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Posted
Jul 19 2008, 11:24 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
"Broke Grad Student" would like to have a big honking wad of cash as much as the next guy. But that's a dream because of his big honking student loan debt. In a post called "6 reasons why I hate cash," he explains why he otherwise has little use for bills and coins. For instance, if you lost that big wad of cash, it would be gone. Poof. "You can't call an 800 number and have them cancel your $20 bills," he says in this humorous post at Broke Grad Student.
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Posted
Apr 29 2008, 05:33 AM
by
Karen Datko
This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. Back in the days of personal checks and monthly bills, "doing the bills" was an arduous task that took hours and hours. Back in the days of check registers and balancing a checkbook, doing the bills was like accounting lite. With the advent of online checking and electronic bill-payment systems, there isn't any logical reason why you should be spending an hour or two each month dealing with bills. By setting up your bill-payment details and conducting your transactions entirely online, you can add months to your life.
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Posted
Apr 23 2008, 03:31 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
Credit cards are about to get smarter. A story in BusinessWeek reports that MasterCard is about to introduce the inControl card for corporate clients, which will allow the boss to limit how, where and when employees use a company card on business trips. This has prompted one credit card expert to ask why the technology isn't being offered to regular consumers who have trouble controlling their credit card use but aren't willing to cut them into tiny pieces.
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Posted
Mar 31 2008, 05:54 PM
by
Karen Datko
Your credit card company isn't giving you airline miles, points or cash back because it loves you. No, sirree. "New rewards, incentives, tricks, deals, dog-and-pony shows, and other marketing gimmicks are continually coming out with the aim to extract you from your money in the fastest, most pain-free way possible," writes Randall at Credit Withdrawal. "Reminds me a little of Las Vegas," he adds.
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Posted
Jan 02 2008, 02:43 PM
by
Karen Datko
More than a few people have wondered if this offer is legitimate: If you used your credit card while traveling outside the U.S. between 1996 and 2006, you are likely entitled to some money as a result of a class-action lawsuit. Poetloverrebelspy at Less Than a Shoestring provides basic information and handy links about claiming your refund. For even more details -- and ways to verify that the offer you got is the real deal -- read this excellent article at MSN Money.
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Posted
Dec 17 2007, 03:26 PM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
When BankerGirl decided to consolidate $17,000 on a new credit card at 5.99% APR, readers wondered if she had picked the right deal. "Fear not, dear readers, for I am a master at interpreting The Fine Print!" she replied. What makes her such a know-it-all? After all, fine print is difficult to understand (let alone see). Besides, she has $17,000 in credit card debt. "How dare someone with the financial recklessness I have demonstrated in the past claim to have conquered The Fine Print?" she said. "Because I, BankerGirl, have been a creator of The Fine Print." In a previous job, she helped develop products to make more money for banks. This post is invaluable reading for anyone who is considering a balance transfer or is simply confused about how credit cards work.
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Posted
Nov 12 2007, 06:40 AM
by
Karen Datko
This post comes from J.D. Roth at partner blog Get Rich Slowly . One of my readers wrote to complain that Macy's had flipped her store credit card and sold her data to Citibank. I had a similar experience recently, and it taught me to be more attentive to my accounts. In June, I received some "advance checks" in the mail from Bank of America. You know the ones -- the checks your credit card company uses to entice you to take a cash advance. The problem was, I don't have an account with Bank of America. I did once, but I closed it in December of 1998. I shredded the checks and didn't think much about it. In September, I received a second batch of advance checks from Bank of America. This worried me a little. I took a closer look. My name and address were correct, but the account number didn't match any I'd ever had with any financial institution. I thought about calling the toll-free number, but didn't. Again, I shredded the checks. At the end of October, I received a third batch of checks
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