Protect your identity from life online
Updated: 2010-07-31 19:50:43
Living with credit 303 New , interesting products 77 Research , regulation , industry reports 194 Rewards 30 Protecting yourself 129 The fine print 47 Credit card miscellany 320 Print Email Protect your identity from life online Cara Henis July 12, 2010 Protecting yourself So you clicked on a certain picture or perhaps you've included ice fishing as one of your interests . Other people will probably find out . The tales of sites tracking their users' actions or pimping out personal information to marketers are becoming more commonplace . For the most part , though , this type of information exchange has become a tolerated side effect of life . online But there are some types of information that consumers expect sites to keep private . Consider the number of times people save credit card
: Living with credit 304 New , interesting products 77 Research , regulation , industry reports 194 Rewards 30 Protecting yourself 129 The fine print 47 Credit card miscellany 321 Print Email Emily's list : iPhone death grip edition Emily Starbuck Gerson July 16, 2010 Living with credit A few weeks ago , I blogged that I was dying to get an iPhone 4 but was doing everything in my power to resist . Despite the new features I so desired , I concluded that I just didn't need one . Shortly after that , once the phones were in stock , I called AT T to see if I qualified for an upgrade . I learned that even as a current AT T customer , it would still cost a whopping 199. Ouch . I wavered back and forth , and ultimately decided to wait at least until I heard more from people as to whether it was
It's not unusual for the summertime to bring high temperatures. But with thermometer readings in the northeast reaching into 90s and beyond over recent weeks, blog carnival host NerdWallet made "gettin' hot in here" the theme of the latest Carnival of Personal Finance.
Since my latest blog post --entitled "The latest economic casualty? Falling FICO credit scores" -- was included in the Carnival of PF, it's fair to say that post is now officially both hot and nerdy. That blog post can be found in the "credit and debt" section of the carnival, right next to the picture of an egg frying on a sidewalk.
: Living with credit 307 New , interesting products 77 Research , regulation , industry reports 195 Rewards 30 Protecting yourself 129 The fine print 47 Credit card miscellany 323 Print Email Emily's list : Ownership stake edition Emily Starbuck Gerson July 23, 2010 Living with credit I just read something on CNN that shocked me . When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was a mere 18-year-old college student at Harvard , he allegedly granted a businessman an ownership stake in what was then a small online side-project . Now it's a billion-dollar Internet company , and New Yorker Paul Ceglia is trying to claim what he says is rightfully his . Ceglia claims that he hired Zuckerberg in 2003 to work on two business ventures , one of which was designed to offer the students of Harvard university
Living with credit 306 New , interesting products 77 Research , regulation , industry reports 194 Rewards 30 Protecting yourself 129 The fine print 47 Credit card miscellany 322 Print Email Real Housewives of New Jersey' credit card tales of trouble Cara Henis July 21, 2010 Credit card miscellany The tables turn on reality TV's Real Housewives of New Jersey co-star Teresa Giudice and this time she's not the one flipping them . No , don't worry RHNJ fans . nbsp She wasn't arrested for being a prostitution whore , but Teresa , the big-haired spendaholic , known for her extravagant shopping sprees and lavish lifestyle , is flat broke . News recently surfaced that she and husband Giuseppe Joseph Giudice filed for bankruptcy in October of last year . The couple is approximately 11 million in
Home Credit Cards Blog Credit Card News The Ongoing Battle of the Interchange Fee The Ongoing Battle of the Interchange Fee Friday , July 30th , 2010 A swipe fee is that amount of money that is collected from retailers by the credit card company each time a credit or debit card is used by a consumer to make a purchase . This fee is also commonly called an interchange fee The fee varies , depending on the credit card , the merchant and if the swipe was classified as a credit or debit swipe . Debit swipes generally cost less than credit swipes . It is estimated that Americans who used Visa or MasterCard collectively spent over 48 billion dollars in swipe fees in a one year time frame . The ongoing battle of the interchange fee continues to rage as the current fee totals are up three times
Home Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice Get More Out of Your Card Than Introductory Incentives Get More Out of Your Card Than Introductory Incentives Thursday , July 29th , 2010 When looking for a new credit card it can be tempting to go with the card offering the most incentives just for signing up . Credit card companies know they have a lot of competition to gain customers so many will use introductory tactics to bring in new business . These intro offers are very appealing but often do not reflect the actual long-term conditions of a credit card . If you do not understand what is coming down the line , you can end up hurting your own finances and . credit Credit card companies want to attract your attention fast . They want to offer you something you think you can’t refuse so you’ll sign up
Home Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice Practice of Consumer Profiling Widely Used Practice of Consumer Profiling Widely Used Monday , July 19th , 2010 Credit card companies have long been in the practice of collecting data on cardholders for the purposes of determining credit risk for each current and future cardholders . The Federal Reserve Board is one of the major oversight and regulatory agencies for these card issuers . The Board frequently does research and issues reports about the industry . One recent report indicates that credit card lenders profile cardholders using merchant category codes . Collecting data on cardholders is known as consumer profiling Profiling is a method that is used by card companies to collect data on cardholders and make changes and decisions about rules and
Home Credit Cards Blog New Card Offers Grocery Rewards Programs Benefit Everyone Grocery Rewards Programs Benefit Everyone Friday , July 16th , 2010 Cash back rewards and bonus points are commonly offered perks with many credit card offers today . The rewards programs that are out there get more creative with each passing day . There is a method to the madness that is the credit card rewards game . Reward programs are just that : rewards for being an active cardholder . People who have excellent credit can choose from an array of specific and unique rewards programs that will offer additional incentives to them as a card holder . From the perspective of the credit card company , the more you use your card and pay your balance the more valuable you are as a cardholder . Credit card
Home Credit Cards Blog Card Security Credit Card Fraud Ring Exposed At Cheescake Factory Credit Card Fraud Ring Exposed At Cheescake Factory Thursday , July 15th , 2010 Putting a new spin on the cheese ring are some employees at a local Cheesecake Factory in Friendship , Heights Washington D.C . The alleged credit card fraud ring , netted a substantial 117,000 of bogus charges before being discovered . Three staff members of the Factory who were responsible for the double swipe received around 25-40 per . card The cards were swiped at a phony station where the personal credit information was skimmed , taking the number as well as pertinent personal information . The counterfeit electronic skimmers were then handed off to enterprising fraudsters that would take the information and use it to
Home Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice What You Need to Know About Credit Card Statements What You Need to Know About Credit Card Statements Wednesday , July 14th , 2010 Credit card statements can leave consumers dumbfounded . The language is fuzzy and difficult to understand and the terminology is confusing . With this simple guide you can get one step closer to understanding what you really need to know about reading your credit card statements Average Daily Balance The Average Daily Balance is a method of calculating interest on the account . Each day the transactions are tracked . The card companies add the beginning balance for each day to the charges made that day . To determine the amount of interest paid , this amount is divided by the days in the billing period . The sum of the
Home Credit Cards Blog Card Security More Fraud and Security Protection Measures Needed for Banks More Fraud and Security Protection Measures Needed for Banks Tuesday , July 13th , 2010 Recent changes to credit card laws have created an ongoing debate between consumers , the credit card industry , merchants and banks . Everyone has their own opinion about how the rules should work and in whose best interest they really protect . Security in the industry is always a hot topic and some of the reform does address how consumers and merchants will be protected from fraud and security breaches which is a good thing for . them Threat of Hackers Affects Everyone What the new credit card reform act fails to address however is what type of fraud and security protection measures should be mandated to
Home Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice Consumers Face Higher Fees and Penalties for Cards Despite Legislation Consumers Face Higher Fees and Penalties for Cards Despite Legislation Monday , July 12th , 2010 Even with the new credit card reform legislation in place there are still creases that need to be ironed out . The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC has identified that consumers could still be faced with higher costs despite all of the changes . Higher interest rates and the possible addition of new fees and penalties are still a very real possibility . To help save some money on your card use try these simple . tips Cards Can Be Canceled Before rates sky rocket beyond control , the consumer has the right to cancel a card . Card issuers must reveal the terms of the changes such as