Payday Loans Blog

Whether you prefer to cut coupons or just buy during sales, there is never a bad time or way to save yourself some extra money.  Even if you don't get the Sunday paper, with all of the great coupons there are definitely cost cutting steps you can take to help save yourself and your family extra money.  Check City can also help you save money and get the money you earned, when you actually need it.  We offer Payday Loans also known as Cash Advances, and Check Cashing for the times when you are running a little short on cash, or have just forgotten to cash your paycheck. With our financial professionals ready to help, you can be sure we will get you exactly what you need.

1. Cut out the coupons from the Sunday paper and organize them.  Make sure you don't keep coupons you know you will never use, because this creates unwanted clutter.
   
2. Know the regular prices on items and try to avoid buying unless they are on sale. For instance, don't buy meats unless they are under a certain threshold, and when you do, buy plenty to save and freeze.
   
3. Make a plan to avoid overspending. Go to the store knowing exactly what you need and corresponding sales with coupons. Don't buy what isn't on your list, unless it is on sale.
   
4. Pick up the stores flyer on your way in, to combine with other savings and learn what is on sale.
5. There are online sites, such as Coupons.com that offer great deals you can print out from home.
   

Don't forget to visit Check City to get great deals on our many financial services as well. 

 

 

Check cashing may be something those with bank accounts take for granted. A recent article was published on Foxnews.com about an armless man whose wife sent him to the bank with a check from work she needed cashed. Instead of helping him out, the bank refused to cash his check, even after showing them two separate forms of I.D. because he couldn't provide them with a thumb print. He asked to speak with the manager and was denied again. The manager told them that he must either go get his wife, or open an account himself in order to cash her check.  The man, obviously upset is taking it to the courts. The sad thing is that even if they had let him cash or deposit it with an I.D. he may have had to pay a large fee, or been denied in the end because he didn't actually have an account there.

Check City can help cash your checks with our easy and convenient Check Cashing Services, no thumbprint required. At Check City we even one up ourselves by offering Check Cashing of various types of checks that many other, more traditional, financial institutions won't.  We cash all of the following types of checks:

• Payroll Checks 
• Cashier Checks
• Government Checks
• Insurance Drafts or Checks
• Money Orders
• Tax Refunds
• Personal Checks
• Out of State Checks

All you need to cash your check with Check City is the check and a picture I.D. If you are cashing a check for someone else, as was the case in the story, you might always want to bring a note from that person, just in case.  At Check City, you can walk into any of Our Stores with your check, fill out a short customer information form, and walk out with the cash. With some stores open 24/7 and all open until midnight you can also get it done when you have an emergency and can't do it anywhere else. Check Cashing at Check City is that easy!

Are you a couch potato who has your television shows you just can't miss? There are many ways you can use your everyday household items and furnishings as a home gym. Exercises can be done on everything from your couch to your stairs. There are small exercises you can do while performing everyday tasks that will help you tone everything from your abs to your glutes. If you continue these simple exercises daily you can slowly build the number of repitions as you become stronger and able to do more. Each day you should become stronger until these exercises are well practiced and easy to accomplish.

1. While you are watching the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy or 24 you may want to do these simple exercises to help tone your abs. You can start with just a few repititions and slowly work your way into more until they become easy for you to do. Sit on the edge of your couch or your favorite chair and use your hands to lift your body off of the couch and your feet into a straight position. Start by doing just a few of these repititions.  If they are too difficult you may want to curl your legs towards your body while lifting your body at the same time. Hold your feet in position as long as you can and this should help to work your abs.
2. To work your buttox and legs, when walking up a staircase, take the steps extra slow.  As you move slowly you will start to feel your legs and buttox burn. Once they stop burning, you may want to start taking the steps just as slowly but two at a time, or some suggest that you can take the original stairs one at a time and more slowly than before. This should help tone your legs and buttox.
   
3. Bag curls can help work your biceps. Use the chance you have when carrying your groceries or other purchases or bags in and out of the house to do some bicep curls with the bags.  This can help strengthen your biceps and shoulders and will make bringing in groceries easier as you constantly do these exercies. You can even wait until you get inside and do them sitting down. 
4. Cardio cleaning.  Do all of your cleaning at once with no stops in between and as fast as you can. You will be surprised by how much and how quickly you get things done and it is a good workout for your heart and lungs.
   
5. Calf lifts. While you are cooking, dinner, washing dishes, chopping vegetables or simply making a list at a counter, do simple calve lifts. . The slower they go, the more it works your muscles, but you may be able to do many quick repititions just as easily.
   
6. Wet laundry and other heavy item squats. There are many items you can use to do squats, such as a basket full of wet laundry.  Be careful how much weight you lift however so that you don't hurt your back.
   

 

These are just a few things you can do to work out while performing everyday tasks, but there are more exercises that you can create yourself in order to get a workout while working and hanging out around your home.  Are you looking for little ways to save money around your home? Do you have checks lying around that need to be cashed? Do you have precious metals that you never use? Turn your checks, gold, silver and platinum into cash at Check City. Check City has an easy Check Cashing program. You don't need to have a bank account, all you need to do is bring your check in with an I.D. and we can cash it for you on the spot. If you have gold, silver or platinum sitting around your home, bring it into Check City to get cash for gold.  Check City has a new Gold Buying Program and we offer you 300-500% more than many gold buying companies, because we deal locally. Bring your gold in today to get your cash now.

It's officially February and in celebration of the month of love I am giving some helpful hints about how to show your loved ones that you care.  You don't have to have a significant other to show your love for someone. Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to show anyone and everyone how much you care about them. From a best friend, to a mother to your spouse or significant other, everyone needs to be reminded every once in a while that they are loved.  There are plenty of ways to show someone you care as well.  Not only can you buy them flowers or chocolate, but you can write them a note, do some small act of kindness, or just smile when you see them. Smiles are contagious.  Don't forget that Valentine's Day is on a Sunday this year, so your shopping options on the morning of Valentine's Day may be a little more limited. Buy early.

Did you know there are a number of cities in the U.S. that have names relating to Valentine's Day? Here are a just a few:

Loveland, Ohio 45140 

Valentine, Texas 79854

Valentine, Nebraska 69201

Bridal Veil, Oregon 97010

Kissimmee, Floriday 32741

Loving, New Mexico 88256

Romance, Arkansas 72136

The reason I have included the postal zip codes with each one of these cities is because you can send a prestamped Valentine's Day card inside a larger envelope to any of these cities with the address "Postmaster-Attention Valentines" followed by the address of the post office if you can find it, and the city and state.  If you have them to that post office by around the 8th of February (Dates vary by location), they will send your Valentine's Day card to the address on the card with a love stamp on it.  These stamps may be anything from just little hearts, to a small poem or a small stamped picture.  It is an inexpensive and "love"ly idea that means a lot. 

If you want to be even more creative and have many people in your home with whom you'd like to share your love, you can make little minature love note mail boxes for everyone in the family.  Everytime your child or spouse does something for you, or something you are grateful for, you can leave them a little love note. It makes Valentine's day last longer, and it is a great family project  to make your home more peaceful in general.  You can also decorate them together as a family to spend some extra quality time together. 

There are a lot of heart shaped candies and cupcake tins around this time of year as well, and you could probably find plenty of recipes that include heart shaped items.  It is a  fun way to spend time together and make memories.

Are you a little short on cash this Valentine's Day? Check City offers services to get you cash when you need it.  We have great Check Cashing Services, Payday Loans and we have a Gold Buying Program that is sure to beat out many of the cash for gold programs you see on tv. It is locally run and operated out of our Check City Utah Locations and for that reason we can offer you anywhere from 300-400% more for your gold, silver and platinum jewelry. 

After posting about Quick Tips For Pesky Household Problems yesterday I got a few emails with a handful of even better tips, for even more places around the house.  We have tips for everything from laundry to cooking to gardening and most of them can be fixed using every day household items.   Using what you have around the house to take care of something quickly and easily saves time and money, two things you can never have too much of. With these easy tips and tricks we will have you begging for more.  Visit the other blogs from Tuesday and Wednesday to see tips on household pests and other small household problems you can fix using simple items found around your home.

Clothing:
•    When laundering clothes, add detergent to the waster first.  Pouring detergent on clothing can  cause fading.

Walls/Doors and Household Surfaces:
•    Use spray starch around doors and walls along hallways and stairways where fingerprints accumulate. Coating will make it more resistant to marks
•    Wipe the inside of your fridge with vinegar, it will help prevent mildew  because the acid kills mildew fungus.

Silver/Jewelry and Other:
•    Place a piece of white chalk in your silver or jewelry box to absorb moisture and prevent tarnish.
•    Pansies will bloom more if you take a few moments to pinch out early buds.  This will encourage the plants to bush out, and produce more flowers.
•    To keep extension cords untangled, insert them into an empty toilet paper role for storage.
•    Lemon extract will remove scuff marks from luggage.

Kitchen:
•    Freezers run more efficiently when they are three-quarters or more full. When food supplies are low, fill milk cartons or other jugs with water and put them in the freezer to take empty space.
•    For a fresh smelling fridge, keep a box of baking soda, a can of charcoal or dried coffee grounds, or a cotton ball soaked in vanilla extract inside your fridge.
•    Crumple newspapers and line the veggie compartments of your fridge for fresher and crisper veggies.
•    Homemade Drain De-Clogger: ¼ C baking soda and ¼ C vinegar.  Pour baking soda down the drain first followed by the vinegar. Close the drain and let it sit until the bubbling has stopped then follow with hot boiling water.
•    Store eggs with the large end up to keep the yolk centered.
•    For perfect hard-cooked eggs, cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit on the burner for 10-15 minutes.
•    Refrigerate candles for several hours before burning will cause fewer drips.
•    If your hands smell like garlic, rub them on a stainless steel bowl or other kitchen gadget, it will take the smell right off.
•    Dry mustard removes onion odors.
•    Place bay leaves in your kitchen drawers, cabinets and flour and sugar sacks to keep away pests.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the little things that need to be taken care of at home ? Come to Check City, we offer quick cash when you need it most.  Our Payday Loans Service can quickly and affordably get you that extra cash, with much less hassle than a bank and we have better hours too. We also provide great Check Cashing Services to get the money tied up in that piece of paper without worry about when we close.  After a hard day at work, you don’t want to have to worry about money in your pocket or when someone closes, visit Check City to ease your troubles and get cash when you need it, for what ever you need it for.

High-interest credit card bills can be both costy and irritating.At first it seems to make sense that if you have a healthy 401 (k) retirement plan with a decent balance to use that money to pay off some of the balance on your credit card bills. When you do this you don't get your credit checked and you are basically paying yourself off with interest anyways. These type of loans can have some benefits but are they enough to outweigh the cost? What is the cost you ask? You are removing retirement money that could be growing and gaining interest in your account. It is something that should not be taken lightly and requires some serious weighing of costs vs benefits. It is an adult decision. 

Many 401(k) plans have rules for borrowing, here they are laid down plain and simple for you. Some plans however don't allow borrowing so make sure yours does and that it isn't just for specific purposes such as education, home eviction evasion, buying your first home or medical expenses.

Other features to check on:

--How much can you borrow? Generally loans will be allowed for up to half of the account balance or $50,000, whichever is less. These are thresholds set by the IRS.

--Period of repayment. IRS rules require loans to be repaid in less than five years unless it's for a home loan and then it could be extended to 10 years or longer. The IRS requires the loan to be repaid in equal payments, at least quarterly, over the life of the loan. If the guidelines are not met, the loan may be considered an early distribution, taxed and assessed a 10 percent penalty.

--Payment schedule. Payments will be taken directly from your paycheck, so before you consider taking the loan, be sure it won't pinch your cash flow. If you're married, some plans may require your spouse to sign a consent form. It's not co-signing for the loan, but giving permission for the borrowing.

--Interest rate. Interest will be charged, but it's usually lower than commercial loans. Most plans use the prime rate plus 1 or 2 percent to set the rate. The prime rate is currently at 3.25 percent, meaning a 401(k) loan rate would be around 4 to 5 percent, depending on your plan. Bank loans average between 7 percent and 16 percent in New York, depending on the lender.

OTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER

Although you're repaying the loan plus interest to yourself, it's costing you money to borrow against your retirement fund. That's because the interest you're paying on the loan is less than what you're money would be earning in the market. Besides, you're just paying the interest to yourself, rather than getting additional investment income from an outside source.

You can find out exactly how much a loan will cost you by using a calculator here:

http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/retirement/borrow-from-401k-calculator.aspx

If you fail to repay the loan, the money is taxed and penalized.  A loan that was originally only $11,000 assuming the interest rate is average and everything else is in order, it will cost the original loanee around $63,000. This is because the IRS considers an unpaid 401(k) loan an early distribution.  Money taken out before the age of 59 1/2 is taxesd as regular income in addition to a 10% penalty. You'll also owe state income taxes on it.

If you lose your job by choice or by layoff before the loan is paid off, you will probably be required to repay the loan in it its entirety within 60 days or it will be taxes and penalized as shown above. Think about how long you plan on having your current job, this loan is up to five years, and if you don't want to stay at your job for that long, the loan might not be the best option for you, or you may have to pay the pentalties.

WHERE TO GET DETAILS

Your employer must have a Summary Plan Description for the 401(k) and must provide you a copy when requested. The SPD is a document that lists all the details of the plan including rules regarding loans. Ask the plan administrator at your workplace for the SPD.

Check City offers you great cash services when your current paycheck just isn't cutting it. Consider getting a payday loan from Check City to help you out until your next payday. If you have an emergency and don't know what to do, come visit us at Check City, we can get you a payday advance on the spot.  We also have great check cashing services and will cash your checks that others wont. Many of our stores are open until midnight and many are open 24 hours a day. 

Free checking is a privilege that many Americans have taken for granted so long, that they now feel entitled to it.  Some banks started offering free checking as a privilege for their service, but now most banks offer it as a service that many people now take for granted. However, now, free checking may be becoming endangered as banks feel heat from every side. The biggest impact on checking accounts is likely to come from regulations on overdraft protection fees.  In July, banks will need permission from customers before allowing them to use their debit cards to spend more than they have in their bank accounts on a one-time purchase.  Similar laws will apply to A.T.M. withdrawals as well.  Banks are currently earning billions in overdraft fees, and that money helps to pay for free checking accounts. 

This week, Obama tried to get a law to pass to limit the size and activities that all large financial institutions. Last week he proposed a tax to help recover bailout funds.  

A lot of that revenue will disappear when consumers don’t sign up for overdraft protection and opt not to spend more than they have.  The Bank of America made a press release this week that said that $160 million in overdraft fee revenues have already disappeared because of changes in policies ahead of the rules feds have put in place.

Banks may try to make up this money in other ways and other places, but paying more taxes and other options seem bleak.  As these banks lose money they may opt to do away with free checking all together.  If they do so they may replace it with a number of different options, none of which are that exciting or promising.

Sometimes in the history of banking, the banks would take your money, pay some interest and lend the money at higher rates. Checking account holders paid monthly or other fees if the balance was low.  Wealthier clients usually paid nothing.

Washington Mutual was the first bank to offer the option of free checking. Other banks then started to offer it as a privilege to their customers until almost every bank had some kind of version of free checking.  The debit card also allowed people to get benefits that they normally wouldn’t have had from their checking accounts as it added the convenience of a card to the checking account.  Soon because of overdraft fees, and unmonitored accounts, banks became rich and free checking was no problem. 

Banks lean heavily on the overdraft fees.  The average customer pays 12 overdraft fees or other insufficient-fund charges in 2009 and almost each one was $25 or $30 each.

In July, customers who don’t want to have to worry about overdraft fees can turn off the ability to overdraft in a store or at an A.T.M. machine.  It will probably take down the banks profits enough so that it will be unprofitable for many banks to offer free checking anymore.

Some banks will add monthly fees and hope customers either don’t notice or don’t run, they may also raise the minimum balance requirements that some banks already have. If you want your money in a specific bank, you may have to comply with the regulations being added.

Still other banks may try something different.  They offer a Secure Checking Account package in which the bank charges a fee each month, but throws in I.D. protection in which millions of consumers already pay at least that much somewhere else.  Banks can add other services too with these fees charged.

Still other banks may offer bare-bones checking for free but others will opt to pay for things they value in a bank. The most popular option seems to be to get retailers to pay for a big part of free checking not bank customers anymore.

Many retailers are a way for banks to get money.  When people use the debit cards at retail stores the banks get a cut of the fees that come when a person uses a debit card. If people sign instead of using a PIN number the banks get even more.

If banks can get more and more people to sign for their purchases, banks may be able to keep checking free but it may cause retailers to raise prices because a large chunk of the fees are going to the banks.  Smaller banks however are likely to offer better rates on fees, so if you are in a smaller bank, that is probably the way to go. 

At Check City you don’t have to have a checking account to get things done.  You can apply for a prepaid Debit Card and cash your checks both without having your credit checked or having a bank account. It’s an easy way to get money quick and spend less than you would on an overdraft fee.

If you are with an “old-line” banking institution chances are they will mess with your checking account soon. When it does get changed you will have to decide how far you want to go to ensure that your checking account stays free.

Come into Check City today to take advantage of our check cashing services and many of our other services that don’t require you to have a checking account. It is easy, affordable and we have a knowledgeable and friendly staff standing by, ready to help you at almost any hour of the day. Visit us online or at one of our locations to learn about our great services offered to you.

The alleged Tylenol Killer of 1982 may be found and convicted as a result of repeated Tylenol product recalls. The FDA has issued a warning about Tylenol Extra Strength and Rolaids. They are considering issuing a call back for the product after a suspicious musty odor was discovered. This past December Tylenol Arthritis Relief was called back after complaints of stomach problems.

 

In 1982, seven people died after taking Tylenol contaminated with cyanide. James Lewis, a convicted extortionist, was previously believed to be the murderer, but there was not sufficient evidence to convict him. However, new forensic technology and the repeated nature of recalls on Tylenol products may help to determine whether or not he is guilty for the crime.

 

The Tylenol deaths in 1982 began with 12-year-old Mary Kellerman. On September 29, she complained about feeling unwell and was given a dose of Tylenol. Shortly after, she collapsed on the floor with symptoms similar to a stroke.

 

Later the same day, Adam Janus, a postal worker, died from what doctors diagnosed as a heart attack. That evening Adam’s younger brother and his brother’s wife had arrived at his home feeling a lot of stress and anxiety over Adam’s death. Feeling under the weather, they both took some of Tylenol that was on the counter, and collapsed.

 

Stanley’s death that night was followed by his wife’s two days later. The other deaths included a brand new mother who took the Tylenol to help with her post-labor pains.

 

Immediately upon the discovery that linked Tylenol to the deaths, over 31 million bottles were recalled. Soon after, tamperproof bottles were developed.

 

The following December, Mr. Lewis was caught sending a letter to Johnson and Johnson promising that he would stop the killings if they would pay him $1 million. Johnson and Johnson is the manufacturer of Tylenol.

 

In trial, he was convicted of extortion, but said that he was trying to frame someone else by sending the letter. He plead innocent of actually committing the murders.

 

Mr. Lewis was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but only served 13 of those years.  He and his wife have remained the prime suspects in the case even though no condemning evidence has been found. This past week Mr. Lewis and his wife were asked by law officials to provide fingerprints and DNA samples for examination, which they willingly did. This has not been Mr. Lewis has run into the law.

 

Since then, Tylenol seems to have issued a recall after recall, stimulating unease about their products. No matter how careful officials are, things can slip through. So it is important to be aware of the possibilities and to prepare for the unlikely worst.

 

Check City offers life insurance quotes to protect your family throughout a hard time, if something should happen to you. The quotes are free and they offer policy purchasing services at their many local locations.  Check City also offers check cashing services for anyone, but especially for those who may need quick cash in an emergency. Some of their locations are even open 24/7 to accommodate varying needs.

With all of the hype surrounding the current flu epidemic I thought it might be time to leave you some tips to avoid the flu and keep yourself safe.

Most of you have probably seen the commercials with the Sesame Street characters reminding you to cover your mouth when you sneeze and to make sure your children have a place to go when they are sick so that you can still go to work, but there is much more that you can do to prevent the flu from getting to you. 

Wash your hands often. Viruses spread through the air, and many people touch their noses, mouths and faces without reazling they are doing it. Keep your hands as clean as you can at all times and remember hand sanitzer is good but it cannot replace completely washing your hands. Keep them washed especially when you are around or preparing food, when you are around animals or their waste, after you use the bathroom, and if someone in your home is sick. 

Keep surfaces cleaned off and wiped down. Especially toys and other objects young children may put their mouths on if you have young children. This should keep the germs to a minimum and when cleaning use either paper towels or towels that can easily be washed. 

Use disposeable tissues always to wipe yours and your children's noses. Don't use handkerchiefs.

Teach your children of course to always cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze, but even more important is to try not to sneeze or cough on your hands because everything your hands touch after that can become contaminated. Instead use a tissue or the crook of your elbow to keep the germs concentrated in one spot. 

If you yourself are sick stay away from the general public, try to find other ways for your children to get places if possible, and if you aren't sick try to avoid people who are because germs spread easily and they spread fast.

Also, if your family has younger children avoid contact with as many people as possible. It isn't always easy to tell who is sick and who isn't many people may be carrying a sick germ that you can't see.  Children's immune systems are weaker so try to avoid contact with a lot of people. 

Take a reuseable water bottle to school or work. Instead of children or yourself putting your mouth to the water fountains you will hopefully be able to get better water and avoid the germs lingering at water fountains.

These are just a few tips to help keep you safe from the flu, but you have to help yourself as well. Check City offers many ways that you can help yourself. Through our easy payday loans and check cashing services to get you money right when you need it.

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti yesterday around 4:53 PM local time. The earthquake was centered 10 miles away from Port-au-Prince and is one of the the strongest earthquakes since 1770 in the area.

Haiti is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere leaving them unprepared to cope with this disaster. About six of the nine million people who live in Haiti depend on agriculture or subsistence farming for their livelihood. Frequent natural disasters throughout the past have hindered their growth as a nation.

In addition to the natural difficulties, Haiti does not have a reliable banking system that would boost the economy. Throughout the history of Haiti the banks have repeatedly collapsed, leaving them hard to trust. When the banks are running normally, most Haitians do not qualify to get the loans that would help Haiti to develop.

In comparison to countries that are in similar circumstances, Haiti also suffers from higher inflation, very little investment, and trade deficit. Haiti has no stock exchange. The resulting consequence of these afflictions has made Haiti reliable on International Economic help to support fiscal sustainability.

The poor economy has resulted in the inability to keep modern construction standards in building which would help to prevent major damage in a natural disaster such as the earthquake yesterday. Most of the buildings are said to be very poorly constructed and dangerous even when the earth is stable.

The damage in Haiti is extensive and no one feels safe entering any building. Their poor economy has left them unprepared for another natural disaster.

The Red Cross responded to the disaster instantaneously and they doing what they can to help people to get the bare essentials of food, water, and medical care. However, they are overwhelmed. The UN has also released humanitarian aid teams to the area.

As Haiti’s primary donor in development of the country, the United States has also offered Humanitarian aid to Haiti. While help is being sent, officials are still trying to survey the extent of the damage and level of help needed. Right now, civilians are still in shock.

Here in the United States, most people have the means and opportunity to prepare for such a disaster. Be sure to take advantage of these privileges. Check City offers free insurance quotes and services that will help you find the right policy for you.  Check City also offers 24/7 services for cashing checks if a personal emergency should come up. Visit Check City's website to find the location closest to you.