Many were caught off guard when the first wave of a deep recession hit and the interest rates in loans and mortgages skyrocketed. Most people and a lot of businesses relied heavily on credit. As Wall Street failed the people yet again, many businesses failed and folded and hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs.

Economic depressions always have a domino effect. Because most people did not have backup savings, many were not able to keep up with the high interest rates and hundreds of thousands of families lost their homes and found themselves literally on the streets.

Although the government and the financial sector try and stimulate the economy by giving loans and come up with decent bank rates, the rates are in no way decent and the financial devices are still a far cry from what they used to be.

Because people feel they are left on their own for their economic survival, many are now adopting a change in their lifestyle and starting to become frugal in their spending.

This is becoming evident in the growth of their savings whether it is in interest bearing savings or checking accounts, certificates of deposit, or money markets. More and more people are always on the lookout for the best deals and the best rates offered by various financial institutions.

Although the priorities may differ for different people, more people are finding it necessary to save money. With layoff news flooding in, the need of the hour for many is to balance their savings and spending against their earnings.

People are much more aware now that they need to save as a contingency for emergency expenditures, strategic investment and savings for old age, education, a home or home repairs, bills to pay, big purchases, and others.

As savings accounts are growing as people adjust savings habits, it is now estimated that only 65% of Americans now have a savings account.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Using Credit Card Rewards to Purchase Airline Tickets on this website, and How to Select a CD Term on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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These cards let you save money in three different ways. First with an airline credit card you accumulate points redeemable for free flights on 250 major airlines. Second with a frequent flyer credit card you earn miles that go into your frequent flyer account. Third with a travel rewards card you can earn points either towards free air travel or towards other benefits such as hotel stays, cruises, car rentals, and much more.

Using your credit card in purchasing an airline ticket in not only the easiest way to reserve your seat on a plane but can also make flying for free possible. Many airlines offer credit cards that award miles on their airlines every time you make a purchase. Even credit cards that are not affiliated with a particular airline offer similar miles-based rewards that can be used to purchase a ticket from any airline.

Most companies allow you to earn 1 mile for every dollar you spend using an airline reward credit card. When you have accumulated a specific amount of miles, you can trade those miles in toward a ticket purchase.

Many airline rewards credit cards give special bonus offers when you apply, along with good bank rates. Some will give you between 5000 and 10,000 bonus miles the first time you use your new card, putting you well on your way to a free ticket after having used the card one time.

Some experts say that for people who do not really fly that often, using airline miles is a wrong way to use rewards programs. You will need to spend tens of thousands of dollars for purchases on your airline rewards credit card before you earn enough miles to do anything worthwhile with them.

If your job requires you to fly a lot, getting an airline rewards credit card and using credit card rewards to purchase airline tickets makes a lot of sense and will yield a lot of benefits for you.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Identity Theft Insurance Providers on this website, and Sovereign Bank 2% 6 Month CD Rates on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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Foreclosure is devastating not just because of the loss of your house, but also because of the damage to your credit. AS such, just like you would after a bankruptcy, you need to rebuild your credit after foreclosure. In fact, in many ways, foreclosure is very similar to bankruptcy as both stay on your credit report for up to 10 years and drag your FICO score down during this time period.

How to Rebuild Credit
The only real way to rebuild credit is with time. If you already have a credit card or other types of debts, you are well on your way towards rebuilding credit. The key is simply to pay each and every one of your debts on time every time. Over time, these creditors will report your on time payments, boosting the payment history section of your credit report. The payment history section accounts for 35 percent of your score, so this component is essential to rebuilding credit. If you use a cash back credit card or gas credit card, never ever carry a balance – the amount you end up paying in interest will essentially nullify any rewards that you earn.

Paying down debts can also dramatically raise your credit score, as your debt-to-credit utilization (or the amount of available credit you have actually used) makes up 30 percent of your score. It is likely you probably racked up significant debt in the months leading up to your foreclosure while you tried to make your house payments. Be aggressive about paying this down and get your balances to 30 percent or less of your available credit.

Secured Cards
If you do not have a credit card or other debts, you need to get one. With the foreclosure on your record, a secured credit card may be your only option. This is a card wherein you put down collateral in the form of a cash deposit. Your credit line is usually equal to the amount of cash that you used to guarantee the card.
Secured credit cards charge fees and have a high interest rate, so don’t carry a balance- instead, make sure the card holder reports to the three major credit bureaus and begin making small purchases that you pay off in full each month. Slowly, this will allow you to build up a record of on time payments.

Other Bills
It is also essential to pay any and all other bills on time. Paying your rent is crucial, but also think of utility bills, cell phone bills and other such related items. It may be hard for you to find a landlord who is willing to rent to you with the foreclosure on your record, and you may also have to put down larger deposits with utility companies. As such, building up a cash cushion to pre-pay rent and put down those deposits is important when you know you will be foreclosed on.

How Long Will it Take to Rebuild Your Credit?
Rebuilding credit is a slow process and there is no magic trick to getting things back on track. The more aggressively you pay down your debt and the more reliable you are with making payments on time, the faster your credit will begin to improve.

If you want to buy a new home, you may also wish to consider programs such as FHA or VA backed loans if you are eligible. Under FHA guidelines and rules, as long as your most recent foreclosure or bankruptcy is at least two years old, you may be eligible to qualify for a new mortgage. The interest rates for an FHA loan after foreclosure may be significantly less than going through a private lender. A larger down payment will help here as well, as it can make you a better bet as a borrower if you put down more cash.

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With some identity theft policies, you get compensated for lost time and money caused by identity theft, including lost wages (often capped at $2000). Also included are the costs for notarizing fraud affidavits or other documents, cost for certified mail, loan re-application fees due to incorrect credit information.

Plus there are preapproved attorney fees, and long distance telephone calls to resolve, report, or discuss the fraud.

 A few insurance providers offer compensation for any money stolen from you but make sure you read the fine print when it comes to this part.

Moreover, a lawyer is usually not required to resolve an identity theft case. The main requirement is your time in dealing with creditors to provide documentation and work out the issues. Even as some plans claim to cover the costs associated with resolving an identity theft case, the burden of dealing with creditors will still fall on you because most creditors will not deal with anybody else.

Most consumer experts say that people do not need identity theft insurance since it does not reimburse you for all the money that is stolen from you. If the identity theft is committed by someone you know, the insurance often does not pay or reimburse the funds that are lost.

Check your homeowner’s insurance policy. Sometimes the policy already covers you for identity theft protection. You may also be able to get ID theft protection for free. American Express, for example, makes its identity theft assistance available to all cardholders for free. They give you round-the-clock telephone access to company representatives who will help you determine if your identity has been stolen, navigate the recovery process, and protect yourself in the future.

Although there are no bank rates involved in this, coverage from identity theft insurance providers typically costs from $20 to $100 a year as a rider to a basic homeowner’s policy or as a stand-alone purchase.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Citibank ThankYou Rewards on this website, and Sallie Mae CD Rates – Best 3 Year CD Rates on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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To become eligible to earn points with a debit card you must first become a customer with an eligible checking account with Citibank and then also enroll in the ThankYou Rewards program. To earn points you must use your debt card when you make purchases.

The points you earn can be linked with your Citibank credit card so the accumulation of points occurs faster. Some of the participating merchants only allow for points to occur when a Citibank credit card is used. There is a list of merchandise available from Citibank to see just which ones allow for points with each purchase.

For a purchase to qualify the PIN number cannot be used to make the payment. The payment process must be designated as a credit purchase no matter which kind of card is used.  

Once you have accumulated enough points for a purchase (Your Wish Fulfilled request must have 10,000 points for it to be accepted), you may take your pick of the items available to you thru the over 400 participating merchants.

Item that can be redeemed  with the ThankYou points are books, music, DVD’s, cash, electronics, computers, gift cards, jewelry, home& garden supplies, sporting & outdoor apparel, tools & automotive supplies, toys, travel and vacation packages and so much more.

When you use the online services from CitiBank you can also see the current Bank Rates that are available to you.

This is what awaits any eligible card holder in the Citibank ThankYou Rewards program.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Top Florida Banks on this website, and Ally Bank Rate Review on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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BankUnited is a savings and loan association with an address in Miami Lakes. It was founded in 1984 and specialized in non-resident alien mortgages for foreigners wanting to buy Florida real estate. The FDIC transferred control of BankUnited in May 2009 to a private equity group lead by former North Bank president John Kanas.

The new BankUnited assumed $12.7 billion in assets and $8.3 billion in non-brokered deposits. The new holding company is owned by W.L. Ross, Blackstone Group, the Carlyle Group, Centerbridge Partners, LeFrak Organization, Inc., the Welcome Trust, Greenaap Investments Ltd., and East Rock Endowment Fund.

BankAtlantic is a subsidiary of BankAtlantic Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:BBX). Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, BankAtlantic provides consumer and business banking services to communities throughout the state of Florida. Founded in 1952, it currently has 100 branch locations in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Martin, and St. Lucie counties, as well as around the Tampa Bay area.

As of March 2009, Bank Atlantic had assets of $5.5 billion. The bank’s offerings include a range of personal, business, and commercial banking products and services.

Ocean Bank is the largest independent state-chartered commercial bank headquartered in Florida. With $3.9 billion in assets and 738 employees, it is one of the five largest banks in Miami-Dade County, where Ocean Bank has most of its 21 branches.

Founded in 1982, Ocean Bank is aggressively positioned in the domestic and international private banking industry and in commercial and industrial loans. The bank offers its customers financial products that include 24-hour banking services, Ocean Plus Home Banking from home or office, commercial and personal loans, factoring, cash management, and merchant card services.    

Please visit these banks’ respective websites for their current bank rates. Other banks considered to be one of the top Florida banks are Commercebank and Northern Trust.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Top Oklahoma Banks on this website, and West Virginia CD Rates on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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Derived from the Choctaw words “okla” and “humma” which means “red people”, Oklahoma ranks among the top states in per capita income growth and gross domestic product growth.

Clients of Bank of Oklahoma have access to a team of experts committed to world-class service. Its mother company, BOK Financial Corporation (BOKF), is a $24 billion regional financial services based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company’s stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the Global Select market listings (symbol: BOKF). BOKF has full-service banks located in eight states, and the Bank of Oklahoma affiliate operates an electronic funds transfer network that spans 14 states.

They currently have an interest rate of 0.10% with an APY of 0.10% on their personal savings; 0.05% interest rate with an APY of 0.05% on their checking accounts; and carry a 1.44% interest rate with an APY of 1.45% for their 5 year CD. These rates were posted August 25, 2010, and are still current and effective August 27, 2010.

The Stillwater National Bank and Trust Company (SNB) is a subsidiary of Southwest Bancorp, Inc. Founded in 1894, SNB is headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma and currently has assets of $2.7 billion with offices in Oklahoma and Texas. SNB offers commercial and consumer lending, deposit, investment services, specialized cash management, and other financial services.

They currently have a 0.25% APY on their personal savings; an APY of 0.10% on their checking accounts; and carry an APY of 2.00% for their tiered 5 year CD. These bank rates were posted August 19, 2010 and are still current and effective August 27, 2010.

Other top Oklahoma banks in this category are MidFirst Bank, BankFirst, and the First United Bank.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Citibank Balance Transfer Credit Card on this website, and Virginia CD Rates on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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The Citi Platinum Select MasterCard has 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months and 0% Intro APR on purchases for 12 months. After that, the APR will be 11.99%-19.99% based upon your creditworthiness. You get to enjoy extra cash from Citi from the discounts you receive on gift cards, travel, merchandise, and more. There is no annual fee and there is $0 liability on unauthorized purchases.

The Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard has no annual fee and offers 0% Intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months. After that, the APR will be 12.99%-20.99% based on creditworthiness. You can also earn 5% cash back at restaurants and on car rentals and hotels from 7/1/2010 to 9/20/2010 but requires a quarterly enrollment. There is a full 1% cash back on eligible purchases and cash advances and extra can be earned on popular, rotating categories each quarter. There is also an average of 5% additional cash back through Citi Bonus Cash Center.

The Citi Diamond Preferred Rewards Card has no annual fee and offers 0% Intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months. After that, the APR will be 12.99%-20.99% based on creditworthiness. Earn 6,000 bonus ThankYou points when you spend $300 within the first 3 months, redeemable for a $50 Gift Card at select national merchants.  You get to earn 5 ThankYou points for every dollar you spend at supermarkets, drug stores, and gas stations for 12 months and 1 ThankYou point thereafter. Redeem points for merchandise, travel rewards, gift cards, cash, and more.

For all Citi credit cards, the APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.

Visit the CitiBank website for more information on its bank rates as well as a complete listing of the Citibank Balance Transfer Credit Card.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Top Texas Banks on this website, and Ameriprise CD Rates on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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The following Texas banks are listed according to their asset size. The first is Comerica Bank based out of Dallas. They have assets of $56 million and are a state member bank. The second is Wells Fargo Bank South Central based out of Houston. They have assets of $37 million and are a national bank.

The Frost National Bank from San Antonio has $16 million in assets and is a national bank.  Amegy Bank National Association is from Houston. They have $11 million in assets and are a national bank.

Prosperity Bank is from El Campo and has $9 million in assets. This is the top non-member state bank on the list. The International Bank of Commerce is from Laredo. They have $8 million in assets and are also a non-member state bank.

The Texas Capital Bank, National Association hails from Dallas. They have assets of $5 million and are a national bank. The Bank of Texas is also from Dallas. They have %5 million in assets and are a national bank.

Sterling Bank is from Houston. They have $5 million in assets and are a non-state member bank. Plains Capital Bank from Lubbock has $4 million in assets and is a State member bank.

What is true about the Top Texas Banks is that many of the national banks wish to do business with them. This is one area of the nation that is coming out of the recession very well. Their Bank Rates are competitive and none on this list are close to being liquidated.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Washington CD Rates on this website and American Express CD on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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One of the Bank Rates that were found is form Regal Financial Bank. The following rates are for deposits between $1,000 and $99,999.99. The 3 month CD has an APY of 1.00%. The 6 month CD has an APY of 1.15%. The 9 month CD has an APY of 1.20%. The 12 month CD has an APY of 1.35%. The 24 month CD has an APY of 1.75%. These rates were posted on August 16, 2010 and were still current as of August 23, 2010.

The following rates are from Anchor Bank. Each CD discussed requires a minimum deposit of $500. The 6 month CD has an APY of 0.95%. The 9 month has an APY of 1.00%. The 13 month CD has an APY of 1.30%. The 18 month has an APY of 1.40%. The 30 month CD has an APY of 1.95% and the 48 month has an APY of 2.30%. These rates were posted on August 17, 2010 and were still current as of August 23, 2010.

From Pacific International Bank are some respectable rates. They each have a minimum deposit of $1,000. The 6 month CD has an APY of 1.00%. The 9 month CD has an APY of 1.25%. The 12 month CD has an APY of 1.50%. The 24 month CD has an APY of 1.90%. The 36 month CD has an APY of 2.05%. These rates were posted on August 23, 2010.

These were the best Washington CD Rates that were verifiable online.

For additional resources involving financial help, please view Bank of America Online banking on this website and Certificate of Deposit Rates Keep Falling on our sister site.

We strive to bring you the latest and most accurate data possible from the home sites of the financial institutions we name.  Always remember, the bigger the risk, the larger the reward or loss. Invest with caution.

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