MyCardBlog

Washington Mutual has already been sold to JPMorgan Chase & Co in this September. The previous WaMu free checking account and high yield savings account is a great combination to enjoy high interest rate from a good savings account and an easy to use checking account. This combination is reviewed here.

Today I received an email and a mail from WaMu which is offering $100 bonus for opening a free checking account at WaMu.

The email stated that:”As a valued WaMu Credit Card customer, you may have heard that we’ve joined forces with Chase, one of America’s largest banks. To celebrate our bright future, we’re offering you $100 simply for opening a WaMu Free Checking account.”

It seems that this offer is targeted to WaMu Credit Card customers. There is a promotion code came with the email. Mine is 0070-ADCR-8845. This offer ends on 01/24/2009. The online application page can be found through this link.

WaMu Free Checking Account features:

• FREE Access to over 14,000 WaMu & Chase ATMs nationwide
• FREE Checks
• FREE WaMu® Debit MasterCard® with $0 Liability Fraud Coverage
• FREE Online Banking with Bill Pay
• One overdraft or bounced check fee waived per year

The $100 bonus is a sweet deal, especially when this account only requires you to make $100 initial deposit to receive $100 bonus (no direct deposit is required!).

Plus if you use the WaMu Debit MasterCard comes with your free checking account, you have the chance to win $1,000 per day!

WaMu is running a sweepstake for the WaMu debit MasterCard users. Each time you sign for purchases between November 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, you will be entered for a chance to win the daily prize of a $1,000 gift card. You’ll also be automatically entered to win the grand prize of $50,000 on New Year’s Eve. Please note that only the signature based transactions are counted. The details can be found here.

Fidelity Investments, the No. 1 provider of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), partnered with Bank of America to launch a new credit card product—the Fidelity Retirement Rewards American Express Card. Fidelity currently has two credit cards: Fidelity 529 College Rewards American Express Card and Fidelity Investment Rewards Visa Signature Card with WorldPoints Rewards. The new credit card is a great choice in the credit card market.

The Fidelity Retirement Rewards American Express Card is claimed to “give investors an innovative way to save for retirement while purchasing everyday necessities”. This new credit card product is offering a 2 percent earn rate on everyday purchases when Cardmembers redeem their cash rewards as a current year contribution into their Fidelity IRA.

Features of this credit card:

• Turn 2% of purchases into a contribution for your Fidelity IRA
• No limits on cash rewards
• No annual fee

Here is how the Fidelity Rewards Card works:

• You’ll earn 2 points for each $1 you spend on purchases.
• Reach 5,000 points after you make $2,500 in purchases and $50 can be automatically swept into your Fidelity IRA as a current year contribution or other Fidelity account.
• Enjoy more flexibility with additional WorldPoints rewards options, including travel, merchandise, travel, and other rewards.

This is a really great credit card if you have a Fidelity IRA account. Combine the Fidelity Retirement Rewards Card with the tax-advantaged benefits of the Fidelity IRA, you can really save a lot of money. The Fidelity 529 College Rewards American Express Card and Fidelity Investment Rewards Visa Signature Card with WorldPoints Rewards are rated as the top 5 credit cards by SmartMoney.com in 2006. Thus this new credit card is really promising.

This new credit card is accepting applications now via www.fidelity.com/retirementrewards. Or you can call 866-598-4971 and mention priority code FAC5D2.

Fidelity Investments is one of the world’s largest providers of financial services, with custodied assets of nearly $2.7 trillion, including managed assets of over $1.2 trillion as of October 31, 2008. Fidelity offers all kinds of financial services to American people. Fidelity is the largest mutual fund company in the United States.

MB Financial Bank is offering up to $200 checking account bonus for new customers. This is a new promotion for opening a free checking account with direct deposit. MB Financial Bank offered a similar promotion back to this March. $200 is a pretty good deal considering current financial environ. If you are a resident of IL and IN, you are eligible to receive up to $200 bonus from MB Financial Bank.

Details of this promotion can be found here. It’s a pdf version of the promotional flyer. The promotion was also indicated on the front page of the MB Financial Bank at the News and Updates section. (shown below)

To get the $200 bonus, here’s all you do:

Open an MB Free Checking account with monthly direct payroll deposit, sign up for a MB Debit MasterCard and make at least 12 signature-based debit card transactions each month – it’s that simple!

Each month that you have your payroll check direct deposited and you make at least 12 signature-based debit card transactions, MB Financial Bank will credit your account with $50 – up to a total of $200!

Fine print:

Minimum balance to open a checking account is $50. Promotional payments will be made in monthly installments of $50 each, providing the following transactions take place in a given month: 1) payroll check direct deposit of at least $250, and 2) at least 12 signature-based debit card transactions. After both types of transaction are made, $50 promotional credits will be made in the first week of the month following the month. You have 6 months to complete the monthly transaction requirements and earn all four $50 credits. The promotional payment will only be made to accounts that are open at the time of the crediting. If the account is closed within six months of opening the bank reserves the right to debit back the promotional payment.

The free checking account offered by MB Finacial features free of monthly service fees and free online bill pay. The accounts opened at MB Fianancial Bank are all FDIC insured.

Note: there will be a hard pull during the account opening process.

I just introduced the best credit card offers from Kiplinger.com. As I indicated in the post, the best credit card means you should find one credit card that fits your spending styles. If you are short of some cash and want to use a credit card to consolidate your credit card balances, the Associated Bank Platinum Credit Card is a good choice for you.

This credit card features 0% APR on balance transfer for up to 12 months. Plus there is no balance transaction fees associated with the balance transaction. Note that the 5% transaction fee is typical right now in the credit card industry. This is a no-annual-fee credit card.

The details of this credit card can be found here. This credit card is actually issued and maintained by Citi. After you click the “Apply Now” button, you can go to Citi website to apply for this credit card. But it seems Citi hided this credit card from its website.

As indicated on its own website, this credit card is aimed to save money for you. So you can feel free to apply for this credit card and do balance transfer with it.

• You can consolidate your higher-rate balances with a low, promotional rate on Balance Transfers for the first 12 months.
• No Annual Fee and no Balance transfer fees with the offer described above.

Another feature I want to mention is the APR for purchase is only 7.99%. This is a really low rate if you are carrying balances. This credit card also provides Free Personalized Checks. Use your free supply of  personalized checks to make purchases, get extra cash or transfer balances. You can even use your personalized checks where credit cards are not accepted.

0% APR on Balance Transfer without balance transfer fees is a really great deal during current finance situation. You can also deposit those money to high interest savings accounts or CDs.

Associated Bank is the 41st largest bank holding company in the United States.

We are talking about the best credit cards all the time. Actually, there is no definitive answer to which is the best credit card. Different people have different spending styles. One might be interested in playing games, one might be interested in buying books, movies or even musics, and some might want to save money on gas. The key to get the best credit card is to choose the card that fits your spending styles.

Following is a list of best credit card offers from Kiplinger.com. Let’s see what they pick as the best credit cards.

BEST FOR CASH REBATES

American Express Blue Cash

I have a review of this card. The blue cash card from American Express is a really good cash back credit card. It’s one of the top rated cash back credit cards by me. Kiplinger.com rated this credit card as the “Best Cash Rebate Card” in 2006. “Everyday Purchases” made at drugstores, gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets earn up to a 5% rebate, and all other purchases earn up to a 1.5% rebate ($6,500 threshold). You will see how much you can save by using this card.

BEST GAS CARD

Chase BP Visa

This Chase BP Visa Card is an excellent gas card in terms of the rate it offers. 5% cash back at BP stores anywhere in the United States at any time. At the fist 60 days, you can double your cash back. Plus you can earn cash back for dinning and traveling. There are other great gas rebate cards out there. For example, Discover Open Road Card is a good substitute. For more tips on choosing a gas card, you can read the 5 Top Rated Gas Rebate Cards.

BEST TRAVEL REWARDS

Simmons First Visa Platinum Travel Rewards

This is a little surprise to me. I didn’t hear anything about the Simmons First Bank and the credit card products offered by Simmons First. Anyway, it looks like a great travel card but without any sign up bonus. Usually, travel credit cards offer some sign up bonus. Like the Citi PremierPass Card Elite Level is offering 20,000 bonus points. But you need only 22,000 points for a coach ticket, worth up to $325, to any destination within the 48 contiguous states. You earn one point per dollar spent with this no-fee credit card.

BEST LOW RATES

Wells Fargo Prime Rate

Wells Fargo is a not a big credit card issuer in US. But this credit card product is indeed a great offer to American people. As Kiplinger.com describes: “Cardholders who carry a monthly balance will appreciate this card for its 5% interest rate and $19 annual fee. The rate will never exceed prime, the rate at which banks lend to their best customers. Free alerts remind you when your bill is due and notify you if you’re approaching your credit limit.”

Everyone will have different opinions on which credit card is the best one. Will you share your opinion with us?

Sony just released a new credit card product via partnership with Chase—the PlayStation Visa Card. This is a special credit card product for PlayStation Fans. As indicated in the PlayStatioin blog, this credit card is ”to offer fans a new way to show off their PlayStation pride and earn reward points towards the purchase of PlayStation and SONY products.”

What’s special with this PlayStation Visa Credit Card?

First of all, you can get a PlayStation 3 with only $249! Since the introductory of the PlayStation Credit Card, the approved credit card members can get a new PlayStation 3 for only $249. That is $150 off a regular PlayStation 3. This promotion is valid until December 31, 2008. To take advantage of this offer, you can go to to www.sony.com/newpscard to get instant approval for your card, and an immediate $150 credit when you purchase a PS3 directly through the website. Or you can do this in another way: you can go www.sony.com/getpscard to apply for the card and upon receipt of the card, use it at any authorized PlayStation retailer to purchase a PS3. The $150 credit will show up on your billing statement.

If you are not a PlayStation fan, you can sell off that PlayStation 3 on eBay for a profit!

Will there be a Wii credit card soon?

I just mentioned the $50 bonus from ShareBuilder which is a online based brokerage company. Today I’m going to introduce the new credit card product from another broker—Charles Schwab. Charles Schwab is one of the largest discount brokers in the world. It’s generally believed that Schwab offers the same services as traditional brokerages but with lower commissions and fees than many other brokers.

Besides discount brokerage, the company offers a wide range of investment research, mutual funds, annuities, bond trading, and now checking and mortgages through its Charles Schwab Bank. The Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account is one of the best checking accounts online. It was rated at the Best Checking Account by Money Magazine in May 2008. Indeed, the rate offered by the Charles Schwab is really high—1.5% APY without balance requirement! Plus there is no minimum balance requirement for this account, and no monthly service fees associated with this account. Schwab will even reimburse you for any ATM fees charged by other banks. I strongly suggest you open a checking account at Charles Schwab for high interest rate they offered as a checking account. (This APY is also comparable to other savings accounts.)

The most exciting part is the new credit card product launched by Schwab recently. The name of the new card is Schwab Bank Invest First Visa Signature Card. The reason why I want to introduce the new credit card product is the excellent cash back program Charles Schwab Bank offered for this credit card.

You can get unlimited 2% cash back on this card without annual fees and minimum monthly purchase requirement. (The unlimited cash back is really a good choice for many eBayers.) Plus there is no foreign exchange fees associated with this credit card. The unlimited 2% cash back will deposited into your Schwab One brokerage account each month automatically.

If you already have a Schwab One brokerage account , you can apply for this credit card right away.

If you don’t have a Schwab One brokerage account yet, you can apply for the Schwab Bank Invest First Visa Signature Card first. Once you get approved for the credit card, you can open a new brokerage account at Charles Schwab.

You can also open a new credit card account by calling 866-724-9223, and use code FACYR4.

Please remember: to receive your 2% cash back rewards, you must have a Schwab One brokerage account (“Schwab One account”) linked to your Schwab Bank Invest First card.

ShareBuilder.com is a famous online stock brokerage firm founded in 1996 and now it’s an ING company (purchased by ING in November 2007). ShareBuilder built its name by having low commissions and easy-to-use online interface. ShareBuilder also provides service for recurring, and automatic purchases of shares of stock and ETFs.

I received a postcard from ShareBuilder which offers $50 sign up bonus plus cheap commission opportunities. I’d like to share the promotion with you. I personally think it’s a time to buy in some potential stocks and wait for growth. The $50 bonus is very easy to get—Open your account using the promotion code INVEST50, make a trade before 12/31/08, and $50 will be deposited in your account in 4 to 6 weeks. Details can be found at www.sharebuilder.com/invest50.

The account at sharebuilder.com features no account minimum balance requirement and no inactivity fees. You can choose from more than 7,000 stocks and ETFs. You can even schedule your investments on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis.

Another feature of ShareBuilder that is worth mentioning is the ability to buy fractional shares. I believe this is the only one brokerage company that allows you to buy fractional shares. No other brokerage allows you to buy fractional shares of stock. This feature helps you to invest your money on a regular basis. For example, you can invest $100 weekly to buy Citi stocks regardless of the real prices of Citi stocks.

However, I’d like to mention that the $4 per trade is only available on every Tuesday. You can schedule to buy a stock on Tuesday for $4 per trade. But on other days, the price is pretty high compared to other brokerages. So the ability to schedule a trade is really great.

Another feature is periodic promotion from ShareBuilder.com. ShareBuilder always offer sign up bonuses or other kinds of promotions to its new or current customers which makes your experience of ShareBuilder.com much better.

Of course, there are other great brokerages you can consider before you open up an account online like E*Trade, Zecco, TradeKing, and TD Ameritrade etc.

Following are two articles for your reference: SmartMoney’s Annual Broker Survey and Best of the Online Brokers-Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.