Have Debit Cards Eliminated The Need For Bank Checks
With the increased popularity of the bank debit/charge card, many checking account holders may wonder why they should bother ordering bank checks at all. The truth of the matter is that bank checks are still very necessary in today’s society for a number of reasons. Further, due to the fact that bank checks can be [...]
Consumer Credit Fairness Act
Lenders that seek to charge excessive interest rates have become the target of Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. The new legislation, which was introduced in January, is called the Consumer Credit Fairness Act. Last week Whitehouse told a Senate hearing on credit card practices that the “standard credit card agreement gives the lender [...]
5 Things You Should Not Do When Your Credit Cards Are Maxed Out
Times are tough for all of us right now. Both the housing market and the stock market seem to be in a free-fall with no end in sight. Many people have lost their jobs or have seen their income reduced significantly. Having credit cards is a nice safety net in tough economic times. But when [...]
Inactivity Can Cost You Your Card
Here is a new trend amongst credit card companies, cardholders that do not use their credit cards over the past 12 months are in danger of either having their credit limit reduced or losing their credit card altogether. Either scenario may result in the lowering of your credit score. And yes, you guessed it, it [...]
Beware Of Phony Credit Card Scam
The bad guys have found yet another way to steal using credit cards as their tool of choice, but in this case they are not credit cards but gift cards. Scammers and thieves are using Visa gift cards and passing them off as Visa credit cards. It is a rather simplistic, but dare I say [...]
If You Are Traveling To Europe Take Your American Express Card
Here is a quick tip for overseas travelers. If you are planning to travel to Europe you should most definitely take along your American Express credit card. While American Express isn’t as widely accepted across the pond as its cousins Visa and MasterCard, they do have a decided advantage, a physical presence in Europe. Case [...]
Chase Raises Fees On Unsuspecting Customers
Here is a tough one to swallow. Chase just announced that they would be raising fees on credit card account holders that locked in fixed low APR terms. It seems as if cardholders that carry a balance and had the foresight to jump on low interest or 0% interest offers with the promise that if [...]
Credit Card Companies Marketing On Campus
Credit card companies have aggressively marketed to students for many years now. But apparently that in your face marketing strategy has reached critical mass at some college campuses. Michigan State University has a deal worked out with Bank of America whereby Bank of America is given a list of MSU students, alumni and season ticket [...]
Prepaid And Secured Credit Cards See Growth
Many financial experts predict that prepaid and secured credit cards will become increasingly popular with consumers as the recession drags on. With traditional credit cards being harder and harder to get, many Americans may now find themselves turning to these instruments to make their financial transactions. There are some distinctions in the way that prepaid [...]
Know Your Rights As A Credit Card Holder
While Congress works on the newly proposed “credit card bill of rights“, I felt it was important that I share with you exactly what your rights as a credit card customer entail. After all, it will probably be months before Congress draws up this new bill. Many cardholders have expressed everything from minor frustration to [...]