When reviewing the best prepaid debit card offers we wanted to focus on two things: options and cost.  After much review we determined that the best card on the market is the Upside Prepaid Debit Card.  The most appealing thing to us is their low monthly fee – only $0.99 if you deposit $500 or more in your initial deposit.  In addition, there is no activation fee.  Furthermore, the card gives you all of the services that a checking account would: bill paying, online account information, debit card, direct deposit, and even a rewards program.  The one hesitation with all of these cards is the ATM fee.  The Upside, however, only charges $1.70 for ATM usage, but with all of the other services there isn’t much need for cash!

Many of the people reading this blog are personal finance junkies or want to learn more about personal finance.  To that end, I decided to put together my list of the best personal finance books.  Some are related to banking, some not at all.  The most important thing is that I think these books do a good job making you a more informed financial decision-maker.  Enjoy!.

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

The Money Class: Learn to Create Your New American Dream

Unfair Advantage: The Power of Financial Education

The Investment Answer

That’s it!  I tried to add some newer titles because I think it is important given the speed at which financials change these days.  Hope you enjoy my list of personal finance books as much as I did reading them!

It’s hard to imagine making much of anything on your money in two years.  Rates are so low that savings is definitely not encouraged.  In fact, the best rate that we could find for a 25-month CD was from Platinum Bank and stood at a mere 1.6%.  Now, don’t get me wrong, that is an unbelievable rate for a CD right now.  There are a few catches, however.  The most significant is that you basically need to be in Florida to take advantage.  The only way to put your money in one of these CDs is to walk into a Platinum branch.  These branches are located in the Tampa Bay area.

Great story about a small world class bank in Florida.

As part of our best banks in the South series, we take a look at Atlanta, GA.  Ironically in Atlanta there is a bank called Best Bank.  Unfortunately for them, however, we do not think that this is close to the best bank in the area.  If you are looking for a larger, national bank that still provides good local community service in the Atlanta area, your best option is SunTrust.  This bank serves the community well and continues to provide affordable, fair services to the citizens of Georgia.

If you are looking for a smaller bank, look no further than Delta Community Credit Union.  This small bank provides world class customer service and financial services akin to any major national bank.