Wells Fargo Bank offers rebates on cash transfers to areas hit by Stan

Through Oct. 21, Wells Fargo Bank will rebate all transfer remittance fees for U.S.-based customers using the InterCuenta Express service to send money to victims of Hurricane Stan in El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico.

Customers can transfer as much as $3,000 daily from their Wells Fargo accounts to Banco Agricola in El Salvador and Banco Industrial and Banco de Desarrollo Rural in Guatemala.

Customers can transfer funds to beneficiaries in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas through Banorte, Bancomer or HSBC banks.

Funds can be transferred at a Wells Fargo Bank branch via phone, online or at an ATM.

To receive the rebate for money transfers to Mexico, customers must call Wells Fargo's Global Remittance Customer Service, (800) 556-0605.

The beneficiary must have an account with one of the above-named banks.

-- Matt Monaghan

What are people saying about mortgages today:

Rates on 30-year mortgages edged down last week to a seven-month low. Mortgage-giant Freddie Mac reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages fell to 6.3 percent, down slightly from 6.31 percent two weeks ago. It put rates at the lowest level since they were at 6.24 percent the first week of March.

Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Territorial Savings Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgages all cut their 30-year mortgage rates to 5.75 percent this week.

Most people think of a mortgage as a means to an end. After all, you buy a house, not a home loan. But a mortgage is much more than the path to homeownership. It is a financial instrument that must be managed, just like any other financial investment.