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 Saving money sometimes seems almost impossible, but it isn’t. One way is to simply commit to putting a certain percentage of every bit of income in savings. Ten percent is often suggested, on the theory it won’t be missed, but even five percent will add up when done on a regular basis. But there are other ways to save money. Deborah Fowles, the Financial Planning Guide at About.com has put together a whole page of savings ideas. Senior BofI offers several kinds of savings accounts that will help you with your savings plans. We also have a page that compares savings plans to help you make your choice.  Are you trick or treating with your grandkids this Halloween? It’s a fun tradition for everyone. Keep in mind these safety rules:
Take your camera, and be sure and have fun!  If you want the advantage of a higher interest rate than regular savings while having the security of an FDIC account with the ability to write checks, a BofI Money Market Account may be exactly what you’re looking for. Here’s how it works:
Feel free to contact us with any questions  You’d have to be living on the moon to not be aware we’ve got an election coming up. We’re all being bombarded with election ads on TV, radio, mail and even via recorded messages over the phone. Sorting out the details of propositions, judges, and local issues is generally more difficult than deciding which congress person to vote for. AARP has a voting guide that you may find helpful. So does the League of Women Voters through it’s 411Vote project. Both have information on local elections as well as state and national issues. AARP, of course, tends to have a bias toward seniors. 411Vote attempts to be truly neutral, presenting all sides. Between the two sites you should be able to make an informed decision without the hysteria of the ads. However you decide, be sure and vote.  Senior BofI offers a great variety of banking choices – everything from free checking to loans on real estate, as well as a number of ways to save money. In fact, we offer so many choices it can get confusing. One of the best ways to get an overall view of exactly what we offer is to spend a few minutes with our Feature Comparison page. There you will find a listing of the kinds checking and savings accounts we offer along with their cost (if any), and exactly what benefits each choice has. Take a look, and if you have any questions at all, contact us.  Travel tours can be wonderful ways to travel and see the country or the world. You can travel with a small, specialized group or a larger, more generic group. You can go a short distance or a long one, or anything in between. Your travel can be by foot, car, train, boat or plane. In fact, the choices can be overwhelming. Ferne Arfin,Guide to Senior Travel at About.com has a good article called How To Choose the Right Senior Tour. It will give you a good place to start sorting out your touring options. In fact, Ferne has lots of great info about travel for seniors on her site. Take a few moments and explore.  If you’re 50 years old or older, you can open a checking account that pays you interest with a $50.00 deposit. Your deposit will start earning interest from the day you deposit it and the interest will be compounded daily and paid monthly. You can always check the interest rate at our Senior Checking Page. And earning interest isn’t the only benefit you’ll get with a checking account at Senior BofI. Your account includes:
For complete information and to open your checking account go to our checking account page.  Unlike last year, there seems to be a good and sufficient supply of flu shots and now is the season to get one if you’re going to. AARP has a page that outlines who should get a flu shot and other information to keep make sure you’re informed about flu in general.  CDs or Certificates of Deposit offer you the opportunity to save a specific amount of money and know how much interest you’ll receive at the end of a fixed period of time assuming you don’t withdraw the money before the time period is up. This predictability is attractive to many.Senior BofI offers CDs with deposits of as little as $1,000.00 or as much as $100,000.00 and with periods up to 60 months or five years. Interest is compounded daily and paid monthly. Senior BofI offers different kinds of CDs, including:
 Got a task or chore you need to get done but are having trouble starting? It happens to all of us, often without rhyme or reason. You know what I mean; maybe you need to balance your checkbook or make a call and you find yourself doing anything but.One way to nudge yourself to do something like this is to bookend it with a friend. It works like this: You call a friend and tell them you are going to do X and you commit to calling them back when X is complete. Such a call might sound like this: Hi Carol, I’m going to spend 20 minutes sorting out the kitchen drawer; I’ll call you back when I’m done, or “Hey Bill, I’m going shopping for my wife’s anniversary present. I’ll call back when I’m home with the present wrapped. I’ve found it works even if I’m only leaving a message on my friend’s answering machine. There’s something about creating instant accountability that makes the chore easier to start and complete.  Almost everyone occasionally makes a mistake in their checkbook that can result in an embarrassing and expensive overdraft. Although you want to be as accurate as possible with your check book register, you can make your life easier with overdraft protection.Senior BofI offers two types of overdraft protection. The first is an overdraft line of credit – this method simply extends the amount you need in the form of a loan, automatically up to your credit limit. Unlike most banks, Senior BofI doesn’t charge advance fees for this service. The second method is by linking accounts. You could, for example, link you Senior BofI Checking account with your Senior BofI Savings account. Then, if necessary, the amount needed to cover an overdraft will be automatically transferred from your savings account to your checking account. Visit our Overdraft Protection page for full details.  If you’re looking for a way to share your experience through volunteering, Senior Corps may be your answer. Senior Corps offers volunteer opportunities in most states and their website provides an easy way to find local opportunities.Their programs break into three general areas:
Of course, Senior Corps isn’t the only way to find volunteer opportunities. Many cities and communities have websites listing places you can volunteer. Try searching on your city and state… that should bring up official pages. You can try adding volunteer opportunities to your search.  Although Senior Bank of Internet emphasizes banking via the World Wide Web, you can also access your accounts via telephone. Use this service any time you don’t have easy access to the internet.You can check your loan or deposit balance, transfer funds, or verify the payment of a check. Anytime time you want, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. All you need is a phone – and the call is toll free. Just call (877) 351-2265 (2256=BANK on your phone pad.) For additional information, check out our telephone banking page.  Seniors have discovered online dating and it’s big business. SeniorFriend.com, probably the largest online matchmaking service devoted to seniors, claims almost half a million members. And it’s not the only service devoted to seniors.Sharon O'Brien, About.com’s Guide to Senior Living reviews SeniorFriend.com and, toward the bottom of the page, several other matchmaking sites geared for seniors. She also provides some excellent tips about how to use these services safely, and provides other information you’ll want to explore before you plunge in.  The Senior BofI website has a section called community. It’s designed to help you explore the web in an efficient and fun way. One of the more interesting sections is the listing of Helpful or Interesting Blogs.You’ll find all sorts of things here, including:
You’ll also find links to free blogging services. And if you’re got a favorite blog, let us know with an email to: Gary@BankofInternet.com  According to a study reported by the Geriatric Mental Health Foundation, close to 15% of seniors suffer from some sort of mild depression. Depression is different from a normal, occasional feeling blue or down. Instead, depression tends to be chronic, and in seniors is likely to be either a repeat of earlier depression episodes or brought on by other illness. Symptoms of depression include: • persistent sadness (lasting two weeks or more) • feeling slowed down • excessive worries about finances and health problems • frequent tearfulness • feeling worthless or helpless • weight changes • pacing and fidgeting • difficulty sleeping • difficulty concentrating • physical symptoms such as pain or gastrointestinal problems. But the most obvious symptom is a withdrawing from friends, family and the usual social life. Fortunately, depression can be treated. It’s often just a matter of discussion your symptoms with your doctor or other health care professional. |
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