Banking & Payments, AGE-YOU
Banks and payment facilities are at the center of your financial life, from storing your money and processing your transactions to helping you save in CDs and other accounts. It pays to know who's who and how it all works.
Banking & Payments Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Agentic commerce: When AI goes shopping for you
Shopping online often means searching for products, comparing prices, and deciding what to buy. Artificial intelligence......
ATM fees: Easy ways to avoid them with a little planning
If youâve ever used an ATM at a convenience store or supermarket, you may have paid a feeâand perhaps not a small......
Authorized users and credit cards: Who spends, who pays?
Imagine sending your child off to college with a credit card to use for gas, groceries, and emergencies. But thereâs......
Bank runs: What they are and why they happen
Your money is safe ⊠except when it isnât. Thatâs why, despite a myriad of protections built into the U.S. and......
Banking online: Are electronic payment methods really as safe as writing checks and filing paper statements?
Are you still getting paper bills and statements in the mail? Do you still send checks through the mail when you......
Can automatic bill pay and other tools help you put your money on autopilot?
Money management can seem daunting. Life holds so many things to remember and keep track ofâit might feel like......
Can you have too much money in your emergency fund?
Editorâs note: This article first appeared in Money Matters, a newsletter from Britannica Money, on August 19,......
CD investor? Tips and strategies to turbocharge your savings
The Federal Open Market Committee has raised rates by five percentage points in its 2022â23 rate-hike regime, and......
Certificate of deposit (CD) vs. savings account: How to choose
Savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) are both relatively low-risk places to keep cash while earning......
Checking account vs. savings account: Choose one or choose both
Whether youâve started your first job or your first well-paying one, now that youâve begun making money, you need......
Credit card interchange fees: What they are and how they work
Ever since their debut in the mid-20th century, credit cards have helped speed up the checkout process. You tap,......
Debit card fraud 101: Are you liable?
Debit and credit cards speed purchases and provide a level of protection from theft that cash canât offer. And......
Do you need a second-chance checking account?
Just about every account you open is monitored for your credit history. Got a credit card? Itâs being reported......
How credit card rewards work
Credit card rewards can help you earn cash back on groceries, points to use on future purchases, or miles for your......
How embedded finance makes managing your money easier
Financial services have become so intertwined with everyday transactions that they seem nearly seamless. You order......
How fintech shapes everyday banking, payments, and investing
Financial technology, or fintech, is a broad category of technology-driven financial services. Much of the modern......
How interest rates work: A beginnerâs guide for borrowers and savers
To understand how interest rates work, you first need to look at the two ways in which they affect you. Thereâs......
How money moves in the era of digital payment systems
Up until the 1990s, transactions typically closed with the ceremonial handing over of cash, coin, or check for......
How to use pay-by-phone apps
Your smartphone can be a convenient way to pay for goods and services no matter where you are, allowing you to......
Joint bank accounts: The pros and cons of combining finances
Did you just move in with your sweetheart? Recently get married? Congrats! In addition to many other decisions......
Money market account vs. CD: Which one should you choose?
Money market accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) both earn interest on cash deposits and are insured by......
Money market account vs. checking account: Which is best?
A checking account is a financial workhorse. From paying bills, to shopping, to getting quick cash, a checking......
Money market account vs. money market fund: Whatâs the difference?
If youâre looking for a safe place to invest your money, you may be trying to decide between a money market account......
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA): Federal insurance and oversight for credit unions
Credit unions may feel more community focused than big banks, but they still depend on a strong regulatory and......
Overdraft protection: For insufficient funds in your checking account
Weâve all been there. You try to buy a cartload of groceries or pay a bill, and you get an insufficient funds notice.......
Peer-to-peer payments: How and when to use Venmo, Zelle, and others
Technology has made it easy to split restaurant bills and send money to friends and family with just a few taps......
Set up your emergency fund: Saving for a rainy day
Life is full of surprises, and bad luck can hit at the worst times. Maybe your car breaks down, the water heater......
Should you ditch your traditional savings account for a high-yield savings account?
When youâre trying to save, stashing your money in a traditional savings account can feel futile given the tiny......
Should you use a credit union or a bank?
As you reach financial milestones in life, you may need to rethink where to keep your money so itâs easier to manage.......
Should you use a paycheck advance loan app?
Maybe youâre struggling financially, but itâs still a few days until payday. Perhaps you need a couple hundred......
The best money is the kind you canât touch
Editorâs note: This article first appeared in Money Matters, a newsletter from Britannica Money, on August 9, 2026.......
The emergency fund ratio: How much should you save for a rainy day?
Build an emergency fund, they say. Itâs one of the basic bits of personal finance advice almost every expert offers.......
Venmo and how splitting the bill changed finance
Venmo is a U.S.âbased mobile payments app with a social networking component, founded in 2009 and purchased by......
What are neobanks? How they work and risks to know
Neobanks are financial services companies that may offer you a better return on your savings than you get at a......
What is a credit union? Is it different from a bank?
When youâre managing your money, do you feel comfortable being just another number at a big bank? Or are you looking......
What is a savings account, and how does it work?
One of the foundations of healthy finances is a savings habit. Setting aside money regularly can help you reach......
What is ABLE? Understanding ABLE accounts for individuals with disabilities
If you or someone you know has a disability, then you may have heard about ABLE, the Achieving a Better Life Experience......
What it means to be unbanked or underbanked
You may have heard the terms âunbankedâ or âunderbankedâ before. Unbanked describes people who do not use the services......
Your guide to opening and using a bank account
One way to keep your money safe and make it easier to manage your personal finances is to open a bank account.......