Archive for credit cards

Credit Cards, Designed by the Devil?

It’s pretty obvious our economy is a mess, but who is really to blame? You hear a lot of talk about how banks, credit card companies, and other lending companies are all to blame. It is their irresponsibility that has got America into the financial mess we are in today. But is this really true? Can we blame this mess on the people who lend the money?

Is it really the responsibility of lenders to take care of us and make us pay or financial obligations? Do they need to babysit us and make sure we send our payments in each month? Or is it our responsibility as adults to make sure that before we take out a loan, we can actually afford to repay the debt?

I think that credit cards, banks and other lending institutions are great financial tools if used properly and responsibly. If an excellent credit offer comes your way and you can responsibly control your finances then take advantage of the offer. I have personally used a credit card for over 6 years to pay my monthly expenses and paid the bill every month. I have never been late on a payment or missed a payment (on this card, I was late one time on another card), therefore I have came out way ahead since I get 1% cash back on all purchases.

If used properly credit cards, banks and other lending institutions can be great financial tools. If you are looking for a place to find some great deals on credit cards you may want to take a look at www.requestcredit.com. Be smart, be responsible and be successful!

Caught by the 0% interest balance transfer game

Alright, I have to admit I got caught by the 0% interest balance transfer game. We transfered part of loan a while back for about $4,000 on a credit card that had 0% interest for 6 months with no balance transfer fees. Sounded like a great plan since we would have the $4,000 paid off in less than six months, right?

Well, 4.5 months came around and we ran into some unexpected expenses and we still didn’t have the money to completely finish paying off the loan, so I had a great plan, transfer the balance to another 0% interest rate credit card with no balance transfer fees for another 6 months. I proceeded to fill out the online application and submit it for review. Of course I was approved in seconds and never thought much more about it until I realized the payment was due in 2 days for the loan and it hadn’t been paid off yet. It was Friday night and the payment was due on Sunday so the only option I had was to overnight the payment or call it in over the phone. $15 later I was paying the bill via telephone to avoid a $30 late fee from the credit card company. It really is hard to beat the credit card companies at any game!

Beating the credit card companies

Can you beat the credit card companies at their own game?

Yesterday I read another blog about a guy who owes thousands of dollars to credit card companies, however he also has thousands of dollars in the bank. He could pay off the credit card balances, but instead he keeps the money in the bank to collect interest, Why? Because most of the credit card balances carry a 0% interest rate. Can you really come out ahead in this game?

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Cash or Credit?

Cash or Credit?

So I hear everyone saying that it’s so much better to use cash instead of credit cards. There are many statements that I hear about credit cards and I’m going to examine each of them for validity. Some of the most common comments I hear are: You spend more when you use a credit card, you can’t beat the credit card companies at their own game, people who use credit cards are buying stuff they can’t really afford. Are these statements true?

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Gift giving credit cards

Gift giving credit cards

Let me start by saying I’m not a big advocate of gift cards or credit cards. According to Needham, Mass.-based consulting-firm TowerGroup, more than 10 percent of the $58.3 billion in gift cards bought this past year won’t be used. It’s a great way for companies to add extra profit but it’s also a good way for you to waste money. Those unused pennies left on gift cards that expire add up quick when you are talking about millions of consumers.

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