Bank fees soar, free-checking offers decline

By Herb Weisbaum, NBC News contributor

A just-released study by Bankrate.com finds that checking account fees have hit unprecedented highs. At the same time, it?s becoming harder to get a truly free checking account, one with no strings attached.

Here are the key findings from the Bankrate 2012 Checking Survey:

• The average monthly maintenance fee for a non-interest checking account is now at a record high of $5.48. That?s a 25 percent jump from last year.
• Overdraft fees are also at a record high. The average NSF or nonsufficient funds fee is $31.26, up from $30.83 last year.?
• The cost to get cash from an out-of-network ATM is up dramatically. Expect to pay an average fee of $2.50 to the owner of the ATM, a new record and up 4 percent from last year. Plus your bank will charge you another $1.57 on average, an increase of 11 percent.?

As fees go up, ?free? checking ? with no minimum balance requirement and no monthly fee ? continues its march toward extinction.?

?And that?s going to continue over the next few years,? said Bankrate?s senior financial analyst Greg McBride. ?I don?t expect it to reverse anytime soon.??

The Bankrate survey shows that only 39 percent of the major banks in the U.S. offer non-interest checking accounts that have no fee. That?s down from a peak of 76 percent just three years ago and 45 percent in 2011.?

Why is this happening??
Bankers are responding to new federal regulations that have reduced their revenue from both overdraft fees and debit card swipe fees.?

?Free checking accounts have become the casualty of those regulatory changes,? McBride said. ?Rather than handing out that free checking to everybody who walks through the door, you typically have to have some other relationship or business with the bank.?

You can avoid the fees
Bankrate found that with most non-interest checking accounts ? about 95 percent ? there are ways to avoid the fees.

?The easiest way to get your account for free is to sign up for direct deposit,? McBride said. ?That?s the most common string attached and it?s a pretty low hurdle to clear.?

Some banks require a minimum balance to waive the fee and that amount continues to rise. In some cases, it can be thousands of dollars. According to the Bankrate survey, the average minimum balance to avoid a fee now stands at $723, an increase of 23 percent from last year.

There is another option: move your money. Look for a financial institution ? a credit union, community bank or online bank ? that offers totally free checking with no requirements to qualify. Bankrate found that 72 percent of the largest credit unions still offer free checking.

Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, has prepared a tip sheet on how to move your money to a new checking account.?

Skip most interest-bearing checking accounts
Bankrate found that these accounts have become even less attractive in the last year.

They have higher fees than non-interest accounts and require a larger balance to have those fees waived.?

• The minimum balance required to avoid a monthly maintenance fee now sits at a whopping $6,118. That minimum has nearly double in the last two years.
• Miss the minimum threshold and you?ll get hit with a monthly maintenance fee that averages $14.75.

More importantly, the yields are ridiculously low. The average interest-bearing checking account in the U.S. right now pays a paltry 0.05 percent. If you had $250,000 in that account for a year, you?d only earn $125.?

?This is not an efficient use of cash,? McBride said. The interest earnings you receive are a pittance and really don?t justify tying up that amount of money at very low and uncompetitive rates of return.??

Beat the banks
Most bank penalty fees can be avoided and it?s not all that difficult to do. You just need to remember what triggers a fee and act accordingly.?

Plan ahead if you need cash?
Only use your bank?s ATM or one that is in-network. In a pinch, make a purchase with your credit or debit card and get some cash back. That way, there?s no fee.?

Avoid overdraft fees?
We all make mistakes, but you?ll get clobbered if you overdraw your account. Monitor your account: keep track of automatic bill payments, debit card charges and cash withdrawals. It?s easy to check your balance online or on the phone. See if you bank offers email or text alerts that let you know when your checking account balance drops below a level you set.?

Link your checking account to a savings account that can be tapped if you overdraw. That service is a lot cheaper than paying an overdraft fee.?

If you want to prevent overdraws with a debit card (and avoid NSF fees) don?t opt-in to the bank?s overdraft protection program. Sign up for this ?courtesy? service and you will be able to overdraw your checking account when you make a purchase with your debit card ? and you?ll pay a hefty fee if you do. Without debit card overdraft protection the transaction will be declined at the register if you?re about to trigger an overdraft.?

Do you know if you have overdraft protection on your debit card account? If you?re not sure, call your bank.

ConsumerMan: Customers still confused about overdraft protection?

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook or visit The ConsumerMan website.

More money and business news:

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Source: http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/24/14068938-bank-fees-soar-free-checking-offers-decline?lite

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Coal fight looms, Keystone-like, over U.S. Northwest

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Call it the Keystone of coal: a regulatory and public relations battle between environmentalists and U.S. coal miners akin to the one that has defined the Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline.

Instead of blocking an import, however, this fight is over whether to allow a growing surplus of coal to be exported to Asia, a decision that would throw miners a lifeline by effectively offshoring carbon emissions and potentially give China access to cheaper coal.

Having long ago lost their bid to prevent the extraction of fossil fuels, environmental groups aim to close transport routes that bring those carbon fuels to market, pulling local and state politicians into the fight alongside regulators.

Mining interests won a battle last week when the Army Corps of Engineers called for a quick study of plans to open the first coal port on the west coast at Oregon's Port of Morrow on the Columbia River, a review that will weigh impacts of hauling coal, not burning it.

Coal port skeptics say the ruling is ripe for challenge in the courts and they foresee a drawn-out fight over the review.

"I'm afraid that by choosing to perform a less stringent analysis today, the Corps will ultimately create a longer delay," Oregon Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement. Wyden, who is due to lead the Energy and Natural Resources Committee if Democrats hold the Senate, has said he supports a full review of the project and is reserving judgment until it is completed.

Delay is something miners can ill afford.

Alpha Natural Resources Inc, one of the country's largest coal producers, said last week it is cutting 1,200 jobs, roughly 9 percent of its workforce, as increased use of natural gas for power generation dents demand.

While coal foes in the Pacific Northwest can stymie the projects, the federal government will have the final say.

If President Barack Obama wins a second term, the issue will likely test his determination to curb the use of fossil fuels blamed for climate change, especially since his policies are partly behind miners' yearnings for Asian markets.

Tough new Environmental Protection Agency limits on power plant emissions are often blamed, along with low natural gas prices, for the drop in domestic coal use, but burning the black rock in Asia will have the same impact on the atmosphere.

No matter who wins the election, the intensifying fight ahead over coal ports is raising Keystone-like questions about energy priorities in a time when traditional fuels are still abundant.

COAL ABOUNDS

About 40 percent of the country's coal comes from the Powder River Basin - a high, grassy plain in eastern Wyoming and Montana where the black fuel runs in seams near the surface.

With nearly 9 percent of U.S. coal furnaces set to go dark in the next four years and more utilities moving to natural gas, the 100 billion tons of coal still locked in the region need to reach new markets or face being frozen in the ground.

A Pacific Northwest coal port would aid mining giants such as Arch Coal and Peabody Energy Corp that dominate the basin and are in a worldwide race to meet Asian demand.

The United States holds the world's largest coal reserves, but China, with the world's third-largest share, is tapping more of its own reserves and boosting imports from Australia, Indonesia and even Colombia as its economy continues to grow. India, too, is hungry for coal.

U.S. coal exports have more than doubled in the past two years to reach a record nearly 29 million tons in the first three months of the year. Roughly a quarter of that already heads to Asia, mostly via Gulf Coast ports.

Analysts say Powder River Basin coal must cheaply reach Asia in the coming years to catch the strong demand in China, the world's No. 2 economy, and the rest of the region.

"The United States has no unique advantage in meeting the Asia coal hunger, and that demand will not exist forever," said Ailun Yang, a researcher with the World Resources Institute.

REGULATORY FIGHT

Last week's decision by the Army Corps was an important victory for miners since the big impacts of coal use will not be studied.

The Army Corps, which received more than 30,000 comment letters about the Port of Morrow plans, said on its website that it generally conducts narrow reviews, "in this case, the construction of the dock facility."

But the narrow study envisioned by the Army Corps could yet morph into a sweeping review if officials have a change of heart in light of a huge public outcry or if the courts step in.

Feeding Chinese furnaces with U.S. coal could add hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, a cause of climate change that Obama has pledged to fight and one that anti-coal activists want considered by the Army Corps.

"They have to consider not just moving the coal but burning it," said Nathaniel Shoaff, an attorney with the Sierra Club, which wants officials to consider climate-change concerns before writing rules on shipping or issuing permits to mine federal land.

Those who oppose coal want the Army Corps to halt the handful of coal port plans until it studies the impact on the climate, a process that could take years.

LEGAL ISSUES

In a courtroom the fight could center on a reading of the National Environmental Policy Act from 1970, which requires federal agencies to study "all major federal actions that significantly affect the quality of the human environment."

Courts now expect climate-change consequences to be weighed under NEPA, so the question is how much Obama or his successor wants to consider the external costs associated with developing and burning coal, says Mark Squillace, who leads the natural resources law center at the University of Colorado.

"There is no doubt that officials have the authority, and I would say obligation, but it's not clear what will be the policy," he said.

Arch Coal and Peabody declined to comment about the coal port project.

If the Port of Morrow project is thwarted, miners may have luck at one of the handful of other projects on the table.

In the state of Washington, just north of Oregon, the governor has been more receptive to the idea of allowing coal shipments from the Longview docks.

Supporters of the coal port plans say they are prepared for a war of attrition against those who would stand in the way of energy companies' finding markets for U.S. energy abundance.

"Before the Civil War, (battlegrounds) like Antietam and Gettysburg were mostly unheard of," said Bill Kovacs, a senior energy advisor with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is lending help to the mining sector.

"Now the fight for a sensible energy policy is being fought on the same scale in places like the Port of Morrow and Longview."

(Editing by Jonathan Leff and Prudence Crowther)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-coal-fight-looms-keystone-over-us-northwest-141300393--finance.html

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7 Things Entrepreneurs Should Consider Before Spending Another ...

September 22, 2012

Page 1 Page 2

As a small business owner, deciding how to spend your advertising dollars to maximize impact and make every dollar work harder can be daunting.

For most, it starts with simple market observations: What advertising outlets are available? What are my competitors doing? How should I allocate my limited budget?

But in order to ensure that your advertising expenditures are wisely spent there is a bit more every entrepreneur should consider.

What to Consider Before You Spend Money on Advertising

There are three considerations every entrepreneur should take note of before allocating your hard earned profits to advertising:

1. What is my company?s overall situation; how would I define the marketing problem?
2. What are my key objectives that could potentially solve the marketing problem?
3. What exact solutions (strategies) could rectify my current marketing problem?

Every company?s answer to the aforementioned questions will be unique. This is why it?s not wise to simply follow your competition?s lead ? because their marketing problem could in fact be different and their strategies won?t necessarily work for your precise situation (i.e. lack of leads, quality leads, awareness, sales, etc.)

Once you consider these things it?s time to start planning your ad spend.

Here are seven helpful advertising tips to get you and your team started:

1. Who does your brand need to reach?

In other words, who is your target audience? If you don?t know this with a certain confidence level, and you haven?t experienced prior results it?s time to define this immediately. Your target audience can easily be defined and focused using key demographics that you?ve observed via historical sales data, customer survey?s etc. The customers ? that you define ? with the highest propensity to purchase your product or service should be your primary target.

Do you sell urban cosmetics? If so, your target may consist of Females, Age 18-34 with a household income of $50k that reside in urban markets ? also considered city dwellers. Everything about your messaging should speak to her and her specific needs. If your company fails to properly identify a correct target, you?ll likely waste energy and budgets talking to the wrong people with no results.

Page 1 Page 2

Source: http://yfsentrepreneur.com/2012/09/22/7-things-entrepreneurs-should-consider-before-spending-another-dime-on-advertising/

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Clinton summit draws new leaders of Egypt, Libya

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton's annual philanthropic summit will attract the new leaders of Egypt and Libya plus this year's U.S. presidential candidates to a forum that once again competes for attention with the United Nations General Assembly.

Libya's new head of state, Mohammed Magarief, and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi will appear at the eighth Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), which Clinton hosts in New York when many world leaders are in town for the annual U.N. meeting.

President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney were set to appear separately on Tuesday. Others on the bill include new Barclays PLC Chief Executive Antony Jenkins and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, among other luminaries.

This year's theme, "Designing for Impact," will focus panel discussions on topics such as providing safe and reliable energy, sustainable tourism, promoting a greater role for women in civics, and "food security," or guaranteeing access to food in the face of extreme weather conditions as a result of climate change.

"We've always been in the business of inspiring concrete solutions," said Robert Harrison, the initiative's chief executive. He said the meeting would focus on "the how" of solving problems.

The idea for the summit came from Clinton's frustration while president from 1993 to 2001 at attending conferences that prompted no action. When the initiative began, corporations tended to show up and write checks to fund humanitarian programs. Now many see philanthropy in terms of investment opportunities.

"CGI is built on the spirit of non-partisan, cross-sector collaborations that drive action, and I'm proud that, since we began in 2005, CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments that are already improving the lives of 400 million people all over the world," Clinton said in a statement.

Since the initiative started, more than 2,000 pledges have been made valued at more than $69 billion, and they have improved the lives of more than 400 million people in 180 countries, Clinton said.

If a company or individual fails to keep a pledge, they are not invited the following year.

Romney was due to offer remarks at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) on September 25, with Obama following at noon (1600 GMT).

The full agenda can be seen at www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/2012

(Editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clinton-summit-draws-leaders-egypt-libya-142014146.html

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Recipe Roundup ? Great Soup Recipes | Budget Savvy Diva

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Everyday at?1 pm PST/ 4pm EST?Budget Savvy Diva posts a?NEW RECIPE?:) I might miss this time every now or then ? but I know you understand

Make sure to follow?Budget Savvy Diva?on Facebook

Find Copy Cat Restaurant Recipes?HERE

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Recipe Roundup ? Great Soup Recipes!

Copy Cat Recipe ? Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli in a Crock Pot

Copy Cat ? Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Homemade Cream of Something Soup

Copy Cat Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

Easy Hash brown Soup Recipe

Crock pot Chicken Chili Recipe

Crock Pot Vegetable Soup Recipe

Crock Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

Southwestern Supreme Chicken Soup

Sweet Corn Soup with Croutons

Other recipes you'll love:

Source: http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/09/recipe-roundup-great-fall-recipes-2/

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Hair Transplant Surgical procedure: Completely different} {Types

Extreme hair loss is one of the main issues that?s faced by millions of people all around the world at present. This condition is caused by a variety of factors together with growing older, hormonal changes, trauma and family history. In case you are one of those who?re affected by this downside and you are feeling like your case is already too critical, then it?s best to consider attempting out hair transplant. Hair transplant surgery is one of the most reliable options to extreme hair loss and baldness since it?s capable of producing everlasting results.

In case you are pondering of undergoing the surgery, then it?s best to know that it is available in three main types. The primary type is named Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). This surgical procedure is completed by harvesting hair follicles from the perimeters and again of your head that aren?t but bald. The follicles are then transferred into the affected area. The advantage of this procedure is that aside from the truth that you will never endure any deep surgery or scalpel cutting, you also have a guarantee that the transplanted hair will look natural.

The second type of hair transplant surgery is the Follicular Unit Strip Surgical procedure (FUSS). Underneath this procedure, your surgeon will have to take hair strips from the donor space and then implant them on the balding or thinning spot. To close the world the place the strips are taken, sutures are made. If you happen to select this procedure, then it?s best to bear in mind that the restoration interval can take just a few days.

The third type of hair transplant is the scalp reduction method. This is called an costly surgery and isn?t chosen by hair loss sufferers. This procedure requires your chosen surgeon to surgically take away the balding or thinning space and then stretch the hair-bearing scalp for the purpose of changing the removed area. This is not highly really useful to hair loss victims as a result of except for being costly, it causes scalp tightening which might only end result to extra hair loss and thinning in the future.

Hair transplant surgery has a variety of advantages. The primary advantage is that the whole transplant procedure is performed in a fast manner. You do not want to watch for an extended interval to notice your most desired outcomes for the reason that means of inserting follicular items on the affected space will be rapidly executed. Just just be sure you search for a surgeon who?s already a proven professional in the subject as this guarantees that he has the power to carry out the procedure fast.

Another advantage of the transplant is that it?s capable of producing long-lasting and everlasting results. You do not want to take pills and serums so as to preserve the number of hair which might be left in your scalp. The transplant is alleged to be a one-time remedy so you need not fear about spending extra on hair supplements and products.

Another advantage of hair transplant surgery is that it produces natural results. It?s natural as a result of the transplanted hair is one hundred percent yours. The procedure does not also use any overseas substances that can cause a whole lot of harm to your hair. Verify also the natural manner on how to stimulate hair growth.

Hair Growthis the problem among men and women that needs to have a perfect solution. For more information and additional sources about Hair Growth Shampo,Hair Transplant Surgery, on how to get perfect stylish hairand more onhair lossproblems.

Related posts:

1. Value of Hair Transplant ? Why Does FUE Value More Than Strip Harvesting?
2. Understanding How Women Hair Transplants Work
3. All About Lasik Corrective Eye Surgical Procedure
4. What To Look For In A Hair Transplant Doctor
5. Ideas On How To Naturally Improve Your Head of hair

Source: http://medicact.com/hair-transplant-surgical-procedure-completely-different-types/

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Syrian rebels move command from Turkey to Syria

BEIRUT (AP) ? The leaders of the rebel Free Syrian Army said Saturday they moved their command center from Turkey to Syria with the aim of uniting rebels and speeding up the fall of President Bashar Assad's regime.

Brig. Gen. Mustafa al-Sheikh, who heads the FSA's Military Council, told The Associated Press that the group made the move last week. He would not say where the new headquarters is located or give other details.

The FSA is the most prominent of the rebel groups trying to topple Assad, though its authority over networks of fighters in Syria is limited. Its commanders have been criticized for being based in Turkey while thousands are killed inside Syria.

Despite the announcement of the command move, rebels still have to rely on Turkey as a rear base for supplies and reinforcements. In the past few months, rebels have captured wide swaths of Syrian territory bordering Turkey, along with three border crossings, allowing them to ferry supplies and people into Syria.

FSA commander Col. Riad al-Asaad announced the move of the command center in a video with the title "Free Syrian Army Communique Number 1 from Inside." Wearing a military uniform and surrounded by a dozen gunmen, the commander said the aim is to "start the plan to liberate Damascus soon, God willing."

Al-Sheikh, the other top FSA commander, said moving the command "will speed up the fall of the regime because it will give a big boost to the morale of rebels and there will be a command to follow-up on operations."

"There are liberated areas now and it's better for the command to be with the rebels instead of being abroad," al-Sheikh said in a phone interview from Turkey. The general said he has been going back and forth to Syria.

In recent months, rebels have succeeded in taking the fight to Damascus, but the regime has reasserted control in many areas. In the summer, rebels also launched an offensive on Syria's largest city, Aleppo, and are holding several neighborhoods there, despite daily battles with regime forces.

Activists say nearly 30,000 people have been killed since Syria's crisis began in March 2011. The uprising began with largely peaceful protests against Assad's regime, but has since morphed into a civil war in the face of a brutal government crackdown.

The Syrian conflict has increasingly spilled into neighboring Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, with several hundred thousand Syrians seeking refuge there and battles occasionally being fought along Syria's borders.

On Saturday, the Turkish military deployed three howitzers and an anti-aircraft gun near Tal Abyad, a Turkish-Syrian border crossing captured by the rebels earlier in the week, the Turkish news agency Dogan reported. Dogan video showed at least three large military trucks towing the guns along a highway.

On Saturday, an Associated Press reporter heard at least six mortar shells fall in the area. The crossing was in the hands of rebels who held eight detainees there, including three Syrian border inspectors, but released them later.

Turkey also reinforced its border with anti-aircraft missiles after Syrian forces brought down a Turkish jet on June 22, and it threatened to target any approaching Syrian military elements. Turkey said its plane was in international airspace, countering Syrian claims that it was in Syrian airspace.

Also Saturday, Lebanon's army said Syrian rebels attacked one of its positions in the mountain town of Arsal and that its forces drove the rebels away without causing casualties.

The military did not give a reason for why the rebels might attack a Lebanese position. In the past, Syrian government forces have fired shells or missiles across the border. Lebanese pro- and anti-regime groups have also clashed.

Rebels, many of them Sunni Muslims, are known to cross to and from areas in Lebanon that are predominantly Sunni, like Arsal. In recent months, the Lebanese army has tried to stop them by setting up new positions and sending troops.

Syria's activist networks, which monitor the country's violence, were not aware of the fighting.

On Syria's border with Jordan, rebels assaulted a Syrian air defense base and were pushed back, activists said. A Jordanian government minister said Jordanian border guards captured several gunmen on the Jordanian side, but it was not clear if they were rebels.

The fighting in and around the Syrian border town of Nasib continued until dawn Saturday, Jordan's state-run news agency Petra said. Nasib is in the southern province of Daraa, where the uprising began in March 2011.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were casualties on both sides, but did not give figures.

In Damascus, an umbrella opposition group, the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change in Syria, said it is postponing a conference that would have been the largest gathering of anti-regime representatives in the country since the uprising began.

The group has said two of its leaders disappeared after arriving at Damascus International Airport on Thursday, along with a friend who was to pick them up. It blamed the regime for the disappearance. The state-run news agency SANA quoted the Interior Ministry as saying "terrorist groups" kidnapped the three, using the term it employs for rebels, and that a search has been launched.

Some Syrians had hoped that the conference might result in a unified opposition voice inside Syria that could credibly negotiate with the regime.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-rebels-move-command-turkey-syria-124031803.html

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