Emily's list: Wikileaks edition
Updated: 2010-12-31 23:14:54
: Living with credit 339 New , interesting products 85 Research , regulation , industry reports 209 Rewards 32 Protecting yourself 131 The fine print 57 Credit card miscellany 335 Add category 1 Print Email Emily's list : Wikileaks edition Emily Starbuck Gerson December 3, 2010 Living with credit The huge news of the past week has been the release of classified documents through the site Wikileaks . The thousands of private diplomatic cables that were released reveal foreign policy strategies , military secrets , embarrassingly candid opinions of global leaders and more . Julian Assange , Wikileaks founder , is being pursued by numerous legal . entities Some the leaks that made the biggest splash were requests from the State Department that diplomats should collect information from their
: Living with credit 337 New , interesting products 85 Research , regulation , industry reports 209 Rewards 32 Protecting yourself 131 The fine print 57 Credit card miscellany 335 Add category 1 Print Email Emily's list : Privacy is dead edition Emily Starbuck Gerson November 19, 2010 Living with credit I'm a Newsweek subscriber , and last weekend I did some catching up on issues I hadn't read . I found an article from last month that truly shocked me . Sure , I knew that privacy as a whole was diminishing due to the Internet . I just didn't realize exactly how much information-gathering is now possible , nor how much room there was for misinterpretation of that information . Newsweek writer Jessica Bennett wrote a piece called What the Internet Knows About You which reveals that there are
: Living with credit 341 New , interesting products 85 Research , regulation , industry reports 209 Rewards 32 Protecting yourself 131 The fine print 57 Credit card miscellany 335 Add category 1 Print Email Emily's list : Holiday countdown edition Emily Starbuck Gerson December 17, 2010 Living with credit While Christmas and Hannukah are obviously religious holidays , many nonreligious people such as myself still celebrate the annual gift-giving ritual . Whether it be white elephant gift exchanges with friends , presents for your favorite clients or coworkers , or spoiling your loved ones with something they have coveted all year , it's the season for . giving Hannukah was very early this month and has already passed , but if you are celebrating Christmas , I hope your shopping is well
: Living with credit 342 New , interesting products 85 Research , regulation , industry reports 210 Rewards 32 Protecting yourself 131 The fine print 57 Credit card miscellany 335 Add category 1 Print Email Emily's list : Giving back for the holidays edition Emily Starbuck Gerson December 24, 2010 Living with credit The holiday season is all about giving . We shop like crazy so we can give presents to our friends , family , and loved ones . We bake and serve food to others , sing songs for others and travel to be with loved ones . But many of us also look at this as a time to give back and donate to charities and the needy . I have walked past several Salvation Army bell-ringers dressed in red this holiday season , and sadly , I rarely have cash to give them . The good news is that we
: Living with credit 340 New , interesting products 85 Research , regulation , industry reports 209 Rewards 32 Protecting yourself 131 The fine print 57 Credit card miscellany 335 Add category 1 Print Email Emily's list : Not enough for retirement edition Emily Starbuck Gerson December 10, 2010 Living with credit Are you saving enough for retirement According to CNN Money most Americans in their 50s will retire with only 120 a month in savings . Based on Wells Fargo's annual retirement survey of 2,000 middle-class Americans ranging from 20 to 60 years old , Americans aren't saving enough , they are underestimating the amount of money they will need in retirement , and they are more likely to end up working through retirement . American adults think they are prepared , but they will be in
. Credit Cards Blog Credit Card News U.S . Bank Converts iPhones and Android Phones into Visa Cards U.S . Bank Converts iPhones and Android Phones into Visa Cards Thursday , December 30th , 2010 US Bank is the latest institution to offer credit card holders the opportunity to use their wireless phones as a way to make credit card purchases . The services are geared toward Android and iPhone users and is done through a partnership with Visa and DeviceFidelity for the pilot programs . The program uses the In2Pay platform . Other major credit card providers have implemented wireless cell phone payment capabilities and it seems the technology is here to . stay How Is It Possible Cell phones now have the ability to be used as a credit card thanks to chip technology that can be inserted into an
Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice 5 Reasons Why Carrying Cash Is So Yesterday 5 Reasons Why Carrying Cash Is So Yesterday Wednesday , December 29th , 2010 While so many are quick to say down with the credit cards there are some very good reasons why carrying cash is so yesterday’ . In this age of credit changes and convenience , credit cards are still an important factor in your overall financial well being . People are quick to blame credit cards for the financial woes but let’s face it credit cards do not spend themselves Here are 5 reasons to consider stop using cash and take advantage of what credit cards really have to : offer 1 Cash Reaps No Rewards When you spend 100 at the mall , no one hands you 10 back when you are using cash . However , swipe your plastic for your purchases and you
Credit Cards Blog Credit Card News 50 Discount on Merchandise at MasterCard MarketPlace 50 Discount on Merchandise at MasterCard MarketPlace Monday , December 27th , 2010 MasterCard offers an innovative program known as MasterCard MarketPlace . The program allows enrolled card members to use an online market for their shopping needs that offers hundreds of discounts each week . The choice of discounted merchandise being offered is based on their preferences for merchandise and merchants . The discounts are also the result of the card member’s online user activities and where they . live Currently there are over 25,000 merchants participating in the MarketPlace program which first launched in April 2010. There are 19 categories that range from travel to entertainment , clothing to
Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice How to Hack RFID Credit Cards Step by Step How to Hack RFID Credit Cards Step by Step Friday , December 24th , 2010 If you haven’t heard of RFID credit cards you surely will soon . An abbreviation for Radio Frequency ID , some credit card issuers are embedding these tiny electronics inside the cards you carry in your . wallet What’s the benefit Instead of having to swipe your card every time you make a purchase , you can just wave it What’s the drawback Well , if someone around you is enterprising , they can hack your , card and steal your personal financial information . Here’s : how 1. Get Yourself an RFID Reader These are available from eBay . Just check here Currently , you can get one on the famous auction site for the low price of 9.99. Free shipping ,
Credit Cards Blog New Card Offers Deciphering the New Debit Cards for Teens Deciphering the New Debit Cards for Teens Thursday , December 23rd , 2010 Lately , financial companies have become quite interested in selling you debit cards , hyping benefits such as ease of use , money management , and not worrying about having cash on hand . Of course , things like that don’t motivate a teenager , so to these companies have begun to license celebrities and sports to appeal to teenagers . But that doesn’t mean a particular card is a good deal . In fact , many of them are downright horrible Let’s take a look at some of the typical fees for these new teen-friendly” debit . cards Monthly Membership : 4.95 month Online Balance Load : 4.94 instance free via direct deposit , if you want to go to the
Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice Card Issuers Want Your Children As Customers Card Issuers Want Your Children As Customers Wednesday , December 22nd , 2010 Even with the new CARD Act in place , many people aren’t aware of this but children are primary targets for credit card companies . Typically , the first credit card that a young consumer acquires just happens to be the card that will be held onto the longest , which represents a significant profit source for credit card companies over the long term . The credit card issuers are well aware of this fact so the race to acquire customers and establish brand loyalty at a very young age is always a top priority for card . issuers Young adults , currently financially dependent upon their parents , will soon begin earning income , representing a
I have yet to meet someone who does not carry a cell phone with them – I am sure they exist, but it seems to be that cell phones are now like your wallet or purse. They are everywhere! If you were like me as a student, my mobile phone never left my side to [...]
Credit Cards Blog Credit Card News Paying With Credit Cards Is Making Us Fat Paying With Credit Cards Is Making Us Fat Tuesday , December 21st , 2010 We lead busy , fast-paced lives . Unfortunately , many of us do not even realize what is happening on a daily basis . It’s not until something changes that we sit up and take notice . This convenient life many of lead makes it easy to become lazy , disassociated with ourselves , and even more unhealthy . It has actually been proven through consumer research by the Journal of Consumer Research that using credit cards are making Americans fat well , sort . of The consumer study that was done monitored a thousand homes during a six month stretch of time . Research shows that those families paying with credit cards for groceries and convenience
Credit Cards Blog Credit Card News Federal Law Enforcement Tracking Credit Cards Without A Court Order Federal Law Enforcement Tracking Credit Cards Without A Court Order Monday , December 20th , 2010 You’ve seen it in the movies . The hero is on the run , avoiding the use of credit cards so he can’t be tracked down . He’s off the grid . If that seems like a Hollywood cliché , know that surveillance of your digital transactions is more prevalent than you might . think Everyone’s credit card transactions , of course , can be monitored and tracked by the government . But Big Brother has many other methods of spying on you , as well : mobile phone records , car rental usage , even many retailers’ loyalty . programs The program is called Hotwatch and it allows federal law enforcement to track
Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice Do You Know the True Cost of Prepaid Debit Cards Do You Know the True Cost of Prepaid Debit Cards Friday , December 17th , 2010 One growing industry in financial services these days is the prepaid debit card Many major players are developing and marketing their own prepaid card to make spending easier for consumers . Prepaid debit cards are meant to be a viable option over a banking account . For those who do not have an established checking or savings account , the prepaid card allows them to utilize their cash as a credit card for when the situation demands such a resource . However , as simple as the concept of prepaid debit cards seem , this type of plastic may have a darker side than many consumers . realize What’s the Big Prepaid Problem There are a few
Credit Cards Blog Tips Advice Top 10 Most Common Holiday Shopping Mistakes To Avoid Top 10 Most Common Holiday Shopping Mistakes To Avoid Wednesday , December 15th , 2010 The holidays are meant to be a celebration of family and friends but it often becomes frustrating and overwhelming due to the shopping chaos that ensues . Consumers often get caught up in the holiday shuffle and when it comes down to the end of the holiday season , many are left with the consequences of the big-time mistakes they . made Here are ten of the biggest holiday shopping mistakes consumers are prone to make so you can be prepared to avoid : them 1 Not Planning Properly The holiday season comes every year at the same time . This means once the holidays are over and they are still fresh in your memory , you
As an international student, whether you are planning to just do some traveling, or you are going to be studying abroad outside of your home country, it is often recommended that you carry and purchase an international student ID card. When searching for the best card, there are a number of different cards you can [...]