What Is a Bank?
A bank is a financial institution with a license to hold and lend money. It can provide checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, personal loans, small business…
Spencer Tierney
Spencer Tierney is a consumer banking writer who joined NerdWallet full time in 2014 and is an expert on certificates of deposit. His work has been featured by The Associated Press, USA Today, MSN, SF Gate and the Los Angeles Times, among others. Spencer earned a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of California, Berkeley. Email: [email protected].
Posts by Spencer Tierney:
Tired of Your Big Bank? Consider These 4 Alternatives
Checking account fees, minimal savings rates, impersonal customer support. The reasons you might choose to leave a big national bank vary, but where you go next might be a harder…
Web Searches Reveal Shifts in Banking as Upstarts Surge
If internet searches can serve as a kind of popularity contest, the banking institutions that have seen the sharpest surge of attention in the past five years aren’t the biggest…
What to Do if Chime or Other Neobanks Close Your Account
A wave of digital-first challengers to traditional banks has attracted millions of customers with free accounts and hassle-free sign-ups. But a recent report highlights some risks of entrusting money to…
4 Neobanks Show Up for Their Communities
Big banks design their services for a broad customer base, but in doing so, they can fall short of serving the needs of historically marginalized communities. That gap is creating…
What Is Crypto Banking?
What is crypto banking? Let’s start with the “crypto” part. Cryptocurrency, or crypto for short, is a digital form of money backed by computer code instead of a central banking…
How to File a Complaint Against Your Bank
If you get wrongly charged a fee or fraud hits your account, you may feel frustrated and impatient with your bank. If you’re not being heard or treated fairly, it…
What Is a Savings Bond?
A savings bond is a long-term investment with the rare ability to be a gift for a loved one, even a child. Let’s break down how they work. What is…
19 Neobanks and What They Offer
Jump to a specific neobank or category: For high-yield savings: || For widest range of accounts: For cheap overdraft: For credit building: || || || For cash-back rewards: || ||…
Black-Owned Banks and Credit Unions: Where to Find Them
Black-owned banks tend to serve African Americans more than other banks do. Their mission includes closing the wealth gap in America. » Skip ahead to the The typical white family…
