11 Types of Checking Accounts

Checking accounts allow you to access and withdraw your funds. Unlike savings accounts, they don’t have a limit. Some checking accounts can also bear interest, granted that you keep to the minimum balance requirement.

However, there many types of checking accounts. If you plan to open a checking account, you may want to know where to put your Money’s worth.

people talking about checking accounts

The Types of Checking Accounts

Checking accounts from different banks and credit unions vary in features. Some may have higher interest rates. Others can have limitations due to the customer’s overdraft history. Below are the types of checking accounts in a bank or credit union near you. 

 

Traditional Checking Account

Best for: people paying bills or doing online shopping and other debit transactions.

The traditional checking account is a great start for creating a reliable foundation for your money. 

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • Written checks
  • Debit or ATM card
  • Pay or buy online
  • Overdraft protection (optional)
  • Dividends are low (credit union checking accounts have slightly higher dividends)
  • Some have a monthly maintenance fee

 

Premium Checking Account

Best for: People with a five-figure balance or more.

Premium accounts have higher perks but also higher fee balances and penalties. 

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • Better perks, rewards, and freebies than traditional accounts
  • Earn slightly higher interest than traditional accounts
  • Requires high minimum balance
  • Has higher fee penalties

A premium checking account has a slightly higher flat interest than traditional checking accounts. However, other accounts, such as the money market and certificate of deposit, may be better options for investing.

 

Student Checking Account

Best for: Students aged 18-23

The student checking account is a great start for young adults to get their first bank account. It is best to read the conditions that will happen to the account once the owner passes the age limit. 

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • Lesser fees than traditional checking accounts
  • Greater grace periods for overdrafts.
  • Some banks automatically switch the account to a traditional one upon reaching the age limit. 

 

Senior Checking Account

Best for: People aged 55 or 60 and older.

The senior checking account is for retired people or those living on a fixed income. The account has no monthly maintenance fees and has perks designed for seniors.

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • No monthly maintenance fees.
  • Has perks for older adults.
  • Other accounts may suit the older adult’s financial goals.

 

Interest-bearing Account

Best for: People with a large maintaining balance.

An interest-bearing account gives small monthly returns. The interest can be flat regardless of your balance. The account can also pay more the higher your balance.

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • The interest can be flat or higher than the account balance. 
  • No withdrawal limits
  • Charges may be larger than interests

If you cannot cover the charges, look for checking accounts that give monthly dividends instead.

 

Business Checking Account

Best for: business owners

A business checking account is designed to help with the financial management of a business owner.

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • Includes business tools, such as online invoicing.
  • Includes freebies, such as writing several checks for free.
  • Charges may be larger than a traditional checking account.

 

Other Checking Accounts

The mentioned checking accounts above are common in most banks. There are more types of checking accounts that are not as common.

Type of Checking Account Best For
Rewards Checking People who often use debit cards.
Private Bank Checking People looking for a private banker,
Second-chance Checking People denied of the traditional checking account
Free Checking Accounts People who don’t want balance requirements and monthly maintenance fees. (Some banks and credit unions offer free checking accounts with a return, like the Kasasa High-Dividend Cash Checking Account.)
Low-Balance Checking Accounts People who can only maintain a low balance minimum requirement.

 

Which Type of Checking Account Is For You?

When choosing a checking account, you must consider your convenience and specific features. What minimum balance can you afford? Do you agree with the fees? Are the rewards something you have use of?

Beyond that, there are diverse accounts to cover each individual’s different needs. There are student accounts for young adults and even senior accounts for those who have retired. There are even accounts that allow you to invest. From the types of checking accounts above, which one suits your needs the most?

To learn more information, please check out Canopy Credit Union 

 

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SEO – What is Search Engine Optimization and How it Can Benefit Your BusinessSEO – What is Search Engine Optimization and How it Can Benefit Your Business

- Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most important aspects of digital marketing. It is a process used to help websites rank higher in search engine results pages, increasing their visibility and therefore helping them attract more visitors. SEO can be complex and time-consuming, but it can also provide huge benefits for businesses that implement it correctly. In this blog post, we will explore what SEO is, how it works, and how you can use it to benefit your business.

SEO is the process of optimizing a website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages. This involves improving the technical aspects of a website (such as its code and structure) to make it easier for search engines to crawl and index, as well as creating content that uses keywords related to what people are searching for. SEO also involves building links pointing back to your website from other sites, which can help increase your ranking even further.

By making sure your site is optimized for search engines, you can ensure that more people find it when they’re searching online. This can lead to increased traffic and conversions, resulting in more sales or leads for your business. Additionally, SEO can improve user experience by ensuring faster loading times and easy navigation, which can lead to longer visits and more engagement.

SEO is a long-term strategy that pays off over time, so it’s important to be consistent and patient when implementing it. The key is to focus on creating high-quality content that uses the right keywords in its titles and body copy. It’s also important to build backlinks from other websites relevant to your industry, as these can help boost your ranking even further.

By investing time and effort into SEO, businesses of all sizes can benefit from increased visibility online, more traffic, higher conversion rates, better user experience, and ultimately more success for their business.

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a powerful digital marketing technique for improving the visibility of a website in search engine results pages, thereby helping it to attract more visitors and potential customers. SEO involves optimizing both the technical aspects of a website (such as its code and structure) and its content, making sure that it contains relevant keywords related to what people are searching for. Additionally, SEO requires building backlinks from other websites relevant to your industry, which helps to boost the ranking even further.

When implemented correctly, SEO can help businesses by increasing their visibility online, driving more traffic their way, and resulting in higher conversion rates. It can also improve user experience with faster loading times and easy navigation, which leads to longer visits as well as more engagement. For these reasons, businesses of all sizes should invest time into optimizing their website for search engines; it’s a long-term strategy that pays off over time.

In addition to optimizing the technical and content aspects of your website, you should also track your SEO performance over time using analytics tools such as Google Analytics or Bing Webmaster Tools. This way you can track changes in organic traffic volume, keyword rankings, and other metrics that will help you identify areas where your optimization efforts should be focused in order to maximize results. With this data in hand, you can ensure that your SEO strategy is effective and up-to-date.

Other Search Engines

Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing are the most well-known and widely used. However, there are many other search engines out there that can help you with optimizing your website for improved visibility online.

One popular alternative to Google is DuckDuckGo. It is focused on providing a secure experience for its users by not personalizing results based on user data or using tracking cookies. Additionally, it offers features such as! bang commands which allow you to quickly search websites related to certain topics.

Another useful search engine is Yandex, Russia’s largest search engine market share holder. Yandex uses an algorithm called MatrixNet which takes into account a variety of factors such as the age of the page, the number of inbound links from other sites, and user behavior metrics (such as bounce rate) in order to rank pages highly in its SERPs.

Apart from these two, there are several other smaller search engines that may be worth considering for your SEO efforts. For example, Swisscows is a privacy-focused search engine based in Switzerland and is powered by artificial intelligence; Ecosia is an environmentally friendly engine that plants trees with every query; Baidu is China’s top search engine; Ask Jeeves focuses more on question-based queries; StartPage does not store any IP or user data; etc.

For businesses looking to optimize their website for improved visibility online, exploring various search engines and considering their differences can be a worthwhile effort. Each may have different algorithms for indexing webpages and ranking them within SERPs, so understanding how each one operates will help you create a comprehensive SEO strategy.

How Do Construction Loans WorkHow Do Construction Loans Work

Building your dream home from the ground up is an exciting journey, but it also comes with a unique set of financial challenges. One of the key aspects of financing a new construction project is understanding how construction loans work. In this article, we’ll explore the basics of construction loans, how they differ from traditional mortgages, and the steps involved in securing one.

What Is a Construction Loan?

A construction loan is a specialized type of short-term loan designed to finance the construction of a new home or the substantial renovation of an existing one. Unlike a traditional mortgage, where you receive a lump sum upfront and start making monthly payments immediately, a construction loan provides funds in installments as the project progresses.

Types of Construction Loans:

1. Construction-to-Permanent Loan: Also known as a “single-close loan,” this type of construction loan combines both the construction financing and the permanent mortgage into one loan. You’ll typically make interest-only payments during the construction phase, and once the home is complete, it automatically converts to a traditional mortgage.

2. Stand-Alone Construction Loan:** With this type of loan, you secure separate financing for the construction phase and the permanent mortgage. Once construction is complete, you’ll need to apply for a new mortgage to pay off the construction loan.

How Do Construction Loans Work:

1. Application and Approval: The first step is to apply for a construction loan through a lender or a bank. You’ll need to provide detailed plans, specifications, and a budget for the construction project. Lenders will also evaluate your creditworthiness and financial stability. Approval is based on your ability to repay the loan, the estimated value of the completed home, and the amount of your down payment.

2. Loan Terms and Interest rates: Construction loans typically have shorter terms (usually 6 to 18 months) compared to traditional mortgages. During the construction phase, you’ll make interest-only payments on the amount disbursed by the lender. Interest rates on construction loans are often higher than those on traditional mortgages, reflecting the higher risk and shorter repayment period.

3. Disbursement of Funds: Once approved, the lender will work with you and your builder to establish a schedule for disbursing funds. Funds are typically released in “draws” at various stages of construction, such as the completion of the foundation, framing, Roofing, and so on. An inspector may visit the site to verify that the work has been completed before funds are released.

4. Monitoring the Project: Throughout the construction process, you and your lender will closely monitor the progress of the project to ensure it stays on track and within budget. Any changes or delays should be promptly communicated to the lender.

5. Conversion to Permanent Mortgage: Once construction is complete and the home meets all the lender’s requirements, the construction loan will automatically convert into a permanent mortgage. You’ll start making regular monthly payments, which may include both principal and interest, depending on the terms of your loan.

Key Considerations and Tips:

1. Budgeting Wisely: It’s crucial to have a realistic budget for your construction project. Include not only construction costs but also contingencies for unexpected expenses that may arise during the process.

2. Selecting the Right Builder: Choose a reputable builder with a track record of completing projects on time and within budget. Lenders often require builders to meet specific criteria to qualify for a construction loan.

3. Understanding Loan Terms: Carefully review and understand the terms of your construction loan, including interest rates, repayment schedule, and any prepayment penalties. Work with your lender to choose the loan that best suits your needs.

4. Applying for Permanent Financing: Be prepared to apply for permanent financing when the construction is complete. This may involve additional paperwork and credit checks, so plan accordingly.

5. Contingency Planning: Unforeseen issues can arise during construction, leading to delays and extra costs. Having a financial cushion or contingency fund can help you navigate these challenges without jeopardizing your project.

In conclusion, construction loans are a valuable tool for financing the land and construction loans of your dream home. They provide flexibility and control over the Building process, allowing you to pay for the project in stages. However, they also come with unique challenges, such as higher interest rates and the need for close monitoring of the construction progress. Careful planning, budgeting, and working with a reputable builder and lender are essential to successfully navigating the construction loan process and bringing your dream home to life.

How to Calculate IRMAAHow to Calculate IRMAA

IRMAA is now impacting more than 7 million retirees this year and for many they have questions. This report will answer all the questions relating to “How do you calculate IRMAA Surcharges?”

What is IRMAA?

IRMAA, short for Medicare’s Income Monthly Adjustment amount, is a surcharge on top of a Medicare beneficiary’s Part B and Part D premiums if they are earning too much income during the year.

Simply put, IRMAA is a tax on income through Medicare and compounding the impact of this tax is that IRMAA also reduces your Social Security benefit.

You pay this tax of IRMAA automatically through your Social Security benefit too.

So, the more money you generate in retirement the higher your Medicare premiums will be and the less Social Security benefits you will receive.

Think of IRMAA as being a huge revenue generator for Congress that also helps alleviate the burden of what Social Security must pay out in benefits.

Social Security is not going broke not even close.

How do you calculate IRMAA Surcharges?

There are 2 different sets of IRMAA surcharges as this tax will affect both your Medicare Part B AND Part D premiums.

To calculate IRMAA Surcharges – Part B

You must first realize that no one person ever pays full price or the “true cost” of Medicare Part B as the federal government provides a subsidy for all retirees.

The “true cost” of Medicare Part B is the current year’s monthly Part B premium multiplied by 4.

In 2024 the “true cost” of Medicare Part B is $698.80 a month (4 X $174.70).

According to Social Security.gov IRMAA is a Medicare subsidy reduction as those who reach it receive a lower subsidy for Part B premiums.

The subsidy per IRMAA Thresholds is as follows:

IRMAA Government Subsidy of Part B Retiree Portion of Part B
No IRMAA 75% 25%
1st Threshold 65% 35%
2nd Threshold 50% 50%
3rd Threshold 35% 65%
4th Threshold 20% 80%
5th Threshold 15% 85%

Knowing the “true cost” of Medicare Part B and the amount of subsidy each person will receive when in IRMAA the monthly surcharge can easily be found.

In 2024 the IRMAA Part B surcharges per Threshold are as follows:

IRMAA Retiree Portion of Part B True Cost of Medicare Part B Part B and IRMAA Costs
No IRMAA 25% $698.80 $174.70
1st Threshold 35% $698.80 $244.60
2nd Threshold 50% $698.80 $349.40
3rd Threshold 65% $698.80 $454.20
4th Threshold 80% $698.80 $559.00
5th Threshold 85% $698.80 $594.00

Calculating IRMAA Part B in the future:

IRMAA Part B surcharges move with in conjunction with the Medicare Part B premium. If the Part B premium increases the IRMAA Part B surcharge will inflate at the same rate.

Over the next 8 years the Trustees of Medicare are projecting that the Part B premium will inflate by over 6.30%.

By 2032 this premium, according to the projections, may be $285.60 a month making the surcharges equate to: