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January 31, 2008
Veterans Advantage Savings Cards
Here are 2 great savings cards offered by Veterans Advantage. The first is the US Patriot Card and the second is the Veterans Advantage Travel Card. Both cards save you money and allow you to show your national pride.
Let’s take a look at what each of these savings cards gets for you.
U.S. Patriot Card
Click Here for More Information
The first thing to note about the VA U.S. Patriot Card is the 14 day free trial. Heck free stuff is always worth trying!
Next is the fact that proceeds from the U.S. Patriot card go toward helping returning soldiers. People that have been fighting for our freedom are helped, that alone make the Veterans Advantage US Patriot Card worthwhile.
Plus the savings you will get on everyday items such as Apple computers and iPods as well as Dell Computers if you prefer PC’s. You will also enjoy savings on your prescriptions, your travel including flights, hotels and car rentals as well as getting free travel insurance from AIG. There are also savings on cruises and resort destinations. And did I mention you save on Cell phones from Verizon as well!
VA Travel Card
Click Here for More Infomation
The Veterans Advantage Travel Card gives you some amazing travel rewards as well. If you act now you get a 30 day free trial plus a free companion ticket.
If you sign up today then you will take advantage of an additional $20,000 in special savings along with $55,000 in accident and travel insurance.
You need to act now to take advantage of these incredible offers.
Posted by Colin at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)American Express Merchant Services
If you are a business owner, whether it be a traditional brick and mortar or an online shopping store then you must consider using American Express Merchant Services for payment processing.
You might think that because American Express typically charges more for payment processing that you haven't bothered using American Express Merchant Services.
I think this is a huge mistake!
Here is why, according to studies buyers that use the American Express card have a tendancy to spend more on purchase.
In fact, research shows that the average American Express transaction is nearly 31% higher than the average non-American Express credit transaction.
What if you could increase each transaction by 31%? What would that do for your business?
As a business owner you know how important it is to maximize your sales and the higher the price is going through the checkout the more money that ends up in your bank account.
There are millions of consumers and business owners alike that only hold American Express cards and since American Express only issues cards to people and businesses with good credit these are the people you want spending money on your business. Those that have good credit also tend to have money so don't turn these people away because of higher processing fees, these are customers you want to keep coming back to buy from you.
Here are some key bullet points about American Express Merchant Services:
- Higher Average Charge - Industry research shows that the average American Express transaction is nearly 31% higher than the average non-American Express credit transaction.*
- Avid Internet Shoppers - 79% of American Express Cardmembers used American Express to make, on average, 23.2 purchases over the Internet in the past year.**
- Frequent Diners - American Express Cardmembers made, on average, 19.2 restaurant purchases in the past 3 months.***
*The NilsonReport, #851, February2006
**Brookfield Research, July 2006
***Brookfield Research, June2007
MasterCard Earnings Soar - How You Can Profit
The major credit card companies are raking in the cash hand over fist these days primarily due to the rise in the cost of living.
In fact MasterCard reported that their fourth quarter profits in 2007 were up 7x predominately because consumers are paying more to fuel their cards and pay the grocery bill.
MasterCard reported an earnings rise of over $300 million, the rise in earnings can be translated to earnings of $0.89 per share which exceeded shareholder expectations by roughly 0.16 per share.
The huge rise in earnings is attributed to, as mentioned previously, that consumers are spending more on everyday purchases such as gas and food, but it goes further than the rise in the cost of living.
Consumer’s credit card use has increased as well as more and more Americans are switching from using cash to greater use of credit and debit cards.
While MasterCard shares are on the rise their top competing card processing networks such as American Express and Discover Card are on the decline.
Why the difference?
MasterCard does not extend credit to cardholder’s. That is the job of the banks that issue MasterCard credit cards. MasterCard only operates a payment processing network.
MasterCard thus is immune from default credit card accounts and earns revenue based solely on its cut of every MasterCard transaction that occurs. Where as their competitors such as American Express and Discover Financial Services do extend credit to cardholders thus leaving them vulnerable to default cardholder accounts.
Since MasterCard takes a percentage of every transaction that occurs and the cost of living is on the rise what MasterCard has is a fool proof business model that actually earns more as prices go up.
If you are looking for an investment that will likely continue to grow over time then you should consider MasterCard as part of your portfolio. As you spend more on your MasterCard everyday you can rejoice in knowing that the more you are forced to spend the more your investment portfolio will be on the rise.
Western Union Prepaid Mastercard
We have been encouraging people that have had credit card problems in the past to use prepaid debit cards in the place of regular cards. A card such as the Western Union Prepaid MasterCard provides you with the convenience of credit cards without the risk of going into debt.
The Western Union MasterCard is perfect for anybody that wants to avoid debt. Use this prepaid card to get control of your credit card spending habits and avoid costly rotating debt.
Get control of your money starting today! The Western Union Prepaid credit card carrying the MasterCard logo works just like a regular credit card without the hassles of regular credit.
January 30, 2008
WorldPerks Visa Signature and Platinum Card Updates
A notification has just been received by Crediteria that the rates on the US Bank WorldPerks Platinum and Signature Visa Card offers have just been updated.
We do our best to get you information about credit card changes so that you stay informed as to what each card application is currently offering.
Let’s take a look at what US Bank is currently offering with their WorldPerks travel rewards offers.
WorldPerks® Visa® Platinum Card
The US Bank WorldPerks Platinum Card is still offering some excellent travel rewards that includes a one time bonus of up to 7500 with no travel blackout dates.
Plus an amazing earning program of 5 Miles per dollar spent at thousands of hotels and restaurants.
WorldPerks® Visa® Signature Card
If you travel on Northwest Airlines then this is the best travel rewards card for you. As with the Platinum card there are no blackout dates for your travel and you earn up to 5 Miles for every $1 you spend.
An added benefit, besides having no preset spending limit, is free rental card insurance. For frequent travelers you know that the rental car insurance is quite expensive. For that benefit alone the WorldPerks Visa Signature Card from US Bank makes it one of the best credit card travel rewards programs available.
The US Bank WorldPerks Visa Cards are endorsed fully by our review team. Make sure you apply today as credit card companies do frequently change their terms and conditions and we would hate for you to miss out on this offer.
January 29, 2008
Citi Home Rebate Platinum Select MasterCard Points
If you are getting sick and tired of paying high utility bills such as you cable or satellite TV, even your internet connection and what about those phone bills that are piling up?
Yeah, it sucks big time and the cost of utilities is always on the rise.
If only there was a way to cut the cost of these bill!
Wait!
There is a way. The Citi Home Rebate Platinum Select MasterCard gives you maximum rewards on your utility bills!
To see the full review of the Citi Rebate MasterCard click here .
Here is a break down of this Citi Card offer:
1. Get a 6% rebate on your utilities bills for 6 months
2. Receive 1% on other purchases
3. Get the rebate applied directly to the principal of your mortgage.
There are no limits to the amount of rebates you can get in a year and there is no annual fee!
A credit card that is going to help you pay off your mortgage simply by paying bills that you pay anyway! Now that's a great deal!
Posted by Colin at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Bad Credit Costs You Money
Did you know that having bad credit is one of the most costly circumstances you can be in?
It doesn't seem right on the surface that with bad credit you pay more. Bad credit costs in much higher lending and service fees and astronomical interest rates.
If you have bad credit it is imperative that you start making headway on restoring your credit history. If you don't you are doomed to pay a lot more than you have to.
The team and Crediteria.com takes helping those with bad credit very seriously and we are on the look out for services that can help you get out of debt and restore your credit.
We just found a service that will provide you with a free credit consultation to help you get out of the woods.
Here is an overview of what they offer:
Posted by Colin at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)A better credit score can save you money. With the help of a professional law firm, U.S. consumers are improving their credit scores. Removing incorrect and damaging information from your credit report may be done, but it takes time, hard work and know-how. Get help from professionals and earn your best possible credit rating. The service is:
- Quick
- Effective
- Conducted by experienced legal professionals
- And you can start with a FREE, no obligation consultation!
January 28, 2008
LifeLock - Why You Need It
When I first started receiving questions about identity theft at Crediteria.com about LifeLock, an identity theft prevention service, like most people I didn’t fully realize just how big this problem was. Sure, I knew it was out there so I had the editorial team dig into more information to help those who think they are a victim.
Here are some facts on why you might want to consider using a service such as LifeLock:
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States in the last 5 years. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 27 million Americans were victims of identity fraud and the FBI says identity theft is growing at a rate of 500,000 to 700,000 new cases every year.
What might cause you to think you are a victim of identity theft?
According to the results of the National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice they found this:
Over 30% of people become aware they are a victim of identity theft when they notice money is mysteriously missing from their bank account or when the see unknown charges on their credit card statement and another 25% find out they are a victim when they receive a call from a credit bureau inquiring about a loan they didn’t apply for.
Another very common way people find out they are victims of identity theft when they are denied credit.
According to the FBI it takes the average consumer about a year before they find out they are an identity theft victim. A lot of damage can occur over the course of a full year!
On average it will take the average person 175 hours of your time to clear their name and will cost roughly $1500. The losses typically go deeper due to lost wages for time off work, on average lost wages amount to $1200 and some reports indicate that 20% of people that are victims of identity theft lose over $5000.
The tolls goes further than monetary loss, the emotional impact of victims is something that can not be measured in a dollar amount. Some victims of identity theft have said that they would have rather had a physical crime, such as mugging or robbery, occur than have the emotional scares identity theft leaves.
It is crucial that consumer be proactive on keeping tabs on their identity by checking their credit report on a regular basis or enroll in an identity theft prevention program such as that offered by LifeLock. Nobody cares more about your financial situation than you do so make sure you take precautions.
If you haven’t made monitoring your identity part of your everyday life then it’s time to take action and considering manually checking your credit report on a quarterly basis. A better idea is to take a proactive stance and implement a service such as LifeLock to ensure you don’t become a victim in the first place. No matter what service you deem appropriate, it’s important for you to actively monitor your own identity to avoid the emotional pain and financial loss that identity theft causes.
Best Offers from Citi Bank
We are constantly bombarded with questions about which is the best credit card and of course that really depends on where you are at in life and finances. If you have bad credit then I recommend that you apply for one of the HSBC card offers or the Continental Finance offers.
However, if you have good credit then right now Citi cards are offering some of the best deals on the market. We have compiled a complete overview of each Citi card offer here. If you look at the left side menu you see that there are a lot of Citi credit cards to choose from.
Citi Bank has put forth a lot of effort to research their potential customers needs so they have many offers to suit everybody's unique needs.
Here is a list of Citi Card offers that we have reviewed:
AT&T Universal Savings and Rewards Card
Diamond Preferred® Rewards Card
Upromise® Card
PremierPass(SM) Card
PremierPass(SM) Elite Card
AT&T Universal Savings Platinum Card
Dividend Platinum Select® Card
Citi® Bronze® / AAdvantage® MasterCard®
Hilton HHonors® Visa® Signature Card
Gold/AAdvantage® World MasterCard®
Platinum Select® / AAdvantage® World MasterCard®
Platinum Select® Card
Home Rebate Platinum Select® MasterCard®
Citi Business Cards
CitiBusiness® Card
CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® MasterCard®
CitiBusiness® PremierPass(SM) Card
CitiBusiness® Card with ThankYou(SM) Network
Citi Student Cards
Driver's Edge® Card for College Students
Platinum Select® Card for College Students
Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students
Make sure you check out the amazing rewards that Citi is offering right now.
Click here to check out the offers right now.
Take advantage of the rewards that Citi has going right now. Credit card companies literally pull great offers such as this off the market overnight. You don't want to miss the rewards the Citi is offering right now.
Posted by Colin at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)January 22, 2008
AccountNow Vantage Prepaid MasterCard
The AccountNow Vantage MasterCard is, in our opinion, the best prepaid credit card on the market today because there is no activation fee when you make a direct deposit.
Most prepaid debit cards have activation fees that you must pay in order to get your card. That's ridiculous! Why should you have to pay to get their card? AccountNow sees it the same way.
You can use your AccountNow Vantage MasterCard to avoid check cashing fees. Have your paycheck deposited to the card and you will instantly save on costly cashing fees.
The AccountNow MasterCard offers 100% approval. There are no credit history checks or ChexSystem verifications. Even if you have previously declared bankruptcy you still qualify for the AccountNow card.
Get More info about the AccountNow™ Vantage Debit MasterCard® now
Posted by Colin at 02:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)January 21, 2008
BoA Secured Credit Card Offer
If you have no credit or need to rebuild your credit a secured credit card is an excellent way to get your credit from none or bad to an excellent rating.
As always, the editorial team here has their ear to the ground watching for new card offers in every category.
The latest card we have seen come on the market is the Bank of America Secured Credit Card.
We are currently evaluating the full details of secured card offer and will be posting our review very soon but in case you don't know how secured credit cards work we would like to give you a brief explanation.
A secured credit card requires you to make a security deposit before you get your card. The credit limit is directly determined by the amount of cash you place in a security account.
If you want a credit card with a $5000 limit then you will be required to make a deposit of $5000 to secure the line of credit.
The cash in the security account is not used to pay your balance, the money is held in the account in the event that you run your card to the maximum and fail to pay it back so the bank has recourse in the event you default on your obligation.
You will still need to pay your minimum payments like a regular credit card.
The security deposit eliminates the risk to the bank and provides you with the opportunity to build or re-establish your credit rating.
We will post more detail about the Bank of America secured credit card very shortly so come back to see what our editorial staff has to say about this new secured card offer.
Posted by Colin at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Chase Freedom Credit Card Confusion
Some readers at Crediteria were a little confused about a recent change with Chase Freedom. Chase has decided to rename this credit card from Chase Freedom Cash Visa Signature Card to simply the Chase Freedom Credit Card.
I guess the official name of the card was a bit wordy so they shortened for simplicity sake. OK, I am just guessing that's why. Who knows though, maybe the name change gets more folks applying for the Freedom Card.
In case you have been thinking about the Freedom Card here are the current details about the offer:
Getting $50 cash back after your first purchase and having the ability to earn the most points where you spend the most make this one of the best consumer credit cards on the market.
Another feature that really makes Freedom stand out from other rewards credit cards is getting rewards when you cash-in your points. Chase will give you $50 cash every time you earn and redeem $200 in rewards.
That's really cool!
Posted by Colin at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)January 18, 2008
Discover Credit Card Offers Reviewed by Crediteria.com
For those who don’t know it yet, Crediteria.com is the premier resource for unbiased credit card reviews.
Today, we are reviewing credit card offers from Discover.
The first Discover credit card that the editorial staff has unanimously chosen as the best consumer Discover Card is the Open Road card.
Discover Open Road
The first thing that stands out with Open Road from Discover is an interest free introductory period of 6 months. The interest free period currently is on purchases you make on the card. If you think you will carry a balance on your card over the next six months, you can take advantage of the interest savings.
The next key feature with the Open Road Card from Discover is the higher than normal earnings you get from the rewards program. Most credit card companies offer rewards of typically between one and three percent. There are very few cards that offer rewards as high as the Discover Open Road Card does. Some credit card companies will put restrictions on how many points you can earn. Discover Open Road Card allows you to earn unlimited cash rewards on all your purchases and they never expire. As long as you don’t miss two consecutive payments your points earned can be used as long as your account is active. If you miss 2 consecutive payments you points will be forfeited though so make sure you pay your Discover Card on time.
If you want a card that offers maximum rewards at various big name retailers and restaurants then Discover Open Road is a excellent credit card to apply for.
Miles by Discover Card
The next Discover Card for general consumers that wins points with the editorial staff at Crediteria is the Miles by Discover card. The Miles Card is another rewards from Discover that focuses on travel rewards.
Here are the key features of the Miles Card:
No restrictions on travel:
You can use your travel points with any airline or travel agency and there are no blackout dates or advanced bookings required. You get to use the points you earned when and how you want.
Double Miles:
You will earn double the mileage points on the first $3000 in travel and restaurant purchases you make each year and then you get 1 mile for every dollar you spend. Plus you can redeem credit to your account after only 5000 miles or redeem gift cards and Discover’s partner retailers after only 1000 miles. And you also get 12000 bonus miles when you apply now.
The Discover Miles Card, like the Open Road Card, has no expiration on points earned so long as your account remains active and you have not been late on 2 consecutive payments. Many of their competitors will have expiration on points earned if they are not used within a certain time period.
These are the top 2 card offers from Discover according to the editorial staff at Crediteria however there are more great offers by Discover for students and small business owners.
We will continue to monitor credit card offers to get you the absolutely best credit card for your current financial situation.
To apply for a Discover Card click here – Get current card rewards and information.
January 17, 2008
Discover Open Road Card
What can the Discover Open Road Card do for you?
Are you getting frustrated by the high price of gasoline? Yeah, me too! To make ends meet these days we must save as much as we can.
Here are some of the key features you get with the Discover Open Road credit card:
I think you will agree that this is one of the best gas rewards credit cards on the market today
Apply for Discover Open Road
Start earning maximum rewards today. Discover credit cards offer some of the best rewards in the card industry. Discover Card is aggresively trying to capture market share by offering some incredible rewards to get you to switch to Discover.
Posted by Colin at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Designer Checks for Fun Finances
Next time you are going to reorder checks consider getting some designer checks to make the mind-numbing task of writing checks a little more interesting.
Regular bank checks are just that, regular and can take the task of writing checks to pay your bills and make it even more painful. Why not lighten up bill payment time with a cool design on your checks.
A set of designer checks can be more than just an interesting picture on your checkbook, it can also make a fashion statement. It seems everything is a fashion statement these days, why not show the world you are interesting with something more interesting then the regular greenish or blue check that everybody and their dog has. There are check designs, that you can get cheaper than regular bank checks, that make a statement about your unique personality and tastes. Heck, you can even use your check book as a conversation starter.
Checks don't have to be drab. You are going to have to reorder checks from your bank at some point so for your next check order consider saving some cash off what your bank charges and get a cool set of designer checks.
Crediteria has just partnered with some top companies that produce designer checks.
Make sure you visit the new section of the site for your next check order here.
I am sure that you will find a design to make your checkbook a lot more interesting.
Posted by Colin at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)January 15, 2008
Identity Theft Can Happen to Anyone
Identity theft can happen to even the savviest of financial people. Identity theft is not a problem isolated to average people.
Recently, Nancy Trejos, a personal finance columnist with the Washington Post was a victim. You would think that a financial columnist with a major newspaper would never be a victim of identity theft, but it happened.
A thief managed to get Nancy’s Bank of America debt card number and used it to make a purchase of over $800 of shoes. The thief used her debit card to make an online purchase and arranged for an in-store pickup of the merchandise.
Fortunately for Nancy, the store clerk became concerned when the person picking up the shoes could not produce the debit card used to make the purchase.
This brings up the point that you should NEVER leave your debit receipts with clerks at stores to throw in the garbage. Every receipt from every transaction must be destroyed or securely stored, perhaps in a safe at home, to prevent identity thieves from acquiring your personal information.
Identity theft is a massive problem that is only getting worse so you must be vigilant at all times and be sure to take every precaution to ensure nobody can get any personally identity information about your finances.
You must be wary at all times as identity theft happens in many forms, such as stolen debit card information to registering credit, loans and utility services such as cell phones in your name.
To prevent your debit card information from being stolen remember to shred all receipts and to protect yourself from having id thieves register credit cards or loans in your name I strongly recommend that you considering enrolling in an identity theft monitoring program to ensure that your name is protected from this horrible crime.
Posted by Colin at 01:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Best Credit Card Advice for 2008
You are now a couple weeks into 2008 and have likely blown your New Years resolution to get out of credit card debt already.
Don't despair!
If you feel you have blown it only 2 weeks into the new year, there is still plenty of time to get on track and straighten out your finances. Recently the site has been updated with the best credit card offers by type.
While credit cards might have been the cause of your problems, it could be that you have the wrong type of credit card for your personality.
An example might be that you applied for a low introductory rate credit card 2 or 3 years ago and now have a high interest rate that's costing you a fortune. It might be time to consider applying for a balance transfer to a card that offers 0% APR for 6 to 12 months to help ease the burden of credit card debt.
Maybe you are the type of person that always overspends on a credit card. If that sounds like you then consider applying for a prepaid credit card and leave your rotating debt credit card at home when you go out. If you discipline yourself to do that then you can only spend the amount you have pre-paid on the card thus avoiding further debt.
I know it can be difficult at first to establish good credit card spending habits but in the long run it's worth it. So take a moment to review your current situation and then apply for a credit card that suits your personality and lifestyle.
Posted by Colin at 02:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)January 14, 2008
WorldPerks Visa Review
The WorldPerks Visa gives you freedom to choose how you redeem your airline miles.
In the past you could only use your WorldPerks rewards on Northwest Airlines but now Northwest is a member of the SkyTeam® Global Alliance which means you can redeem your WorldPerks Visa points for travel on the following airlines:
That is great news! Check out the full details of The WorldPerks® Visa® here.
If you apply now you can get 10,000 one-time enrollment bonus miles, that is certainly going to get you some free flights fast!
The WorldPerks Visa is offered from U.S. Bank and is one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards on the market today. This card's popularity is primarily based upon the 10,000 bonus miles you get simply for applying and getting accepted for the card.
If travel is your passion and you want to get free flights fast then visit the link above to take advantage of this amazing offer right now.
Posted by Colin at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)January 11, 2008
Continental Finance MasterCard
The Continental Finance MasterCard® is here to help you if you have been denied credit because of a bad credit score there is a second chance. Early I recommended a prepaid card offer but if you want and unsecured credit card to help restore your credit then you should consider applying for the Continental Finance MasterCard® to help get your credit back on track.
The Continental Finance credit card gives you semi-annual credit line increases, it reports to the major credit bureaus and best of all you will instantly know if you qualify for the card based on your answers to the questions in their application form. Remember to get an accurate answer, you need to honestly answer the questions they ask.
When you apply for the Continental credit card you will notice there are fees associated with this card. The fees are necessary in order to protect Continental Finance from those that don't pay their credit cards. The nature of credit cards for people with bad credit represents a risk to the lender and to protect themselves from losses by those that don't pay they must recover their costs via the fees.
Bad credit doesn't last forever so use this opportunity to get a card such as this to restore your credit and then apply for credit cards for those with good to excellent credit to avoid paying the fees.
Posted by Colin at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)Sub-Prime Consumers have Hope
With the sub-prime mortgage crisis being at the forefront of the minds of millions of Americans, those with bad credit may feel there is no hope in acquiring a mortgage. It’s true that mortgage lenders are now shying away from lending to those with bad credit.
While there are people with bad credit that earn a decent living and could afford a home, they are being rejected from lenders based on their credit history and not their current income level.
If you are one of those people that earns a good wage and can afford a house but your past credit mistakes are causing you grief, you are going to need to do something to start building your credit.
The best way to build your credit is to not apply for any more loans, pay your bills and I found a prepaid credit card that offers a credit builder option.
We live in a plastic society where credit cards have become a necessity in everyday life. Since it seems it’s impossible to live day-to-day without a credit card the best thing you can do is get a prepaid credit card to get you through your day without digging yourself further into debt.
Crediteria.com has just updated the best credit cards by category, you can see the offers on the home page. Notice that we have mentioned the Eufora™ MasterCard® Card as the best card to establish credit. The Eurfora MasterCard is also an excellent tool to rebuild your credit with their unique offer, the Credit Builder feature gives you the chance to pay a small monthly fee that gets reported to the major credit bureaus thus helping to repair your credit score
If you want to get approved for a mortgage loan then start rebuilding (or building) your credit today with the Eufora MasterCard Credit Builder Program.
January 09, 2008
What is the Best Credit Card
Best Credit Cards
I am often asked “What are the best credit cards?” and there is no single answer to this question. What might be the best card offer for one might not be best for another, it all depends on your lifestyle and credit history.
If you have bad credit you can forget about getting a low interest, high limit, rewards credit card. What you will need to do is focus on restoring your credit rating so you will need to look at the credit cards for people with bad credit, the cards listed on the left menu on the page featuring bad credit offers are the lowest fees and interest you can get and will, if used responsibly, help you restore your credit rating.
Now if you are a business owner you might want to check out the most popular card for business owners, the Advanta credit card offers. Advanta has really great rewards programs that you might want to take advantage of.
If you are into earning reward points but don’t really know where you might use your rewards, possibly you want to go on a trip or maybe you might want to go on a shopping spree. You’re undecided as to how you are going to spend your rewards. If that sounds like you then your best option to apply for the Chase Freedom card. As the name of the card offer suggests, you are free to use your rewards as you see fit. You are rewarded most on your top spending categories. Yes, there are more specific rewards programs out there for those that know exactly what they want that provide higher points earnings but if you are uncertain of how you want to cash in your rewards then Chase Freedom is your best bet.
Before you apply for a credit card, spend a few minutes with a pen and paper and write down the stuff you want most and then seek out an offer that best suits your tastes and style.
It can get overwhelming trying to figure out which card offer is best but don’t panic, simply think about what you want most and apply for the deal that fits your needs. Most card issuers have very similar offers in every category so don’t get too hung up on whether a Chase credit card offer is better than a Discover Card offer. If you find the rewards or perks suitable to your needs then apply for that card and get on with your life.
Posted by Colin at 02:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)January 07, 2008
Identity Theft Worksheet Reminder
For those of you that read my blog on a regular basis, I wrote a post the other day about the identity theft protection service called LifeLock. I highly recommend that you check out my review of LifeLock and register for their service today!
Why do I say this?
I just received a phone call from a lady that just had her identity stolen. I won’t mention her name here to protect her privacy. She thinks that the identity thief got her information from a credit card she holds.
Because identity theft can hit anybody at anytime and it’s such a growing problem you need to maximize your personal protection from the scam bag thieves that are out there.
As a reminder, just before I did an interview on the Code Red Radio show in Washington DC when I spoke about how to prevent identity thieves from swiping your identity, I put together an identity theft worksheet to help you if your identity has been stolen.
I suggest you review this so that you can be fully educated to protect yourself if you should fall victim to this horrid crime.
LifeLock Protection
As I do with every New Year, I reflect upon things and think about what I need to do to make my life better. While watching the news I saw an advertisement on TV for LifeLock that had Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock, displaying his social security number on a huge banner in a very busy city.
I’m sure you have seen the commercial where Todd publicly displays his social security number to prove how confident he is with LifeLock’s service.
So Todd displays this on the Life Lock website and billboards in public places:
My name is Todd Davis My social security number is 457-55-5462
Now that take serious guts and to display or SSN is absolutely nuts, I would never recommend anybody do this but Todd is that confident that he puts his SSN out there for every would-be identity thieve to go try to get credit in Todd’s name.
Guess what? Nobody has been able to steal Todd’s identity. While he is absolutely insane for publicly displaying his social security number like this, it goes to show just how good LifeLock is at protecting his identity.
If Todd Davis can publicly display his SSN like this, imagine how you can be protected when you likely don’t reveal your Social Security Number on public billboards and national television ads in the way Todd does.
Mr. Davis would only do such a public display if he was completely confident with the service Life Lock provides.
I am personally enrolled in the service but did so only after being a victim of identity theft myself. It was only by luck that I discovered the attempt to steal my identity that I didn’t succumb to greater loss.
If you don’t have a protection mechanism in place for your good name today then you are at great risk of having your identity stolen and will feel the pain that millions of victims do from this horrid crime.
Protect yourself from the anguish that identity theft causes and get LifeLock today!
Posted by Colin at 12:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)January 05, 2008
Bank of America Money Return Visa
Here we are in the first few days of 2008. The holiday season is winding down and the bills from credit card spending will soon be arriving in the mail and like millions of other people you are wondering what the heck you are going to do about all the credit card debt that is piling up.
If you have tended to carry a balance on your credit card the debt load you have will quickly start to sink you if you don’t take action to reverse the adverse effects of credit card debt.
To start making some headway on your credit card balance the best thing you can do is get a new credit card that gives an interest free (0% APR) introductory period so that you can save some interest payments during the intro period.
One of the best credit cards I have found for people that carry a balance and are serious about getting out of credit card debt is the Bank of America Money Return® Visa® Platinum Plus®.
The Bank of America Money Return® Visa® Platinum Plus® gives you an interest free introductory period plus gives you 10% cash back on your interest.
The best thing you can do to start digging out of credit card debt is apply for the BoA Money Return Visa and make payments during the introductory period as though you were paying interest to start chipping away at the balance owing and then after the introductory period expires use the 10% cash back to apply to the balance owing on the card. By taking actions like this you will accelerate the rate at which you get out of credit card debt.
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Posted by Colin at 01:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)
January 02, 2008
Chase Freedom
The Chase Freedom Card is one of the best credit card rewards programs on the market today. With the rewards you get you will no longer have to chase down the best offers because this card gives you everything you want in a credit card.
The rewards start the moment you make your first purchase with the Chase Freedom credit card. After you apply and receive your card simply buy something and you get instantly rewarded with a cash back bonus of $50!
That’s right 50 bucks just for using your Chase Freedom rewards card. You also get rewarded your unique spending habits. Chase gives you the most rewards on the top 3 spending categories and 1% rewards on all other purchases. Plus you get $50 every time you earn and redeem $200. Now that’s something special, you get rewarded for using your rewards
Most credit cards reward you on specific items such as gas at a particular gas station or merchandise from a specific store. Chase Freedom gives you the freedom to earn maximum rewards on how you spend your money.
If you are thinking about applying for a credit card then this is the card you must consider, there has never been a rewards program quite like the Freedom Card from Chase.