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• How to max out credit card rewards

  Posted Jul 29 2008, 04:28 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Debt, Banking, Credit, Blueprint for Financial Prosperity

  This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

  With the prices of food and gas where they are, everyone's looking for an edge. For more and more people, myself included, that edge is in maximizing what you can get out of credit card cash-back reward programs.

  Credit card companies charge vendors a hefty percentage to process credit card transactions (AMEX and Discover charge the most; that's why they often have the best cash-back programs), so doesn't it make sense that they pass along some of that to you? Of course it does.

  Here are eight tips I use to ensure I get the most cash back from credit cards:   Read More...

  Discuss ( 2 comments) 2,652 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Beware the monthly payment math trick

  Posted Jul 15 2008, 04:03 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Debt, Spending, Credit, Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
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  This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

  If you've ever tried to buy a car or a house, you've probably faced the monthly payment math trick. It's a psychological trick salespeople use to get you to buy something you couldn't afford or to pay an amount you weren't originally comfortable with.

  A salesperson will try to convince you to purchase something based on the monthly payment you'll have to make. It frames the purchase in a way that lets you begin integrating the purchase into your life, before you've actually made it, and may even make it more likely you'll make the purchase.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 32 comments) 19,328 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Curb spending by writing goals on credit cards

  Posted Jun 10 2008, 05:41 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Debt, Spending, Credit, Blueprint for Financial Prosperity

  This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

  Some of my friends put a rubber band around one wrist if they're supposed to remember something, like getting milk on the way home. Some of my friends send themselves e-mail or schedule events in Outlook. Some of my friends draw treasure maps and hide them behind paintings in their attics. (OK. No, they don't. That was from "The Goonies.")

  The point is, we all have little hacks we use to remind ourselves about things we are supposed or not supposed to do.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 3 comments) 1,878 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this