Airline credit cards pump up perks

Posted on May 5, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Airline credit cards pump up perksNews from Chicago Tribune:If there was ever a time to consider an airline credit card, now might be it, as rewards have soared and perks are freely flowing, credit card experts say.Not only can cardholders rack up frequent-flier miles to book free flights, but they can reap such goodies as free checked bags, priority boarding and access to flight lounges. And sign-up bonuses of frequent-flier miles have become so generous — up nearly 20 percent over last year — that new cardholders could have enough miles to take a [...] Continue Reading…

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Action Line: Progress slow in reform of aggressive credit-card marketing to …

Posted on May 4, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Action Line: Progress slow in reform of aggressive credit-card marketing to …News from Tulsa World:

A study released April 24 by University of Houston Law Center Professor Jim Hawkins stated: “The credit card reform act (aka the Credit CARD Act of 2009) has had little effect on aggressive marketing to college students. Research shows college students continue receiving prescreened mail offers and tangible gifts from credit card companies and young consumers are still qualifying for credit cards without demonstrating they have enough earned income to pay off the debt in spite of stringent rules imposed [...] Continue Reading…

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620, 680 or 720? What credit score do you need for a mortgage?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

620, 680 or 720? What credit score do you need for a mortgage?News from KNDO/KNDU:
By Kirk HaverkampProvided by
What kind of credit score do you need to qualify for a mortgage? A new survey of bank executives by the Federal Reserve provides some answers. 
It’s well-known that it’s harder to get a mortgage these days than it was back in the boom days of the housing bubble, when it seemed almost anyone could get a loan as long as they had a pulse. But just how much harder is often unclear, especially for those with less-than-perfect [...] Continue Reading…

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Credit card debt: What can you do about it?

Posted on May 2, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Credit card debt: What can you do about it?News from Christian Science Monitor:Calling your credit card company to negotiate a lower interest rate may be a good step towards getting out of credit card debt, Hamm argues. 
For most people, the debt that really tips things from a manageable situation into a very challenging one is credit card debt.
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Trent Hamm
The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a [...] Continue Reading…

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5 best credit cards for graduates

Posted on May 1, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

5 best credit cards for graduatesNews from CBS News:
(MoneyWatch) My daughter is graduating from college this month. Like the responsible kid she is, she decided that she should apply for a credit card to make sure she could use her own plastic to pay for hotels and rental cars when she travels. She was turned down.
She has a job. She’s incredibly financially responsible. She just has no credit history — a problem shared by a good number of today’s graduates, particularly once the Credit Card Act barred banks from peddling their plastic on campus [...] Continue Reading…

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Improving your credit score without gimmicks

Posted on May 1, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Improving your credit score without gimmicksNews from CBS News:
(MoneyWatch) Chat boards and web sites are filled with tricks and gimmicks to improve your credit score.
One gimmick that gets a lot of attention is the practice called credit piggybacking. This is where one person, sometimes for a fee, agrees to add you as an approved user on their credit account. This is typically an account with a good history and lots of available credit. The result is that their credit account and history is added to your credit report. This increases your credit score and [...] Continue Reading…

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Does your credit pass the stress test?

Posted on April 30, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Does your credit pass the stress test?News from Fox Business:
Since April is National Stress Awareness Month – and Financial Literacy Month too – now is the perfect time to identify the personal finance issues that could cause stress for you and your loved ones.
Money problems of all kinds are a major source of anxiety and stress for many Americans. Anxiety and stress can lead to headaches, depression, ulcers, high blood pressure, panic attacks, distracted driving accidents and more. And such financial stress affects everyone – single people, married couples, the elderly, even children and [...] Continue Reading…

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Strategies to improve your credit score

Posted on April 29, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Strategies to improve your credit scoreNews from The Times of Trenton – NJ.com:
Andrew Miller/For The TimesMoney, Print 2011 by Arthur Coombe at the gallery opening for the Arc Mercer Artists at the Ewing Municipal Offices on Wednesday, August 3, 2011.
By Kurt RossiFOR THE TIMES
A solid credit score is essential as you navigate through your financial life. From obtaining mortgages, auto loans and credit cards to background checks from a prospective employer or landlord, your FICO score can have far-reaching effects on your ability to achieve your goals.
While improving your credit rating is no [...] Continue Reading…

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Credit Score Tips for New US Residents

Posted on April 28, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Credit Score Tips for New US ResidentsNews from Fox Business:
Dear Opening Credits,
I came to United States from Bermuda in May 2011, and was able to obtain a credit card with HSBC with a $ 10,000 limit as they gave me the benefit of my good credit history with HSBC Bermuda. When I see my credit report at Credit Karma, I see that though my score is 731, I am penalized for average age of my credit lines and numbers/type of credit accounts. If I open new credit accounts, it will improve my utilization [...] Continue Reading…

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Study: Despite New Law, Credit Cards Finding their Way to Students

Posted on April 27, 2012 by admin| Leave a comment

Study: Despite New Law, Credit Cards Finding their Way to StudentsNews from Fox Business:
Question: When is a loan considered income? Answer: When a bank wants a way to justify slipping a credit card into the wallet of a college student.
That’s the contention of Jim Hawkins of the University of Houston Law Center, an assistant professor and author of a soon-to-be-published research study. The report, based on surveys of 500 students at the University of Houston and Baylor University in Waco, Texas, concludes that banks are conjuring a variety of tactics to evade tough new [...] Continue Reading…

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