Banks

No one likes to hear that their bank, credit card issuer, transaction processor, or any of the merchants they've used who issue plastic has been hit with a security breach. But it happens: These are the steps to take afterward.

Despite the din from the Occupy Wall Street crowd, not everybody dislikes financial institutions -- at least, not their own. A new poll shows a much higher approval rating for our banks than we give to the folks in Washington.

For all the anti-bank anger erupting across the country, relatively few of us are actually leaving our financial institutions.

More people in Southeast don't have bank accounts than in any other part of the country. Mississippi leads the country with more than 16% of households using cash-and-carry for all their transactions. That's a situation that can keep families from climbing the ladder of success.

More than 64,000 of Americans have signed up to participate in "Bank Transfer Day" on November 5. Most will likely fail in their mission to switch to a new bank, according to a report released Wednesday.

Americans are growing even more distrustful of their financial institutions. The latest figures from the quarterly Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index showed that only 23% of those surveyed said they trust the country's financial systems, down from 25% in June.

A reader named Crystal wanted to increase the limit on her credit card, but got denied -- and she found the explanation the card company gave her cryptic. DailyFinance's Laura Rowley decodes the message and offers tips on accessing credit.

More than 70 U.S. banks have failed this year, according to the FDIC. And one DailyFinance reader wants to know how safe is the money in our bank accounts? Laura Rowley responds.

Bank of America's announcement this week that it would start charging a monthly $5 fee for using a debit card to make purchases is the latest in banking industry upcharges. As fee-free options for banking dwindle, the bottom line is that consumers are paying more to use their own money.

Overdraft fees are like a movie monster that just won't die. No amount of public outrage or regulation can slay the beast. But the banks aren't the only ones casting overdrafts in financial sequels: Truth is, consumers keep breathing life into the overdraft dragon.