tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24318072012470306062024-03-14T05:56:15.884-05:00elgringocolombianoelgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.comBlogger670125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-75724483588859607352011-12-02T07:24:00.002-05:002011-12-02T07:29:02.751-05:00T Hartmann on link bt productivity & wagesIn US history, 1776-1980, productivity tracked wages. The workweek declined from 60+ hrs to 40 hrs. In 1981 Reagan's disaster policies helped to kill the link. The economy has been bubbled out on credit or crap ever since. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa8BQXHi0kM">T Hartmann clip</a>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-38598562558836078242011-12-01T10:32:00.004-05:002011-12-01T10:35:18.084-05:00Eric Draitser Stop Imperialism podcastEric Draitser is a NY schoolteacher, that is a quality amateur commentator on global geopolitics and oligarchy. Draitser is now making a weekly <a href="http://ericdraitser.podbean.com/">podcast</a> , & also messages on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/stopimperialism">twitter: stopimperialism</a>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-7243629022535408732011-12-01T10:26:00.002-05:002011-12-01T10:28:50.565-05:00editorial on Canadian healthcare<a href="http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/76032">editorial</a> from a Canadian woman who has lived in the US, & has been a patients in both nations' health systems. She claims after tax, after healthcare cost income is higher in Canada, altho the tax itself is about 10% more in Canada. She prefers the CA health system, both on quality & priceelgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-35991155813171693392011-11-22T00:17:00.002-05:002011-11-22T00:20:09.008-05:00homeless engineer Maurice Johnstoncrazy story about homeless engineer with 2 MS degrees (Purdue & Dartmouth) Maurice Johnston <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eNPAH46oI8">yt</a> <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/maurice-johnson/14/b42/b9">LinkedIn resume</a>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-44484972904664408822011-11-09T23:09:00.001-05:002011-11-09T23:10:23.073-05:00state of solar powerEconomist <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21532279">article</a> on state of solar power.elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-50982152005933523622011-10-26T23:48:00.002-05:002011-10-26T23:50:46.491-05:00Primary Obama NowPrimary Obama Now site has nice detailed <a href="http://primaryobamanow.com/obama-promised-hope-and-change-delivered-betrayals-and-attacks-on-his-own-base/">editorial</a> on Obama's betrayal of Progressive values, & why Progressives should support a Dem Primary challenger in the 2012 Presidential raceelgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-29587147914332783432011-10-12T19:16:00.000-05:002011-10-12T19:17:05.156-05:00list of biggest H-1B visa employers/abusers<a href="http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_NumbersGuy_20090331.html">list</a>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-46553195981943535972011-10-05T06:46:00.000-05:002011-10-06T03:51:26.138-05:0099ers in San Jose60 Minutes (TV news show) on the 99ers in San Jose/Silicon Valley area. Basically age discrimination seems rampant on the 40+ in the anecdotal individuals profiled. Examples like a Fiberopitic Engineering Mgr now working for $9 as a retail worker at Target.<br /><br /><embed src="http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf" scale="noscale" salign="lt" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" background="#333333" width="425" height="279" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" FlashVars="si=254&&contentValue=50094965&shareUrl=http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6987699n" />elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-50874116169332934962011-07-27T08:59:00.001-05:002011-07-27T09:00:54.747-05:00fw - Greenwald ethers traitor ObamaGlenn Greenwald <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/07/21-6">editorial</a> on how Obama is gutting core principles of Dem partyelgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-4729759015199142522011-07-26T17:40:00.002-05:002011-07-26T17:44:50.988-05:00fw: article on auto insurancegood Consumer Reports <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/40591948/Consumer-Reports-Magazine-October-2010">article</a> on car insurance, Oct 2010 issue p. 34-37. p. 37 has a rating of auto insurers, broken down by claims-related problems, timely claim payment, & non-claim related problems.elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-50298205356441949002011-06-30T16:51:00.004-05:002011-06-30T17:59:56.801-05:00Debit Card rule change might hurt Reward CheckingKen, the guru of <a href="depositaccounts.com">depositaccounts.com</a> , wrote this <a href="http://www.depositaccounts.com/blog/2011/06/final-rules-for-debit-card-fees-released-effects-on-checking-accounts.html">article</a> that there is a Fed Reserve rule change, that will lower the fees from a debit card transaction, that banks charge retailers significantly.<div><br /></div><div>This could HELP consumers IF the retailers passed along part of any savings, which is probably doubtful (retailers will just take the savings as profit).</div><div><br /></div><div>This could HURT consumers in that these fees the bank gets from debit cards are used to subsidize <a href="http://www.depositaccounts.com/blog/2011/04/10-common-traits-of-highyield-reward-checking-accounts.html">Rewards Checking</a> accounts.</div><div><br /></div><div>What will be the impact on options on how a consumer manages their Emergency / short term cash funds?</div><div><br /></div><div>For liquid <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deposit_account">deposit account</a> , my guess is that <b>Rewards Checking</b>, if still offered, will still offer the best rate. Currently, Rewards Checking is widely available at 3-4% at many small local banks & credit unions. This is superior to bank alternatives, including the deposit accounts of type savings, money market. It's also superior to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_deposit">time deposit</a> account such as a certificate of deposit (CD), even despite the inconvenience of a time deposit locking up your money for a period of time. I will keep my eye on depositaccounts, hopefully remembering to check in Dec 2011 & Jun 2012 to verify that Rewards Checking is still superior, aka the "least bad option" in this era of negative real interest rates for short term savers.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other decent option imho is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Bond#Series_I"><b>I Bond</b></a>, a type of Savings Bonds from the US Treasury. I've yet to buy an I Bond, but am interested. Here is my limited understanding of I Bonds. Each person can purchase up to $10K per year, $5K in paper & $5K electronic. The I Bond updates its interest every 6 months, in relation to the US Gov's CPI inflation index. An I Bond is like a time deposit in that you must hold it for 11 months. After that can be sold, with a penalty of giving up the most recent 3 months of interest. After 5 years there is no 3 month penalty, & it can be held for up to 30 years. The interest income might be partially exempt from taxation (need to learn more about this aspect).</div><div><br /></div><div>A key notion is that one can set up their FUTURE emergency fund through I Bonds. For example, if one bought $10K in I-Bonds by the end of May-2011, she would have $10K + interest available for sale quickly. It wouldn't be as liquid as a deposit account, but it shouldn't take much times (2 weeks?) to sell the bonds & receive the cash that you could put in a deposit account.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's possible that best after-tax Rewards Checking rate available in your state declines to the point that it's lower than the comparable I Bond rate. In this case those who purchased I Bonds in prior years would benefit. It's possible that it could be beneficial to buy some I Bonds & hence "diversify" your Emergency cash between Rewards Checking & I Bonds.</div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-67833022100346436652011-05-19T13:19:00.003-05:002011-05-19T13:23:16.974-05:00fw - Ted Rall "Rise of the Obamabots"Ted Rall <a href="http://www.rall.com/rallblog/2011/05/16/syndicated-column-rise-of-the-obamabots">editorial</a> . It does seem imho that Obamabots (such as extreme douche Daily Kos Moulitsas) copied "It's OK If You Are A Republican" into "It's OK if Obama does it".<div><br /></div><div>Well the phenomenon of Obamabots shows most USians support a politrickian, cursing the policy of the other side when they do it, but staying silent when their Dear Leader does it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Those of us who support a policy regardless are in the minority. *smh in disgust*</div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-68109465204392337702011-04-27T12:02:00.002-05:002011-04-27T12:11:23.030-05:00university education bubble<a href="http://nplusonemag.com/bad-education">article</a> on university education bubble. I did not now that there are securitized university loans, just like mortgage back securities of the housing bubble.<div><br /></div><div>also learned that student loans are not able to be defaulted on in bankruptcy. So I would guess that many univ loan students will be screwed by the wage deflation</div><div>1 graduate & get a univ-degree requiring career, but face the general wage deflation or stagnation in force in the US since ~1980.</div><div><br /></div><div>2 underemployment - graduate & don't get a univ-degree requiring job. or have it & lose & work a blue collar job.</div><div><br /></div><div>3 the dropouts. With the exceptions of a few Kanyes, most will be screwed by the loan burden.</div><div><br /></div><div>It would be nice if the model of the AP program, had video lecture & textbook materials in open source formats, freely available, such that maybe at least 1 yr of the BS degree could be done cheaply. Also strengthen community colleges. But this would help Avg Jane, & not 1% special interests like Univ admins, or student loan security investors. *smh*</div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-78821181458856523242011-04-22T08:54:00.000-05:002011-04-22T08:55:19.853-05:00Max Keiser "cacacracy"<div>LOL @ <a href="http://maxkeiser.com/">Max keiser</a>, financial pundit/journalist, ex-Wall Street worker & anti-Wall Street, anti-US oligarchy steez. An American that lives in Paris due to US being too corrupt. http://maxkeiser.com</div><div><br /></div><div>"The US in recent decades is a cacacracy, the rule by the worst of the society. Cacacracy derives from the Latin/French word, Merd".</div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-55526000744597104022011-04-16T19:33:00.002-05:002011-04-16T19:35:50.683-05:00article advises barbell weight training for fitnessinteresting <a href="http://www.mensjournal.com/everything-you-know-about-fitness-is-a-lie/print/">article</a> on fitness. If true, this would be another example of conventional wisdom & industry marketing being bogus.elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-64594414137886022622011-03-21T13:17:00.001-05:002011-03-21T13:21:12.461-05:00fdl opinion article that Obama < Bush 43<a href="http://my.firedoglake.com/davidswanson/2011/03/15/is-obama-even-worse-than-bush/">opinion</a> from David Swanson that Obama < Bush 43. I don't agree, but the guy makes good points. I do agree with Swanson in being very disappointed with the Wall $treet Welfare Weed Carrier, Pope of Hope.elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-81012453578323998782010-09-09T20:50:00.002-05:002010-09-09T20:54:15.013-05:00American Monetary Institute<a href="http://monetary.org">monetary.org</a> - American Monetary Institute. Prescribe the US Treasury to control the issuance of fiat money, as opposed to the quasi-public quasi-Wall $treet Federal Reserve.elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-36159764419701752032010-08-09T17:31:00.002-05:002010-08-09T17:43:54.305-05:00Bogus Accounting of US National Debt & Social SecurityRandom thought.<div><br /></div><div>Have you ever heard those that want to slash the US New Deal-inspired Safety Net programs of Social Security, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Medicaire</span>, Medicaid? Such as Pete Peterson, David M Walker, etc?</div><div><br /></div><div>They throw out some huge number such as the "real national debt" is 60 Trillion if you "count unfunded liabilities such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">SSN</span>, Medicare, Medicaid".</div><div><br /></div><div>First of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">SSN</span> IS funded & taking in more $ than it spends until 2040 or so. Even after that, the "problem" by several ways. One obvious way is eliminate the tax cap. Currently Joe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">UpperMiddleClass</span> that makes $107K pays the same <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">SSN</span> tax as Bill Gates, since the tax is capped at the first $107K in income. Without the cap Gates would be paying ~10,000X as Joe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">UMC</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Dr Dean Baker has pointed out, Medicare & Medicaid, although still much cheaper in admin costs than private health insurance, are too expensive because of US health care cartel interests, that get paid excessively compared to any other rich world country.</div><div><br /></div><div>But put that aside for a second.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why do the Pete Peterson types never talk about the Trillions in costs for the Net Present Value of all funding for the</div><div>Military Industrial Complex</div><div>Corporate Welfare</div><div>Wall $<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">treet</span> Welfare</div><div>Overly broad Patent system which often creates cartel industries & stifles innovation</div><div>etc</div><div><br /></div><div>It's like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">NPV</span> of all future spending which might help Average Joe, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">eg</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">SSN</span>, Medicare, Medicaid; must be funded & accounted for NOW.</div><div><br /></div><div>But Cartel/Rich Welfare programs that benefit at most the richest 2% & in many cases 0.1% or 0.01% of Americans? No they must not be accounted for NEVER.</div><div><br /></div><div>Am I missing something obvious? Or am I correct? You tell me.</div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-85017889111138149002010-08-07T06:14:00.003-05:002010-08-07T06:35:49.945-05:00Naomi Wolf 10 steps that close an open society<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Wolf">Naomi Wolf</a> 10 steps that close an open society (<a href="http://www.endofamericamovie.com/about-film/10-steps-that-close-an-open-society">article</a>). Wolf's book on the topic is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_of_America:_A_Letter_of_Warning_to_a_Young_Patriot">The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot</a> .elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-77973395205380827022010-07-18T18:42:00.003-05:002010-07-19T01:08:16.375-05:00DG rec linksThis homie DG reads up on alternative media & conspiracy-related sites.<div><br /></div><div>Here's a list he recommended.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.deepcapture.com/">Deep Capture</a></div><div><a href="http://gnosticmedia.com/">Gnostic Media</a></div><div><a href="http://tragedyandhope.com">Tragedy & Hope</a></div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-88140872160308640932010-07-18T18:33:00.002-05:002010-07-18T18:41:42.353-05:00Tim Geithner incompetent work historyeconomist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Johnson_(economist)">Simon Johnson</a> <a href="http://baselinescenario.com/2010/07/15/tim-geithner%E2%80%99s-ninth-political-life/">article</a> details Treasury Sec. Tim <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Geithner's</span> incompetent work history. As of now, it appears <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Geithner</span> is trying to block the possibility of consumer advocate/lawyer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Warren">Elizabeth Warren</a> to be the new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Finance_Protection_Agency">Consumer Financial Protection Agency</a> head, an organization that was Warren's idea! Johnson notes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Geithner's</span> blocking of Warren might be his "9<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> life" & for once <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Geithner's</span> incompetence may hurt <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Geithner's</span> career.<div><br /></div><div>S Johnson's blog <a href="http://baselinescenario.com/">Baseline Scenario</a> is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">bookmarkable.</span></div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-18222964651970497572010-07-18T18:28:00.002-05:002010-07-18T18:33:07.302-05:00Michael J Smith "The Ratchet Effect" of US bipartisan rightwing trendMichael J Smith <a href="http://www.smithbowen.net/linfame/stopme/chapter02.html">essay</a> that claims that since 1968, the Fed Democrats function is to maintain the political spectrum position, whereas the Republicans always move it rightwards.<div><br /></div><div>This is similar notion to Cenk Uyger's <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/who-is-more-conservative_b_638947.html">opinion</a> that Obama is more conservative than Reagan.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apparently Smith's essay is a chapter from a book he hosts on his site, as well as blog articles.</div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-38367744517369954562010-05-27T19:29:00.001-05:002010-05-27T19:31:05.737-05:00case for GDP-weighted equitiesinteresting <a href="http://www.indexuniverse.com/sections/blog/7595-the-case-for-gdp-weighted-equities.html">article</a> on weighting equities by a country's GDP, as opposed to a country's free float market cap.elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-51477744470735702772010-05-27T16:16:00.002-05:002010-05-27T16:19:24.407-05:00teachers getting laid off for lack of $23B<div>Jane Hamsher firedoglake <a href="http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/05/26/dismanteling-public-education-one-brick-at-a-time">article</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Teachers about to get their jobs murked, for lack of $23B</div><div><br /></div><div>My take not covered in this good article. AFAICT to raise the 23B no politrickians talking about cutting military, which is more than the rest of world combined when the US is only 25% world economy. How bout cutting medicare/aid physician pay to raise $23B, when US physicians are making 1.5X-3.0X pay of physicians in any other rich country like Canada, UK, Japan?</div><div><br /></div><div>Military & physicians pwn DC politrickians. Teachers have a medium strength union, not on those other levels. It's more important to military & physicians to get unreasonably high funding, than for there even to be enough teachers to do the job. I guess the teachers at least have medium strong union, more than the no union-having engineer/scientists that keep getting H1B'd & offshore outsourced like a mofo.</div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2431807201247030606.post-19520922448562752082010-05-25T17:19:00.003-05:002010-05-25T17:58:12.338-05:00Rewards Checking<div>I stumbled upon this notion of Rewards Checking. Basically Rewards Checking type of checking account requires a customer to do the following each monthly banking cycle (which could be the calendar month, or some random dates like Feb 22 - Mar 21, for example):</div><div>1 do X amount of debit card transactions</div><div>2 possibly (depends on bank) do an additional action, such as a work pay direct deposit, or an automated monthly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ACH</span>-type payment</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm a newbie to this Rewards Checking idea which I stumbled upon, but apparently for the last few years it has been <b>superior</b> as a <b>short term savings</b> method, in terms of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">APY</span> & flexibility, when compared to money market acct, savings <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">accts</span>, CD, even Treasury's I Bonds CPI inflation-adjusted flavor of Savings Bonds (!).</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mymoneyblog</span> <a href="http://www.mymoneyblog.com/archives/2010/01/2010-savings-account-cd-rate-updates.html">confirms</a> that Rewards Checking is current best choice for short term savings</div><div><br /></div><div>Another nice feature of Rewards Checking, is that they seem to be offered by small community banks & credit unions; not the 2 Big 2 Fail cartel mega-banks. Always <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">dece</span> to help a small fry out instead of a cartel bent on destroying the US economy, bonus!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.depositaccounts.com/">Deposit Accounts</a> , written by Ken - Bank Deals Guy. that follows what happens on Rewards Checking, thorough in depth nerd-style, as if it were a sportswriter reporting on the Vikings. You can look up by state, filtered by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">APY</span> interest rate. There's many interesting & educational articles here; I think it will be a good ROI of your time to spend ~2 hrs reading articles here.</div><div><br /></div><div>example weekly update <a href="http://www.depositaccounts.com/blog/2010/05/bank-deals-weekly-summary-for-may-22-2010.html">article</a>, which highlights changes in Rewards Checking rates from banks & credit unions, as well as the best current CD & Savings Acct rates (which are currently <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">pwned</span> by Rewards Checking).</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.depositaccounts.com/blog/2009/01/how-is-5-checking-possible-math-behind.html">article</a> on how Rewards Checking even exists & is profitable.</div><div>1 the bank is giving you their portion of the ~1.75% fee a retailer like Kohl's or Progressive Insurance (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Eg</span> you buy $100 at Kohl's, Kohl's is giving Visa ~$1.75), etc, pays the debit/credit card company like Visa, who then share's it with the bank, who shares it with you.</div><div>2 banks use Rewards Checking as a "loss leader", get a happy new customer who then later on they might sell more profitable products like a car loan.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.depositaccounts.com/blog/2009/01/debit-cards-credit-cards-and-reward.html">article</a> on Debit Cards, Credit Cards, & Rewards Checking. Note that there are different type of debit card transactions</div><div>PIN - enter PIN</div><div>debit - enter PIN or signature</div><div>credit - signature</div><div>pay by phone (example, car insurance payment). Not sure what this counts as?</div><div>A particular count may count only some, or all, of these transactions towards the monthly requirement. My take is that if one gets a Rewards Checking account, 1 should try 1 of all types of transactions, then call bank Customer Service, & ask how many & which transactions have counted.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.depositaccounts.com/blog/2010/05/four-nationwide-reward-checking-accounts-that-still-have-4-yields.html">article</a> listing 4 banks with avail to all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">USian</span> residents, with 4.0% yield, with at least 25K max limits that get 4.0% yield.</div><div><br /></div><div>Clark Howard <a href="http://clarkhoward.com/liveweb/shownotes/2009/03/25/15393/">article</a> on Rewards Checking. Howard's co-sign on the notion is great; Howard seems knowledgeable & strongly pro-consumer ("I want you to save more, spend less, & avoid getting ripped off")</div><div><br /></div><div>Some (probably inferior) alternatives to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">depositaccounts</span> (Ken claimed that some of these sites only list vendors that pay the site a listing fee, so good vendors might be omitted)</div><div><a href="http://www.bankrate.com">Bank Rate</a></div><div><a href="https://www.checkingfinder.com/search/55016?sort=rate#">Checking Finder</a></div><div><a href="http://www.money-rates.com/rewardschecking.htm">Money Rates</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Hit up comments with any info/experience you may have had <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">wrt</span> Rewards Checking.</div>elgringocolombianohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00553884228863697716noreply@blogger.com0