Champ Money

With the recent failures and near failures of major financial players, such as Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers, many people might be asking themselves if this might be an opportunity for some bottom dwelling of stocks.

Washington Mutual and AIG are a couple that come to mind - both stocks are in the dollar range at the time of this writing.

If either of these stocks bounce back, the investor could make a large amount of money. On the other hand, if they fail, everything will be lost.

Champ Money wont suggest that such high risk investments are a good move, but it’s time for a gut check. Are you willing to risk and all or nothing investment?

You can save more than $100 a year in fees by selecting a free checking account or one with no minimum balance requirement. Request a complete list of fees that are charged on these accounts, including ATM and debit card fees.

See if you can get free or lower cost checking through direct deposit or agreeing to ATM only use. Be aware of charges for using an ATM not associated with your financial institution.