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Credit

One Person’s Successful Debtor’s Revolt

by Smithee

Frequent readers know all about how a depressed economy and new laws are serving as convenient excuses for banks to be raising interest rates and otherwise penalizing clients, even those who pose no risk. Ann Minch was presented with multiple notices of an interest rate hike. Even though she says she’s never missed a payment, ... Continue reading this article…

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Are You Sure Your Credit Card Still Works?

by Jeff

After we got married, my wife and I combined our finances. We moved most of our money from a local brick and mortar bank to a bank that we primarily access online and over the phone. This arrangement has worked out well for us, but it does mean some accounts that were previously utilized many ... Continue reading this article…

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Discover Card Overhauls Their Credit Card Terms

by Luke Landes

Now that regulations established by the Credit CARD Act and related rules by the Federal Reserve have begun to take effect, I’ve started receiving notices from card issuers regarding my accounts. My Discover Miles Card was opened in 2005 to attempt a 0 percent balance transfer, a way to earn interest on someone else’s money for ... Continue reading this article…

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Cash Back Rebates Now Take the Form of Prepaid Debit Cards

by Luke Landes

My girlfriend is an elementary school teacher in the New York City public schools. One of the benefits of her employment is the reimbursement for the purchase of supplies and materials used in her class. Any teacher will tell you that they are required to pay for many of their own materials, and the amount ... Continue reading this article…

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Some Credit CARD Rules Happen Earlier than Others

by Smithee

When the Credit CARD act passed earlier this year, we weren’t expecting to see many changes until February 2010, unless taken voluntarily by individual companies. Thankfully (for me, anyway, since I have a personal vendetta against many aspects of credit cards, admittedly due in part to my own foolishness), some of the rules described in ... Continue reading this article…

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Credit Card Use Increases Prices for Everyone

by Luke Landes

I use a total of three credit cards. The first is a card issued by Citibank that offers a rounded set of cash back rewards, my alternate is a Bank of America Visa Signature card, and for business expenses I use an American Express Blue Cash for Business card. But I don’t pay interest fees ... Continue reading this article…

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Answering Mail: Using Debit Cards as Credit Cards

by Luke Landes

Every so often I address questions and comments I receive via email or Twitter. If you have a question, please contact me using the form on this page. I try to respond to everyone, but it might take a while before I read every email I receive. From A. Parker: What is the difference between ... Continue reading this article…

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OCC Requiring Credit Cards to Report all Interest Rate Increases in 2009

by Luke Landes

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a governmental regulatory organization feeling the pressure with the White House proposing replacing many of their duties with a new consumer-oriented regulatory body, has sent out a warning to the CEOs of all national banks. The Credit CARD Act of 2009 requires credit card issuers who ... Continue reading this article…

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FICO Suing the Credit Bureaus Over VantageScore

by Luke Landes

Fair Isaac, the company that created and owns what is generally known as your credit score, is suing Experian and TransUnion, two of the three credit reporting bureaus, for creating a competing product that blurs the line between the “real” credit score and the others. The third credit reporting bureau, Equifax, agreed to settle with ... Continue reading this article…

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Variable Rate Loophole in the Credit CARD Act

by Smithee

I’m still looking for a second news source to back this up, but the circumstantial evidence is strong. We got a notice to our “tips” e-mail address about a loophole in the recently-passed Credit CARD Act of 2009, namely: The law requires credit card companies to give 45 days notice of a rate increase, but ... Continue reading this article…

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Possible Federal Action on Credit Rate Hikes

by Smithee

Nationwide, and probably on your street as well, credit card issuers are making life tough for consumers by raising rates and adding fees on otherwise good customers. The recently passed Credit CARD Act of 2009 is meant to protect non-risky customers from arbitrary rate hikes, among other things. Now, Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut is ... Continue reading this article…

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10 Purchases That Can Harm Your Credit

by Luke Landes

Do you live your life as if everything you do could be made public? I once heard a suggestion that you should judge every decision you make based on whether you would like to see this decision on the front page of the New York Times. That is a good theory, but I can’t say ... Continue reading this article…

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Credit Card Issuers Making Life Tough For Consumers

by Luke Landes

Whether due to the economy or the impending regulation enacted within the Credit CARD Act of 2009, credit card companies are taking the opportunity to raise interest rates and minimum payments. This is perhaps an unintended consequence of increasing regulation. These changes affect consumers with manageable debt, but others who are trying to get out ... Continue reading this article…

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Discover as the Most Forgiving Credit Card

by Smithee

Bankrate.com recently completed a study of 20 different credit cards from 10 different issuers and concluded that if one of your priorities is a card which will forgive your human errors, Discover is probably the card to apply for (or not cancel). Looking at the fine print for one platinum card and one rewards car ... Continue reading this article…

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Comparing the Visa Black Card with American Express Platinum and Centurion Cards

by Luke Landes

American Express created a frenzy among the wealthy when it decided to take advantage of rumors of an exclusive black-colored charge card, used by movie stars and music celebrities for purchasing jets and other items beyond the financial reach of us mere mortals. In 1999, American Express introduced the Centurion Card, a black charge card ... Continue reading this article…

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Congress Passes Credit CARD Act of 2009, Now What?

by Luke Landes

Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted on and passed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, the Senate’s alternative to the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights. Here are some of the provisions, taking effect in February 2010: Credit card companies must give 45 days notice before raising interest rates. Under current ... Continue reading this article…

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Senate Passes Credit CARD Act

by Luke Landes

In a sweeping vote of 90 to 5, the Senate passed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, including the sole unrelated amendment to restore weapon carrying rights in National Paks. The bill differs from the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009, passed earlier by the House of Representatives. ... Continue reading this article…

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Revisiting FICO 08 Piggybacking

by Smithee

Your money is important, and so I want to make sure I’m telling you the truth in every instance. A few months ago I wrote an article called What You Need to Know About the FICO Update, which contained some news about the process of “piggybacking”: Not too long ago companies started offering to add ... Continue reading this article…

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Credit Cards That Already Follow the Rules

by Smithee

As part of our complete coverage of the forthcoming (maybe) Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights, I noticed a helpful article over at SmartMoney.com highlighting four different cards which already adhere to the Fed’s new rules about Credit Cards (which don’t technically have to be followed until next year) and/or some of the provisions of the ... Continue reading this article…

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Public Reaction to the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights

by Smithee

So the The Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 (full details and timeline) passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a wide margin, indicating strong support from Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike. Of the 427 Representatives who bothered to vote, 70 voted against it. So that’s about 84 percent in favor. I thought I’d ... Continue reading this article…

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