Personal Finance and Money Management

The 50,000 point signup bonus for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card is unfortunately flying away just as fast as it flew in last month.

I doubt the promotion is getting the axe due to lack of popularity.  In fact, my guess is this card offer has been extremely popular among the millions of consumers searching for ways to bring down the cost of their holiday travel this year.  It’s difficult to turn down over $800 in free money for travel, even if there is a $69 annual fee attached to the card!

If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger and bank enough points for 2 free roundtrip tickets on Southwest, you’ve only got until midnight tomorrow, 11/11/11 (wow, what a cool date!) to do it.  After

Full Article



My favorite Saturday of the year is back!

For the 2nd year in a row, American Express is sponsoring Small Business Saturday on November 26th, the day after Black Friday.  If you missed out in 2010, don’t make the same mistake again.  This promotion is just too easy for Amex cardholders to pass up, and it’s for a great cause too!

All you need to do is use your Amex card to spend at least $25 at a small business on November 26th, and then Amex will give you a $25 statement credit. It’s not only free money for you, but it’s also a great way to help promote more business for the local shops and restaurants that keep your community thriving.

If you have several American Express credit cards with different card numbers, you’re in luck. Register all

Full Article

The impact of the Durbin Amendment, part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, will begin to be seen soon by banks and consumers alike when it goes into effect on October 1. By reducing the fees that merchants pay for every debit transaction, the act was designed to lower costs for consumers. But the reform will cut into bank revenues and, as a result, could raise the cost of consumer borrowing.

Reviewing the Amendment
The thought behind lowering swipe fees for debit card purchases was to bring prices down. Just last week, Sen. Durbin said, “The retailer will be more profitable. T

Full Article

A few days ago, a client came to my desk asking, “A Beacon score? What in the world is that!?”

This client has spent the last few years building his credit through responsible use of student loans, no interest credit cards, and a car loan. He now wants to capitalize on record-low interest rates and purchase a home, but he recognized that by ignoring his BEACON Score he might have missed something that could potentially cost him tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

Credit scores are a report card for any financial interaction we have, be it applying for a job, an apartment rental, credit cards, or student and home loans. On

Full Article