Section

Banking

Accounts, fees, credit and the everyday mechanics of your money.

A high rate is only the headline. Here is how to read the fine print, compare accounts honestly and avoid the teaser-rate trap.

Monthly maintenance, overdraft, out-of-network ATM and foreign transaction charges are avoidable for most households. Here is how.

Payment history and utilisation drive most of the score. Everything else is noise you should stop optimising.

App-first banks win on pricing and interface. Branch banks still win on complex products and cash. Most people should use both.

The obstacle is rarely income. It is sequencing, automation and defining what counts as an emergency before one happens.