Staff writer · Banking & Savings Education

Tara Chen

21 articles, newest first.

Banking & Savings Education
How Your Own Savings Yield Can Change, and Which Document Controls It
The national savings rate is a weighted federal benchmark, not a snapshot of top offers. Your account agreement and Regulation DD govern how your own yield can change.
Tara ChenAug 8, 2026
Banking & Savings Education
How Savings Interest Gets Reported, Step by Step
A walk through how banks credit, track, and report interest, and which federal rules decide what you owe on it.
Tara ChenAug 1, 2026
Banking & Savings Education
Scheduling Automatic Savings Transfers Without Triggering Overdraft Fees
Checking your overdraft settings and timing the transfer after payroll clears can keep a recurring savings pull from turning into a costly shortfall.
Tara ChenJul 25, 2026
Banking & Savings Education
What Savings Buckets Change About Your Balance, and What They Leave Alone
Labeled sub-funds can make a single account easier to manage, but they do not alter how federal deposit insurance or account terms apply to the money inside.
Tara ChenJul 17, 2026
Banking & Savings Education
How Joint Bank Accounts Work: Setup, Withdrawal Rules, and Survivorship
A joint account gives every co-owner equal access to the funds, so the titling choice, overdraft settings, and removal rules deserve careful review before any money moves in.
Tara ChenJul 10, 2026
Banking & Savings Education
How Payable-on-Death Accounts Pass Money Outside Probate and How Deposit Insurance Applies
A POD designation can move a bank or credit union balance to a named person without court administration, but insurance coverage depends on which regulator oversees the institution and how many unique beneficiaries are named.
Tara ChenJul 3, 2026
Banking & Savings Education
What a Trusted Contact on Your Bank Account Can and Cannot Do
A trusted contact gives your bank a person to reach in an emergency, but that person has no authority over your money.
Tara ChenJun 26, 2026
Banking & Savings Education
Using the FDIC National Rate Table to Check a CD Offer
The FDIC's monthly table lists a national rate and a rate cap for each CD term. Here is what the October 2026 figures show and how to compare an offer against them.
Tara ChenJun 18, 2026
Banking & Savings Education
How Coverage Limits Can Change After Two Banks Combine
Coverage limits can shift when two institutions combine, so checking the merger date, account categories, and certificate maturities matters more than the new signage.
Tara ChenJun 11, 2026

Tara Chen

How Your Own Savings Yield Can Change, and Which Document Controls It

How Savings Interest Gets Reported, Step by Step

Scheduling Automatic Savings Transfers Without Triggering Overdraft Fees

What Savings Buckets Change About Your Balance, and What They Leave Alone

How Joint Bank Accounts Work: Setup, Withdrawal Rules, and Survivorship

How Payable-on-Death Accounts Pass Money Outside Probate and How Deposit Insurance Applies

What a Trusted Contact on Your Bank Account Can and Cannot Do

Using the FDIC National Rate Table to Check a CD Offer

How Coverage Limits Can Change After Two Banks Combine