Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Are You Losing Interest In Your Bank?

I got a rude awakening to the adult world a few weeks ago. I checked the interest rate on our savings account. 0.3%, zero point three percent! "How can that be? Just yesterday it was 3.5%".
Well, my bank, who shall remain nameless, (OK, their initials refer to a snake) had slowly been lowering the interest rate. See Boiling Frog story. I went to talk to my local branch bank about getting into CDs to raise my interest rate or moving the money to Schwab. The bank guy said, "Hmmm.... let me see. I could put you in an affinity group and raise your rates to 4.7%. Would that be OK?".
I've lost lots of interest money just by not paying attention in the first place and not asking in the second.
Check you interest rates. If you aren't getting 4.5% go to Immigrants Direct or Electric Orange, or ask to join an affinity group at your bank.

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