Now that the shopping is done, it's time to save

I can't say with certainty, but I think this is the first year that a bank had offered online specials on the most-hyped shopping day of the year.

Ing Direct, a user-friendly online bank that's been catching some grief lately because after being a leader, its interest rate on deposits has fallen well below some of its peers, is getting some buzz for offering Black Friday savings on mortgages costs, higher interest rates on CDs and an impressive $121 in free money for opening an interest-bearing checking account.

You can check out the details at www.ingdirect.com/blackfriday.

But in a nutshell, ING is offering:

A 2.00% APR on a 12 month CD w/o minimums.

Not a bad rate, but you can find 1.90% at Discoverbank.com and Ally.com. These banks have been offering higher rates on a regular basis of late. It's always a good idea to check out bankrate.com.

Shopping for a mortgage? Check out:

$683 on closing costs for its Orange Mortgage (it's a 5 year fixed rate mortgage based on a 30 year payments. I like how they offer bi-weekly payments, which will reduce the amount and time it takes to pay off your loan, as a matter of course).

Why $683? That's the average amount that Americans will spend on holiday gifts this year, the National Retail Federation says.

Finally, if you want an online checking account which pays you interest, free bill pay and free access to 35,000 ATM machines, consider opening an Electric Orange by 11:59 pm ET:

1. Open an Electric Orange checking with Reference Code EOSAVE.
2. Use your Debit Card to make 3 signature transactions (you know, the ones you have to actually sign) within the first 45 days.
3. On day 50, we'll put $121 in your account. You have to open today to get the $121 bonus.

 Happy saving! And if you know of any other deals out there for helping your moeny grow, share in the comments below.