Filed under: Banks, Cards, Debt, The Dolans

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America’s First Family of Personal Finance.

If the weak economy has you tightening your belt a bit these days, you’re not the only one. The subprime crisis is putting a strain on banks’ bottom lines all over the country since they aren’t making as much income off of loan interest. I know, cry me a river, right? But this is important because it impacts your money in a huge way.

To compensate for the dip in funds, banks are once again finding more ways to nickel and dime folks like you and me. The latest tactic is a fee increase from the usual suspect: ATMs. These fees can swiftly add up to hundreds of dollars that can drain your account. While we can only dream about a world where we never have to deal with banks again, there are ways to avoid these high-priced fees. Check out my video below to learn about new ATM charges and my advice for protecting your money.

For more ways to fight back against bank fees, check out the Dolans’ banking section at Dolans.com. Click here to learn more.

Don’t forget to send your money questions to Ken and Daria!

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Islamic banking ‘in its infancy’ - Turkish Daily News
As the U.S.-based credit crunch affects economies worldwide, there is a growing interest toward so-called “Islamic finance,” known by its strict prohibition of interest (riba) and “making money from money.” The growing Islamic finance pie

Celebrity news - Daily Telegraph
Jodie Prenger, one of three West End hopefuls battling to play Nancy in a new production of Oliver! has been told she’s “too big” for the part. A behind-the-scenes film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable on the set of their last feature film The

SocGen replaces investment bank chief Mustier - Boston Globe
PARIS (Reuters) - The top executive at Societe Generale’s investment banking unit, Jean-Pierre Mustier, is being replaced in the wake of the French bank’s rogue trading scandal. Societe Generale stated on Friday in a statement that it was

China Banking Regulatory Commission offers to sign MoU with Taiwan - CNBC
TAIPEI (XFN-ASIA) - The China Banking Regulatory Commission has offered to sign a memorandum of understanding on joint supervision with Taiwan, the Economic Daily News reported, citing an unnamed senior official of Taiwan’s financial regulator, the

TEXT-Fitch rtgs to kick-start 08 Global Banking Conf next Tues - Reuters India
Might 29 - Fitch Ratings will kickstart the Asian leg of its annual Global Banking Conference in Beijing next tuesday on 3 June 2008, followed by Tokyo on 4 June, Singapore on 5 June, and Mumbai on 6 June. Experts from Fitch’s financial institutions

Bank profits fall nearly 46 percent in Q1 - MSN MoneyCentral
WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators say banking industry profits were almost halved in the first quarter, reflecting slumps in housing and credit markets. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data show the nation’s federally insured banks and savings

Banks counting on consumers to boost profits - Globe and Mail
Canada’s banks will lean heavily on consumer and commercial banking to prop up profits this year, while the investment banking side of the business remakes itself. The big six banks each released second-quarter financial results this week, and the

Credit where it’s overdue - Boston Globe
REGULATORS AND elected officials are starting to circle the credit card companies, and not a moment too soon. The Federal Reserve reports that credit card debt rose more than 7 percent last month, on top of the already burdensome average of $8,000

NEWSMAKER-Teflon Trichet rules as the ECB turns 10 - Forbes
PARIS, May 30 (Reuters) - Jean-Claude Trichet looks so much at home as head of the European Central Bank that it is hard to envision it once looked as if he might not get the job, notably when he went on trial over a French banking scandal. As the ECB

Gates: Obstructed efforts in Myanmar cost lives - Miami Herald
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates talks at the annual Shangri-la conference on international security Saturday, Might 31, 2008 in Singapore. Myanmar’s obstruction of international efforts to help cyclone victims cost “tens of thousands of lives,” he

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Filed under: Raising money, Texas Pacific Group

Back in the 1980s, David Bonderman was the chief dealmaker for Robert Bass, a Texan billionaire. He helped to structure the $550 million buyout of American Savings and Loan Association of California, which was caught in the S&L morass. It was a complex deal, requiring lots of negotiations with federal regulators. But it ultimately turned out to be a great investment. In fact, the bank became a car to finance other deals.

Well, Bonderman is coming back to the future. Now, as the chief of TPG, he’s one of the top players in private equity. And he wants to do some finance deals. To this end, he’s raising $7 billion for a financial service fund. The investments will range from minority stakes to control situations.

Actually, Bonderman has already been busy with bank deals. For example, he recently assembled the $7 billion equity infusion for Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM). He also approached Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) to do an investment, which, so far, hasn’t gone anywhere.

Yet, there are many financial institutions that need cash. Moreover, having TPG as a partner is usually a good thing.

As should be no surprise, it looks like TPG is getting traction on the capital raise, with commitments from the New Jersey Say Investment Council and the government of Singapore.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar On the internet Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

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