Despite Fed Decision, Banks Are Moving Interest Rates

I find it interesting that even though the Federal Reserve opted not to lower interest rates this week, some banks are adjusting their interest rates anyway. HSBC Direct lowered its online savings rate from 3.50% to 3.25%, giving competitor FNBO an upper hand in the battle for top high yield savings account (FNBO’s rate is still 3.50%). American Express also raised the regular APR for new credit cards issued by an average of 1.0% on several popular cards. Despite the rate hike, with a 9.99% regular APR, Blue from American Express remains one of the best all-round cards available. As the financial industry struggles, they’ll try to squeeze customers to remain profitable, but if you know where to look, good deals on your basic savings and credit products are still out there.