Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Glen Craig

EverBank Online Yield Pledge Checking and Money Market Review

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If you’re tired of your bank hitting you with fees for nearly everything you do, then paying you a microscopic amount of interest to keep your money on deposit with them, you may have a viable alternative.

EverBank is an alternative to traditional banks if you’re looking to avoid excessive fees while also earning above average interest rates.

Alternative to traditional banks

EverBank is an “online bank”, which is to say that you can conduct all of your banking online without ever having the need to go into the bank itself.

It’s based in Jacksonville, Florida, has well over $13 billion in assets, and has been around since 1961 though obviously not in its online form.

The bank offers 24/7 customer service (by phone), and since it is a bank, your depository assets are covered under FDIC for up to $250,000.

As part of its online model, you can deposit checks from your home computer—all you need to do is add the deposit information into your account online, endorse and scan both sides of the check, and your funds will be available the next business day.
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A Victory for College Students – Student Loan Rates Remain Low for Now

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Until June 29th, a big problem was brewing for college students but less than two days before the deadline, Congress agreed on a bill that would avert larger student loan payments for some students.

The cost of college rises at roughly twice the rate of inflation each year.  This equates to nearly 6% annually and that has made college tuition out of reach of the majority of families that didn’t save for education costs.  Because of that, most students now rely on grants and loans to pay the costs.  Grants quickly run out for most leaving student loans as their only option.

The federal government helps by offering two types of loans, called Stafford loans.
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How will Obamacare Affect Small Business?

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Since the economy began recovering from the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, Washington has used one key talking point.

According to politicians, the key to a sustained economic recovery in America is the strength and health of the small business community.

Small businesses create more jobs than large corporations and according to some economists, have led the way in recoveries during past recessions.

But much of the small business community feels like Washington’s commitment to their growth may have been nothing more than talk in light of the recent Supreme Court decision that upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

Some of the key provisions of this law include:

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ING Direct Financial Independence Days Sale – 2012

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ING DIRECT is at it again!

ING Direct Financial Independence Days SaleTo help celebrate our country’s independence, ING DIRECT is offering up some juicy deals to help you achieve financial independence.  As our country’s independence was declared in 1776, you’ll find many of the offers play of the ’76 theme.

Hurry up and check out the offers as they as are only around June 30th thru 11:59 pm ET, July 3rd.

Here are the ING DIRECT Financial Independence Days Offers:

Liberate from Checking Fees

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Financial Freedom Starts with a Low House Payment

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Is achieving financial freedom an important goal in your life?

If it is, don’t follow the conventional wisdom of buying the most expensive house you can afford.

Sure, by buying the biggest house you can afford you can grow into it, live in it longer and maybe even avoid a costly trade up in a few years.  Fair enough.

But when it comes to achieving financial freedom, buying the most expensive house you can afford is the exact opposite of what you want to do.

In fact it can be said that the more expensive your home is the less chance you have of ever attaining financial freedom.

Expensive homes and financial freedom are what you might call “mutually exclusive”—having one reduces your chance of getting the other.

How could that be?

A house determines general consumption patterns

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