Selecting a Financial Institution

Selecting a Financial Institution

Carefully select a financial institution by comparing the terms and
prices of all of the services you need.

o Shop around. Do not do business with the first institution that
seems willing to do business with you.

o Check the front door to see if the institution displays a
government logo indicating that it is insured Federally.
Generally, if the institution is insured Federally, an individual
is covered for up to $100,000 in deposits if the institution fails.




Truth in Savings Act

o Requires financial institutions to disclose the "Annual
Percentage Yield," or "APY," on savings accounts. The APY tells
you how much money you would earn if you kept $100 in the account
for one year.

o Requires that the institution credit your entire deposit instead
of crediting a portion of your deposit or using a "low balance per
month" method. This increases your earnings.

o Requires that institutions have available a list of their fees
for bounced checks, stop payment orders, certified checks, wire
transfers or similar items. Ask for the list.

o Prohibits institutions from advertising "free" checking if there
are hidden charges or requirements, for example, having to maintain
a minimum balance to qualify.

Checking Accounts

o Before you open a checking account, find out what the fees will
be for writing checks, for bounced checks, for the checks
themselves and for other services. Ask if the institution will
send you the canceled checks with your monthly statement. If not,
find out the cost for copies of canceled checks. You might need
them for proof of payment in some situations.

Loans

o When shopping for a mortgage, check the real estate section of
your local newspaper to find out the current interest rates. Check
the rates for 30-year mortgages, 15-year mortgages and adjustable
rate mortgages. Ask the lending institution to
explain the differences.

o Most home improvement loans are secured by a mortgage on your
home. It's better not to finance expensive credit life insurance
or to consolidate other debts into this loan. Your home will be at
risk for every extra dollar you borrow. If you don't make your
payments, you could lose your home.

o For car loans, compare the rates offered by the car dealer with
those of local lending institutions. Don't add expensive extras
like credit life insurance to the total amount of the loan. You do
not have to purchase credit insurance in order to get a loan.
Credit Cards

o For a small fee, you can purchase a list of the most
competitive interest rates and credit cards in the country and find
out how to qualify for the lowest rate possible by
contacting Bankcard Holders of America, 560 Herndon Parkway, Suite
120, Herndon, VA 22070, (703) 481-1110.

o If you cannot pay off your full credit card balance each month,
a lower interest rate will save you money. If you do pay off your
balance in full each month, choose a card with no annual fee.

o Report billing errors and unauthorized charges to your credit
card company right away. Keep a list of credit card numbers and
card company phone numbers to alert a credit card company
immediately if a card is stolen or missing. If you report the
incident immediately, the most you will have to pay for any
unauthorized charges is $50 on each card, regardless of how high
the total unauthorized charges go before you report your card
missing.

o Don't give your credit card number over the phone to
unfamiliar companies or to people who say they need it to
"verify" your identity in order to give you a prize.

o After signing your name on a credit card charge slip, pull out
the carbons and rip them up.

o A Federal law gives all consumers equal access to credit. The
Equal Credit Opportunity Act makes it illegal for creditors to
discriminate against applicants on the basis of race, sex,
national origin, marital status, age or religion, or because of
public assistance income.

o Be cautious of offers for "secured" credit cards. These cards
usually require you to set aside money in a separate bank account
in an amount equal to the line of credit on the card to guarantee
that you will pay the credit card debt. Some of these offers
advertise that secured cards can be used to "repair" a bad credit
record, but you should know that no matter how well you handle this
account, your payment history on your past debts still will be
taken into consideration when you apply to other lenders for credit
or for employment or housing.

For more information or to file a complaint, contact:

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Office of Consumer Affairs
550 17th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20429
(202) 898-3536
(202) 898-6726 (voice/TDD)
1 (800) 934-3342 (toll free)

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Division of Consumer and Community Affairs
20th and C Streets, N.W.
Mail Stop 198
Washington, DC 20551
(202) 452-3693
(202) 898-6726 (FDIC Voice/TDD)

Comptroller of the Currency
Consumer Affairs
250 E Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20219
(202) 874-4820

Bankcard Holders of America
560 Herndon Parkway, Suite 120
Herndon, VA 22070
(703) 481-1110

National Credit Union Administration
1775 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-3428
(703) 518-6300

State Banking Authorities
(See Consumer Assistance Directory, page 87.)

State and Local Consumer Protection Offices
(See Consumer Assistance Directory, page 70.)


Credit

Credit Reporting

The three biggest credit reporting agencies, TRW, Equifax and Trans
Union, each have millions of credit files on consumers nationwide.
Their toll-free numbers are:

o TRW - 1 (800) 392-1122;

o Equifax - 1 (800) 685-1111; and

o Trans Union - 1 (800) 851-2674.

You can find other credit bureaus in your area by looking in the
Yellow Pages under Credit Bureaus or Credit Reporting.

If you apply for credit, insurance, a job or to rent an
apartment, your credit record might be examined. You can make sure
yours is accurate.

o Get a copy once a year or before major purchases. Your report
is generally free if you've been denied credit in the past 60 days.
Otherwise, the credit bureau can impose a reasonable charge.

o Read the report carefully. The credit bureau must provide
trained personnel to explain the information in the report. o
Dispute any incorrect information in your credit record. Write to
the credit bureau and be specific about what is wrong with your
report. Send copies of any documents that support your dispute.

In response to your complaint, the credit bureau:

o must investigate your dispute and respond to you, usually within
30-35 days; information that is inaccurate or cannot be verified
must be corrected or taken off your report; and

o cannot be required to remove accurate, verifiable information
that is less than seven years old (10 years for bankruptcies). If
you are dissatisfied with the results of the re-investigation, you
can have the credit bureau include a 100-word consumer
statement, giving your version of the disputed information. You
also can contact the source of the disputed information and try to
resolve the matter.

If there is an error on a report from one credit bureau, the same
mistake might be on others as well. You might want to contact the
three major bureaus, as well as any local bureau listed in the
Yellow Pages of your telephone book.


Credit bureaus sometimes sell your name to banks or others who want
to send you offers for credit cards or other forms of
credit. If you don't want your name included on such lists, write
or call the three major credit bureaus and tell them not to release
your name.