•Be aware that the card issuer has a great deal of leeway. They reserve the right to change the terms of your card, including the APR (annual percentage rate), at any time, for any reason–with as little as 15 days notice. So check your monthly statement carefully.
credit cards
10 Ways To Avoid Credit Card Pitfalls
By 1.25.07
StolenID Search: See If Your Identity Was Stolen, Just Type In Your SSN….
By 1.25.07
Has someone stolen your social security or credit card number? StolenIDSearch is a new site aims to answer this question that has tickled the back of most American’s minds at some point, especially in light of the recent spree of retailer breaches and stolen laptops containing reams of personal information.
Chase to Eliminate 2-cycle Billing
By 1.25.07
- Last week Chase Card Services announced a few changes in its credit card services. Most importantly, they decided to end double-cycle billing, which calculates interest over a two-month period and can result in higher finance charges.
They point out that while it’s a consumer friendly move, it came a week before “Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and the Senate Banking Committee begins its hearings on credit card practices (the hearings begin tomorrow).” Double-cycle billing is bad. —MEGHANN MARCO
What Goes Into A Credit Card Number?
By 1.24.07
As we discussed earlier this week, while credit card numbers look random, they actually have an internal coding scheme. Here’s a further breakdown.
Save On Your Credit Cards With Savings Agent
By 1.23.07
If you’re looking for a quick way to compare credit cards, Savings Agent can help. If you need a quick reference before you call your credit company to ask for a lower APR, or you really want to switch credit cards, Savings Agent is a free tool that compares dozens of cards to find you the one with the lowest cost. If you don’t have any debt, Savings Agent can recommend cards with the best rewards programs. The site doesn’t ask for any personal information, and it’s easy to use. It’s a good first step toward negotiating your new interest rate. —MEGHANN MARCO
How They Check To Make Sure Your Credit Card Number Is Right
By 1.23.07
We’ve all seen, “sorry, invalid credit card number”on the screen when ordering educational materials online, but how did they know?
What A Credit Card’s First Digit Means
By 1.22.07
You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their shoes, and likewise, by looking at their credit card’s first digit. This represents the Major Industry Identifier, which is to say, the type of institution that issued the card. Here’s the breakdown.
10 Ways To Build A Down Payment
By 1.19.07
If the one thing standing between you and your dream home is a down payment, Bankrate has some suggestions that may help you come up with one:
Attention: You Lowered Your APR Just By Asking, Again.
By 1.18.07
- I’d been thinking seriously about getting a new card and transferring the balance…. I was fairly certain that I could find a card that would allow me to transfer my balance and pay 0% for at least a year (Instead of paying 500+ bucks in interest over the next 6 months with my current card).
Protect Your RFID Credit Card With A RF Jammer
By 1.18.07
Credit card companies are embedding radio frequency tags (RFID) in credit cards. Since these are transmitters, there’s the possibility of a thief using an RFID sniffer to snag your credit card digits.
TJ Maxx & Marshall’s Hacked, Tons Of Credit Cards Stolen
By 1.18.07
In mid-December, someone cracked into TJ Maxx’s computer system and stole a huge swath of credit cards.
“Millions” Of Visa & MasterCard Accounts Breached?
By 1.8.07
Reader S. got a call this morning from Citibank. They said her card had been compromised and she needed a new card. When she asked for details, Citibank could only say that an unspecified business had their system compromised, affecting “millions” of Visa and MasterCards
Messiah The Cat Gets $4200 Credit Card
By 1.3.07
Meow! Meow! That’s the sound of Messiah, a cat, charging expensive lingerie on his new credit card.
Avoid Magsforless.com
By 12.28.06
Magsforless.com and My1mag.com are really crappy. Don’t buy magazines from them. They claim to use the power of bulk purchases to negotiate special rates. The reality is magazines never arriving, completely unresponsive customer service, and ruminating observers of human behavior everywhere bereft of their New Yorkers.
$350 In Sorta Free Money After Applying For These Credit Cards
By 12.27.06
These business credit cards are available to all and can offer significant bonuses if you get one.
United Airlines Very Mean To Homeless Girl With Cat
By 12.27.06
United Airlines is a big meanypants, but we have to wonder, why didn’t she just pay the cat fee in advance?
