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Most People Fall For Fake Bank Fees, Survey Shows

Emily Co — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:05:27 PDT

It's sad that we've been penalized for fees so much that most people are finding it hard to tell which fees are real or fake. In fact, in a recent ING Direct survey, none of the 1,000 participants managed to correctly categorize bank fees. Here are some ways ING advises to avoid facing the real fees:

Read the fine print when you sign up for checking accounts.
Avoid the automatic opt-in overdraft protection and do your best to live within your means and not overspend.
Take note of what your balance is.
Locate and use ATMs that won't charge you a fee.
Automate payments so you'll be able to better monitor your balance.
Join a bank that's "fee-free."

CNN recently created a list of their top nine banking fees pet peeves, which includes the fee you have to pay when you forget to update your address and the one for replacing your debit card. My last annoying bank fee was a $30 fee for canceling a check, which wasn't something I could've prevented. What about you - what was the last fee your bank charged you?

Poll Shows People Have Less Faith Than Ever in 20-Somethings

Emily Co — Thu, 05 May 2011 12:54:18 PDT

It's a little depressing to hear that the majority of Americans have little faith in Gen Y. The only people that seem hopeful about our prospects are, well, the 20-somethings themselves. Just 44 percent of respondents believe that people in their 20s will have a better life than their parents, according to a Gallup survey. Compared with past results, that's the lowest since 1983 and the first time it has reached below 50 percent.

Perhaps it's a combination of rising school loans and recessionary pessimism. Or maybe it's due to the fact that Gen Y-ers are taking even longer to settle down with steady career paths compared to the previous generations. Many SavvySugar readers have chimed in and said jumping from job to job is really a mandatory result of the economy, and not because they are eager to explore job opportunities out there.

Do you think you'll be more successful than your parents?

More Teens Want to Grow Up to Be Bankers, Study Says

Emily Co — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:08:30 PDT

It appears that movies like Wall Street are making a good impression on the younger generation. Teenage respondents on a Monster.co.uk study picked being a banker as their top second dream career, according to the Daily Mail. The driving factor behind their top career picks is wealth, with 25 percent of teens saying monetary success is the main reason they admire their role model.

According to Indeed.com, the average banker salary is $104,000. Six-figure banking incomes are probably appealing to those who are facing mounting student debts and rising college tuition.

"Particularly intriguing is the increased interest in the banking sector, as it seems young people are not discouraged in any way by the events of the recent recession. Far from discouraging youngsters, it seems that the talk of bankers earning vast bonuses has simply made it a profession more and more children aspire to," says Monster spokesperson Isabelle Ratinaud.

Here's the full list:

Doctor, surgeon, nurse, or vet: nine percent
Banker: eight percent
Actor or actress: six percent
Sportsperson: six percent
Emergency services (police officer or firefighter): six percent

What did you want to be when you were a teen, and did you end up achieving that career goal?

Who Is Clipping Coupons?

Emily Co — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:28:12 PDT

We might not all qualify for the TLC show Extreme Couponing, but a lot of us (to an extent) use coupons to cut costs. As food prices keep on rising, many will employ new strategies to cope with the ding on their wallets. So who exactly is couponing? A recent survey by Harris Interactive and Coupons.com shows that clipping coupons is fast becoming picked up by Americans looking to save. In fact, 95 percent of respondents say they are actively employing some sort of saving strategy at the supermarket, and coupons are the most popular choice. Here is an interesting breakdown of the statistics:

Women use coupons more than men.
Those with incomes over $50,000 use coupons more than those with incomes below $50,000.
People with college degrees are more likely to use coupons than those with high school degrees.

The results are pretty surprising because you would think those who need to save more money would rely on coupons more.

The Top 10 Happiest Cities to Work

Emily Co — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:36:51 PDT

Seeing as how 77 percent of people suffer from job stress according to a recent survey, they might want to pack their bags and move to one of the happiest cities to work in. And why are all these residents so happy? CareerBliss took into account factors such as average salary, benefits, job growth, and security before coming up with this list:

San Jose, CA
San Francisco, CA
Jacksonville, FL
Miami, FL
Washington, DC
Memphis, TN
El Paso, TX
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
Birmingham, AL

To view the unhappiest cities to work in, read on.

How Much Do Millionaires Need to Feel Rich?

Emily Co — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:15:36 PDT

Apparently most US millionaires feel poor if they don't meet a certain quota, according to a recent Fidelity Investments poll. Those who responded to the annual "Millionaire's Outlook" survey were worth at least $1 million, which doesn't include how much they have invested in retirement or real estate. It's pretty baffling to know that the rich simply don't know they are wealthy. Take a guess, how much do you think millionaires need to feel rich?

Take the Quiz

Guess How Much Time Women Spend Shopping Each Year?

Emily Co — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:45:09 PST

Women are notorious for turning shopping into a sport, but how much do we really shop a year? We need to shop for necessities such as groceries and random household objects, so that adds up to a lot of hours of buying stuff. And if you're including window shopping, that takes up 49 hours per year, according to a poll by OnePoll.com. So how many hours do you think you spend shopping a year?

Take the Quiz

Infograph: What Men and Women Really Think About Valentine's Day

TresSugar — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 11:25:31 PST

Do women really love red roses? How much should you spend on a gift? Do single people plan on hooking up on Valentine's Day? We got the answers to those questions and more when we teamed up with Ask Men and polled thousands of men and women about Feb. 14. We wanted to find out just how much men and women agree, or disagree, on the specifics of the lovers' holiday. The results are in! Take a peek into the collective mind of each gender just in time for Valentine's Day with our handy infograph!

Want to know more? Read all the results here.

Men vs. Women Valentine's Day Survey Results!

TresSugar — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:51:18 PST

Valentine's Day is for lovers, but men and women don't always agree about the details! We partnered with Ask Men and polled thousands of men and women to find out exactly how we disagree. The results are in! Some of the answers might surprise you, like who hates V-Day engagements more, how many people have had a one-night stand on Feb. 14, and what each gender thinks about partying with their single friends. Other results won't catch you off guard - Surprise! Sex is the preferred gift among men. We also found out which celebrity charmer women wish they could go out with, and which famous woman tops men's dream-Valentine list. Take a peek now into the collective mind of each gender just in time for Valentine's Day! And check out our insightful Valentine's Day infograph, too!

The Recession Strengthened Marriage Vows, Survey Finds

Emily Co — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 13:40:42 PST

Wow, on top of all the unique aftereffects of the recession, here's another one: 38 percent of people have postponed divorce or separation plans due to the recession, a survey by the National Marriage Project at University of Virginia finds. Not only that, but another 29 percent said that the economic downturn has "deepened their marriage vows."

Don't forget, though, there's also research out there that shows the recession is bringing about fewer marriages. In fact, 2009 saw an all-time record low in the number of registered marriages in a whopping 100 years. This really drives home the fact that marriage isn't a union that should be based solely on love - it's also about finding your money mate as well. It's important to be very honest with your partner about finances, and it makes things go a lot smoother if you're on the same page about issues such as debt, spending, and saving. These are thorny topics that will definitely pop up during your relationship, so make sure to address them early on. Remember, there are plenty of ways to bring up this touchy subject, and tax season is the perfect time to talk about dollars and cents with your other half!

Has the recession affected your relationship in any way?