Certificates of Deposit, also known as CDs, are a great way to save money. Since you are depositing a specific amount of money for a fixed period of time, the interest rate you earn is often higher than you’d earn in a regular savings account. Plus, you know in advance exactly how much you’ll earn – always assuming, of course, you don’t withdraw any of the principal prior to the term.

Senior BofI offers a variety of CDs in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $100,000, all FDIC insured. You can open:

• An Individual CD
  
• A Joint CD
  
• UTMA CD
  
• A Trust CD - (Family & Inter Vivos)
  
• A CD for Non Profit Corporations - (Charities)

Terms on our CDs range from 6 months to 60 months. You can open a CD account from our Certificate of Deposit Page.

Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Labels: cds, certificate of deposit, online banking, senior banking

It happens! Someone gives you a gift you simply don’t like. Maybe it doesn’t fit, or it’s the wrong color or is something you never ever will use. If you’ve got some gifts to return, keep these things in mind:

• The sooner you return it the better.
  
• If you’ve got a receipt, it will be easier, but you can return things to many stores without the receipt.
  
• You’ll probably get a store credit for the lowest sales price
  
• If it’s electronics, it’s best not to open the package – even then you may pay a restocking charge.
  
• Consider giving the gift to a charity instead of returning it.
  
• If all else fails, you may be able to sell it – ebay or your local craigslist are both likely sales places.

Whatever you do, enjoy the season.

Labels: gift return, gifts, senior banking, seniors, tips

The end of the year is a great time to review your income and expenses with an eye toward increasing your savings. A favorite trick is to automatically put aside a certain percentage of you income. Keep it low, like 5% or 10% and you’ll never miss it, but your savings will grow.

Another way to save is with Senior Discounts. They are all over the place. Often it’s simply a matter of asking – often you’ll end up with a bit of savings.

Sharon O'Brien,Guide to Senior Living at About.com has an article about finding discounts that will lead you to savings in some surprising directions.

Of course, here at Senior BofI we offer a variety of ways to save your money. Why not open a new savings account now?

Labels: savings, senior banking, seniors

If you haven’t finished your holiday shopping for the grandkids, AARP has a nifty list of high tech gear for kids that may fit.

They also have a similar list for adults.

But the article I like best for this season is the one they have called How To Create Custom Digital Gifts. There are some pretty good suggestions there that can be adapted by almost anyone with a computer.

Of course, the holidays aren’t all about gift giving and receiving. You may want to review 10 Tips for Holiday Fire Safety and/or 6 Tips for Safe Winter Driving.

Most of all, relax and enjoy the season.

Labels: gifts, safety, seniors

When you’ve got money in accounts that pay you interest its only natural to know what interest rate you’re earning. That’s easy to do at Senior BofI – all you have to do is check our Deposit Account Interest Rates page.

But don’t drive yourself crazy. Although an increase or decrease in the rate your deposits are earning is interesting, the truth is the key to effective savings is regular deposits, regardless of the current rate.

Remember, if you have any questions about any of your accounts, please contact us.

Labels: interest rates, online banking, senior banking, seniors

Regular exercise is good for us, even when we don’t like it much. That’s not surprising. It’s only recently that we’ve had the luxury of sitting so much. Our ancestors were much more active and that’s what our bodies’ want.

Real Age cites a research study suggesting 45 minutes of regular exercise a day reduces our chance of catching a cold.

The University of California at Berkeley has published an article called The Foundation of Wellness that explains how our immune system works.

AARP has a guide to walking for exercise.

However you do it, it’s time to get moving.

Labels: elderly, exercise, health, immune system, seniors

Our web site is rich with information and we work hard to make it easy for you to find exactly what you want with as few clicks as possible. We have yet another way for you to find the information you want.

Way down at the bottom of the site you’ll see a link to a site map for the whole site.

Site maps are just another way to find out what’s available at Senior BofI. It provides a different way to find the information you’re looking for here.

Of course, you can always contact us directly too – we’re happy to answer any questions and help you find precisely what you’re looking for.

Labels: internet banking, senior banking, seniors

It doesn’t seem fair, but even in the middle of the holiday rush, it may make sense to do at least a little thinking about your taxes. The internet provides an amazing wealth of information about taxes. There are also more than a few scams out there. Here are some sources of tax information we trust.

• IRS
• AARP Tas Aide
  
• Money and Taxes for Seniors
• Tax Planning at About.com

Take a few minutes and review your tax situation; you'll be all set.

Labels: internet banking, seniors, taxes

Senior BofI offers many banking services, just like a regular, brick and mortar bank. Of course, with Senior BofI you get the convenience of banking online. That means, among other things, that:

• You can bank at home from your computer any time you like, even at 2 a.m.
  
• You can get your banking done without worrying about changing your clothes and getting dressed up.
  
• When you’re on the road, you can bank from wherever you have an internet connection.
  

When you realize the many advantages of banking online, your next job is to pick the kinds of services and accounts you want. You can see a summary of all our services at our Feature Comparison page. Then if you have any questions, contact us.

\It’s amazing how busy we can get during the holidays. There are parties and shopping, and cards, and traffic and more shopping, and cooking. Our to-do lists can seem unending. Small wonder the holidays seem so stressful!

One of the quickest ways to get rid of stress is to get quiet, even silent for a bit. This means turn off the radio, TV and phone. Get comfortable… a cup of tea or coffee if you want. Now, just be for a few minutes. If your mind seems to busy for this, stay quiet for a bit longer. You can watch your breath go in and out, or mentally name the things you’re grateful for or just let your mind wander in the silence.

Even 10 minutes of quiet like this can go a long way toward lowering your stress level while restoring your energy. It’s a great gift to give yourself.

If you regularly receive checks from Social Security, an annuity payment or other source it only makes sense to sign up for direct deposit.

Direct deposit means your money will be deposited automatically into your account. You don’t have to worry about mail theft, forgetting where you put the check or making time to go to the bank. You’ll be able to see that your deposit has in fact been credited to you online.

It’s easy to sign up. Just go to our Direct Deposit page and follow the instructions. Note, there is a special form for setting up direct deposit from Social Security.

The Federal Citizen Information Center, which used to be called the Government Printing Office, provides an amazing amount of information in pamphlet, booklet and even book form. Much of it is free and the rest of it is offered at truly low prices.

Categories range from cars to travel and included information on government programs, credit and money issues and even American history.

Plan to take at least a few moments to examine the website where you can order online or, if you prefer, by snail mail.

You probably won’t be surprised that Senior BofI is a big fan of online shopping. Just as the internet makes banking online super easy, the internet makes shopping a cinch, as long as you play it safe.

AARP has a checklist of tips about how to shop safely online. To this we would add:

Know the merchant! Stick with merchant names you recognize and trust. Our community pages have a short list of online vendors we trust you may find helpful

In the hustle, bustle of this holiday season, with the advertising emphasis on more is better and bigger is better, it’s helpful to remember it really is the thought that counts. Another way to say this is that the cost of size of the gift isn’t what really matters. What makes the difference is the thought behind it.

A gift that lets the receiver you really know who they are is the key. This might be sugarless cookies for the dieter, a book about writing for the would-be writer, or even a lovely card with a hand written note that expresses your respect and affection can all work.

Keep it simple and keep it within your budget – you’ll all enjoy the holidays more.