How to save money? Here are some tips from Richard Barrington, the primary spokesman and personal-finance expert for , which examines rates on bank accounts.
• Create a regular savings plan, and pay into it just like paying a monthly bill. Direct-deposit programs can help.
• Minimize the amount you keep in checking. Don’t push it to the point of overdrafts, but don’t allow excess money to build up in an account that pays little or no interest.
• Use an Internet resource to shop for the most competitive rates and terms on savings accounts, and look for those special offers on larger accounts, if you have that kind of money available.
• Shop online for coupons — but only after you’ve decided what you need to buy. Nancy Trejos, The Washington Post
