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Some of the card companies' little-known rules are costing you money
-- and putting your credit, your identity and your family at risk.
Keep your house from leaking cash
Think it's impossible to lower your power bill? Think again!
American views about
credit cards: negative
The
next credit crunch
Our easy access to plastic is about to dry up - and
with it our ability to fake living the good life.
Mastercard acknowledges Debt Settlement as a valid way
to handle debt
Mastercard website: "Under a debt reduction settlement, a creditor agrees
to reduce the amount you owe in return for a guarantee that you will pay off
the reduced amount at specified terms. Under a debt reduction settlement, the
debt is generally resolved within one to three years, with creditors settling
for between 20 and 80 percent of the original debt."
Life without plastic
You'd be surprised by the benefits of giving up your
credit cards - even if you never carry a balance.
The
credit card party is officially over
Don't count on those 0% offers anymore. As banks stick even good customers with
higher rates and tighten up on credit lines and balance transfers, you need to
think about protecting yourself
Lenders
create a bankruptcy monster
The bankruptcy reform law isn't working as advertised
-- and lenders, whose loose lending standards contributed to the problem,
appear to be abusing the system.
How
can you save on gas?
Pay cash ! As profits become slimmer or
disappear, some gas station owners are offering cash discounts to cut back on
the hefty credit card fees they must pay.
Credit scores hit by
card limits
Credit-card lenders lower borrowing levels, which
hurts consumers' credit scores
Credit-Card
Use Is Surging, Risking Another Debt Crisis
Cash-strapped Americans are ringing up more and more
purchases on their credit and debit cards, and there could be a steep price to
pay ahead.
The
best financial advice ever - Prince Charming isn't coming.
Live like a college student. Never co-sign a loan. Money experts like David
Bach and readers like you share the best nuggets of wisdom they have ever
received
Emptying
the attic to pay the bills
Desperate for cash, strapped sellers are using online
auctions and flea markets to unload household goods, including possessions of
great sentimental value
Help!
My debts are killing me!
Mary Pollack is running out of money. Here's how she can get afloat again.
10
ways to curb sleazy debt collectors
Consumers and regulators should act now, before things
get ugly, to keep abusive and dishonest collectors under control during a bad
economy.
It's
time for a credit card revolution
Remember when banks weren't out to get you? I do. And with
Congress' help, we can un-rig a system that's determined to make you fail.
Workers
step up raids on 401(k)s
More Americans are tapping their retirement plans as the credit crunch and
falling home values make cash harder to come by. But such a loan is usually a
bad idea.
Credit
Card Companies and Your Debt CBN News Video.
Millions of Americans are drowning in credit card debt. High interest rates and
low minimum payments are just some of the reasons why it is hard for consumers
to escape from the debt trap.
9
money rules to live by
Americans young and old are flunking their finances, but money mastery isn't
really that hard. Here are 9 simple keys you need to know.
Lenders cut off the home-equity tap
Thousands of homeowners are
getting notices that their lines of credit have been frozen, and it's harder to
get new second mortgages. For more than a decade, banks encouraged homeowners
to tap their equity for everything from paying off credit cards to covering
college tuition. Now lenders are abruptly shutting off the spigot.
Credit
cards loosely tied to Fed rate cuts
The Federal Reserve's dramatic rate cuts in recent weeks were
expected to make it cheaper for consumers to use credit cards. Bruised by a
rise in foreclosures, banks have been reluctant to lower rates for cardholders
who have missed payments or had their credit scores slip.
The
coming student loan crunch
Credit Card Interest Rate Changes Catch On-Time Payers Unawares
Your
credit card payment just doubled
Bank
of America blindsiding cardholders?
NERA
Report (pdf)
Credit Card Debt
Jumps
8
secret scores that lenders keep
Credit
card companies' top 10 money-grabbers
The
truth about credit card debt
The
big lie about credit card debt
How does
your debt compare?
Thousands of homeowners are getting notices that their lines of
credit have been frozen, and it's harder to get new second mortgages. For more
than a decade, banks encouraged homeowners to tap their equity for everything
from paying off credit cards to covering college tuition. Now lenders are
abruptly shutting off the spigot. The Federal Reserve's dramatic rate cuts in
recent weeks were expected to make it cheaper for consumers to use credit
cards. Bruised by a rise in foreclosures, banks have been reluctant to lower
rates for cardholders who have missed payments or had their credit scores slip.
Americans have mixed feelings about credit cards. On the one hand,
they seem to put card issuers in the same category as bullies: 82 percent say
card issuers are not entitled to change the terms of accounts at any time for
any reason
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