Most Credit Cardholders Dissatisfied With Rewards Programs

May 2nd, 2011 by Joshua Heckathorn

Capital One released results a few weeks ago from its very first "Rewards Barometer", a new survey to be conducted each quarter that seeks to evaluate consumers' opinions about their credit card rewards programs. What Capital One found was that the vast majority of people who use rewards credit cards, 78 percent to be exact, aren't completely satisfied with their rewards programs. Big surprise, eh?

The Misconceptions of Prepaid Cards

April 28th, 2011 by Logan Abbott

Let’s face it, the credit industry is complex and confusing. Hundreds of credit cards offer different ratios for miles, points, percentages of cash back, and other rewards. And now that we’ve gone through a roller coaster of a recession, getting approved for these cards may seem impossible for many of us. I work daily with clients who want and need the use of a credit card. As many of their financial situations have been pummeled, rebuilding credit is the first step they must take. One of the most common misconceptions about credit that I encounter centers around three words: prepaid credit cards.

Balance Transfers: Don't Miss Your Window of Opportunity

If you recently applied for a no interest credit card and plan to use it to initiate a balance transfer, don't sit on your laurels for too long once the new card arrives in the mail. You certainly don't want to miss out on the 0% interest promo just for being too slow to the punch!

Updated by Joshua Heckathorn on Tue, 2011-04-26 17:00

Top 5 Credit Tips for Recent College Grads

You took your last exam, donned the cap and gown and have finally embarked on a new and exciting phase in your adult life. What will you need to know that you probably weren't taught in college?

There's a good chance you missed out on an important class that's rarely found in any college curriculumâ€”Personal Credit 101. So, to help you get started on the right path, here are our top 5 tips to ensure your credit will be there for you when you need it most:

1.) Ignore the Credit Naysayers

Updated by Joshua Heckathorn on Tue, 2011-04-26 17:00

Which Cities Suffer Most from Credit Card Debt

April 26th, 2011 by Logan Abbott

Still paying off your holiday debt? You're not alone. According to a recent national study, Americans across the county are still fighting the burden from their mounting credit card debt. Equifax, one of the three largest consumer credit reporting agencies in the United States, analyzed the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan divisions to find out how areas cope with their credit card payments. With the average consumer credit card debt hovering around $4,000 dollars, there are many cities where residents' total debt accounts for over 17% of their total income. Even worse, there are tons of cities with debt well beyond the national average. Here are five cities that desperately need help for bad credit card debt.

I'm On A Boat!

April 25th, 2011 by Jason Bushey

I woke up laughing this morning, shaking off a rather interesting dream. My everyday life had apparently intertwined with my upcoming beach vacation and a Saturday Night Live skit. Joined by my sidekick T-Pain, I was on the biggest yacht my eyes had ever beheld. We were sailing the Pacific, wearing tuxedos, and singing about how awesome it was to be on a boat. Then, out of nowhere, the dream went sour.

Earth Day 2011-Ten Ways to Go Green and Save Money

April 22nd, 2011 by Logan Abbott

With Earth Day 2011 upon us, the recent meteoric rise in gas prices remains a major focus. Personally, every time I drive by a gas station my anxiety level causes me to hyperventilate and lose consciousness (thankfully my dog Buster knows to seize the wheel in such situations). In any case, with gas prices what they are these days, has there ever been a better time to live a greener lifestyle and save a little money to boot? Here are 10 great ways to give your credit cards some rest and rediscover your eco-conscious side at the same time.

Say Cheese to Photo Credit Card Technology

April 21st, 2011 by Logan Abbott

The future of mobile credit card readers and NFC embedded phones is just around the corner, but in the mean time retailers can make use of their phones to perform picture perfect transactions. A new credit card iPhone app from AisleBuyer allows merchants the ability to process a payment simply by snapping a picture of the front of a credit card. This photo card capture technology uses proprietary optical character recognition (OCR) to discern the card number from the other information and background of the card.

The Pros & Cons of Using a Credit Card in Emergency Situations

April 19th, 2011 by Logan Abbott

A wise man once told me "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." Or maybe that's just a popular saying? In any event, unforeseen situations can spring up at any moment, and sometimes they force you to reach for your credit card at the least opportune times. While it's impossible to predict emergency situations before they happen, at the very least you can arm yourself with knowledge of the pros and cons of using your credit card to charge your way out of life's little mishaps. Here's a run-down of a common sticky situation, and how credit cards can and cannot help.

The Tax Man Cometh! How to File an Extension

April 18th, 2011 by Joshua Heckathorn

If you haven't heard yet, your fellow Americans in the District of Columbia celebrated a holiday on April 15th. Emancipation Day, which marks the day President Lincoln signed a law in 1862 that freed over 3,000 slaves in D.C., is usually observed on April 16th but was moved to the 15th this year so it wouldn't fall on a weekend.

By law, local holidays in D.C. affect tax deadlines the same way federal holidays do. So this means that your federal income taxes aren't due until today, April 18th. You got an entire extra weekend to pay the tax man! I hope you took advantage of it.

But what if you still haven't gotten your act together in time to file your income tax return? No need to worry, because you always have the option to file an extension and get a reprieve until October.