Free checking with eBanking from Bank of America

By Elaine Griffin

Bank of America offers the eBanking checking account for customers who prefer to do their banking online or at an ATM. This account is free when customers make deposits and withdrawals through the ATM, and receive electronic statements.

In addition, the eBanking checking account includes online and mobile banking. It also includes enrollment in the Keep the Change program. Lastly, customers will benefit from a free Bank of America Visa Check Card, which includes the Add it Up rewards program.

Bank of America, National Association, was established in 1904, and has been a member of the FDIC since January 1934. They are headquartered in North Carolina, but provide personal and business banking services throughout the world.

Bank requirements:

• Account must be opened online with at least $25
• Use ATM and debit card for all deposit and withdrawal transactions
• Receive eStatements and do all other banking online
• When bank requirements are not met, an $8.95 fee will be assessed
• For more details contact Bank of America

Account Benefits:

• This account is free when all bank requirements are met
• Includes free online and mobile banking
• Includes enrollment in the Keep the Change program
• A Free Bank of America Visa Check Card
• Enrollment in the Add it Up rewards program

By Elaine Griffin

Earn a competitive rate with Salem Five Direct's online savings account

The Salem Five Direct online savings account offers an annual percentage yield (APY) of 1.00 percent. This APY is current as of June 1, 2011, and on balances up to $100,000.

The eOne savings account requires no minimum fee and no minimum monthly balance to earn the APY. This account is available new savings customers only. Funds may not be on deposit with Salem Five and must be transferred from another bank.

Salem Five Cents Savings Bank, was established in 1885 and has been a member of the FDIC since January 1981. They are headquartered in Massachusetts. Salem Five Cents Savings Bank's online division, Salem Five Direct, offers the eOne checking and eOne savings accounts to customers nationwide.

Bank requirements:

• Open account online with at least $100
• Open to new savings customers - funds may not be on deposit with any Salem Five bank
• For more details, contact Salem Five Direct

Account benefits:

• Free account with no minimum monthly balance

1.00 percent APY on balances up to $100,000

By Elaine Griffin

Salem Five continues to offer three CD specials. Annual percentage yields (APY) for the specials are as follows: 1.10 percent APY on 14-month CDs, 1.50 percent APY on 24-month CDs, and 1.50 percent APY on 60-month CDs. Opening and earning the rates on these CDs requires a minimum of $10,000. Salem Five requires paperwork to open the account be postmarked by a specific date. Check their website for more details.

Salem Five Cents Savings Bank was established in 1885 and has been a member of the FDIC since January 1981. They are headquartered in Massachusetts. Salem Five provides banking services to customers locally and nationally.

Type of account: CD (Certificate of Deposit)

Bank requirements:

• $10,000 minimum to open and earn rate
• Penalties are imposed for early withdrawal
• For more details, please contact Salem Five Cents Savings Bank

Account benefits:

• Competitive annual percentage yields on 14, 24, and 60-month CDs

By Elaine Griffin

AloStar Bank of Commerce is in the process of acquiring Nexity Bank accounts. As of June 3, 2011, and according to an AloStar representative, while in this process, they are honoring Nexity Bank rates for new accounts. In addition, accounts are still available nationally.

One of the accounts with very competitive annual percentage yields (APY) is the CD account, and in particular, the 90-day, 6, and 12-month accounts. Opening a CD account requires a low $1,000 minimum deposit. Rates listed below are effective as of June 3, 2011.

Headquartered in Alabama, AloStar Bank of Commerce was established in and became a member of the FDIC in April 2011.

Type of account: CD (Certificate of Deposit)

Bank requirements:

• Open account online or in person with at least $1,000
• Early withdrawal penalty may apply

Account benefits:

• 0.81 percent APY on 90-day CDs
• 1.12 percent APY on 6-month CDs
• 1.31 percent APY on 12-month CDs

Contact AloStar Bank of Commerce for details on this offer.

By Jim Sloan

For those just out of college or starting fresh, a break in the form of traveling to another state or country is usually near the top of wish lists. Finding ways to fund traveling however, can be a significant barrier to actually realizing this. If you're good with credit cards, though, a new promotion from Capitol One may be able to help you with your travel ticket.

Traveling in reach?

Capital One has rolled out a new Venture Rewards credit card promotion with a "Match My Miles" promotion that will match the number of miles you have accumulated on another airline credit card up to 100,000 miles.

You earn the additional 100,000 miles--the equivalent of $1,000--if you put at least $1,000 on the card in the first three months.

The offer is good for new Venture and Venture for Business primary account holders. Current Capital One cardholders who want to upgrade to the Venture Rewards card or swap their existing Capital One card will get the mile match if they get approved, said Sukhi Sahni, a senior communications manager with Capital One.

The company will continue the offer this until they've given away a billion miles or until May 13, 2011, whichever comes first--it's a first-come, first-served proposition.

Miles on top of miles: How does it work?

If you have airline miles on one of 13 airline credit cards currently on the market, Capital One will match

By Jim Sloan

Zero balance transfer credit cards make sense if you have one or more high-interest credit cards that you're having trouble whittling down. One of the best offers for balance transfer credit cards is coming from Discover - what makes this offer so special?

Setting the industry standard

Discover's offers are so good, in fact, that some analysts credit the company with helping bring down average balance fees for the entire credit card industry. The average balance fee dropped from 3.5 percent in December, 2010 to 3.36 percent in January 2011, and balance transfer fees are now 0.5 percent less than they were six months ago. What's more, the length of most balance transfers is increasing.

Discover Card's no balance transfer fee offer

The Discover More card with no balance transfer fee allows you to transfer up to four balances into one account, and for a limited time is offering a zero percent rate on balance transfers for 12 months, plus no balance transfer fee. According to the Baltimore Sun, there is also a zero percent interest rate on purchases in the first six months.

For a limited amount of time, Discover is also offering an additional Discover More card with a 24 month promotional balance transfer which carries a 5 percent balance transfer fee for those who might need more than a year to pay down their credit