Articles on Credit Cards

Financial Literacy Month Project: Setting Your Financial Goals

The latest report on U.S. savings didn’t look very encouraging. As the average savings rate dwindles (to almost zero in some demographics), it may see a bit overreaching to give ad

Suze Orman Tells Us To Pay ONLY The Minimum On Credit Cards. Wait, What?!

You’re not seeing things. This is not an April Fool’s gag (although if I’d written this last year it would have been). No, this is Suze Orman’s latest advice and it is a complete 1

The Overdraft Protection Racket: Why Banks Want You To Overdraw, And How You Can Get Your Money Back.

I know banks are hurting for money right now, but no more than the rest of us. And one aspect of modern banking that I find most disturbing is how banks allow you to go overdrawn s

10 Reasons Why I Prefer Credit Cards Over Cash

You can call this a defense of the maligned credit card. There are a lot of people out there who are very distrustful of credit cards and the companies that offer them, no thanks t

Top 6 Reasons Why Using Cash-Only Rocks

While I am a cash-only person by circumstance (paid off the credit cards and never reopened accounts), I am so grateful that I live in a cash world.

Could you determine someone's creditworthiness by his or her looks?

Today I read about an interesting study done by Rice University on the correlation between trustworthiness and looks. The researchers utilized the popular peer to peer lending sit

Oprah Asks A Great Question; What Can You Live Without?

My wife brought this to my attention. I’m not an avid Oprah viewer, but usually when I tune in I hear good advice. And with the help of financial guru Suze Orman, she’s asking fami

Credit Scores Across the Country: Which Third are You In?

CreditKarma.com recently released a report that concluded about a third of consumer's credit scores have increased (that's good) during a period of October 2008 until January 2009.

What can you do with $13 extra a week?

On Friday both the House and the Senate passed a new $789 billion stimulus package as a continuation of the efforts by the United States Government to jumpstart the economy. A sig

Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate and Reduce Your Phone Bill, Immediately and Easily

Are your credit card interest rates getting to you? Are those monthly cell phone bills a pain in the wallet? How about cable TV? Internet? Even the power bill? Would you like to re

Goal Setting: Getting Out of Debt Once and For All

It is easy enough to say that you have a goal of being debt free in “x” months or years. You have crunched the numbers, and your plan is realistic and achievable. But why is it so

What Do You and a Credit Card Thief Have in Common?

I've always considered myself to be an educated credit card user. I keep my balances low, pay on time, and don't do anything that could potentially come back to haunt me.. Little

Do we really need help with getting more debt?

Today a new rescue program called the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) was announced by the Treasury and Federal Reserve to support owners of securities backed by

The Lowdown On Layaway

Layaway never completely disappeared from the retail landscape but it’s become more prominent with promotions by some national chains and locally-owned shops. Instead of paying for

Is your credit score suffering without your knowledge?

Credit card companies are tricky little jerks during the best of times. But now, with a lousy economic forecast and limited access to funds that can be loaned to consumers, banks a

Looking On The Bright Side: How to Find A Silver Lining In The Current Financial Crisis

While this might be the biggest economic disaster of our generation, it might not be the big bad wolf that we all think it is. Quite the contrary, this little financial lesson migh

Download the 451-page bailout proposal

Well folks, I hope you have plenty of time on your hands. The initial 3-page document that Bush and Paulson put forward has grown somewhat. It's hardly surprising, considering how

Financial Peace in Hard Times

Six months ago, I had plans. Lots of them. Career plans. Vacation plans. Financial plans. Then everything fell apart. My mother became ill. She had already been ill, having been di

Need a game to learn to manage your credit?

Everybody learns best in their own way. Some by reading, some by listening, some only by personal experience--and there are always a few who never learn. But, if you're one of th

Could the last person to leave America please turn out the light.

I don’t know about you, but I’m more than a little worried by recent economic events. First Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, then Lehman Brothers, and now an $85 billion loan to AIG. So