CardRatings.com Monthly Newsletter January 2006
January 1, 2006
RECENT ARTICLES Confusion Rampant Regarding Increased Credit Card Minimum Payments I was anxious when asked to write a follow-up for the CardRatings.com feature Credit Card Minimum Payments Rising Soon since this is a pet topic of mine. There has been much confusion in the media regarding this topic and notable fear among consumers. My assignment was to "weed through" the hype and "filter out" the truth. (1/10/06) Mastercard Launches New Site to Help Consumers Eliminate Credit Card Debt MasterCard has recently launched a consumer assistance site called Debt Know How. I found it not only loaded with great tips and information but a solid reference work for those in need of varying financial calculators. The site is divided into 6 parts: Debt Basics, Debt Warning Signs, Assess Your Debt, Know Your Credit History, Pay Off Your Debt and Debt Resources. (1/6/06) Deciphering Credit Card Fine Print- A Lesson in Futility? Credit cards and fine print- the two terms seem synonymous. Credit cards are notorious for having fine print that even lawyers can't comprehend. The fact of the matter is this: if you sign on the dotted line for a credit card offer, then you assume an understanding of what is entailed in the terms and conditions- whether or not you actually understand them. Most people do give a quick glance to what is referred to as the fine print. (12/07/05) You are welcome to print a copy of any of the articles listed below and distribute them freely. We only ask that you reference our website (as being the source for the articles) when you distribute the articles. If you are a webmaster, you are also welcome to post any of the articles listed below on your site provided that you include a link to our site between the title and the body of the article (stating that CardRatings.com produced the article). If you would prefer to have the articles in MS Word format, then please contact us and we will e-mail you any article that you are interested in as an attachment. Citibank and American Express Announce Major Credit Card Alliance Citibank (Citi), the largest MasterCard issuer, and American Express recently announced a major partnership whereby Citibank will issue 5 of its popular card offers on the American Express network. The new Citi American Express Cards will feature premium benefits and customer service from Citibank and will be honored wherever American Express cards are accepted. The new cards will offer various reward programs commonly associated with Citi cards, including cash back and reward point programs. Read more >> Credit Card Debt Likely to Increase this Holiday Season, Despite Forecast of Lower Consumer Spending According to a poll conducted by Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, 60% of the 588 respondents polled said they plan to spend less money this holiday season than they spent last year. However, spending less does not necessarily translate into decreased credit card debt. Read more >> A More Affordable Alternative to Costly Credit Repair Services I had the great pleasure of interviewing Mark Enderle, owner of the very recently developed Preferred Credit Solutions. Mark's unique credit analysis service is very different than other credit repair organizations that I have investigated over the years. Mark's comments about his company were interesting. Read more >> Credit Card Holiday Spending Survey Offers Valuable Insights into Consumer Debt Family Credit Counseling Service has initiated what appears to be an annual questionnaire. This year's results are detailed in the 2005 Annual Financial Stress Survey. I encourage all readers to review this PDF file as it offers significant consumer insight. The survey was begun this time last year and will be conducted again in 2006. Read more >> Is Increasing Minimum Credit Card Payments Really Good for Consumers? A recent segment by CNBC's Bill Griffith on increasing minimum credit card payments contained some interesting viewpoints. In case you're not aware, minimum payments by various card issuers have started rising, in some cases even doubling, thanks to a mandate set forth by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Read more >>
HOT TOPICS...Preventing Account Termination for Inactivity I just added it up. Counting normal credit card usage, sign up bonuses, and limited time incentives for card use, my wife and I got back over $1100 in cash and gift cards from our Citi, Chase, Discover, AT&T Universal and BP VISA cards in 2005. If you add in the last quarter of 2004 we also got 3 free nights each at various Marriott branded hotels from our Marriott Rewards VISA cards and 1 free night each at various Choice hotel properties from our Choice Privileges VISA cards. Tips from this forum helped in achieving this. In 2005 I also got over my reluctance to use those 0% balance transfer offers thanks to encouragement from forum posters. I paid off a variable rate (current rate 7%) home equity line balance of $8k with a 0% card offer from USAA Mastercard, good for 15 months. That will save me more than $600 over the 15 months (maybe more if rates continue to climb), after which I'll pay off whatever remaining balance there is with either funds on hand or another 0% offer. Thanks to everyone in here who enlightened me on how to play the credit card game. Is this a great country or what? ajulius, Hello. I wanted to know which firms are giving out those VERY LOW RATE good till paid balance transfers. I heard that you are more apt to get it if you have an existing relationship with the CC company, so Im wondering which ones offer it so I can build relationships with them if I am missing those. shooter answers, Citi offered me a 5.99% until paid BT with no fee. I didn't take that and after about a month and a half they offered me 1.99% until paid with no fee. sterilite, How many credit card consider as too much and not good for credit reviews? Mind to share a little bit about the number of cards u have and the total limit? Ira answers, There's no answer to the question. It's like asking which is the best car to buy, or what's the best restaurant, or the best company to work for. It depends on the individual. I happen to rotate a number of rewards cards. I use the card which gives the most bang for the buck. For me it works. Others don't like to or simply can't manage that many cards. Many people simply don't have the credit history to obtain more than a few cards. Visit our active Message Board. Ask a question, give your opinions. Select questions answered by our board monitor. Our board currently has over 30,000 posts (since May 2000) and new posts are added daily. We are seeking new consumers like you to become involved in our board community.
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Important Note! The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
You are welcome to print a copy of any of our articles and distribute them for educational purposes. If you are a webmaster, you can post any of our articles on your site provided that you include a link to our site. Please click here for more information about free credit card articles.
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