U.S. Bank providing up to $600 in account bonuses

U.S. Bank is offering customers up to $600 for opening a new U.S. Bank Smartly Checking and U.S. Bank Standard Savings account and completing required activities for each account. Customers will receive up to $400 after opening a U.S. Bank Smartly Checking account and receiving two or more direct deposits within 90 days. A $200 bonus is provided for direct deposits totaling $3,000 to $5,999.99, and a $400 bonus is provided for direct deposits of $6,000 or more. Customers can also earn up to $200 by opening a new U.S. Bank Standard Savings account with a …

TransUnion reports data breach

TransUnion, one of the three major credit bureaus in the United States, has reported a data breach impacting an undisclosed number of consumers. TransUnion states that upon discovery of the incident, they “engaged in an investigation to identify and notify individuals whose personal information we believe was accessed by unauthorized actors.” Affected individuals will receive a letter detailing the data that was breached, as well as a code that they can use to sign up for complimentary credit …

PayPal is officially ending its PayPal Key service

For a certain group of savvy users, PayPal Key lost its luster some time ago and PayPal will officially axe the service soon. Staying true to form, PayPal provided conflicting dates related to the discontinuation of the service. While the email sent to PayPal Key users states, “Starting April 20, 2022, you will no longer be able to use your PayPal Key Virtual Cards,” the help section that the email links to says, “Any new transactions with a PayPal Key virtual card number will be declined starting April 21, 2022.” Another section of PayPal’s site says, “On …

There’s speculation, but no final word on an extension of the federal student loan payment pause

There has been speculation that the student loan repayment pause will be extended again. Last week, the White House stated that an extension is under consideration, and more recently, the Education Department instructed federal student loan servicers to hold off on sending borrowers the notices that they’re required to send about the resumption of student loan payments. The student loan payment pause began at the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020 and has been extended a few times, with the latest extension set to expire on May 1, 2022. The student loan relief called for …

Bank of America employees mistake ‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler for a bank robber

The director was cuffed at a Georgia Bank of America in January after suspicious staff mistook him for a bank robber. The incident occurred after Coogler, wearing a medical face mask, sunglasses, and a hat resembling a beanie, handed the teller a withdrawal slip that read, “I would like to withdraw $12,000 cash from my checking account. Please do the money count somewhere else. I’d like to be discreet.” Due to the large amount of the transaction, the employee received an alert. She conferred with her manager and the police were called. Cops detained two car …

Discover to discontinue its free Credit Scorecard service

Currently, Discover customers receive their Transunion FICO 8 score each month. Through creditscorecard.com, Discover customers have also been able to access their Experian FICO 8 score, which is updated monthly. This service is also available to non-Discover customers, and it’s the service that Discover is discontinuing entirely on June 6, 2022. As of as of March 1, 2022, Discover no longer accepts registrations for the service. Discover has confirmed that its customers will have access to their Transunion FICO score each month, on their statement, on the Discover site and in the Discover app. …

Free COVID testing kits can be ordered through special government site

President Joe Biden announced during Thursday’s State of the Union that free COVID tests could be ordered online the following week. Accessing will direct users to a USPS page that will allow them to order eight free at-home COVID testing kits. The tests can also be ordered by calling 800-232-0233. TTY users can call 888-720-7489. Each household can order up to eight tests total, and up to four at a time. As of January 15, 2022, insurance providers are required to help their plan members cover the cost of at-home testing …

How to change your credit card due date

Changing your credit card due date can helpful tool if you’re budgeting, taking advantage of credit card float, or just looking to make the bill payment process easier. Changing your credit card due date with Capital One Capital One makes it fairly easy for customers to change their due date. You don’t need to call, although if you do, the rep will help you change your date. However, if you’re do-it-yourselfer, you can easily change your Capital One credit card’s due date with just a few clicks. Once you’re on the site and you’ve …

SoFi now offering margin investing at one of the lowest rates, but still lacks options

SoFi is now offering customers the ability to trade on margin. The introductory rate is one of the lowest in theindustry. Through May 31, 2022, SoFi’s margin rate will be 2.5%. Beginning on June 1, 2022, SoFi will increase its margin rate to 5%, which is still quite low considering that brokerages that do offer similar rates only do so after the customer initiates negotiations. Despite offering low margin rates, SoFi’s lack of options trading takes SoFi out of the race for some investors. While SoFi’s offerings may be sufficient for the beginner investor, and even …