Those wascally NMA folk took a swing at the Kardashian Kard with a new comedic animated video. They waste no time skewering the fee-laden prepaid debit card marketed towards children. My favorite part is when Kim runs away laughing as her tween fans paw ineffectually towards her, their feet shackled to balls and chains of debt. [More]
credit cards
Wise Ways To Use Plastic
By 11.21.10
Some people like to live on the edge and believe they can “afford” anything they can buy with the amount of plastic credit they’ve managed to fool financial institutions into allowing them. These are the same spend-happy folks who skate by buy paying the minimum balances on their accounts, oblivious to the interest that’s stacking up against them. [More]
Remember To Reward Yourself For Paying Off Debt
By 11.17.10
Getting out of a debt can be a long slog. It demands willpower and making sacrifices. It’s usually not very fun. So to make it easier, it’s a good idea to give yourself a little treat along the way to reward yourself for sticking to the path. [More]
Keeping Up With The Kardashian Kard's Hidden Fees
By 11.17.10
Keeping up with the Kardashians comes at a cost. The reality show star is pimping a new prepaid debit card targeted at kids that is as bursting with hidden fees as Kim’s shirt, featured prominently on the plastic, is bursting with integrity. Yeah, I think using sex to sell hidden fees to kids is pretty messed up. Just take a look at all these fees: [More]
Credit Cards Without Foreign Exchange Fees
By 11.16.10
When you swipe your plastic overseas those currency conversion charges, usually 1-3%, can really add up. So here’s some cards that have no foreign exchange fees at all. [More]
The $800,000 Cab Ride
By 11.16.10
A Hong Kong businessman took a 13 mile car service ride to New York City that wound up costing him almost $800,000. [More]
Inside The Mind Of The Most Epic Credit Card Thief of All Time
By 11.12.10
Remember the hacks of TJ Maxx and Marshall’s that resulted in hundreds of millions of credit card numbers getting stolen? Here’s an in-depth profile of the 29-year-old mastermind behind them all, now serving a 20-year prison sentence. Too bad the Skull Gang doesn’t take plastic. [More]
NY Times Exec: Credit Cards Make People Beautifully Ignorant Of Their Spending
By 11.11.10
Gerald Marzorati, the assistant managing editor for new media and strategic initiatives at the New York Times, said something out loud during a recent panel discussion that everyone knows, but no one really wants to admit: using a credit card separates you from how much you’re really spending, and subscribers seem blissfully unaware of subscription hikes. [More]
Call Mastercard To Report A Merchant Breaking Rules, Get Your Account Frozen
By 11.11.10
Christopher meant well. He tells Consumerist that he called his credit card company to let them know about a merchant that posted a minimum charge amount to use a credit card. MBNA, in turn, decided that Christopher didn’t sound like he “was supposed to” and froze his account. [More]
Shop Charges $.50 Fee For Credit Card Purchases Under $10
By 11.10.10
I spotted a coffee shop charging customer a $.50 for using a credit card on any purchase that is under $10. It doesn’t break any laws, but it does violate their agreement with the credit card companies. [More]
Govt Report Shows Debt Dropping, But Credit Cards Haunt You Forever
By 11.8.10
The Fed is out with its latest report on consumer credit, and it’s filled with good news — kinda sorta. While the report says that, for the seventh consecutive quarter, consumers are borrowing less and paying off more of their debt, that doesn’t necessarily mean the economy is healthier. The numbers “can be a result of both tightening credit standards and voluntary changes in saving behavior,” said Fed economist Donghoon Lee. So, maybe you’re borrowing less because you don’t want to get stuck with more debt — or maybe it’s just because nobody wants to lend you money anymore. [More]
Is Bank Of America's $0 Liability Guarantee Any Different Than What You Already Have?
By 11.5.10
If you’ve lost your remote and been unable to fast-forward through your DVRd shows — or heaven forbid you’ve had to watch something on live TV — in the last two months, you might have seen one of Bank of America’s commercials touting its “$0 Liability Guarantee” for all its credit and debit cards. But is all this just window decoration on guarantees you already have? [More]
Polite Complaint Letter Frees Customer From Capital One's Hassle-Filled Rewards Trap
By 11.4.10
It seems that you can’t turn on a television without hearing about Capital One’s “no-hassle” credit card rewards. Haim learned that these rewards actually are, um, sort of a hassle. He wanted to use his rewards points to pay for part of his vacation, and pay for the rest himself. This concept was too much for the nice folks at Capital one, and he hit a customer service roadblock. Haim then used his finely honed consumer skills to send an executive e-mail carpet bomb emphasizing what a great customer he’s been. It worked. [More]
Store Credit Cards Are An Even Worse Deal Than You Thought
By 11.3.10
Next time a checkout clerk offers you an “opportunity” to sign up for a store credit card so that you can get an instant 10% discount on that pack of gum or box of tissues you’re buying, remember this: the price you’ll pay for that deal is an interest rate as high as 25%. And, yeah, you’re telling yourself that’s no big deal, since you’ll pay it off every month. But will you? And are you prepared for the other gotchas tied up in a bright ribbon by your friendly retailer? [More]
How To Get Credit Card Companies To Lower Minimum Payments
By 10.31.10
The problem with using credit cards is that although they make it seem like they’re magic buy-everything passes, eventually you get bills and have to pay for all that stuff you bought. [More]
Credit Card Lets You Choose Paying By Credit Or Rewards Points
By 10.29.10
Would you like to pay with reward points, or credit? Just press the button on your credit card and a microcomputer rewrites the information on the magnetic strip, letting you switch payment types. A tiny light lets you know which one is active. That’s a new kind of credit card, the “2G,” Citibank is testing out starting next month. [More]
Study: Credit Cards Are Making You Fat
By 10.28.10
No, it’s not that second Baconator I ate yesterday or the 6-pack of Schlitz I had afterward that’s causing my clothes not to fit anymore. It’s the credit card I used to pay for them — or at least that what the authors of a new study are theorizing. [More]
Best Buy Online Messes Up My Order Again And Again
By 10.26.10
John thought he’d take Best Buy up on a 36-month, no interest plan when he bought some appliances, but says the online ordering system repeatedly bungled his order. [More]
