Archive for the ‘credit cards’ Category

The Delicate Balance

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

If you have multiple credit cards and you are carrying unpaid balances on them, using a balance transfer has probably crossed your mind.  More than likely, you have received offers for pre-approved balance transfers in your own mailbox and they sound like a great deal.  If you read the ads, ...

Q & A: Is “cashless” really where we want to go?

Thursday, January 10th, 2008

I admit it.  Since debit cards have become readily accepted, I rarely have cash.  I like the fact that I can use a debit card for $3.51 or $351, whatever the situation calls for.   And I like NOT having to think about whether or not I need to go to ...

Discovering The Danger In A Debit Card

Monday, January 7th, 2008

According to the Federal Reserve, the number of debit card transactions is increasing by more than 20% each year.  Debit cards seem to be the ideal balance between carrying cash and using credit cards  (i.e. increased debt and interest charges).  After all, don't debit cards look, act and get accepted like credit ...

Deal With Debt Differently

Thursday, January 3rd, 2008

It's the time of year when DEBT becomes a "four letter" word.  Consumers that spent more than they should have for Christmas gifts are dreading the arrival of the next credit card bills.  This dread and a promise to not get into this financial situation "ever again" has become an ...

Setting a Holiday Budget

Monday, November 26th, 2007

For longer than I would like to admit, my holiday budgets have consisted of buying gifts now and figuring out how to pay for them later!  I have always STARTED my holiday shopping with specific spending limits in mind but I have not stayed within those limits very well.  Even ...

Will YOUR Account Be “In The Black” on Friday?

Thursday, November 22nd, 2007

If you have managed to miss any of the "Black Friday" marketing efforts aimed at getting people in stores early and often on Friday, count yourself lucky!  That is not to say that their are not some good deals to be had but at what cost - dealing with crowds, ...

Did you hear? Charging is Changing

Thursday, October 18th, 2007

During the next few weeks, borrowers will start to see the effects of some significant changes in the credit industry.  For people that are caught up in the mortgage mess and the real estate slow down, these changes may not seem important.  For at least 60 million people, however, these ...

America, We Are Eating Ourselves To Debt!

Thursday, October 11th, 2007

   The idea that a link exists between Americans shrinking wealth and bulging waistlines is not a new one.  While the details of such a link have been difficult to prove, increasing numbers of Americans are classified as overweight or obese and the  savings rate of Americans has hit negative ...

Finding A Fix: 10 Tips For Resolving Financial Disputes

Thursday, August 30th, 2007

Account and billing mistakes are a reality of personal finances. From the cable bill to the credit card statement, at some point, errors will occur. These errors, even the small ones, become financial disputes that must be resolved. Handling these financial disputes effectively is a skill that ...

The End of the Paper Check Path (a financial fairy tale)

Thursday, August 23rd, 2007

   Once upon at time in the United States of America, there were small rectangular pieces of paper called checks.  Officially, a check was "A negotiable instrument drawn against deposited funds, to pay a specified amount of money to a specific person upon demand."  Paper checks were numbered, bound in books and ...