Battle your bank on debit card fees 

Bank fees have been one of my hot-button issues lately. I hate the fact that banks feel like you should pay for the privilege of being one of their customers.

The Durbin Amendment was part of a sweeping financial reform and consumer protection act passed by Congress in 2010. The goal was to put some limits on what banks could charge merchants and consumers for transactions, but here’s a shocker – banks are finding loopholes in the law and jacking up the fees on consumers.

Wells Fargo is trying out a $3 a month fee for debit cards in a handful of states. The move has caught the ire of Sen. Richard Durbin (the namesake of the Durbin Amendment), who has asked the Wells Fargo CEO to explain why the company needs such a fee, especially when its third quarter earnings were $3.8 billion; yes, billion.

On the October 23 edition of Saving Thousands! with Robert Palmer,  we’ll talk about ways to avoid the dreaded debit card fees. There are several things you can do to save money and feel good about not  padding your bank’s bottom line with unnecessary fees.

Everyone knows selling a home can be a tough proposition right now, but there are several things that you can do to make your home more attractive to buyers. Remember, you’re competing against everyone else in your neighborhood who has a “for sale” sign up.  We’ll talk about pricing, things to do inside and outside, repairs and staging. Buyers have a definite advantage these days. Marketing your home to them correctly and getting a quick sale can save you thousands.

Are you a Zillow user? If not you should be. It’s a great resource to find out a ton of information on home values, homes for sale, rents, etc. Zillow has a new ranking out right now – which city is tops for trick or treating? That’s right, a breakdown of where trick-or-treaters do the best. Unfortunately, this list may have kids in Orlando yelling “boo!” – the City Beautiful did not crack the top 20. If you want to maximize the haul for your ghosts and goblins, you’ll have to take them to San Francisco, Boston or Honolulu.

Tune in Sunday at 11 am on WDBO 580 AM or WHTQ 96.5 FM and learn how to Save Thousands! Our new FM signal means people as far north as Palm Coast, as far south as Vero Beach and as far west as Dade City and Ocala are now tuning in and Saving Thousands!