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Living with credit (247)
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New, interesting products (69)
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Research, regulation, industry reports (176)
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Rewards (23)
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Protecting yourself (113)
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The fine print (36)
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Credit card miscellany (280)
New, interesting products
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.
You knew this had to happen: A South Korean bank has issued a combo contactless credit card / USB device to make it easier and faster and more secure to spend your money.
Looking for a last-minute holiday gift for the guy or girl who has everything? How about a little heat?
While it's mostly impossible to get by in modern-day American life without a credit card, there is no required education on credit. Many consumers find themselves into deep debt merely because they weren't taught how to manage money . That's why I was delighted to hear that the Family Credit Counseling Service based in Rockford, Ill. has launched an educational campaign called Stop. Think. Save!
In what looks like an April Fool's article, a Russian English-language newspaper, Kommersant, says that in Russia, credit cards made of actual gold and platinum are about to hit the Visa and MasterCard marketplace.
New Christmas-themed panties in the juniors department at Wal-Mart have been removed from the store due to complaining parents. What's all the fuss? The front said of the panties said, "Who needs credit cards..." The booty read, "When you have Santa." Apparently these mothers don't want their daughters to think Santa is their sugar daddy.
Planning a wedding can be incredibly costly, time-consuming and complicated. I've already told my boyfriend that if we get married, it will be super small, maybe barefoot on a beach; no bridesmaids, no expensive dress, no third cousins, no shenanigans. I'd rather save the money for a great honeymoon or a house. But if you're the type who has been planning your dream wedding since age 6, believe it or "knot" (ha), there is a credit card for you.
While some people would rather get a lump of coal in their stocking than the increasingly-ubiquitous gift card, other shoppers may be interested in a few unique gift card offerings this holiday season.
With the new Enlightenment Credit Card you can spend your way to nirvana. OK, seriously? Its Web site calls it a "socially conscious" card. "How money is used determines the effect." Like karma. It is a Visa card issued through the First Hawaiian Bank. "Our mission is to use the power of money, media and information to change the world."
Call me old-fashioned, but I want my cell phone to be a phone ONLY. Well, unless it's an iPhone, but that is a whole different species. I'm talking about all these new phone/MP3 player combinations featured in commercials with Beyonce. Or paying extra for a phone with a built-in camera and video camera, with quality so terrible, it's difficult to decipher what the fuzzy images are. I am perfectly content with having a sturdy iPod, a high-quality camera and a well-made cell phone rather than combine them and compromise quality and usability. Now that there is talk of mobile phones being used as credit cards, I am, as you can imagine, not thrilled with the idea.
Green has become quite a popular color. Hybrid cars are all the rage, energy-saving light bulbs are flooding the market and Oprah recently had an entire episode devoted to simple ways to "go green." As everyone is finally grasping the importance of global warming and its disastrous effects, businesses are racing to create environmentally friendly products and services. As General Electric's CEO Jeff Immelt says, "Green is green."
I recently heard on NPR that certain issuers are creating "green credit cards" to help consumers save the earth, one dollar at a time. Being the skeptic that I am, I decided to do a little research to find how these cards work. |
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Still carrying around a rectangular credit card? How 1999 of you! We'll share the latest product innovations throughout the payment industry.
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