Jan. 20 is Inauguration Day in the United States. One year from now, will President Barack Obama still be in office, or will we be watching a new Republican candidate sworn in? While incumbents are usually favored, who knows what will happen this time next year.
Read on for my list of 10 of my favorite personal finance blog posts I found in the past week.
When it comes to financial decisions, are you more like Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock? If you make decisions based on gut feeling, you and James T. Kirk share a lot in common. On the other hand, if logic powers your financial moves, perhaps you have some Vulcan blood coursing through your veins. And that brings us to "debt account aversion."
Suze Orman came out with her own debit card this week, called the Approved Card. It's received a lot of attention -- not all of it positive. Some people are aghast that a personal finance expert would push her own product to her loyal following. I have no problem with that. I don't even mind her making lots of money on it. But it had better be a good deal at the same time.
Matt Kepnes, the blogger behind the popular travel blog NomadicMatt.com, has been jetting around the world for five straight years. I received the latest issue of his email newsletter this week, and had a little smile when I saw that airline credit cards were one of the topics. Matt recommend a site I'd never heard of before called MileWise.com, which helps you track your reward programs. I know this concept isn't new, but the site does something I've never heard of before. MileWise.com's homepage says, "Search flights in cash, miles and points. We recommend the best way to pay, so you save money and earn more rewards." Yes, please!
Please keep reading for my list of my 10 favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week!
: Living with credit 429 New , interesting products 101 Research , regulation , industry reports 233 Rewards 41 Protecting yourself 163 The fine print 71 Credit card miscellany 375 Add category 1 Celebrity Money Watch 4 Print Email Emily's list : Too reliant on plastic edition Emily Starbuck Gerson January 27, 2012 Living with credit Earlier this week , I went to run an errand during lunchtime and stopped at a small neighborhood gas station . I swiped my credit card , entered my ZIP code and waited . Eventually , I was told there was a network error . I looked up , and people at the other pumps had puzzled looks on their face . The station had a small kiosk with a cashier rather than a store . I saw a man yelling at the cashier . He was upset that he had swiped his card only to get an
Looking for a place for my kid to use the potty, I managed to stumble across a quicker way to get through the line at a fast-food joint.
This week I've been reading "Spontaneous Happiness" by Dr. Andrew Weil, a book in which he explores what happiness is on a cultural, personal, and biological/chemical level. I'm amazed to realize that nearly all of his recommendations for achieving more contentment are free. So many people seem to be stressed out by money problems and debt, but there are so many ways to reduce this anxietywithout spending any extra money. Read on for a list of some of his free strategies, plus my roundup of my top 10 favorite personal finance blog posts from the past week. 
My friend says, "No Thanks," to request to share information on Citi's ThankYou Point Sharing app. Reaping the benefits of Citi's new rewards sharing program may not be as easy as it appears. Arm twisting may be necessary if none of my friends have that rewards card or any rewards points to share with me.And who among my friends is going to be want give up their hard-earned rewards so that I can buy a tent or go on a cruise?
The irony of it all. Financial personality Suze Orman's new and controversial prepaid Approved card has a glitch that few in the media have reported on: In order to load the card with your money, you need to already have another form of plastic.
Her prepaid Approved card has generated gobs of press and decidedly mixed reviews, mostly over its fair-to-middling fee structure.
But this one aspect of the orange-hued celebrity's purple-hued card really bugs me: the discussion of whether it may help those with no bank account (aka "the unbanked") get a credit score. If you have to have a card to get the card, it's highly likely you're already "banked" and the point is moot.
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans What Exactly is Fair” Credit by Credit.com on 02 07 2012 A lot is made of the extremes of the credit scoring spectrum . What does it mean to have bad credit How can you get good credit But not a lot of attention is paid to those in the middle , who have fair credit Consequently , that might leave many consumers wondering exactly how they got into their current position and what they can do to improve . it Free Credit : Calculator Use Credit.com's Credit Report Card In general , there’s no real
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans The 2012 Election Your Credit Cards by Scott Bilker on 02 06 2012 It has long been said that people vote with their wallets in presidential elections . The idea is that people will vote for the candidate who they believe has economic policies that will benefit them . Whether it is lowering their taxes , giving their business a subsidy or increasing funding for a federal program they use , voters tend to vote for the candidate who they think will be best for their bank . account This idea is what
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans 1 Million+ Visa Cards Have New Safe Chip Pin by Credit.com on 02 06 2012 There are now more than 1 million credit cards with a new payment storage technology bearing the logo of the world’s largest payment processing company in circulation across the country , less than two years after it announced a plan to step up issuing . efforts As of December 31, 2011, Visa , the world’s largest processor of both debit and credit card payments , had issued more than 1 million credit cards that use chip and
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Don’t Let Thieves Steal a Piece of Your PII by Matt Cullina on 02 05 2012 Of all the things you pray you never lose , I’ll bet your library card isn’t one of them . What’s the worst that could happen Last summer , a California woman found out—to the tune of 643. Someone used her card to check out books , and never brought them back . Since the woman didn’t cancel the missing library card , she got slapped with the lost-book . fines Those missing books can teach us a powerful lesson : Our
Financial Advice Zone Investing Insurance Budgeting Debt Bankruptcy Credit Cards Loans Education Foreclosure Help Savings Accounts Credit Score Annuities Mortgages Stock Trading Golden Cross A Buy Signal Ever heard that a rising tide lifts all boats , it works that way in the stock market as well . After a tumultuous 2011 and ending the year just about unchanged , the stock market is rising . What has changed to cause the market to climb , not much . Trading volume is still on the low side . There A Day In The Life Of A Day Trader I am a day trader , I love the thrill of the trade , every day presents a new opportunity . I don’t believe that there is any better teacher than experience , so much of what I know is learned from my trading successes and failures . I stick with what works for
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans What to Look for in a Gas Rewards Card by Credit.com on 02 06 2012 If you’re on the lookout for new credit cards that will help to incentivize you for spending as you already do , you have probably at least considered the benefits of obtaining an account that rewards you more significantly for buying . gasoline This type of credit card is becoming a rather common offering from major lenders because they hope to draw in new borrowers by giving them cash back for purchases they need to make anyway 
: . Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Credit.com in the Media : Feb . 4, 2012 by Tim Langevin on 02 04 2012 We had an eventful week with the opening celebration for our new Times Square offices and would like to thank everyone who helped us fete the big event . We enjoyed bumping elbows with a cross-section of industry leaders and dedicated journalists . Our credit and debt experts were on hand to share all of their insight on the industry . Please enjoy this week’s highlights from our credit experts in the : media Bad Credit Can
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans A Credit Card for the Hard-Core Super Bowl Fan by Beverly Blair Harzog on 02 03 2012 You’re at the big game and you whip out your official Giants or Patriots credit card to pay for a hotdog . Pretty cool , huh Okay , more likely you’re in your family room watching the game . But if you love your football team , you’ll even enjoy using the NFL ExtraPoints Rewards credit card from Barclays Bank long after the Super Bowl is . over With the NFL Extra Points credit card , you can get the logo of your
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Negotiate Your Credit Card’s Interest Rate by Credit.com on 02 03 2012 You may have heard that you might be able to call your credit card lender and ask them to renegotiate your account’s interest rates . But should you believe it The short answer to that question is , Yes . 8221 But it’s not just anyone who can call up a credit card company and ask for this type of an accommodation . Lenders won’t necessarily lower a borrower’s interest rate just because they . ask Free : Resource Check your
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Posts Credit counseling by Emily Peters on 10 03 2005 The Washington Post reported today that more and more credit counselors are having their non-profit status revoked by the IRS . 1 comment by Emily Peters on 10 03 2005 Business owners and ID theft by Emily Peters on 10 03 2005 The Association of Certified Fraud Specialists recently held a conference to discuss new trends in identity theft . The fastest growing 0 comments by Emily Peters on 10 03 2005 Don’t belive the rumors by Emily Peters onHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Don’t Let Thieves Steal a Piece of Your PII by Matt Cullina on 02 05 2012 Of all the things you pray you never lose , I’ll bet your library card isn’t one of them . What’s the worst that could happen Last summer , a California woman found out—to the tune of 643. Someone used her card to check out books , and never brought them back . Since the woman didn’t cancel the missing library card , she got slapped with the lost-book . fines Those missing books can teach us a powerful lesson : Our
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Matt Cullina Don’t Let Thieves Steal a Piece of Your PII by Matt Cullina on 02 05 2012 Of all the things you pray you never lose , I’ll bet your library card isn’t one of them . What’s the 0 comments by Matt Cullina on 02 05 2012 Matt Cullina Chief Executive Officer , Identity Theft 911, has 15 years of insurance industry management , claims and product development experience . He spearheaded MetLife Auto Home Insurance Co . s personal product development initiatives , managed complex claims
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Turn January Money Challenges Into February Fortunes by Chris Geoffrey on 02 03 2012 January challenged my patience . Several days were bitter and bone chilling cold , though things unrelated to the cold weather were breaking . I broke a tooth in half while eating rice . Yes , it was cooked rice . Thank goodness for flexible spending—a crown will probably eat my balance for the year , but it will be . covered Related Articles : Read all Debt Diva posts The handle to my kitchen sink fell off in my: . Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Credit.com in the Media : Feb . 4, 2012 by Tim Langevin on 02 04 2012 We had an eventful week with the opening celebration for our new Times Square offices and would like to thank everyone who helped us fete the big event . We enjoyed bumping elbows with a cross-section of industry leaders and dedicated journalists . Our credit and debt experts were on hand to share all of their insight on the industry . Please enjoy this week’s highlights from our credit experts in the : media Bad Credit Can
: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Geithner : Financial Reform is Helping Consumers by Credit.com on 02 03 2012 In recent years , as lawmakers worked to drastically overhaul the financial protections afforded to consumers when they deal with banks , some have been vocal in their opposition to these reforms , saying they are damaging to business and therefore bad for the . economy However , U.S . Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner recently issued a statement in which he said that those who oppose financial reform wouldHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans A Credit Card for the Hard-Core Super Bowl Fan by Beverly Blair Harzog on 02 03 2012 You’re at the big game and you whip out your official Giants or Patriots credit card to pay for a hotdog . Pretty cool , huh Okay , more likely you’re in your family room watching the game . But if you love your football team , you’ll even enjoy using the NFL ExtraPoints Rewards credit card from Barclays Bank long after the Super Bowl is . over With the NFL Extra Points credit card , you can get the logo of your: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Geithner : Financial Reform is Helping Consumers by Credit.com on 02 03 2012 In recent years , as lawmakers worked to drastically overhaul the financial protections afforded to consumers when they deal with banks , some have been vocal in their opposition to these reforms , saying they are damaging to business and therefore bad for the . economy However , U.S . Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner recently issued a statement in which he said that those who oppose financial reform would
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Obama Administration Launches Another Mortgage Program by Credit.com on 02 02 2012 In his State of the Union address earlier this month , President Barack Obama outlined what he called a Blueprint for an America Built to Last , 8221 and a major part of that plan includes another mortgage refinancing program The president’s plan includes broad based refinancing , 8221 which is designed specifically to help consumers who have seen the value of their homes slip below the amount they still owe onHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Turn January Money Challenges Into February Fortunes by Chris Geoffrey on 02 03 2012 January challenged my patience . Several days were bitter and bone chilling cold , though things unrelated to the cold weather were breaking . I broke a tooth in half while eating rice . Yes , it was cooked rice . Thank goodness for flexible spending—a crown will probably eat my balance for the year , but it will be . covered Related Articles : Read all Debt Diva posts The handle to my kitchen sink fell off in myHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Negotiate Your Credit Card’s Interest Rate by Credit.com on 02 03 2012 You may have heard that you might be able to call your credit card lender and ask them to renegotiate your account’s interest rates . But should you believe it The short answer to that question is , Yes . 8221 But it’s not just anyone who can call up a credit card company and ask for this type of an accommodation . Lenders won’t necessarily lower a borrower’s interest rate just because they . ask Free : Resource Check your
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Just Received a 1099-C Don’t Freak Out by Gerri Detweiler on 02 02 2012 Over the past week we’ve been flooded with panicked questions from taxpayers who are freaking out after have receiving 1099-C or 1099-A forms for debts that were forgiven , never paid back or wiped out in bankruptcy . The main theme of these questions is Do I have to pay taxes on the amount on the 1099-C or 1099-A usually followed by HELP My first piece of advice : Take a deep breath You may not have to pay taxes on theHello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Obama Administration Launches Another Mortgage Program by Credit.com on 02 02 2012 In his State of the Union address earlier this month , President Barack Obama outlined what he called a Blueprint for an America Built to Last , 8221 and a major part of that plan includes another mortgage refinancing program The president’s plan includes broad based refinancing , 8221 which is designed specifically to help consumers who have seen the value of their homes slip below the amount they still owe on
: Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Google’s New Privacy Policy : Close But No Cigar by Adam Levin on 02 02 2012 Last week was a pretty good one for the notion of privacy in America , which has increasingly become forlorn and tattered as a result of the advancement of digital technology . First , the Supreme Court ruled in United States v . Jones that warrantless GPS tracking of a criminal suspect by the FBI was unconstitutional , and then later in the week Google announced its new privacy policy a model of simplicity and
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans A Sketchy Way to Manage Your Money by Mark Frauenfelder on 02 01 2012 Would you take financial advice from a cocktail napkin sketch Well , it depends on who is sketching . If it’s your brother-in-law , who likes to boast about how he almost” made a killing investing in Google stock , then the advice is probably not worth the paper it’s on . But if it happens to be sketched by Carl Richards , a financial planner and blogger on the New York Times Bucks blog then it’s a good idea to save the napkin
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans How Much Do Inquiries Affect Your Credit Scores by Gerri Detweiler on 01 31 2012 How do inquiries affect your credit scores That’s a question I recently posed to Tom Quinn on my radio show Talk Credit Radio Tom’s a credit scoring expert with many years of experience , including helping to develop , launch and grow MyFICO.com . He also contributes to Credit.com’s blog . Here is an excerpt from that . interview Article : How Credit Card Balances Impact Your Score Gerri : Fact or fiction Every time
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Is Your Health Insurer Ruining Your Credit by Mark Rukavina on 01 30 2012 If you have ever puzzled over a hospital or doctor bill and whether you are supposed to pay it , then join the ranks of millions of Americans equally confused by medical bills . One national study found that 40 of American adults do not understand these bills well enough to know why they owe the outstanding balance or if it is . correct Other studies , including those by the American Medical Association , have revealed that
Hello . Sign in to get personalized recommendations . New visitor Start here Follow Us Frontpage Topics Editorial Staff Archives Subscribe Credit.com Credit Cards for Excellent Credit Credit Cards for Good Credit Credit Cards for Bad Credit Secured Cards Prepaid Cards Credit Reports Personal Loans Scott Bilker 7 Reasons to Hate Love Your Credit Card by Scott Bilker on 01 24 2012 Credit Cards . At times , it seems like we can’t live with them and we can’t live without them . It is 1 comment by Scott Bilker on 01 24 2012 Scott Bilker is the founder of DebtSmart.com and author of Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt Recent Posts About Us Credit.com News Advice provides readers with unique insight , helpful tips and straight answers about their financial world . Our leading experts explore
How to Rebuild Your Damaged Credit in 4 Easy Steps 2012 Update by Ben DeMeter on January 12, 2012 Did you damage your credit rating this holiday season If so , then it’s time to get it back on track . Millions of Americans are suffering from reduced credit scores due to overspending and a penchant for holiday credit cards . Although it might be tempting to let that balance linger for a month or two while you pay it off , a low credit score can affect the interest rates on any loans you apply for , and it can even hurt your ability to get financing for a car or home . This year , instead of letting your credit score mire until the spring , start rebuilding it by following these easy . steps 1 Stop spending and start . repaying No matter how you look at them , credit card balances are bad .
How-To Guide to Airline Miles Churning by Ben DeMeter on January 11, 2012 There’s a new dance in town , one that’s earning a few crafty frequent fliers more bonus miles than they can handle . It’s called churning” in reference to the process of making butter , and though it takes some time to memorize the steps once you know the routine you can reap thousands of sweet , morally ambiguous bonus miles for absolutely free . Here’s how to do . it 1 Pick a partner Like any dance , churning always works better with a partner . You can still do it by yourself , but teaming up with your spouse or significant other will double your total earnings and allow both of you to fly together . 2 Make sure your credit ratings are . high When you start churning credit cards , you are going to be putting a