at the best bank on the net. Try PerkStreet Financial.

Here's what you get with PerkStreet Financial:

• 2% cash back on non-PIN debit card purchases, with 5% PowerPerks categories
• Free, complete online banking
• No monthly fees for active account holders
• Free online bill pay
• Free, automated electronic transfers between bank accounts
• Free book of paper checks
• Mobile alerts for balances and deposits
• Access to 37,000 ATMs - the nation's largest network
• 24/7, fast phone and e-mail service

You don't have to close your account at the old brick and mortar bank, use them for transferring funds in and out of PerkStreet Financial. Sign up and link your PerkStreet account to any other bank account for free, transfer money when you need it, it's always free. You will get free checking, access to 37,000 ATMs nationwide, free online banking and billpay. All FDIC insured and your debit card transactions are protected and backed up by MasterCard.


Open an Account today at PerkStreet Financial Here.

What Happens To My First Mortgage If I Don't Pay My Second Mortgage?

Image by Katy Levinson via FlickrToday many people are carrying both a first and second mortgage on their home. They started with a first mortgage when the home was purchased and later added a second mortgage to do a home remodel or a debt consolidation. Now through a reduction in income or a job loss, they are no longer able to make the payment on the second mortgage. They do earn enough to make the primary mortgage but paying the second mortgage is impossible. What will the second mortgage holder do and how will it effect the first mortgage?

All mortgages are foreclosable. But the question is will they foreclose. When the mortgage company writes a mortgage, they put a lien on the home. Liens on a home when there are two mortgages are applied in order. If the second mortgage holder attempts to foreclose, the primary mortgage holder gets first crack at the house in trying to recover it's money. They must be satisfied first. If any money is left over, the second mortgage holder gets any money that is left. In most cases there is no money left and they are left with nothing.

The second mortgage company knows they may get nothing if they foreclose. Even though you are paying the first mortgage faithfully, the first mortgage holder may begin the foreclosure process if they learn the second mortgage wants to foreclose. In most mortgage documents this stipulation appears.

The result is foreclosure will occur if you stop paying either mortgage note. But the second mortgage holder doesn't necessarily have to foreclose. Their alternative is to sue the homeowners. It's bad for the homeowner because the mortgage company will easily win the suit. They will get a judgment and either get a judge to take your assets or garnish your wages. This kind of judgment is open ended and they will persist trying to collect for many years to come.

In todays mortgage environment, many people are having problems with making their mortgage payments. There is a silver lining to this problem and it is that mortgage holders are more inclined to help out people who are having trouble paying. It's a lose-lose situation for all parties involved, the mortgage company and the mortgage payers. The way out of this is all parties working together to make the payment more affordable, so there is no foreclosure. Start to contact both mortgae holders and try to get the loans modified. It's better if the two loans are with the same company but even if they are not it is possible to still make it happen. It takes a lot of persistence and patience.