More Americans are reporting that they have almost no savings and investments, according to a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

The 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey found that 27% of workers polled said they have less than $1,000 in savings accounts, compared with 20% in 2009. The poll also found that 54% of people had less than $25,000 in savings and investments, excluding their home and any defined benefit plans.

More people also are not saving for retirement. The poll found that 69% of workers said they and/or their spouse have saved money for retirement, but only 60% say they are currently saving.

Americans already had a low savings rate before the recession. Now, due to a high unemployment rate, many people are finding it impossible to save at all and are just trying to stay current on their bills.

The survey also found that a growing number of folks are planning to delay retirement. In fact, 24% of workers said they have postponed their retirement age in the past year. Among the reasons given were the poor economy, changes in their job situation, not enough money, and the need to recover money lost in the stock market.

 About 16% of those polled said they are very confident about having enough money for retirement.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) expects a lot more banks to fail, costing the agency billions of dollars. Earlier this week the agency said it had 702 banks on its ”problem list” at the end of December, up from 552 at the end of September.

All of those banks aren’t necessarily going to fail, but bank failures are expected to reach a high point this year. Total assets of the troubled banks rose during the quarter to $402.8 billion from $345.9 billion. The FDIC did not release the names of the 702 troubled banks.

The agency says it has cash and marketable securities that total $66 billion. The FDIC required most insured banks to prepay about three years worth of deposit insurance premiums at the end of 2009 to help provide funds needed to handle bank failures this year and into the future. Those prepayments totaled $46 million.

Last year 140 banks failed, the highest number since 1992. You can search for failed banks here.

The FDIC is an independent federal agency that was created in 1933. When banks have failed, the agency has helped insured depositors recover their funds promptly. You can find out if your accounts are fully insured by the FDIC in case of a bank failure.

Sweeping changes in credit card legislation take effect next week (Feb. 22). Here’s a quick rundown of some of the changes you can expect:

• Banks can’t raise interest rates on existing credit card balances unless a promotional rate ends, you’ve been late with a payment, or the card has a variable rate.
• Interest on new balances can only be increased after 12 months if the promotional rate ends or payments are 60 days late.
• You must have the right to “opt out” of major changes to your credit card terms. Opting out closes the account but you have five years to repay your debt at the current interest rate and terms.
• Banks can only sign up people under 21 for credit cards if they have an adult co-signer or can prove they have enough income to pay bills.
• You must receive your statement at least 21 days before payment is due.
• Credit card statements must clearly show the date and time your payment is due. The time must be no earlier than 5 p.m. on the due date.
• Statements must explain how long it would take to pay off your balance by making only the minimum payments.

Pay close attention to the fine print in credit card offers to become familiar with the terms and conditions. Also read your statements on existing accounts carefully to understand any changes; think twice before signing up for credit card offers, such as cash advances, related to existing accounts.

Many banking customers have noticed more fees being tacked onto their checking accounts. It seems like no matter where you look it’s tough to get away from rising fees at banks for everything from overdrafts to ATM use to just maintaining an account.

Some financial experts say that people with checking accounts could see even more fees because of changes in credit card legislation, according to USA Today. “This is Business 101. If you take losses in one area, you try to offset them in other areas of operations,” Adam Levitin, a law professor at Georgetown University, told USA Today.

Banks have searched for new revenue streams during the troubled economy, which in some cases has resulted in higher fees for things like overdrawing multiple times or using a debit card for foreign transactions. A 2008 study by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) found that overdraft fees accounted for 74% of service fees on bank accounts.

Fees can really eat into the amount of money you have stashed in a bank account. If you feel that your bank is nickel and diming you, it’s probably time to shop around and compare bank deals. Get the fee schedule for accounts you are considering and ask if they have recently increased any fees or plan to do so.

The Federal Reserve decided this week to keep interest rates at record lows. The target interest rate remains near zero. The decision is aimed at helping the economy recovery.

One member of the Fed, Thomas Hoenig, voted against the action. A statement by the Fed said that Hoenig ”believed that economic and financial conditions had changed sufficiently that the expectation of exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period was no longer warranted.” Hoenig is president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

The Fed said the economy is continuing to strengthen. Household spending is improving but “remains constrained by a weak labor market, modest income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight credit.” However, business spending on equipment and software seems to be improving.

Also, the Senate backed Ben Bernanke in a 70-30 vote for a second term as chairman of the central bank. Bernanke’s future as the head of the Federal Reserve was shaky due to opposition from lawmakers fed up with big banks and regulators.

“The politically neutral and independent Fed has really been politicized this week, probably to its detriment,” Chris Krueger of Concept Capital, a private firm that tracks Washington for institutional investors, told the New York Times.