FNBO Direct – Funding Your Online Savings Account

Funding your FBNO Direct online savings account is a pretty simple process so at first I was surprised when I recieved the email below from FNBO Direct explaining how to link an external bank account for transfers.

Of course, I’ve opened multple online accounts and setup funding for them many times so I’m used to the process, but I realized that not everyone is.  I was assuming that if you opened on online savings account then you were comfortable navigating an online bank account setup.  The fact that FNBO Direct didn’t make that assumption themselves and sent out follow-up instructions to new customers is an example of the kind of customer service I’ve seen from them so far.

Anyhow, for those of you who setup an FNBO Direct account and are wanting to know how to setup a bank transfer, here are the instructions they sent. 

Adding Transfer Accounts
To easily transfer funds to and from your FNBO Direct Online Savings Account, you will need to add at least one external account to your profile. Here’s how:

• Log into your FNBO Direct account.
• Click on the “Transfer Funds” tab.
• Choose “External Transfers” to make transfers between FNBO Direct and your accounts at other banks. For information on “Internal Transfers” please see the section below labeled “BillPay.”
• Click on the blue “Add Transfer Accounts” box.
• Follow the steps to select the financial institution of your choice, input your account number and choose a name for account.
• Please follow the steps to verify ownership of your external account.
• Once your external account is added and verified, you may begin making transfers to and from your accounts.

Note: The external account that you used for your opening deposit will be automatically set up as your first transfer account.

Transferring Funds
Make your savings grow faster with regular deposits into your account.

• Log into your FNBO Direct account.
• Click the “Transfer Funds” tab.
• Choose “External Transfers” to make transfers between FNBO Direct and your accounts at other banks. For information on “Internal Transfers” please see the section below labeled “BillPay.”
• Click on the blue “Transfer Funds” box.
• Follow the steps to set your transfer amount, frequency and date.
• Please remember to print the Transfer Confirmation page for your records.

Timing
Transactions successfully requested by Midnight Central time will typically be credited to the destination account you select within three business days.

BillPay
Did you know that you can also move money using an FNBO Direct BillPay Account? Simply click on the BillPay tab and follow the steps to open a new BillPay account. You will then be able to transfer funds internally from your FNBO Direct Online Savings Account to your BillPay account, and schedule bill payments to your merchants.

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Christmas Budgeting – Building A Christmas Fund

Halloween is over, Thanksgiving is around the corner, and the biggest shopping season of the year is close to follow.  The shopping in November and December is what keeps financial planners and debt counselors employed. 

Budgeting for Christmas Gifts

Many people go nuts with Christmas and holiday shopping.  I know I’m guilty of it; I tend to wait to buy certain items because I know the deals will be so good in the Christmas shopping season.  But, if you want to live a life of building wealth and making wise financial decisions, you need to prepare for Christmas. 

Hopefully, you’ve already started thinking about how much money you will spend this holiday season, and maybe you’ve already started saving for it.  I am a big believer in preparing for Christmas to the point where you don’t need to use your credit cards, so here are four steps for building your shopping fund for the holidays.

Step 1: List out all of the people that you will buy a gift for this season.  Make sure you don’t go overboard on this.  My wife and I have started prioritizing our gift giving to parents, nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters, best friends, and each other.

Step 2: Put a dollar amount next to each name on your list.  This represents the total amount you can spend on them for a gift.  Then, total it up and analyze if the number you came up with is realistic for your budget.  If it’s not, tweak some of your numbers until the total amount looks reasonable for your financial situation.  Once you’ve come up with a total amount, you now have a number for your shopping fund.

Step 3: There are seven weeks until Christmas.  If you haven’t set any money aside for the holidays yet, start putting aside money each week for your Christmas fund.  Also, any extra income that comes in during this time should be thrown in your Christmas fund such as a holiday bonus, quarterly bonus, or side income.  You may also want to consider putting extra money in the fund for Christmas entertainment and family trips that you may take over the holidays.

Step 4: Don’t let your Christmas fund suck the fun out of the holidays.  If you set aside $50 for your brother or sister and you spent $53, don’t freak out.  It won’t break your bank.  Let the budget be your guide.  Just look for a better deal or a coupon on the next gift you purchase.

Trust me, if you’re following these steps, chances are you’ll be doing much better than the majority of the population that has no clue how much they are really spending on the holidays until they get their credit card statement in January.

Making Christmas Special

Remember to give back to others in need during this time of year if you can.  It seems we all run a little short on money during the holidays so the best way to make sure you can donate is to budget in a certain amount for charitable giving ahead of time.  These acts of kindness are what really make the holidays so special. 

Also, don’t get caught up in getting the perfect gift for a loved one.  Instead get caught up in spending quality time with the people you love the most.  Thinking about your finances now will allow you to think about what is most important during the holiday season.

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Are You Struggling With Financial Decisions?

Have you ever had difficulty making a financial decision?  You are not alone, we all struggle making choices about our money and many of us find multiple ways to postpone or avoid these important decisions.

What causes us to duck our financial responsibilities?  I have an evolving theory that we avoid making these decisions because we’re time poor, uncertain about the fine print, and fearful of the outcome.

Time Poor

Our lives are busy, it’s tough to find time to understand the details of the financial decision we’re faced with.  For example, a common question is “Where should I invest my money”?  You want to know:

• Your investing options
• How much you can make and how much you might lose
• Who to ask for advice
• How you can get your money back when you need it
• The list goes on….

It’s difficult to make time do the necessary research so we can feel comfortable making the decision about where to invest our money.  Even once we figure out the fine print it takes additional time to take action.  Which brokerage should we use? As we setup the investing account we have to decide things like how much we should invest and how often we should invest.

Uncertain of the Details

Who is willing to write a check to someone if they don’t understand how that money will be used?  Everyone knows you can deposit money with a mutual fund company or an online brokerage and use it to invest but what actually happens to your money?

All of the questions we covered in the “Time Poor” section are part of our uncertainty.  If we can’t answer why, how, or when our money is being used then we don’t feel comfortable making a decision about where to put it.  Instead we may decide not to act and just leave our money in our bank account where we feel it’s safe and we can access it whenever we want.

Fearful of the Outcome

Uncertainty keeps us guessing about where and how to invest our money because we’re fearful of what might happen when we invest it.

There are many potential outcomes of investing your money and we’re scared of many of them.  Of course the most obvious is, “what if I lose all my money”.  The fear of loss can be a huge barrier to making a financial decision.

We’re not just afraid of losing money, but also afraid of not choosing the best investment.  We don’t want to be stuck with a lousy 2% return when everyone else is earning 6%.  While it would be better to earn 6% than not invest at all, sometimes we’re worried we won’t choose the “right investments” so we postpone making the decision.

A lot of the times the fear is tied to specific life goals. For example, if put my young son’s 529 savings in stocks instead of bonds, they could go down and he won’t have enough money for college.  Or if I only earn 4% on my retirement accounts I won’t be able to retire until I’m 70.

Even after we’ve make the time to understand our financial options, fear of the potential outcomes can keep us from taking action.

Tough Money Choices

I’ve used an example of investing your money because it’s one that most people can relate to but the same hurdles of time, uncertainty, and fear really apply to most financial decisions in varying degrees. For example buying life insurance, buying a home, choosing health insurance, picking a job, or even applying for a credit card or choosing a bank are all effected by these factors.

Share Your Thoughts

I’m going to enhance and refine my theory on barriers to taking financial action; with the goal of creating a guide that will help people understand their options, feel confident about their decisions, and have a plan to make necessary changes after the decision is put in place.

Your feedback will help shape this guide and make it useful for everyone. Leave your answers to the questions below in the comments section or you can email them to us via our contact form.

• What do you think about what I’ve described?
• What are some other factors that affect your ability to make a financial decision? 
• What are your biggest roadblocks to making money choices?
• What things are you most uncertain about or fearful of when it comes to money decisions? 
• What have been your toughest money decisions?
• What techniques have you used to overcome these barriers?
• How have you made time to learn the details of your financial decisions?

Thanks for your feedback!

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Best and Worst of a Crazy October

Self-relection is the key to growth and improvment so I thought I’d take a moment to look back over the best and worst of the last month or so.

Worst of October

My main failure in October was efficient use of my time.  I have to apologize for having been so horrible about responding to comments on the site and to emails from readers.  I can give you a few excuses for it : )

My new job has kept me busy, learning the ropes and working on new projects.  I’m really enjoying it but it has kept me hopping. 

One downside is that my access to webmail is blocked in my new office so I can no longer handle messages as they come in through the day.  After getting our son to bed in the evening, it takes forever to plow through all my daily emails. I’m probably going to get the new G1 Phone for Christmas so I can get online when ever and where ever.

I’d like to give a big thanks to Erik Folgate from Money Crashers for all the great articles he’s contributed to the site, it’s really helped pick up my slack.

Best of October

By far the most exciting thing for me last month was announcing that we’re having a baby!  We don’t know boy or girl yet but we should find out in about a month, we’re very excited!

Mobile Money Series

We had a fun series in October that looked at managing your money with your mobile phone.  I know that a lot of people may not be using their cell phone for these types of things yet but I wanted to let everyone know what the opportunities are.  We took at look at mobile coupons, mobile banking, mobile shopping, and mobile personal finance.

Moving Money Series

It’s not prime moving season but it seemed a lot of people we knew were moving so took a look at some of the financial aspects of moving.  We started off by offering tips to save on moving expenses, talked about managing bills and fees when moving, looked at the best credit card to help you move, and reviewed some ways you can find doctor’s, accountants, plumbers, etc you can trust in your new city.

Energy Savings

As the cold weather sets in we teamed up with some energy experts from the Home Depot to find things you can do to save on your home energy costs.

• Energy Saving Tips to Lower Your Heating Costs
• Save Money on Heating with Window Treatments
• Programmable Thermostats & Enery Saving Advice

Economic Events

It’s been a crazy month for the economy and your money, we took a look at some of the major economic and political events we’ve experieced.

As election day neared we wrote about the economic policies of Barack Obama as well as the financial plans of John McCain.  I offered my take on the secret to success of the economy as well as some tips on spending less and saving more when money is tight. 

Short selling is thought to have played a role in the meltdown of some of the major banks so we explained what it is and the effect it might have had.

Last but not least we took part, although a day late, in the coverage of global poverty.

Reviews & Deals 

Online brokerages are really looking to add customers these days and offering some nice bonuses.  TradeKing is still offering their $50 bonus for new accounts, Zecco offered unlimited trading last month, and the ShareBuilder $50 promotion has been extended through the end of the year.

Some other deals I mentioned during the month, you can now use Quicken Online for free and you can get a Wall Street Journal free trial of the online edition.

I shared in my FNBO Direct review how I was pleased with their interest rate, stability, and customer service.  I know I’ve said it before but I really like the fact that they offer an ATM card : )

I also documented through the process of applying for a loan with my Lending Club loan review.  Now that Prosper has temporarily shut down to take care of some government red tape Lending Club is the best peer to peer lending option for people looking to borrow money. As this ABC news video discusses the credit crunch is making banks pretty stingy and more people are turning to peer lending.

What’s Next on Money Smart Life?

As the weather gets cold and we’re all stuck inside, we’ll take a look at some things you can do for entertainment indoors and how you can save money on your fun.

We’re also going to be running a series this week on Christmas shopping and Christmas deals in this tough economy.

Finally, as the future Obama administration looks to stimulate the economy and create jobs, I figure I should do my part as well.  I’m going to be running a contest to help readers who want to start up their own business.  I’m still hashing out the details but I’ll let you know more as plans are made.

If any of these sound like they’d be useful to you be sure to subscribe for free daily updates.

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Will Barack Obama Fix Our Economy?

Now that the election is FINALLY over President Elect Barack has to prepare for his role of Commander in Chief and, among other things, decide what he will do to address the major financial issues that we face here in the United States.

How to Fix the Economy?

I don’t envy Obama at all, walking into a huge financial mess that I think will take years to fully sort out and recover from.  Of course the financial experts all  have their own opinion about what needs to be done to repair our economy: new tax policies, a stronger dollar policy, investments in the alternative energy industry, more market regulations, ……. the list goes on.

I’m sure Obama wil surround himself with experts on financial issues and will hopefully synthesize their advice into an economic plan that will strengthen our economy.  One thing I hope he doesn’t do is hire financial expert, Oscar Rogers.

Just Fix It Already!

You may have seen Oscar featured on Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, if not you can see him in action here, at about 4:20 in the video (it’s a spoof for those that haven’t seen it and don’t have time to watch).  He probably feels the same way a lot of us do about the economy:

“Just Fix It!  When I wake up tomorrow morning, it’d better be fixed!”

The things going on with the economy are largely out of our immediate control and we just want someone to step in and make it right.  Unfortunately it’s not that easy, it took the country years to get ourselves into this mess and will probably take just as long or longer to get it cleaned up.

So to answer the question, “Will Obama Fix Our Economy”, I think that he’ll implement policies he belives will help the country but they will take a while to make an impact and in the mean time it will be a bumpy ride.

Money Articles

Anyhow, time to get out of the 10,000 foot view of economic policies and down to the ground level of actual money advice.  Here are some of the stories I enjoyed about money this week:

From The Money Writers:

Just in time for open enrollment, Generation X has a good article on medical deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance.

Lazy Man shares his plan to retire early in several installments, the latest is their Obstacles to Retiring Early.

Madison from My Dollar Plan already did leave her job and answers a lot of questions people had about her situation.  Unfortunately she recieved a lot of nasty personal attacks when she shared her situation recently so I’m sure she’d appreciate you stopping by and leaving a kind word or two.

Brip Blap left his job as well, but not voluntarily.  He was laid off but is actually kind of excited about it.

The market is on most everyone’s minds these days, Sun takes a look at the value of having alternative investments in your portfolio during these volatile times.  Flexo is buying on the dips, I’ve been putting money into the market every day as well, taking advantage of the free trades in my new Zecco trading account.

Frugal Dad takes a look at home ownership and it’s realities during this economic slump.

Million Dollar Journey talks about how Oprah is trying to teach kids about money and do something about the sense of entitlement that some youth feel today.

Money Blog Network

No Credit Needed has a good reminder for us, don’t wait until January 1st to make your financial resolutions.

Mighty Bargain Hunter is getting back to the basics when it comes to money matters.

Five Cent Nickel takes a look at one approach to running out of money in retirement.

Free Money Finance offers some ways to save money when eating out.

Get Rich Slowly shares his thoughts on the book Bull Moves in a Bear Market.

Elsewhere

Jim voted for Barack Obama and is hopeful that he will improve the US standing in the world and address our dependence on fossil fuels.

The Simple Dollar takes a look at some of the financial excuses that people tend to give.

Moolanomy offers 7 ways you can turbo charge your career, one thing you can have an impact on in this crazy economy.

Thanks to Master Your Card and Sun’s Financial Diary for hosting the last two installments of the Carnival of Personal Finance!

TGIF!!!

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Lending Club Loan Review – How to Borrow Money from Lending Club

Lending Club is a company that allows you to borrow money directly from other people instead of from a bank. Lending Club has built a system that allows you to apply for a personal loan on their website and lets other consumers lend you the money.

This approach to getting a loan is known as peer to peer lending, or social lending, and the main concept is that loan rates are lower because you cut out the middle man, banks, and borrow directly from other people.

Borrowing or Lending Money

You can become either a lender, a borrower, or both with Lending Club but this post will take a look at the process of applying for a loan through the Lending Club website. 

Some people may be hesitant to apply for a personal loan through a peer to peer lending site since it’s different than the traditional method of borrowing from a bank or credit union but thousands of people have collectively borrowed millions of dollars from peer lending sites and have had great experiences.

Sign Up for Lending Club

The first step of getting a personal loan through Lending Club is to signup for an account at their website.  All that’s required as part of the initial signup is entering your email address, a security question, and creating a screen name for the site.

You’ll receive a verfication email containing a link asking you to confirm that you registered with Lending Club.  Once you click the link to confirm, you’ll get another email welcoming you as a member and letting you know how to get started

When you’re ready to invest money or get a loan, just click on the Invest or Borrow tab or any of the “Start Investing” or “Start Borrowing” buttons

Apply for a Personal Loan

Once you’re logged in and you click on the Borrow tab at the top of the screen, if you’re taken to a screen that talks about the loan application,
interest rates, and privacy there should be a Get a Loan button at the bottom of the page that will take you to your loan application.

Lending Club has organized the process of applying for a loan into 8 steps.  The first information you enter is how much you’d like to borrow and what the money will be used for. 

Here you can see an example of the first screen, the description of the loan request is an important part of getting the money you’re asking for.  Of course people will look at your credit rating as part of the evaluation process but they’ll also pay close attention to what you’re using the money for and how you’ll pay it back.

Here is an example of a loan application where I specify what I need the money for and how I plan on paying back the money I borrow: 

I’m looking for funds to turn my eBay inventory into cash.

 

I’ve run an eBay business for the past several years, purchasing items at 60-70% off retail and reselling them for a profit on eBay.

 

I have about $3000 worth of inventory that I need to sell this Christmas season and I am going to hire an assistant to list the products on eBay, handle the sales process, and ship the products.

 

This loan would pay the salary of the assistant.  The amount I spent on the inventory is around $3000, since I purchase items 60-70% off retail, the retail value of the inventory is $4800 – $5100.

 

I will pay back this loan with the cash I earn from the sale of this inventory.

People that are considering funding your loan will want to know how much of a credit risk you are so the more detail you can give them as to how you’ll use the money and pay it back the better.

Personal Loan Application

The next step is to fill in your personal information: name, address, birthday, social security number.  Most personal information will not be made available to potential lenders, any data that is, such as your city and state, is highlighted so that you see feel secure about your privacy.

The same screen also asks for your income and employer information, whether you rent or own, and asks for permission to obtain consumer reports from agencies such at TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.  They use this consumer information for the next step,  identity verification.

Identity Verification

Below are some sample questions that Lending Club might ask you to verify your identity:

What year was your most recent mortgage established?
# 2000
# 1994
# 2003
# 1998
# None of the above

On which of these streets have you lived previously?

    * NE DIAMOND
    * OAK
    * CAMBRIDGE
    * WASHINGTON
    * None of the above

Which zip code has never been a part of your address?

    * 20401
    * 57186
    * 57361
    * 98101
    * None of the above

If your answers to the questions match what is on your consumer credit reports then Lending Club deems your identity as verified, that you are who you say you are.

Personal Loan Terms

The next step in the application process is to choose your loan terms.  You are shown your loan APR that was determined based on your credit score, loan amount and Debt-to-Income ratio (DTI), and presented with a choice of loan amounts. Below is an example:

Truth in Lending Disclosure Statement

Once you select a loan term you’re taken to your Truth and Lending Disclosure Statement that shows you your Annual Percentage Rate, Finance Charge, Amount Financed, and Total of Payments.

Bank Funding

After you’ve accepted the loan terms you’re then asked to setup your bank account information so that you can receive the money if your loan is funded.  As you can see below, it’s the standard ACH setup where you enter the bank name, routing number, and your account number.  You are also asked to agree to some terms that authorize Lending Club to verify your bank account.

Borrowing Affiliations

You’re almost finished with the application at this point.  In this step you can setup what Lending Club calls affiliations. Here is how they describe them:

“Lenders often review personal profiles and sometimes decide to fund loans based on their shared interests and backgrounds with the borrowers. The information you provide below will be displayed publicly (yet anonymously) in your loan listing.”

These affiliations include

• Education (List any colleges, universities or other accredited institutions that you have attended or are currently attending)
• Workplace (current or former places of employment)
• Geography (city, state)
• Associations (trade associations, charities, service organizations, or groups with which you are affiliated as a member, volunteer, board member, etc.

Review and Submit Loan Application

The final step in the application process is to review the information you’ve submitted and verify it’s all correct.  Here you can edit your Loan Title and Loan Description and are shown your Loan Terms, for example:

    Requested amount: $1,000.00
    Loan length: 36 months
    Grade: A
    Rate: 7.68%

Here Lending Club also explains the details of your loan listing.  In this example case the loan request will be listed in the loan marketplace for people to fund for either 14 days or until the loan if fully funded, whicheve is sooner.

The last thing you do is to agree to their Loan and Borrower Agreements and once you click the Submit button on that page your loan application is complete!

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FNBO Direct Online Savings Account Review – High Yield, Secure, & Good Service

FNBO Direct is one of the best online savings accounts not just because it offers high yield interest rates on your deposits but also because it makes accessing your money simple with an ATM card and great customer service as well as being one of the safest online bank accounts.

Easy Access to Online Savings

When you signup up for an FNBO Direct account they give you the option of an FNBO ATM card so that you have easy access to your money even while it’s earning over 3% in your high yield savings account.  I really love this feature and wish ING Direct would offer it on their savings account.

Of course your FNBO Direct account is accessible online whenever you need it but something else I’ve been pleased with is their customer service for times you run into problems or questions with the account.  They make it easy to get help with online representatives available via a toll free call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

I was up late working last night, called FNBO customer service at around 2 AM with a question about logging in, and had my question answered right away.  It seems so many other financial institutions you call for help in the evening and get a recorded message, please call back during our normal business hours, 8 – 5.  FNBO Direct makes it easier to have access to your money whenever you need it.

Conservative Approach Offers Security

The FNBO Direct parent company, First National Bank of Omaha, saw through the risks of subprime mortgages and easy credit and was not invested in the securities that are tied to collateralized debt obligations and derivatives.  While other major banks were failing left and right, the disciplined money management of FNBO kept them secure and actually adding new customers.  These are some of the reasons why Bankrate chose FNBO as one of the safest online banks in their Safe and Sound bank rating system.

I’ve already covered how FNBO is the largest privately owned banking company in the US and how the CEO manages risk and has a history of protecting your money, you can read more about the FNBO Direct CEO and its financial strategies.

Competitive Interest Rates

One of the other main reasons I opened an account with FNBO Direct is that they have historically offered some of the best interest rates available in an online savings account.  They do track the market, raising and lowering rates along with Fed moves, so the annual percentage yield will fluctuate over time but in comparison to other online bank accounts, FNBO Direct has been one of the top banks in terms of interest rates.

Easy to Open

I was pleased with the ease of opening and funding my account with FNBO Direct.  The account creation process went smoothly from the personalized verification identity check to the ACH funding setup.  I was even interrupted by a screaming fit from our son right in the middle of the application and was able to come back and pickup right where I left off.  If the readers are interested, I can go into the details of the account signup process in another post.

I’d recommend signing up with FNBO Direct, it’s been a good banking experience for me so far, if you try it out let me know how it goes for you.

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American Express Blue Cash Card Can Help You Move

The American Express blue cash card is one of the best credit cards to use for your moving expenses because of it’s cash back program and it’s services that can make the details of moving easier.

The cashback you earn on the money you spend for moving expenses won’t be spectacular but it will help you move more quickly into the highest cash rewards tier.  Moving expenses can definitely add up: buying boxes and shipping materials, renting moving trucks, hiring movers, cleaning out or repairing your new or old home, paying for gas, paying deposits, etc.  Of course there are things you can do to reduce your moving costs but it’s still an expensive life event.

Save Money on Moving Expenses

American Express occassionally teams up with other companies to offer you a discount if you pay with one of their credit cards.  For example, if you use your Blue Cash card to rent a truck from Budget through their website for the next two months, they’ll give you 15% off the cost of the rental.

Dispute Charges

When you move to a new place you’ll be spending money at new businesses and with new service providers.  You can use reviews and referrals to help figure out which ones you can trust to hire or buy from during and after the move but you still might end up having a bad experience with a business.  One of the families I know that moved recently had some issues with their moving company and is still working to dispute charges that were put on thier credit card bill.

If you’re billed by such a merchant for something you don’t feel you owe, American Express makes it easy to raise a red flag. Of course most credit cards have the ability to dispute charges but American Express makes it easy to initiate.  Your online records have a button where you can open an inquiry and their interactive services team will walk you through the steps necessary.

Online Statement Record Keeping

If you need to keep track of all moving expenses for budgeting reaons or if you need to submit a portion of the costs to your employer for reimbursement then the online statement that Amex provides is very helpful.

Unlike other cards that simply list the charge amount, a brief merchant description, and the date; American Express provides all the detail you need when submitting expense reports

Here is an example of the detail for one of the charges I made recently on a business trip to Chicago.  This is an expense my company will reimburse me for but I couldn’t find the reciept anywhere once I returned home.  The good news is that my online credit card statement provided more than enough information for me to submit it on my expense report.

Save Time & Money Moving

Moving can be a tedious and expensive process so we all look for ways to cut the cost and stress of the event. The American Express Blue Cash card can help with cash back rewards, discounts on moving, disputing charges, and managing your expense reciepts. Of course not all businesses accept American Express cards so it’s helpful to carry a cash back visa card and some extra cash when moving as well.

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How to Find a Doctor, Accountant, or Plumber You Can Trust in a New City

People enjoy being comfortable, and moving takes us out of our comfort zone. We leave behind old friends, a familiar school district, the restaurants we love, and the advisors we trust. It can take years to to find and build relationships with quality professionals like our doctor, accountant, contractor, financial planner, and attorney.

It’s stressful and a bit scary moving to a new city and not knowing who to turn to for help. Simply calling a random professional in the phone book can potentially turn out to be a disaster. So, what should you do? We’ll take a look at a few things you can try to help find someone that you can trust.  Getting a good referral, checking with the local chamber of commerce, and taking a test run with potential candidates are strategies that can actually be combined to help you be sure you’re picking the right advisor.

Ask for a Referral

The best way to find a professional that you can trust is from a personal referral. At your new job, ask a co-worker that seems to have their stuff together who they use for their attorney, financial planner, or CPA. You can also ask a neighbor that you’ve begun a friendship with, members of a new church, or contacts in any community organizations you join. If you are a fan of Dave Ramsey, he has a nice network of “endorsed local providers”, which is a network of professionals all around the country that he trusts will take care of you.

If you aren’t moving too far away from your old town, you can also ask your former professional. Many attorneys, doctors, and CPA’s have friends and colleagues around the state. It never hurts to ask them if they know anyone in the new city you are moving to. If they are losing your business, they are usually happy to refer you to someone they trust will take care of you.

Check Angies List

Angies List is a service where members share their experiences with local professionals and rate them on a variety of factors such as overall experience, price, quality, responsiveness, and timeliness.  The site has been around since the mid 1990’s so it should have a considerable amount of reviews built up by now.  It started off focusing on contractors and service companies but lately has added health care providers as well. Give Angies List a try to hear what other consumers are saying about the professional you’re considering.

Check With Your Local Chamber of Commerce

If you have a decent local chamber of commerce, they should be able to point you to the professionals in your new town that are well-established with a good reputation. Many trusted professionals join their local chamber of commerce as a way to network with other professionals and gain leads on potential clients.

Take a Test Run

Once you have a short list of potential candidates the best way to find out if they’re as good as their reputation is to give them a test run.  Treat the first consultation or visit as an interview. Grill the professional you meet with and make sure they have the professional skills you’re looking for and the ethical values that you look for in a person.

Keep your old professional

This won’t work for a doctor or dentist, but many professionals such as a CPA, attorney, or financial planner can help you with all of your business from a different location. Teleconferencing and videoconferencing allow you to continue working with some types of advisors remotely, so don’t feel like you have to dump your professional just because you are moving.

Consider a combination of these approaches to help you find a professional in your new area, and you should come out with a winner. Remember, you are the customer, and they are there to meet your needs. Don’t be afraid to ask any relevant questions, and make sure they are up front with you about their fees from the beginning.

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Moving Expenses – Paying Bills On Time & Avoiding New Fees

When you’re caught up in the mayhem of a big move, the thought of setting up a new utility account or closing out a cable bill may be one of the last things on your mind. It seems there are always additional expenses when closing out old accounts and opening up new ones, and many of us blindly pay the fees tacked on to new bills. My wife incurred quite a few extra fees during our move, and the current utility company was a bunch of jerks, and they wouldn’t work with us. Here are a few tips to easily transfer your life from one city to another without incurring many expenses.

Request a mail transfer online.

If you’re local post office is not convenient to get to, you can go onto USPS.com and make a request to transfer your mail from one address to another for only a $1.00. It’s really convenient and very cheap. It’s free to transfer your mail if you fill out the paper form, but I find that the $1.00 is worth the convenience. You want to make sure your transfer your mail right away so you don’t miss any bills and end up owing late fees.

Avoid putting down a deposit on a new utilities account.

Our new utilities company in Orlando slapped a $165.00 deposit fee onto our first bill. We had never paid a deposit on our utilities in the past, so I called them up and asked if they would accept letters of reference from our old utilities company. They refused, so I was stuck putting down the deposit.

However, some companies will accept a letter of reference from your past utility company showing that you have a history of paying on time. If at all possible try to avoid putting down deposits with utilties companies, it’s easy to forget about collecting this money years down the road when you’re in the middle of a big move.

Avoid Paying Service Initiation Fees.

Again, our utilities company tried to slap us a service initiation fee, but we got this waived after a long conversation about how they didn’t do anything to warrant charging this fee. Bright House, which has been a GREAT cable company for us so far, did not charge any set-up fees when they came out to set up our cable. Many companies will try to slip these fees in on your first bill, but call up their customer service line and try to get them waived.

Find a new bank with a no fee checking account.

We use Bank of America largely for the fact that we can move anywhere in the southeast and have a BOA branch next to us. We aren’t the biggest fans of Bank of America for a variety of reasons, but the convenience and the free checking account keeps us there. If you need to move away from your local bank that doesn’t have a branch in your new city, you can check out the local credit unions in your new city. They typically have no-fee, no-nonsense banking principles.

With the squeeze of the economy, finding ways to save money has become more important than ever. Moving can be a big expense, and the last thing you want happening is to get slapped with big fees from your new utility or cable company. If you have more ideas for saving, comment below.

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