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Bad Check Laws (State By State Statutes For Each Crime)

Savings Accounts With Over High Interest Rates

Apple Bank For Savings
Chartered US online Bank. FDIC insured.

Emigrant Direct
Chartered US online Bank. FDIC insured.

HSBC Direct
Chartered US online Bank. FDIC insured.

ING Direct
Chartered US online Bank. FDIC insured.

Capital One Direct Banking
Chartered US online Bank. FDIC insured.

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Best Rates On Savings Accounts & CDs (Nationwide)

Verifying Other People's Checks & Cashing Them On The Spot (Consumer-SOS)

Your Rights When The Check Is Altered Or Forged Or You Have Insufficient Funds

Bad Check Laws (Summary In All 50 States & DC)

Find A Bank By Its 9 Digit Wire Transfer Routing Number (US)
Have the 9 digit American Banking Assoc. number from a bank account, but don't know the bank? Enter the number here to learn the financial institution involved.

National Help Orgs For A Variety Of Consumer Problems
The Elderly, Environment, Families, Fraud, Health & Safety, Insurance The Handicapped, Medical Problems, Telemarketing and more.

Find Your Local Newspaper, Magazine, Radio & TV Stations
Give them a little bad press and you're bargaining power increases tremendously. Select your state, and then click on your county or city for the proper media to report to. (DC Not Included).

Find The AARP In Your State
The AARP offers legal advocacy for seniors and may also have state specific consumer brochures to help you with your legal problems.

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Lending Institutions
Banks
Credit Unions
Saving and Loans/Other

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Banks
Consumer Tips & Links To Banks
Laws That Regulate Banks
Complaints 

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Credit Unions
Consumer Tips &  Links To Credit Unions
Laws That Regulate Credit Unions
Complaints 

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Saving and Loans/Other

Office of Thrift Supervision
Consumer Programs
1700 G Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20552
(202) 906-6237 or 1 (800) 842-6929
(regulates federal savings and loans and federal savings banks)

FDIC Bank Find
Use FDIC Bank Find to find your bank's website, its headquarters, the bank's holding company and the bank's annual reports (from which you can verify the Bank's President and Officers, principal place of business, mergers, whether it's still open, etc). Simply search for the bank by name. If numerous banks appear, check those banks listed as "Active" (see right and side). Then after clicking on your bank, check out the link called "Last Financial Information".  Works even for National Banks that are regulated by the Comptroller of the Currency.

Find A Bank Or Holding Company-National Information Center
The National Information Center (NIC) is a central repository of data about banks and other institutions for which the Federal Reserve has a supervisory, regulatory, or research interest, including both domestic and foreign banking organizations operating in the United States. This web site provides access to NIC data, allowing the public to search for detailed information about banking organizations.

Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
6th and Pennsylvania, N.W.
Washington, DC 20580
877-FTC-HELP – toll free (877-382-4357)
(regulates finance companies, stores, auto dealers, mortgage companies, and credit bureaus)

Other Resources (Consumer-SOS)


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Consumer Tips & Links To Banks

Bank Products: What's Insured And What's Not
Alerts consumers to the differences between deposits and investments, emphasizing that deposits alone are insured by the Federal Government and investment products such as mutual funds are not insured. Also says what banks must tell you before they give advice on what you should invest in.

State Banking Links (All 50 States & DC)

Worldwide Directory Of Banks & Credit Unions
Find links to banks and credit unions anywhere in the world.

Bank Web Directories (Links For All 50 states & DC)

Banks For People With So So Histories (All 50 States & DC)
For those who would rather switch than fight, we list banks and credit unions which either do not use ChexSystems at all for verifying new accounts or accommodate in some way those with a negative ChexSystems report.

Find A Bank By Its 9 Digit Wire Transfer Routing Number (US)
Have the 9 digit American Banking Assoc. number from a bank account, but don't know the bank? Enter the number here to learn the financial institution involved.

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Laws That Regulate Banks

Laws That Govern Financial Institutions (Summaries & Links)
The major laws that govern financial institutions and protect individuals in their financial dealings.

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Complaints 

How To File A Consumer Complaint About A Bank (Not State Specific)

State Banking Regulators (All 50 States & DC)
Learn where to get help when you have trouble with a state bank.

FDIC Bank Find
Use FDIC Bank Find to find your bank's website, its headquarters, the bank's holding company and the bank's annual reports (from which you can verify the Bank's President and Officers, principal place of business, mergers, whether it's still open, etc). Simply search for the bank by name. If numerous banks appear, check those banks listed as "Active" (see right and side). Then after clicking on your bank, check out the link called "Last Financial Information".  Works even for National Banks that are regulated by the Comptroller of the Currency.

Find A Bank Or Holding Company-National Information Center
The National Information Center (NIC) is a central repository of data about banks and other institutions for which the Federal Reserve has a supervisory, regulatory, or research interest, including both domestic and foreign banking organizations operating in the United States. This web site provides access to NIC data, allowing the public to search for detailed information about banking organizations.

Comptroller Of The Currency
Regulates banks with national in the name or N.A. after the name.

Find A Bank By Its 9 Digit Wire Transfer Routing Number (US)
Have the 9 digit American Banking Assoc. number from a bank account, but don't know the bank? Enter the number here to learn the financial institution involved.

Find The AARP In Your State
The AARP offers legal advocacy for seniors and may also have state specific consumer brochures to help you with your legal problems.

Find Your Local Newspaper, Magazine, Radio & TV Stations
Give them a little bad press and you're bargaining power increases tremendously. Select your state, and then click on your county or city for the proper media to report to. (DC Not Included).

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (877) 275-3342
Compliance and Consumer Affairs
550 17th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20429
(regulates state chartered banks that are not members of the Federal Reserve System)
 

State Banking Regulators

State Banking Authorities (Links, Phone #s & Addresses-All 50 States & DC)

FDIC Bank Find
Use FDIC Bank Find to find your bank's website, its headquarters, the bank's holding company and the bank's annual reports (from which you can verify the Bank's President and Officers, principal place of business, mergers, whether it's still open, etc). Simply search for the bank by name. If numerous banks appear, check those banks listed as "Active" (see right and side). Then after clicking on your bank, check out the link called "Last Financial Information".  Works even for National Banks that are regulated by the Comptroller of the Currency.

Find A Bank Or Holding Company-National Information Center
The National Information Center (NIC) is a central repository of data about banks and other institutions for which the Federal Reserve has a supervisory, regulatory, or research interest, including both domestic and foreign banking organizations operating in the United States. This web site provides access to NIC data, allowing the public to search for detailed information about banking organizations.

National Help Orgs For A Variety Of Consumer Problems
The Elderly, Environment, Families, Fraud, Health & Safety, Insurance The Handicapped, Medical Problems, Telemarketing and more.

Other Resources (Consumer-SOS)


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Consumer Tips & Links To Credit Unions

What Is A Credit Union?

National Credit Union Administration (703) 518-6330
Has a list of credit unions throughout the country
 
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Laws That Regulate Credit Unions

Laws That Govern Financial Institutions (Summaries & Links)
Scroll Down for the major laws that govern financial institutions and protect individuals in their financial dealings.

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Complaints 

National Credit Union Administration (703) 518-6330
The National Credit Union Administration is an independent federal agency that supervises and insures 6,566 federal credit unions and insures 4,062 state-chartered credit unions. 

National Help Orgs For A Variety Of Consumer Problems
The Elderly, Environment, Families, Fraud, Health & Safety, Insurance The Handicapped, Medical Problems, Telemarketing and more.

Find The AARP In Your State
The AARP offers legal advocacy for seniors and may also have state specific consumer brochures to help you with your legal problems.

Other Resources (Consumer-SOS)

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Related Topics
Credit & Debt
Money & Financial Matters

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Getting Checks To Clear Faster
People who live from check to check must often wait helplessly for their paycheck to clear.  During this time they are pressed to write more checks to pay their mounting bills- hoping against hope that their paycheck will clear in time.  Indeed, an overdrawn account can cost you $35 per check.

To avoid this nightmare, deposit the check via ATM to get instant credit. (Works best for small checks). For large checks, ask your bank to convert your paycheck to cash and then deposit the amount directly into your checking account.  Believe it or not some banks will do it.  The benefit to this is that the check "clears" instantly and gives you enough funds so that you can pay bills and other obligations immediately after making your deposit.   

Return To Checks

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Removing Overdraft Charges
Overdraft charges occur whenever your account is drawn over its limits.  Often these penalty fees can be as high as $35 per bounced check or transaction. But did you know that sometimes, these charges can be removed at the bank's discretion?

If you've been billed for an overdraft, bypass the teller and go directly to your customer service representative.