Moneywise on July 3rd, 2008
OnBank is currently offering a fantastic deal on its certificate of deposit or CD accounts. The 60-month CD is available at 5.15%. Obviously, OnBank is expecting a pretty good increase in interest rates over the next 5 years. In any event, this is one of the better CD deals out there. Generally, I groan at the thought of putting money into CDs, but given the stock market tumult, uncertainty in the municipal bond market, and general economic woes, this may not be a bad option for someone who wants to stow away some money securely. The bank also offers 3.5% on Money Market savings accounts.
Moneywise on June 23rd, 2008
Among banks in the western part of the United States, Bank of the West has the highest customer satisfaction, according to a survey by JD Power and Associates. The survey went to nearly 20,000 retail banking customers to discern what retail bank out west offered the best customer experience. “A highest ranking from J.D. Power and Associates is a wonderful tribute to the great people at the Bank of the West and their outstanding commitment to customer service. We have a long tradition of emphasizing service and our bankers believe that Bank of the West customers deserve to have the greatest retail banking customer service in the West,” said Michael Shepherd, President and CEO of Bank of the West. Bank of the West earned a score of 772 to best its regional competitors.
The highest score in the study went to Wachovia in the Southwest United States. BancorpSouth Bank ranks highest with a score of 782 in the Southeast and Commerce Bank won the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic Regions with scores of 750 and 781 respectively.
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Moneywise on June 23rd, 2008
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is the largest consumer bank in the country and it’s trying to further its mark on the home mortgage business, despite the recent tumult. It is doing so by offering unprecedent deals from a lender of its size and quality. Bank of America is currently offering no closing fees, no application fee, no private mortgage insurance fee. Their site is easy to use and allows for prequalification in 10 minutes or less. Their site does a great job outlining the closing costs that you can save by completing your loan with Bank of America, saving you up to $6,000.00. Best of all, the company is offering a “Best Value” guarantee whereby if you choose to go with another lended, they will send you a check for $250, which should cover the time you spent applying with Bank of America, and then some.
