No, your funds at a fintech are not 100% safe just because the fintech partners with an FDIC-insured bank

Fintech, neobank, challenger bank, financial technology company. These are all terms that you may have heard or read in reference to a company that offers banking services, but is not legally classified as a bank. More importantly, these fintechs (which we’ll refer to the collective as) are usually not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC’s deposit insurance program safeguards up to $250,000 of your funds in the event that your bank fails. Not surprisingly, some consumers are nervous and apprehensive about keeping funds on deposit with companies that aren’t insured by the …

Why you should consider switching financial institutions at least once a year

This article has been in draft form for some time. With the Wells Fargo missing direct deposits fiasco, it seems like the perfect time to finally complete it and publish it. This will be a brief overview detailing the reasons that you should re-evaluate your banking relationship/s at least once a year. Accompanied are tips on selecting the financial institution that’s right for you. Credit unions versus banks Let’s first make the distinction between banks and credit unions. Both credit unions and banks offer the same core banking services, like checking and savings accounts, Certificate of Deposits …

Wells Fargo missing direct deposit issue resolved

Wells Fargo has restored customers’ access to their direct deposits that went missing. The issue for some customers started on Friday morning when their direct deposits disappeared. In my case, a direct deposit that was pending on Thursday had disappeared on Friday. The direct deposit was listed in my transaction ledger again on Friday. But, that was only momentarily. The direct deposit reappeared again that day and was still in my account on Saturday afternoon. But, by then, Wells Fargo was displaying a new message in the customer portal, which led me to believe that some …

Enzo announces the termination of its cashback program

Enzo announced on March 10, 2023 that it has ended its cashback program as of March 10, 2023. Users are instructed to visit help.joinenzo.com for more information. One day after the announcement, Enzo has still not documented the details of the end of its cashback program on the page that it directed users to. The cashback program is still advertised throughout Enzo’s site. However, an email sent to customers confirms the end of the Enzo cashback program. “We have some sad news to share. Unfortunately, we’re terminating our cashback rewards. Cashback …

Why Wells Fargo might promptly close your new account

So, Wells Fargo will open accounts for you without your permission or knowledge, but they’ll close accounts that you voluntarily open. Obligatory Wells Fargo scandal joke out of the way. When applying for an account with Wells Fargo, you’ll want to ensure that your address that the credit bureaus and other reporting agencies have listed for you matches the address that you provide on your Wells Fargo application. Experian is usually the credit bureau that Wells Fargo pulls, but they have been known to use data from other bureaus and sources. So, you’ll want to ensure that …

Wells Fargo confirms customers are missing deposits due to a glitch

As of 9:15 p.m. Eastern Time, this issue has been resolved, as detailed in an update to this post. Wells Fargo has confirmed that a large number of customers are reporting missing direct deposits. In my case, I had a pending direct deposit that I promptly withdrew yesterday after I noticed that it hit my account. I was left with a $1 balance. However, when I logged into my account this morning, my balance was -$999.00. At that point, I called Wells Fargo, and even their automated system indicated that my available balance was $1, which …

Frontwave Credit Union offering an 11-month CD with a 6% APY for a limited time

Frontwave Credit Union offering an 11-month CD with a 6% APY for a limited time. You must be an active Frontwave Credit Union member, or become one, to qualify for the rate. Membership is restricted to people who live, work, or worship in the counties of San Diego Riverside, or San Bernardino. You can also join Frontwave Credit Union if you’re an immediate family member of a current Frontwave Credit …

New ACCTVERIFY label used in account verification process

If you see the description “ACCTVERIFY” on a deposit or withdrawal in your account, this means that the party that initiated the transaction is attempting to verify that you are the account owner or have access to the account. You might already be familiar with a very similar version of this process if you’ve ever attempted to link a bank account to another company. For example, you might want to transfer funds between two accounts that you hold at two different financial institutions. When you request to link the accounts, the bank that you’re submitting the request …

Credit cycling and how it can help or hurt you

Credit cycling is the act of using your entire credit limit during a billing cycle and paying it down so that you can continue using the credit card during that same cycle. The benefits of credit cycling Purchase protection Credit cycling is extremely useful if you’ve been issued a credit card with a low credit limit. By paying down your credit card balance, you’re freeing up your credit card limit, which will allow you to enjoy the benefits of using your credit card. You might think that this is pointless. After all, you’re simply using …