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Credit

Credit Cards at T.J. Maxx Hacked, Checked My Credit Report

by Luke Landes

A few weeks ago, I heard the news that credit card numbers were stolen from T.J. Maxx computers. Coincidentally, I had shopped at that store recently. In fact, it was the first time I had shopped there in many years. This was a good reminder for me to check my credit report. Last night, I ... Continue reading this article…

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Discover Business Card or AmEx SimplyCash Business FreedomPass?

by Luke Landes

Here is an instant messaging exchange from last night which may assist anyone trying to decide between a wide selection of business credit cards with cash back. [23:53] DoNotBlink: Hi there! [23:53] DoNotBlink: Was reading your blog and hoped I could ask you a quick q? [23:54] Flexo CC: hi, what’s up? [23:54] DoNotBlink: Hi, ... Continue reading this article…

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Senate Has it In for Credit Cards

by Luke Landes

An item in today’s Marketplace Morning Report started out with this condemnation: Credit cards. Aren’t they evil? A convenient, maybe even necessary evil, perhaps, but such a temptation. They reported that the Senate’s Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee heard testimonies from consumer advocates today who want to see more regulation of the credit card ... Continue reading this article…

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Best Credit Cards for 0% Balance Transfers

by Luke Landes

If you’re going to play in the credit card arbitrage game, first, make sure you’re a Type B credit card user. This means you avoid fees and interest, and use credit cards as a tool without letting the issuers use you to make money for the corporations. Next, you have to find cards with no ... Continue reading this article…

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Business Credit Cards With Cash Back and No Annual Fee

by Luke Landes

In 2007, I plan on creating an official business entity (LLC) to handle any income not coming to me from my day-job employer. As I do more work online, I’m dealing with more expenses, so I’m going to look into getting a business credit card. Having a card with no annual fee is important to ... Continue reading this article…

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Credit Cards, Part 3: The Ugly

by Luke Landes

This is the third and final part in a short series about credit cards and the people who use them. If you haven’t yed, read Part 1: The Good and Part 2: The Bad. Keep reading for something ugly. Part 3: The Ugly Credit cards are in business to make money. The fact of the ... Continue reading this article…

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Rule for Building Wealth: Ditch Credit Card Debt

by Luke Landes

Isn’t it ironic that while I’m in the middle of writing a series about good credit card use vs. bad credit card use, to be concluded later today, I came across the ninth rule for building wealth from Fortune Magazine: ditch credit card debt. Fortune is talking about the Type A credit card user, who ... Continue reading this article…

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Credit Cards, Part 2: The Bad

by Luke Landes

This is the second part in a short series about credit cards and the people who use them. If you missed the first part, take a look. Part 2: The Bad If you are a Type B credit card user, you are making money off the credit card companies, not the other way around. Taking ... Continue reading this article…

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Credit Cards, Part 1: The Good

by Luke Landes

If you listen to gurus like Dave Ramsey, you may find yourself feeling like you’re listening to a sermon in which the evil character is the credit card rather than the devil. Perhaps the two are interchangeable. Yes, credit card companies use marketing to lure customers with the hope of making tons of money in ... Continue reading this article…

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More Security at Citibank’s Credit Card Access Site

by Luke Landes

As I logged into Citibank’s credit card website to review their extended warranty offer, I was presented with the option to assign new security questions, whose answers may be verified occasionally. I could have postponed changing the security settings, but after a few visits to the website, it would be mandatory. I also noticed CitiBank ... Continue reading this article…

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Get Free Money: Comparing Cash Back (Rebate) Credit Cards

by Luke Landes

Almost all of my spending is done by credit card. It’s convenient and I receive cash back for every purchase. Since I pay the balance off every month, I never pay any interest charges or late fees. I don’t spend more than I normally would were I to use cash instead. I have a disciplined ... Continue reading this article…

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Once Again: Credit Cards at Fault? A Compelling Argument

by Luke Landes

Through some discussion about placing blame for poor money management, we managed to gather several differing opinions about the source of the problem. Kids with no skills and parents who don’t teach seemed to be the biggest culprits, followed by schools without money management classes (which, when attempted, do more harm than good), and finally ... Continue reading this article…

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Money Magazine: 7 Shortcuts for Major Money Hassles

by Luke Landes

Money Magazine is running an extended feature targeting 7 of the most annoying money problems, and proving some easy solutions. Here is a shortcut to the seven shortcuts: 1. Ace your retirement. Buy a target-retirement fund in your 401(k). If you believe you’ll be retiring in 2030, you can buy a fund that targets that ... Continue reading this article…

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The Blame Game: Poor Money Management, Part 2

by Luke Landes

Before reading on, if you haven’t participated in this week’s giveaway, open up this article in a new window or tab and add your comments about asset allocation. You can win two interesting books just by leaving a comment. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the discussion about who is to blame for poor money ... Continue reading this article…

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The Blame Game: Poor Money Management, Part 1

by Luke Landes

There’s a discussion at StopBuyingCrap about credit card companies’ evil tacticts. In fact, Cap comes clean with this humble admission: No body forced me to buy the mountains of Japanese comic books, computer hardware, and automotive parts. Sure, the credit card made it easier for me to spend money I didn’t have — but the ... Continue reading this article…

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Credit Score Question From a Reader

by Luke Landes

Hi, faithful readers. I received a question through e-mail from Brian. He’s looking for some advice for managing his credit score. Here is what he asked: If I pay off my minimum balance due, and say my remaining outstanding balance to credit ratio is 0.75, is this very bad for my credit score? I don’t ... Continue reading this article…

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Capital One Credit Cards Hurt Your Credit Score

by Luke Landes

If you have a credit card with Capital One, chances are your credit score is lower than it would be with a different credit card. This is because Capital One (and possibly other companies) don’t report your true credit limit. Part of the calculation for your credit score is your ratio of used credit to ... Continue reading this article…

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Today is National Get Out of Debt Day

by Luke Landes

Did you know that today, Tuesday, September 12, 2006 is “National Get Out of Debt Day?” Neither did I. Today, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling is taking questions online and over the phone… and answering those questions, free of charge. So, who are these people answering questions, and will they be trying to sell ... Continue reading this article…

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CitiBank Discontinuing Dividend Platinum Select Cash Back Rewards Credit Card

by Luke Landes

Editor’s Note:  These limited-time offers have expired.  This rumor has been making the rounds: CitiBank is discontinuing your favorite cash-back rewards credit card and mine, the Citi Dividend Platinum Select. Hopefully, I’ll max out the year’s $300 limit before switching to a new cash-back rewards card. The replacement program will include 2 percent cash back on ... Continue reading this article…

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The Age of Credit

by Luke Landes

I’ve been talking with J.D. of Get Rich Slowly about the rise of (the social acceptance of) personal debt in the twentieth century, which was somewhat spurred on by my MoneyBloggerPodcast interview. J.D. has included a passage from a book, Ain’t We Got Fun, in his recent post, The Dawn of the Age of Credit. ... Continue reading this article…

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