Author: Smart Wealthhabits

Simple, fee-free everyday banking Chime offers a streamlined checking and savings experience with no monthly maintenance fees and no minimum balance requirements. Built as a mobile-first platform, Chime focuses on easy money management, automated savings tools, and credit-building features – all designed to keep everyday banking straightforward and accessible. Chime offers a different kind of banking experience. Often described as a neobank, Chime operates entirely online and offers many of the same core services as traditional banks – only without physical branches.Founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Francisco, Chime offers checking, savings, and credit-building tools through its banking partners,…

With competitive rates and a strong local presence, Amboy Bank is a solid choice for customers who value relationship-driven, community banking. It’s hard to go wrong with Amboy Direct Bank, especially if you’re a New Jersey resident. The rates are competitive, the fees are negligible and it’s easy to transfer money between Amboy Direct and your existing checking account. Amboy Direct is a fee-free online bank backed by a long-standing New Jersey institution, offering competitive savings and money market rates without the overhead of physical branches. It’s a simple, low-cost option for customers who want easy transfers, strong local roots,…

A Bank of America branch in New York, US on Saturday, October 11, 2025. Michael Nagel | Bloomberg | getty imagesBank of America Victims of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the bank helped his sex trafficking operation, a filed in New York federal court Showed on Friday evening.The settlement, in which BOA did not admit wrongdoing, is the fourth settlement by a major bank over legal claims by Epstein victims or a government entity alleging they effectively facilitated his trafficking when he was a client. The agreement…

The oil surge led to a selloff on Wall Street and on March 27, the Iran war continued with no end in sight. The two major US indexes are now in correction territory, defined as a decline of more than 10% from recent highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped nearly 800 points to close 1.7% lower for the day and 10% below recent peaks. The Nasdaq Composite Index closed down 2.15%, down more than 11% from last October’s high. The S&P 500 closed down 1.6%. Meanwhile, the 10-year US Treasury note rose 2 basis points to about 4.44%. This…

oil prices are increasing. Inflation expectations are rising. The likelihood of a rate hike by the Federal Reserve is increasing in futures markets. And then there’s Kevin Warsh and his stated desire — and President Donald Trump’s order — to cut interest rates. Even before hearings are scheduled on her nomination as the next Fed Chair, Wersh’s ambitious agenda for “regime change” at the Fed is facing challenges. The most obvious: $100 a barrel oil prices and the threat of incipient inflation run counter to Warsh’s expectations of a sharp cut in interest rates.But challenges lie ahead. The new president,…

The White House in Washington, DC, US on Saturday, January 3, 2026. Aaron Schwartz | Bloomberg | getty imagesThe White House on Friday launched a smartphone app that selects accomplishments from President Donald Trump’s second term and curates favorable news articles.It also invites users to report tips to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.app will provide updates “Straight from the source, no filters,” about the Trump administration The White House said The app was unveiled in a message on X.This comes after the White House shared several short, cryptic videos on its official social media channels that hinted at an upcoming…

Stock market, as measured S&P 500 The index of America’s 500 largest companies is down 5.4% this year through March 24. When the S&P 500 is down, it means that more than a few companies’ stocks are also down. And with dividend-paying stocks, a lower stock price means an increased dividend yield. Image Source: Getty Images. So, which dividend payer should you consider for your long-term portfolio, whether you have $10,000 or $100 or $100,000 to invest? Well, I suggest buying bunch of solid dividend payers through a single Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF): The Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD 0.59%).…

Crews work at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on March 13, 2025.Annabelle Gordon | AFP | getty imagesRead more about CNBC government shutdown coverage”Today, at the direction of President Trump and @SecMullinDHS, TSA has immediately begun the process of paying its workforce,” DHS said in a Friday post on Twitter.”TSA officers should begin receiving pay checks no later than Monday, March 30. TSA is grateful to the President and Secretary for their leadership in putting money back into the pockets of TSA employees who worked without pay during the current Democrat DHS shutdown.”Choose CNBC as your favorite…

President Donald Trump speaks during the Future Investment Initiative summit in Miami on March 27, 2026.Mandel Ngan | AFP | getty imagesPresident Donald Trump on Friday referred to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil-shipping route and a key choke point in the Iran war, as the “Strait of Trump.””Iran has to open up Trump’s strait – I mean, Hormuz,” the president said in a speech at the Future Investment Initiative in Miami.”Sorry. I’m so sorry. Such a terrible mistake,” he said, pretending to apologize before clarifying, “The fake news will say, ‘She said it by mistake’ – no, I…

genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) and Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE:SWK) has earned dividend king status Through decades of unbroken annual growth. Genuine Parts has increased its dividend 70 consecutive years. Stanley has maintained a streak of consistent annual growth for more than 25 years, with a historical record that extends far beyond that. But 2026 is testing both companies in ways that matter to them income investor. Genuine parts: 70 years at risk metric price annual dividend $4.25/share dividend yield 4.0% consecutive years of growth 70 years most recent increase 3.2% (February 2026) dividend king status Yes The cost of the…