Hopefully you rebalanced your investment portfolio at the end of 2009 to capture tax losses, but you can do it now if you haven’t already and have those losses for 2010. However, you should look at more than just your portfolio. It’s time to look at all the places you keep money to make you’re not being hit with new fees.
Review Your Checking Account
If you have direct deposit, then you may not worry whether your checking account carries fees. However, some employers don’t offer direct deposit. If your employer is one of them, it’s time to check your account for fees. You should be able to find a fee list online. If not, call customer service and ask. If they charge fees for calls, teller services, monthly account maintenance, low balance, etc., it’s time to move your money. Your first try should be a local credit union, which is probably fee-free. If you can’t find one of those, some major banks offer fee-free accounts. You could even ask your bank if they have one and inform that you’re prepared to find a new bank if they can’t switch you into it.
Review Your Savings Account
I’m not saying you should move your savings account each time a different bank shows a slightly improved rate. You should, however, check this account for fees, too. For example, last year I had to remove my money from Everbank after they more than tripled the minimum balance and doubled the associated low-balance fee. We weren’t in danger of triggering the fee, but we wanted the flexibility and they didn’t offer it.
Review Your Brokerage Account
This is a tricky one, because your investments may be tied up for a short while if you have to move them to a new brokerage. However, you should still check your brokerage account for new “account maintenance fees.” Those fees were one of the reasons I left E-Trade several years ago. They didn’t tell me they’d introduced the fee until they sent me a statement four months after they levied it and then said they couldn’t reverse it because it had been more than 90 days. Even when I said I wanted to close the account if they didn’t reverse the fee, they didn’t budge. So I closed the account and I’m never going back.
Review Your Credit Cards
Credit card companies are cutting limits and hiking fees and interest rates all over the place. If you don’t carry a balance, interest rate hikes are moot, but you need to know if they’ve cut your limit. They should send you a letter when they change your account, but check your account online monthly just to make sure.
Review Your CD Due Dates
If you have any CDs expiring this year, mark the due date on a calendar so you can notify the bank immediately about your intentions. If you wait more than 10 days, the CD will automatically renew and lock your money in for another term unless you pay a high surrender fee.
Check Your Credit Report
While you’re doing all this, why not check your credit report, too? I use annualcreditreport.com to check one free report every four months: January, May, and September.
A once-a-year checkup is a good way to start the year, but always be vigilant about changes to your account because they can happen at any time. The sooner you take action, the less risk of getting hit by a fee.
