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Living with credit (126)
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New, interesting products (48)
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Research, regulation, industry reports (137)
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Rewards (16)
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Protecting yourself (72)
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The fine print (24)
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Credit card miscellany (121)
January 2008 Archives
Ahead of Super Bowl XLII on Sunday, let's take a moment to remember some of the greatest moments from games gone by. That's right -- the ads. This being a CreditCards.com blog, join me as I look back fondly (and not-so-fondly) at some of the credit card advertisements from past Super Bowl games.
Calling all fashionistas! While I'm sure every one of you is dying to attend Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, not all of us can be so lucky. But fear not: American Express is doing their best to bring Fashion Week to you.
How I became a deadbeat (once removed), and my experience with getting on debt collectors' lists (never removed, no matter how hard you try).
Everyone has seen those annoying ads and e-mails that say, "Click here to receive a free Xbox 360!" or "Congratulations, you've been chosen to win a Dell laptop! Click here to claim your prize." Most of us are wise enough to realize there's a catch, but many naïve Internet users click on them. The company putting out those ads has just made a settlement on charges from the Federal Trade Commission, because as we probably all could have guessed, those freebies aren't free.
Buying gadgets and gizmos from infomercials may seem like a good idea at the time, but not all those companies are legitimate. You could find yourself stuck with bogus credit card charges and an inactive customer service telephone number.
American Express said its fourth-quarter earnings weakened, due to a previously announced charge of $438 million set aside to cover increased write-offs and delinquencies. Still, AmEx cheered its full-year results, with AmEx CEO Kenneth I. Chenault highlighting strong card spending and applications.
An operation marketing prepaid debit cards to consumers with poor credit has agreed to pay more than $2.2 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it "made unauthorized debits from consumers’ bank accounts and engaged in deceptive marketing practices," according to an FTC press release.
South Dakota's treasury office is on a mission to educate the state's high school students about credit. If only this would catch on...
Credit card issuer Capital One posted a decline in fourth-quarter earnings after taking a provision of approximately $1.9 billion for loan losses. The provision was made up of about $1.3 billion in charge-offs and an allowance build of around $650 million.
Being young and on your own is incredibly liberating, but learning how to budget and get by on an entry-level salary takes practice and restraint. Here are six tips for young adults struggling with financial freedom.
Bank of America announced that its fourth-quarter net income tumbled amid problems in the capital markets and a slowdown in the U.S. economy. Among the main reasons for the earnings decline, BofA said its provision expense rose $1.74 billion, "largely due to a $1.33 billion addition to the reserve for credit losses." Additionally, net charge-offs (loans the bank thinks it will be unable to collect) increased to 0.91% from 0.82% a year earlier.
In a surprise move that underscores the depth of recession fears, American central bankers cut a key interest rate by 3/4 of 1 percent.
Washington Mutual announced late yesterday that it suffered a fourth-quarter net loss, stemming from trouble in the housing market, and warned that it anticipates a surge in credit card losses for 2008
Suze Orman and TrustedID have teamed up to create a kit to stop identity theft before it happens.
Do you feel your credit card information is safe when you shop online? Two newly released reports may give you reason to pause before you answer that question.
What are you giving up for Lent? The Methodist Church of Britain urges followers to give up credit cards.
In the latest earnings announcements from major U.S. credit card issuers, both J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo said their net income declined in the fourth quarter, even as both banks appeared to avoid the full impact of the subprime meltdown.
Second Life, a virtual online world, has its own currency that can be traded out for real money. Virtual gambling was recently banned in Second Life, and on Jan. 22, due to the fact that a loss of virtual money means a loss of real money, unchartered banks will no longer be welcome, either.
Citigroup reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $9.83 billion on subprime-related writedowns and a spike in U.S. consumer credit costs.
The Federal Trade Commission, as part of its effort to fight identity theft, wants feedback on one of the newest ID-theft tools -- the credit freeze.
In "Mission Impossible," "Minority Report," James Bond movies and even "The Terminator," eyes, fingers and voices are scanned to identify people and give access to secure places and objects. This futuristic type of identification technology, called biometrics, has been featured in movies for decades. Now it is a reality, and it may be the way of the future when it comes to credit cards.
American Express sounded a serious warning for the payment card industry yesterday, acknowledging that its cardholders both reduced their spending and were less able to pay their credit card bills in the final month of 2007.
It looks like the subprime mortgage debacle has begun to spill over to credit cards, with issuer Capital One slashing its earnings outlook amid rising credit card delinquencies.
Consumers relied heavily on credit cards to drive their spending in the run-up to the holiday season, according to recently published consumer credit statistics from the Federal Reserve.
Credit card issuers' reliance on fees edged up another notch in 2007, according to the annual profit/loss estimate put out by respected credit card industry analyst and investment banker R.K. Hammer.
I love the variety of quirky and bizarre products that can be found on the Internet. I spent some time on Google searching for credit card-related goodies, and I came up with lots of fun stuff. Here is a list of my 15 favorite credit card accessories, gadgets and toys.
TD Banknorth's new Simply Flexible credit card rewards consumers for offering up more than just the minimum monthly payment. Simply Flexible charges an interest rate of 7.99 percent on purchases. But to qualify for that "highly competitive" APR, cardholders will need to make a monthly payment equal to 10 percent or more of their revolving balance.
Perhaps you have always loved every gift you have ever been given. But more likely, you realize that sometimes good intentions aren't enough for you to overlook how truly horrendous that sweater from Cousin Gertrude looks when you put it on. With the surge in gift card giving, that sweater you can't stand may be replaced by a piece of plastic from a store you wouldn't be caught dead shopping in.
Financial Peace University comes highly recommended for those who still have some major learning to do about personal finance.
Millions of Americans get Social Security payments but have no bank accounts. Under a program announced Friday, the federal government would give these "unbanked" Social Security recipients the option of withdrawing their benifits via a new debit card.
All the talk of identity theft in the news recently wasn't just hype: the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit group, just announced that 2007 was the worst year ever for personal data theft. My good friend was a victim, and I even had a close call. But if you do find yourself in identity theft doodoo, Mari Frank is a good person to know.
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They're the pieces of plastic we love, and love to hate. Get the latest news, tips, research and more from the CreditCards.com staff.
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