Archive for the ‘Credit Cards’ Category

Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses for Summer Travel

One of the best ways to make this year’s summer vacation easier on the bank account is to take advantage of some lucrative credit card sign-up bonuses. By simply signing up for a new credit card and meeting a reasonable spending threshold within the first few months, consumers with good credit scores could rack up more than $500 in free travel awards to use this summer!

Not sure where to start searching? D

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The Best Payment Options for Travelers

Anyone who travels regularly knows the amount of time that goes into preparing a successful trip – setting up the itinerary, making travel arrangements, researching things to do, etc. But if financial matters are neglected, trouble could arise when youre the least prepared to handle it. Emergencies or unexpected contingencies can happen to anyone. But by planning for the most common financial emergencies, youll have peace of mind in knowing that youre fully prepared.

It wasnt that long ago that cash was king and the safest way to handle your money while traveling meant purchasing travelers checks. Sold by banks and financial institutions, the purchaser had to sign when buying the checks and again when using the check to purchase goods or services. While this

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Citi® Platinum Select® Card Review: Staying True to its Roots

While a lot of great credit card offers seem to be getting watered down or pulled from the market altogether these days, it’s nice to see at least one card offer staying true to its roots.

The Citi® Platinum Select® Card has always been known for one thing in the credit card industry—an awesome 0% introductory interest rate on both purchases and balance transfers. It’s never had an annual fee either, which is of course a big benefit. However, there’s really not much else that’s super exciting about the card.

It doesn’t boast a lucrative rewards program, high credit limits, or exceptionally low interest rates (11.99% to 21.99%) after the promotional period is up. But that’s no

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6 Things You Should Know About Credit Card Insurance

You’ve probably already received enrollment packets or requests to add credit card insurance to your services from your credit card issuer. But is insurance really necessary?

Many credit card issuers now offer some type of insurance coverage that promise to help you out financially in the event you can’t make your minimum payments or even pay off your whole balance in the event of your death. These programs are usually added as a fee to your monthly bill and will provide “protection” for as long as you are enrolled in the program. Just re

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American Express Prepaid Debit Card Now Allows Direct Deposit

The American Express Prepaid Card hit the market in 2011 and garnered a great deal of attention since it had a very low fee structure compared to competing prepaid debit cards. Unfortunately, the card offer was quickly criticized by a lot of consumers as well because it lacked a key component— the ability to direct deposit paychecks onto the card.

For consumers without bank accounts who might have been interested in the American Express Prepaid Card because of its low fee structure, the inability to set up direct deposit from their employers was often a total deal killer. Amex’s $200 limit on ATM cash withdrawals wan’t that appealing to potential cardholders either.

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Mandatory Billing Data May Hurt Consumers

When the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (CARD Act) took effect in February of 2010, many assumed that consumers would benefit from the proposed changes. Congress concluded that certain practices in the credit card industry were not fair or transparent enough and caused consumers unexpected financial hardship. While consumer advocates applauded the changes, according to a recent American Marketing Association Journal study, the CARD Act may be having some negative results. The intent of the legislation was to spur better financial decisions by consumers, but this isn’t reflected in the report.

The Study Results

In the study, 481 Americans were shown a fabricated credit card statement with a balance of $1,937 and an APR of 14% to discern potential reactions to a typical situation. Addition

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Tags: Consumers

Top 9 Credit Card Mistakes to Avoid in 2012

We all know that there are pitfalls in the world of plastic. But really…who doesn’t have a credit card these days? For some, this purchasing ritual presents only a means to an end. For others, it is a means to debt and disaster. Here are a few credit card mistakes to avoid this year so you dont end up with the latter.

#1. Getting Tricked by Intro Rates & Balance Transfers

Even if this is your first card, be sure to shop around for the best card for you. Cards that promise a low interest rate or 0% balance transfers come with plenty of small print. Be sure to read it.

The promotional period can vary from 6 months to a year, but your payment habits will determine whether that can change within the promotional period. If

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United Mileage Plus Explorer Card Review

United and Continental merged both their reservation systems and websites over the weekend, which was essentially the last big step in their transition towards operating as one airline. As you might expect, there have been reports of some minor system glitches and delayed flights across the country today, but it appears that the transition has been an overall success for United.

The successful merger of United and Continental also presented the perfect opportunity for Chase to launch a new version of its popular MileagePlus Card, which is now called the United MileagePlus Explorer Card.

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