Your money: First the good news, then the bad - Personal Finance ...

By MarketWatch

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The overarching theme of our personal-finance features today seems to be: there?s a little bit of good news amidst all the bad.

As Ruth Mantell notes in her On the Job column today, the bad news is that none of us should expect a big wage hike in 2012. The good news? At least earnings in 2012 will be better than in 2011, when average inflation-adjusted wages declined.

Then, there?s your bank fees. As Jennifer Waters writes in Consumer Confidential today, the bad news is that people who mix-and-match their bank accounts ? a savings account here, a checking account there ? can expect to get nickel-and-dimed with fees. But those who go all-in at one bank might find some sweet deals await them.

And, then, Suze Orman?s new prepaid card. As Chuck Jaffe writes today, the bad news is that there are, in his opinion, too many ways for consumers to trigger one of the card?s myriad fees. Plus, the credit-monitoring service isn?t something people really need. (You can get your credit reports free once a year, from each of the three main bureaus, at AnnualCreditReport.com.) The good news is that there?s plenty to like about Orman?s new product, including the fact that it might help some consumers manage their finances better.

? Andrea Coombes , Personal Finance editor

Paychecks will grow in 2012 ? but not much

Pay growth is likely to be modest in 2012, as unemployment remains high and the economy slowly adds jobs, experts say.
Read more: Paychecks will grow in 2012 ? but not much.

Your bank wants to be your new best friend

Banks are stepping up the relationship business and if you spurn the advance you?ll probably be slapped with more fees.
Read more: Your bank wants to be your new best friend.

Suze Orman prepaid card raises many doubts

When the biggest name in personal finance announced ?The Approved Card from Suze Orman,? you can bet that her legion of adoring fans, primed by her massive media reach, were thinking ?If Suze approved it, that?s good enough for me.? It isn?t.
Read more: Suze Orman prepaid card raises many doubts.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/your-money-first-the-good-news-then-the-bad-2012-01-13

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