If you typically receive a big refund at the end of the tax year, you may want to rethink how much you’re withholding from each paycheck. Remember, by not properly estimating your tax obligation, you’re giving the government the right to hold onto your money interest free for up to 16 months. This...

With more businesses moving their processes online, the use of electronic contracts is becoming increasingly common. Reputable companies such as Coldwell Banker, Prudential, Comcast, Expedia, Restoration Hardware and now, Tech CU, are accepting electronic signatures for legal paperwork — including...

There have been several signs in recent weeks that the Bay Area real estate market is slowly recovering. This is good news for homeowners who saw their property values plunge during the nationwide housing-market meltdown. According to a recent article in the San Jose Mercury News: “. . . the median...

If you’re searching for a home today, you likely know that the last few years of market upheaval have tipped real estate very much in the buyer’s favor. Steve Donahue, VP of Mortgage Originations for Tech CU says, “I would encourage both first time and move up buyers to take advantage of historically...

Mobile banking means more convenience for you and offers faster ways to monitor your account activity. Unfortunately, as was the case with the Internet, the growth of mobile banking also means there are more opportunities for consumer fraud. Financial institutions, like Tech CU, employ multiple forms...

The “Silver Tsunami” is coming, says Cathey Eskandari, executive director for Westmont of Morgan Hill, a retirement living community that offers a full spectrum of health care and housing options, from independent and assisted retirement living to memory care for retired individuals. With baby boomers...

New credit card reform laws went into place today, Monday, Feb. 22, 2010 which will result in big changes in card fees, interest rates and contract terms. Experts say the new laws offer consumers more protection, but unfortunately, the reforms will also likely drive up the cost of using credit for everyone...

When it comes to preparing taxes, many find the act of sorting and categorizing expenses the most time consuming job of all. So why not simplify? Personal finance sites like Mint.com and Buxfer offer automatic categorization, tagging and sorting for all your financial transactions throughout the year....

Each year, millions of Americans are exposed to security breaches in personal data. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC),  2009 saw more than 498 data breaches, with more than 233 million personal records compromised. So how do data breaches occur? Typically, they happen when records...

In years past, the San Francisco Bay Area—and particular Silicon Valley—has been ranked among the most expensive areas to live in the U.S. With the recession, how do those comparisons hold up today? Is this region still more expensive than Denver, Boston or even New York? Just for fun, we thought...