CreditCardReviews.com Blog

Hotels.com Visa Offers a Unique Rewards System with No Annual Fee

If you like the convenience and trip planning flexibility Hotels.com offers, you should consider applying for the Hotels.com Visa. This card has a unique rewards system that builds to a free night’s stay worth $125. Plus, it’s a travel card with no annual fee and earns re...

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Venmo Users Rejoice! The Venmo Visa Has You Written All Over It

It’s no secret that technology changes our society at warp speed. Credit cards and debit cards are rapidly replacing cash, and banking is also continually evolving. Venmo is not new on the scene; however, the Venmo credit card is. You can now add a credit or debit card to...

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SoFi MasterCard: A Useful Money Management Tool

You may or may not have heard of SoFi, which stands for Social Finance -- an online personal finance company that offers a great deal of services, including a credit card.

The SoFi card is currently only available to SoFi customers by e-mail invitation only. However, i...

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Citi Diamond Preferred Card: A Solid Choice for Balance Transfers

Most credit cards do at least one thing really well. The Citi Diamond Preferred card is no exception. For anyone needing some relief from high interest rate cards, the Citi Diamond Preferred card has a 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for an unbelievable 18 month...

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The Petal Visa: An Obvious First Choice in a First Credit Card

As far as ‘starter credit cards’ go, you’ll find the Visa Petal card hard to beat. Launching in 2018, the Petal card is relatively new in the market, and many people may not be aware of all it has to offer.

The Petal card allows people with no credit to obtain a credi...

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Milestone Unsecured MasterCard: Living Up to Its Name

So, you have less than perfect credit -- maybe even have a bankruptcy in your past. These unfortunate realities don’t have to define you. There will be times when having a little extra spending money would be handy, but you think you won’t qualify for an unsecured credit ...

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Surge MasterCard: One Option for Struggling Credit

In the ocean of credit cards for people with struggling credit, the Surge MasterCard by Celtic Bank offers some useful features. Like most credit building cards, it doesn't tout any fancy rewards or sign-up incentives. Still, it does receive an A+ rating from the Better B...

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Marriott Bonvoy Visa Makes the Shortlist of Travel Credit Cards

You're a frequent flier and stay at a lot hotels and resorts, but you don't have a travel credit card. In this case, the Marriott Bonvoy Visa should be on your shortlist of contenders.

Its sign-up bonus and rewards alone should stop you in your tracks. But the benefit...

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Indigo Unsecured MasterCard: Start Rebuilding Your Credit

So, you’ve had some credit issues in the past. Maybe you have even declared bankruptcy. Don’t let these scars define who you are financially.

One of the best ways to start healing bruised credit is to use a credit card responsibly. You might be thinking, "How do I get...

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Bank of America Cash Rewards Visa: Changing the Cash Back Rules

Bank of America has some new rules for the cash back game. By allowing you to choose your 3% category, BOA is banking on a new team of players to populate their field. Their strategy is pretty smart, too -- offering extra rewards to Bank of America or Merrill investme...

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Destiny MasterCard: A Likely Option for Credit Building

Maybe you think your poor credit status or a bankruptcy crushes any hopes of getting an unsecured credit card. When hard times fall, most people think it can be nearly impossible to turn things around.

The Destiny MasterCard has your best interest in mind when your cre...

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Horizon Gold Card: Make Sure You Know What You Are Getting

The Horizon Gold card is a membership card to an online shopping outlet; it is not a credit card. Horizon Gold's spending power is limited compared to a traditional credit card. Cardholders can only use it at the Horizon Outlet for items such as home goods, shoes, clothin...

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Applied Bank Visa Gold Secured

Do you know the saying, “Too good to be true”? Applied Bank highlights attractive features such as no application fee, guaranteed acceptance, and no credit check. At first glance, the Applied Bank Visa Gold card seems like a no-brainer for people with bad credit who need ...

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Fundera: Small Business Funding Simplified

Do you ever wonder how one person's business idea becomes a full-blown reality? Undoubtedly, there are a lot of steps in the process. One step, for sure, is acquiring funding. Many people who have a business idea have no clue how to get that idea off the ground without ca...

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Credit One NASCAR Credit Card

Wouldn’t it be nice if a credit-building credit card came with a few perks? Most credit cards available to people with struggling credit are punitive, offering no perks and tons of extra fees. At first glance, the Credit One NASCAR Visa seems to have a lot going for it wi...

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Reflex Mastercard: Make Sure It's Right for You

With all of the options available, finding a credit card that fits your needs is challenging. It can be even more difficult for those who are trying to lift themselves out from under the shroud of poor credit. Finding a company willing to take a chance on you is actually ...

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TRIO MasterCard by Fifth Third Bank

As far as credit cards go, TRIO MasterCard by Fifth Third Bank is a newcomer who is worth a look. It has an attractive introductory balance transfer incentive and a respectable rewards program that puts it in the game. Some people would argue, however, that what it has to...

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Capital One Platinum Card: A Smart Choice for Building Credit

For whatever reason, people sometimes find themselves in a bind when it comes to credit. The Capital One Platinum card could be the answer to their problems. Unlike some other credit- building credit cards, the Capital One Platinum card does not have fees and features tha...

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Bank AmeriCard Credit Card

What? No Rewards!? The idea of a credit card absent of rewards probably seems ludicrous to most people. However, the Bank AmeriCard credit card from the Bank of America has a streamlined focus and some attractive features. But can it hold its own in a competitive market? ...

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Luxury Card Mastercard Black Card

If you are looking for a luxury travel card, the sleek metal design and alluring black sheen of the MasterCard Black Card is hard to ignore. Still, the card’s appeal must go beyond its attractive exterior. What makes the Black Card stand out from its competition? I’ll let...

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Discover It Card - Rotating Category Cash Back Card

For new customers, the lure of the Discover It card is two-fold. Only Discover offers a generous Cash Back Match for the first year, and it couldn’t be simpler. Discover will automatically apply your Cash Back Match reward to your account at the end of the first year. No ...

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Capital One Savor Card: A Savory Deal for Dining & Entertainment

Capital One’s Savor card can be described as the Big Sister to another popular Capital One credit card, Savor One. The popularity of both cards lies in the focused rewards for dining and entertainment. As with most other credit cards from Capital One, the rewards are in t...

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Citi Double Cash Card: Reliable Simplicity

If you enjoy the freedom that comes with simplicity, you need a credit card that delivers straightforward, uncomplicated features and rewards. The Citi Double Cash card is one choice that will have you earning maximum rewards with little effort. While this card lacks some...

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Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

With all the options available, finding the right credit card can be quite confusing. Unless you have a ton of time on your hands to do research, you need to narrow the field before you begin. To save time and a lot of aggravation, start your search knowing how you plan t...

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Plastiq Offers Way to Conserve Cash in Uncertain Economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Americans in more ways than just their health and well-being. Many individuals have suddenly lost their jobs. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) that governments have deemed non-essential have been shuttered until further notice. Even st...

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Protect Your Credit Cards From Pandemic Fraud

Living through the COVID-19 pandemic can be difficult, confusing and anxiety-inducing all on its own, but where there's a crisis, there are also fraudsters who try to make the situation an opportunity for them to make money and steal consumers' personal information.

Wh...

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Credit Card Expert Roundup #57 - Best Credit Cards

Jason Steele

While the last week or so has been trying to say the least for pretty much everyone, we decided to focus this edition of the roundup series on something other than what's going on from a health standpoint.

Eventually, things will get better, provided people stay indoor...

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Credit Cards in the Time of COVID-19

Even if you don't become sick from the coronavirus, it's likely that the pandemic could still affect you economically. Schools, organizations and businesses are closing down to stave off the spread of the virus, and depending on your financial situation, you might not be ...

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Government Sues Fifth Third, Citing Fake Accounts

Fifth Third CFPB

Remember a few years back when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) went after Wells Fargo for opening accounts in customers' names without their knowledge? The CFPB says it's found another case of this behavior, this time at Fifth Third Bank.

The CFPB has f...

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Credit Card Expert Roundup #56 - Coronavirus

Jason Steele

With school closings, travel restrictions, social distancing, and all of the other drastic changes we have been forced to make all at once due to the current health environment, we are in very uncertain times on many levels. Because we don't know how long all of this will...

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United MileagePlus Credit Card Program Extended Through 2029

Extended Relationship

For over 30 years, consumers have been able to have a Chase UnitedMileagePlus Visa credit card in their wallet. If you love this card and have been worried that it will go away, fret no more. Chase, United Airlines and Visa have extended their partnership until 2029.

C...

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Credit Card Debt Hits a Record High

Household Debt Increased

The economy is good, unemployment is low, and consumer confidence is high. Those are ingredients that can fuel consumer spending—and debt. According to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Center for Microeconomic Data, household debt rose during the fourt...

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U.S. Indicts Chinese Military Officers in Equifax Breach

Chinese Military

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged four Chinese military officers in the 2017 hacking attack on Equifax, one of the country's three major credit bureaus. This attack compromised the personal information of about 145 million Americans, or nearly half of all adults ...

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American Express Revamps, Relaunches Delta Credit Cards

New Amex Delta Cards

Recently in this blog, I wrote about Chase increasing fees on its popular Sapphire Reserve credit card. Now American Express is also increasing the fee on its premium Delta card, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve.

The fee increase is part of a relaunch for the entire Amex/Del...

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FICO Updates for 2020 - Expert Roundup #56

Jason Steele

This edition of the Expert Roundup Series is a collaboration between credit experts, hosted by Jason Steele, with an overview of FICO scoring changes by Jill Jaracz. We start out with a piece on the scoring changes and then continue on with expert analysis from John Ulzhe...

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Mezu Aims to Change Up Mobile Payments

Mezu Anonymous Payments

What if you could pay someone, and the transaction would be just like using cash—except that you didn't have to carry a bunch of cash in your wallet to make it happen?

Enter Mezu, a mobile payment app with a digital Mastercard debit card, that allows you to make anony...

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Mastercard Piloting Digital Identity Product

Mastercard Digital Identification

These days, it can be very frustrating to prove yourself when it comes to dealing with your credit card accounts. Just accessing them often requires using strong unique passwords and answering a battery of random personal questions before you can get to your account infor...

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Mastercard's Sonic Branding Continues Evolution

Mastercard Sonic Branding

Many companies use sound to enhance their brands, using tunes of just a few notes to worm their way inside consumers' brains. If you hear a certain four chimes, do you automatically know that Intel is inside? What about the McDonald's "I'm lovin' it" jingle, or the thunk-...

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Credit Card Expert Roundup #51 - Apple Credit Card

Jason Steele

Goldman Sachs and their partnership with Apple made a huge splash when they entered the credit card space with the new Apple credit card. Many consumers flocked to the card due to the rewards as well as the general trend among the US consumer base to adapt to anything and...

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Is Cash Still King?

Cash is King

Even though credit and debit cards are ubiquitous in today's society, cash has traditionally maintained its position as consumers' favorite method of payment, according to the annual Diary of Consumer Payment Choice (DCPC), put together by the Federal Reserve Banks of Atl...

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Direct Credit Card Payoff Service Now Available from Upstart

Credit Card Payoff

If you're mired in credit card debt, personal loans can be one option for paying off that debt. These loans allow you to pay off your credit cards in one swoop, oftentimes at lower interest rates than what you're paying on your cards. You can also get a fixed rate loan, w...

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Credit Card Expert Roundup #53 - Biggest Credit Story of 2019

Jason Steele

For the last edition of the credit card roundup series, we touched on the biggest credit card story of 2019. This time, we are asking a panel what the biggest consumer credit story in general was, which may include both credit cards and general credit happenings:

“What...

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Holidays Are Happier When You Shop Safely

Holidays Are Happier

Your inbox is full of shopping deals, and you've scoped out Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Maybe you have a new rewards card in your wallet and you're planning to use it to qualify for a sweet signing bonus. You're ready for holiday shopping.

Or are you?

Shop...

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True Name Mastercard Coming to Two Institutions

True Name Mastercard

Earlier this year, I wrote about Mastercard's new True Name feature. This option, announced during Pride Week, will allow people who identify as transgender or non-binary to have a credit or debit card with the name they use, rather than their legal name. It was a first f...

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Credit Card Expert Roundup #50 - Balance Transfers

Jason Steele

Credit card companies entice consumers with long APR's to try to motivate them to grab their business and in the process, save, through balance transfers. Yet, many of these longer 0% terms come strapped with a balance transfer fee. Is it in the best interest for a consum...

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November 2019's Best 0% Balance Transfers

Best Balance Transfers Ranked

We’ve compiled an extensive list of balance transfer credit cards and ranked them in border based on total savings.

The methodology for the ratings is based on the total amount of savings when a $5000 balance is moved from an account with a 15% interest rate with no a...

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Discover Adds Contactless Payments, Joins Developed World

Discover Contactless

This week, Discover announced that it was finally updating its credit cards to enable contactless payments. Contactless technology allows cardholders to skip swiping or inserting their card into a card reader. They can just tap their card to a contactless-enabled payment ...

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Can a New Credit Card Help Women?

Sequin Credit Card

A new credit card announced itself last week and while it has prompted some eye-rolling, is it too early to pass judgment on it?

The dismissive talk is due to the card's main purpose: It's for women. And, as not that many people like to be put into a box, some of the b...

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Need a New Credit Card? More Options Hit the Market

New Credit Cards 2019

As we get closer to the holiday shopping season, more new credit cards are hitting the market. If you're looking to add some plastic to your wallet, here are a few options.

Clothing retailer Lands' End has launched a new branded Visa card that gives its shoppers extra ...

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Outstanding Credit Card Debt Slides in August

Slide

After a mid-summer splurge in July, consumers kept their credit cards in their wallets more often in August, according to the Federal Reserve's Consumer Credit statistical release, which came out this week.

The release tallies up all consumer credit, including revolvi...

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No Generational Gap When it Comes to Credit Card Debt

Generations Credit Card Debt

Credit cards have been part of people's wallets for decades, and along with that have been countless articles and financial literacy efforts teaching people how to use them responsibly and stay out of debt.

However, a new study from The Ascent shows that even though t...

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Walmart Increases Rewards on New Credit Cards

Walmart Credit Card

This month, Walmart is launching a new co-branded credit card program with two cards that offer five percent back on Walmart purchases.

The program consists of a Mastercard-branded Walmart Rewards credit card that can be used at any merchant that accepts Mastercard, an...

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Bluetana App Aims to Curb Gas Pump Skimming

Bluetana

While many aspects of retail have shifted to using chip card readers, one major segment hasn't been forced to upgrade yet. Gas stations got a reprieve because it's not easy—or cheap—to add chip readers to gas pumps.

How expensive is it? Convenience Store News reports t...

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American Express Greens Up Its Green Card

Amex Social Responsibility

With a measure of corporate social responsibility, American Express has announced that it plans to join efforts to cut down on the amount of plastic in global waters with a number of new initiatives, one of which you could see in your wallet soon.

Amex is one of the ma...

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Gen Z Shakes Up the Credit Card Market

Gen Z Credit Cards

Every generation brings its own style to society, and now that Gen Z is starting to hit adulthood, we're starting to see what this generation is made up of, and when it comes to credit and credit card usage, the statistics are starting to paint an interesting picture.

...

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Credit Card Expert Roundup #45 - Do you think that's it's important to only use business credit cards for business expenses, and consumer cards for personal expenses, or does it really not matter?

Jason Steele

To prevent creating an accounting nightmare, it's very important to not use the same credit card for your business and personal expenses. However, if you keep the two separate, does it really matter if you use a card marketed/designed as a business card for business, and ...

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Have Trouble Building Credit? Amazon's New Card Can Help

Amazon Credit Builder

It usually takes a credit history to get a credit card, but for many people, that's a chicken and egg story. If you can't get credit, how are you going to build a credit history?

Likewise, if you've had a run of bad luck that has hurt your credit history, it can be jus...

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Equifax Reaches Settlement on Data Breach. You Could Benefit

Equifax Reaches Settlement

Remember back in 2017 when Equifax, one of the country's big three credit reporting companies, announced that it had been hacked for a couple of months, which exposed the personal information of over half of all American adults?

Well, it's taken two years, but, Equifa...

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Do You Know as Much as You Think You Know About Credit Scores?

Know Your Credit Score

Over the last decade, knowing your credit score has become fairly commonplace. That's in part due to credit score monitoring companies like Credit Karma, as well as banks and credit card issuers offering their customers free credit scores. This made it much easier--and ch...

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Mastercard to Offer "True Name" Card

True Name Mastercard

During Pride Month, a month-long celebration and rights awareness for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and others (LGBTQAI+) community, Mastercard announced a new initiative that it hoped would spark pride in its cardholders: It plans to ...

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Sallie Mae Expands Into the Credit Card Market

Sallie Mae Credit Cards

Many people think of Sallie Mae as their student loan provider, which may not bring up some good connotations if you're buried in student debt. But now Sallie Mae is offering a way to give you cash back--on purchases that is, if you use one of their new credit cards.

S...

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Special to Card Thieves: Fear the Skim Reaper

Skim Reaper

Credit card fraud is everywhere. From criminals breaching retail systems to thieves putting skimmers on gas station pumps, it seems like there's no easy way to protect yourself from possible identity fraud. But now there's a new device about to hit the market called the S...

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Capital One Latest Victim of Hacking Attacks. Here's What to Do

Capital One Data Breach

The electronic ink isn't even dry on your refund request to Equifax for its data breach, and now your personal information could be compromised again, if you've got a Capital One credit card. Here's what happened and what you can do to try to protect yourself from identit...

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Are We at Peak Credit Card Incentives?

Credit Card Rewards Peak

J.D. Power’s recently released its annual study of credit card satisfaction, and the company noted that the battle among credit card companies for winning customers through rewards and benefits may have actually reached its peak, as consumers don’t necessarily understand ...

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American Express Launches Cash Back Card for Small Businesses

Amex Cash Card for Business

Managing a small business can be an exhilarating experience--you get to be your own boss, you put your products and ideas out into the world, and you can really impact your community.

But when it comes to managing cash flow for your small business, well, that can be a ...

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College Students Juggling Credit Cards and Debt

AIG College Students

College is a great time. You're first getting to manage your life and learning what you need to do to be a successful adult. You get to explore a lot of different subjects, figure out your own schedule, and start managing your own finances.

Unfortunately, on a student'...

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Apple Rolls Out Credit Card

Apple Credit Card

Announced with much fanfare last spring, Apple has started rolling out its Apple Card to the masses. First, it’s inviting those who signed up to be notified of its arrival, and later this month it will be more widely available.

Apple worked with Goldman Sachs and Maste...

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Citi Rolls Out Flex Plan Loan Option to More Cards

Citi Flex Loan Plan

Citi is getting in on the personal loan market with its new Citi Flex Plan program. This option allows cardholders to avoid the hassle of applying for a personal loan and just use part of their credit limit as a pool of money that comes with a fixed interest rate and a fi...

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Interview with Credit Card Expert Jason Steele

Jason Steele

The first industry expert we interviewed was Jason Steele. Jason is a long-time finance writer and the founder of CardCon, a conference for other professionals in the credit card industry.

While he admits that few people consider personal finance to be exciting by def...

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Waitlisters Starting to See Zero

Zerocard

Over two years after its initial announcement, Zerocard, a new kind of credit card, is starting to get through its waitlist and invite people to apply.

Back in September 2016, Zero Financial launched with a splash, promising a different way to bank. Billed as a "...

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Could Your Credit Card Interest Rates Be Capped?

Loan Shark Prevention Act

Raise your hand if you like paying credit card interest. No takers? Well, do you even know what your annual interest rate is? No, again? Well, two legislators think it's too high, so they've written a bill to set limits on the APR banks can charge.

Sen. Bernie Sanders...

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Slice Terminals Pass Credit Card Fees on to Consumers

Slice Credit Card Processor

If you ever get frustrated when you go into a store or restaurant and find out they're a cash only business, it may be because the owner doesn't want to deal with all of the complexities around accepting credit cards. It costs them money to give you the convenience of pay...

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Barclays Adds Credit Card Customization in App

Barclays Card Customization

As credit card fraud and theft identity are very real fears for many, credit card issuing banks are coming up with solutions to mitigate the fraud. Barclays is the latest bank to hop on that bandwagon, with the release of four new digital features that give cardholders th...

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New Benefits Coming to World and World Elite Mastercards

New Mastercard Benefits

Perks are great, right? And it's always a nice surprise when your credit card company decides to add some perks to your card, especially if they're ones you'd use on a regular basis.

As of April 16, World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard holders have some new bene...

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More Americans Shopping with Plastic for the Perks, says Study

Credit Card Points Study

How many rewards credit cards do you have in your wallet? Better yet, do you even have any credit cards that don't help you earn rewards?

For many Americans, rewards are the reason to use a credit card in the first place. After all, if you have to pay for something, wh...

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Study: Consumers Continue to Bear Brunt of Sophisticated Fraud

Pirate Credit Card

It seems like you just can't escape identity fraud, and a new study finds that consumers are bearing more of the fraud burden than ever before.

For those that thought EMV chips were supposed to be the saving grace that stopped fraud, well, they are working, thanks to m...

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Rewards Look More Beautiful with Sephora's First Credit Cards

Sephora Credit Card

Beauty retailer Sephora has decided to get into the co-branded credit card space with the announcement of its first credit card program. Coming later this spring, Sephora will offer three credit cards: the Sephora Credit Card, Sephora Visa Credit Card and Sephora Visa Sig...

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Brex Offers New Type of Corporate Credit Card

Brex Startup

If you're a business owner, getting a corporate credit card can be a hassle. Application approvals can take longer--up to 30 days--than it does to get a personal credit card. When you're a start up or run an e-commerce business that can expand quickly, you don't have that...

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Want a Credit Limit Increase? Now’s the Time to Ask

Ask For Increase

If you’ve been wanting a higher credit limit on your credit card(s), this might actually be a better time than ever to ask. That’s because you’re actually more likely to get approved for a limit increase if you ask now, as opposed to waiting until the summer or later.

...

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Chase Cardholders Can Soon Finance Purchases With Personal Loans

Chase Personal Loans

A few weeks ago, JPMorgan Chase announced their plans to jump into the personal loan sphere in a few new ways. The banking giant aims to compete for their own piece of the personal loan pie with two brand new financing options, available to their credit card customers.
...

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Kroger Edging Visa Out of Its Stores

Kroger No Visa

Unlike what its famous tagline says, Visa is no longer everywhere you to be, not if you're shopping for groceries at some of the brands under the Kroger banner of stores. Kroger recently announced that a second division of the company will stop accepting Visa credit cards...

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Do You Pay Taxes On Credit Card Bonuses?

Taxes on Bonus Points

Bonus points and cash back can be some of the best credit card deals around. But do those free rewards come at a price… in the form of a tax bill from Uncle Sam?

The answer depends on the card(s) you carry and the types of bonuses that you receive throughout the year. ...

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Credit Inquiries Just Hit an All-Time Low

Record Low Inquiries

We all know that the average household debt in America is continuing to rise year after year, with no end in sight. It stands to reason then that the average family would also be opening more financial accounts than ever before.

While this does hold true in some categ...

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The Apple Credit Card Is Finally Coming This Spring

Apple Card Spring

Talks of a new Apple-branded credit card began last May, though the whispers faded away in the weeks that followed. However, it looks like the card – which will actually be a collaboration between Apple and Goldman Sachs bank -- is finally set for its much-anticipated rel...

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Should You Update Your Income With Card Issuers?

Updating Income

If your income changes after you open a credit card, you may want to let your card issuer know. By doing so, you could increase your card’s limit without having to worry about a credit limit increase request, or dealing with the hard inquiry that some issuers may initiate...

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Should You Use a Credit Card to Pay Taxes?

Paying Taxes with Plastic

With April 15 right around the corner, many Americans have taxes on their minds. And thanks to increased tax breaks that many of us enjoyed throughout the year, some people will soon pay their dues to Uncle Sam. But should a credit card ever being your payment method of c...

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Before That Tax Refund Hits, Make a Plan

Tax Return Plan

It’s finally here: tax time. The W-2s and 1099s are hitting mailboxes, piles of receipts are spread across the kitchen table, and, if you’re like me, there’s a tear or two shed over just how much student loan interest was paid out last year.

Most of us can agree that i...

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Should You Ever Get a Branded Gas Card?

Branded Gas Card

Every time I fill my SUV’s tank, I stare at the credit card advertisements on top of the pumps. These branded gas station cards boast a variety of benefits, saving you a few cents per gallon on each fill-up or even offering cash back on everyday purchases.

But with all...

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Garmin and Discover: Yet Another Way to Pay On the Go

Garmin Pay

Mobile wallets have been slow to gain traction in this country, though we consumers have a number of options available to us. There’s Apple Pay, Chase Pay, and Google Pay, among others, but one more player has just made its way to the table: Garmin Pay.

If you’re anyth...

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New Software Standards Could Stifle Credit Card Thieves

PCI Upgrade

Hop onto the Dark Web, and you'll be able to buy millions of credit card numbers, as hackers and thieves continue to thwart systems and steal consumer information. However, an industry council hopes that by publishing new payments software security standards, the tide of ...

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Consumer Debt Levels Back to Record Highs

Rising Debt Levels Again

Ten years ago, economic warning bells sounded when consumer debt level rose to all-time highs. A recession ensued, which led to a lot of belt-tightening. Debt levels fell as consumers kept their wallets closed and worked on paying off their bills.

However, in the last...

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American Express Revamps, Relaunches Marriott Cards

New Marriott Cards

American Express has revamped its collection of Marriott hotel branded credit cards, and it's relaunched them under a new travel program called Marriott Bonvoy.

The new cards replace the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest credit cards, keeping in line with the r...

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Synchrony Launches New Card for Home Spenders

Synchrony Home Card

Need to spruce up your home? Like to putter around the house and fix things? Synchrony has a new credit card geared toward you--though if you're prone to carrying a balance, this might not be such a great deal.

Synchrony recently released a new version of its Home Cred...

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Digital Wallet Comings and Goings

Microsoft Wallet

Five years ago, no one knew what a digital wallet was. Then Apple released Apple Pay and revolutionized the way we could buy things. You no longer needed a credit card--you could just pull out your phone, open up an app that stored a credit card, tap the phone on a card r...

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So, You Overspent on Christmas - Now What?

Holiday Overspending

If you spent a little too much on “holiday cheer” this past season, know that you’re not alone. Retail spending among U.S. consumers saw a significant increase compared to the last few years. This means that there is no shortage of folks currently staring at their credit ...

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Citi Rewards+ Card Launches

Rewards Card Launch

If you’re looking for a new rewards card that’s both full of features AND doesn’t charge an annual fee, you’re in luck. The new Citi Rewards+ Card launched a few weeks ago, and it brings with it a slew of benefits that will make any cardholder happy.

Let’s take a look ...

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Protecting Your Credit During the Government Shutdown

Credit and Government Shutdown

Political parties aside, here’s a basic fact: a government shutdown can have long-lasting impacts on all the involved. And if not managed properly, this could mean impacting your credit and financial future.

Whether you’re considered “essential staff” and forced to wor...

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What to Expect After December’s Fed Rate Hike

What to Expect

In the midst of all that holiday joy last month, you might have missed some important financial news: the Federal Reserve raised interest rates again. The fourth rate hike of the year, this increase bumped its benchmark funds rate on December 19, from 2.25 percent to 2.5 ...

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Discover it Miles WiFi Benefit to End in March

No Discover WiFi

If you carry the Discover it Miles credit card, you are probably well aware of the card’s WiFi reimbursement benefit. However, beginning on March 31, 2019, this benefit is set to disappear, making the Discover it® Miles card a bit less enticing than before.

For the las...

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Should Banks Block You From Tempting Purchases?

Banks Block Purchases

If you’ve ever had trouble sticking to a budget, you may soon have some help: Barclays just announced that they are allowing banking and credit card customers to block themselves from making certain purchases.

This new feature is an attempt from the UK-based bank to ...

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Your Credit Card Matters If You’re Sick on Vacation

Sick on Vacation

No one wants to get sick while traveling. Not only does it ruin all chances for some relaxation, but you’re also away from home, your warm bed, and all things familiar, which amplifies the misery.

Whether you’re just visiting another city or traveling in a foreign cou...

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Could Dynamic Security Codes Protect Our Credit Cards?

Dynamic Security Codes

Credit card and identity theft are serious problems for consumers today. But while chip-enabled cards have helped to cut down on point-of-sale card theft, there is little that card issuers can do to prevent online fraud… until now.

PNC, a US-based bank, recently announ...

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Jared and Kay Jewelers Caught Opening Fake Customer Credit Cards

Jared Fake Card

You might feel a sense of déjà vu if you’ve followed the Wells Fargo scandals of recent years, but yet another company has been caught defrauding customers and potentially impacting their credit.

Signet Jewelers, the company that operates some of the country’s leading...

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Cars Will Soon Make Credit Card Purchases For You

Car Makes Purchases

Technology has made it easier than ever to pay for the things we want, no matter where we are or whether we are carrying our wallets. We can place food orders, pay at the register, and even withdraw cash from an ATM including only our cell phones and smart watches. But co...

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Which Credit Cards to Use for Your Wedding

Wedding Credit Cards

The most expensive day of my life (at least, for my dad) was my wedding day. I stretched my budget and DIYed myself to the bone, but it was still a relatively pricey few hours of white tulle and buttercream.

It’s no surprise, then, that I get asked all the time about w...

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The Best New Year’s Resolutions for Your Finances

New Years Finance Resolutions

What is the biggest change you’d like to see going into 2019? Do you want to switch jobs or buy a home? Maybe your resolutions are subtle, involving things like getting healthier or spending more quality time with your family.

Whether you’re a “go big or go home” reso...

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Mastercard Putting a Stop to Sneaky Subscriptions

Mastercard Sneaky Subscriptions

I think most of us have been there: you sign up for a free trial of a product or service, just to see if you like it. Next thing you know, your credit card has been charged a subscription fee, even though you might not have intended to continue with the company after your...

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All About Southwest’s Companion Pass Bonus Offer

Companion Pass

You may not have heard yet, but Southwest is currently offering new customers one of their enviable Companion Passes, after the open any number of Southwest branded credit cards. These passes have the potential to save you thousands a year in free flights, but is it worth...

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Study: Joint Bank Accounts Help Couples Save More

Joint Bank Accounts

Do you wish you could save more, spend less, and improve your finances overall? Well, if you and your significant other currently manage your money separately, the solution to your woes could be as simple as opening a joint bank account.

According to [a new study](http...

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Ternio BlockCard Lets You Spend Cryptocurrency

Ternio BlockCard

While the cryptocurrency bubble may have burst over the last year, virtual currency is still relevant to some consumers. Now there's a way to use cryptocurrency in the physical world and turn it into an asset that can be used more readily in the world.

Ternio, a blockc...

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New Year, New Brand Mark for Mastercard

Mastercard Brand

A corporate symbol is the calling card of a company, and it's something that consumers are trained to recognize instantly. Some companies have had enormous success, like McDonald's famed Golden Arches and the Olympic Rings. In fact, in a survey of 7,000 people in six coun...

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Experian Introduces Way to Boost Credit Score

Improve Experian Score

In an effort to give consumers more opportunities for getting loans--including credit cards--Experian is launching a new way to improve or enhance one's credit score.

Called Experian Boost, this is a new opt-in platform that consumers can use to add more information to...

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Love Or Money: Survey Shows Which Americans Prefer

Love and Money

We’ve all heard that it’s important to marry for love, not money. But a recent survey shows that Americans’ mindsets are shifting. Some generations are worrying more about greenbacks than their heart skipping a beat, in their quest for a happily ever after.

The Merril...

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How Long Until Debt Payoff? Could Depend on Where You Live

Debt By Location

While it can be amazingly easy to get into credit card debt, it can take a long time to get out of it--and according to a new study, that time can be compounded by where you live.

The study, produced by CreditCards.com, compared credit card debt loads by state across t...

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Should You Worry About Gift Card Fraud, Too?

Worry About Gift Card Fraud

No matter who you ask, you’ll find that gift cards top Christmas wish lists by a large margin in pretty much every age group. In fact, they’re the number one requested gift this year, according to Consumer Reports. But whether you’re the giver or the recipient of said gif...

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Why Aren’t Chip Cards Stopping Fraud?

Chip Cards Not Working

One of the selling points of our new chip-based credit cards was that they were going to reduce credit card fraud. However, a recent report released by the Gemini Advisory (a security analysis firm made up of Dark Web intelligence experts) found that credit card theft has...

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Amex Blue Cash Preferred Card: Disappearing Rewards?

American Express Disappearing Rewards

The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is one of my favorite cash back credit cards. I use it to earn serious rewards on groceries, gas, and department store purchases, which I can then redeem for statement credits.

I noticed something recently, though: wh...

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Chase Offers Launches for Select Cardholders

Chase Offers

If you have a Chase credit or debit card, you may soon have the opportunity to save serious cash with the new Chase Offers platform. Available through the Chase mobile app, Chase Offers allows select cardholders the opportunity to earn even more cash back when shopping at...

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New Quicken Credit Card Tracks Spending in Real Time

Quicken Mastercard

Managing your money can be a time-consuming task, even if you use software or online tools to help you. Every month requires keeping track of receipts and reconciling statements. Even if you do try to keep the flow of paper down and stick with digital receipts, the number...

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Most Parents Willing to Financially Help Their Adult Children

Parents Financially Helping

As parents, we’re supposed to teach our kids to responsibly manage their money. But what if they get themselves in a bind, even once they’ve flown the nest?

According to a recent survey, Mom and Dad would be more than happy to swoop in to help, even if their child was...

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Marriott Breach Is Reminder to Be Vigilant About Card Accounts

Marriott Starwood Data Breach

Another day, another massive security breach. We consumers are pretty used to the news by now when we hear that another company has discovered a breach in their system that's exposed our personal information to hackers. While it's pretty easy to take that information in s...

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Capital One Venture Miles Now Transfer to Partner Airlines

Capital One Transfer Venture Miles

This year has brought a lot of exciting changes to the Capital One lineup of credit cards. First, both of their Venture card products got a huge rewards boost – they now offer 10x rewards for hotels.com purchases and a reimbursement for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Begin...

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Could This App Take the Wind out of Credit Cards' Sails?

AeroPay Wind Out of Sails

Consumers these days are pretty savvy, and many know that while whipping out your plastic can be very convenient, there's a price to be paid for using it. That price is something called processing fees, and merchants have to pay banks part of every purchase when they swip...

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Young Adults Planning an Increase in Holiday Spending

Young Spenders

With Christmas only a few short weeks away, holiday spending is on the forefront of most people’s minds. You may even plan to spend more this year than ever before, no matter who is on your gift list or how large your budget may be.

Though they’re often regarded as y...

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Is Wells Fargo Finally Being Forgiven?

Wells Fargo Forgiven

It’s been a rough few years for Wells Fargo, following a number of scandals and hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and fines. But according to their latest earnings report, things are finally looking up for the banking giant.

Revenue and net income numbers...

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How Often Does Your Credit Score Change?

Changing Credit Scores

If you’re checking your credit score regularly, you might notice that the numbers change from time-to-time, even if you’re not making significant financial moves. It might lead you to wonder why these little fluctuations happen and just how often your score gets updated, ...

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Citi AAdvantage Now Has No Annual Fee Card

American Airlines No Fee

Earning travel rewards with a credit card can be an expensive proposition. If you want to earn miles on a specific airline, you have to go with a co-branded airline rewards cards, and those usually come with an annual fee. On the flipside, travel rewards cards that don't ...

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Do Mobile Wallets Cause Us to Make Bad Money Choices?

Mobile Wallet 2018

I’m not a fan of mobile wallets. There isn’t a rhyme or reason to my reluctance, but I just haven’t been able to jump aboard that techie train. And according to a new study, perhaps my intuition wasn’t too far off after all.

Mobile wallets have been slow to catch on i...

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Discover Survey Finds Incredible Value in Financial Education

Financial Success

Taking control of your financial future can be intimidating, especially if you’re a young adult who isn’t sure where to begin. A new study by Discover has found that you’re more likely to find success, though -- and even tens of thousands of dollars -- by taking financial...

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Don't Let Holiday Debt Creep Up on You

Holiday Debt

The economy's doing well and unemployment is down--two big feel-good measures that might have consumers feeling a little jollier this holiday season. Mastercard is already predicting that holiday sales will grow at the highest rate in five years, gaining a whopping five p...

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Do We Really Live in a Credit Card Happy Society?

Cash is King

With all the news and websites about credit cards--heck, this site is all about credit cards--you might think we pull out plastic every chance we get. Sure, some of us do: It's more convenient not to have to keep track of cash and make sure you have enough every time you ...

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Bankrate Replacing Quizzle With an Improved Service

Coming Soon Quizzle Replacement

If you are currently using Quizzle to monitor and evaluate your credit, you may be disappointed to learn that you’ll need to find a replacement service soon. Founded in 2008, the free website has provided a decade of VantageScore and credit report analysis for its users, ...

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Discover Releases 2019 Rotating Rewards Categories

Discover Rotating Categories

If you have a card with rotating categories, such as the Discover it, you know that timing your rewards can be a bit tricky. You sometimes need to plan your big purchases of the year in order to take advantage of that stellar 5% back rate. If you’re like me, you may even ...

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Do You Need to Care About Your Credit in Retirement?

Credit Cards and Retirement

Most of us work hard for years, eagerly awaiting the day we clock out for the last time and begin our foray into retirement. We save money for this purpose, ensure that our homes and cars are paid off first, and even align our retirement date with our financial plans so t...

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Why You Should Use a Credit Card on Black Friday

Black Friday Card Strategy

Black Friday and Cyber Monday make up the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Deals abound on these two days, with retailers offering huge discounts on some of the hottest items around.

Whether you’re thinking about shopping in-store with the crowds or online in you...

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Why Issuers Are Tightening the Reins on Credit

Issuers Tightening Credit

Two popular credit card issuers have recently focused on limiting their consumers’ spending limits. This isn’t just a power move, though – it could actually signal impending economic doom.

The two credit card powerhouses in question – Discover and Capital One -- aren’t...

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What Happens When Your Credit Limit is Reduced

Reduce Credit Limit

If you manage your credit cards responsibly and pay your balances as scheduled, you probably expect your credit limits to go up over time. But did you know that the opposite can actually happen, and your credit limits could be unexpectedly slashed?

It’s true. On occasi...

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What to Do If Your Card is Compromised

Compromised Card

If you have carried a credit card for more than a few years, you’ve probably dealt with fraud at least once or twice. There are many levels of theft, whether it’s a single erroneous charge or someone hijacking all of your accounts at once. No matter the depth of the fraud...

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Earn 1,500 Bonus Points By Using Chase Pay 5x

Chase Sapphire Promo

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t really into using a mobile wallet prior to this fall. But thanks to a few new Chase Pay promotions, I am quickly becoming a convert. The newest offer, for instance, will net you approximately $22.50 worth of bonus Ultimate Rewards points (on top o...

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What You Need to Know About the New UltraFICO Score

What is UltraFico

Have you heard yet? There’s a new credit score in town. It’s called the UltraFICO Score, and it’s going to be transforming credit for approximately 70% of Americans.

Here’s what you need to know about this latest FICO model, why it’s being introduced, and what you can ...

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MasterCard and Scholastic Funding STEM for Girls

Mastercard Stem

Across the world – and especially throughout the United States -- there is a notable difference between the number of boys who are interested in STEM-based careers and the girls who pursue the same. So last month Scholastic, one of the biggest children’s publishing and me...

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Does Refinancing Student Loans Impact Your Credit?

Refinance Student Loans

Last month, I finally did something I’ve been wanting to do for years: I refinanced my remaining student loans. Not only will this cut years of monthly repayments off of my schedule, but I will also save tens of thousands of dollars in the end.

After working diligentl...

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Why Would Employers Run Your Credit?

Employers Credit Report

You are accustomed to your credit being important in many areas of your life, whether you’re applying for a new loan or renewing your auto insurance policy. But what you might not realize is that your credit report can also come into play in the workplace.

If your cre...

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New Credit Score Expands Loan Opportunity

UltraFico

For an adult, a credit score is an important factor in whether or not you can get a loan or a credit card with a decent interest rate. It's also a factor in determining whether or not you can rent an apartment or how much of a deposit you need to put down on services like...

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Capital One Savor Credit Card Review

Capital One Savor Review

In 2018, there were quite a few new credit cards introduced into the marketplace. But occasionally, banks also like to update their current cards with new perks and rewards. And this is just what Capital One did this year with their Savor card.

The Capital One Savor Ca...

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Credit Scores: How High is “Good Enough”

Good Enough Credit

You’ve probably heard the saying that almost only counts in horseshoes and grenades… but what if it also applies to your credit score? Well, according to some experts, there really is a threshold where your score is considered “good enough.” Any efforts to boost your scor...

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Buyer’s Remorse: Half of Americans Regret Store Credit Cards

Store Cards are Bad

We’ve all been at the register of our favorite retailer when they ask if we’d like to save a little extra on our purchase. All we have to do is apply for a new, store-branded credit card.

It sounds harmless enough. After all, applying could save you a pretty penny on y...

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The Surprising Ways That Bad Credit Can Hurt You

Shocking Ways Bad Credit

If you have bad credit, there are a few impacts that you typically expect. You know that you may have trouble getting certain credit cards, and you don’t expect to earn the lowest interest rates on loans. However, there are a few further-reaching impact that you may not e...

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Would You Rather Go to Jail or Be In Debt?

Debt vs Jail

Now listen: I’m someone who has been in both student loan and credit card debt in the past. So, I definitely understand how financial woes can feel suffocating. You may even feel like you’re held captive by those lenders and their never-ending statements or reminders.

...

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Does Your Age Affect Your Credit Score?

Age and Credit Score

For many Americans, the mystery behind their credit score runs deep. Not only are there numerous scoring models in use, but no one really knows exactly how their number is calculated.

There are a few things that we do know: these scores are important and we should wor...

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Diversify Your “Credit Mix” and Watch Your Score Improve

Diversify Credit Mix

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” This little bit of wisdom speaks to the value of diversification, which is (perhaps surprisingly) very important to your credit score.

You’ve probably been told to diversify your interests in...

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5 Ways to Maximize Those Upcoming Holiday Purchases

Holiday Rewards Tips

I know, I know, if feels like summer flew by in the blink of an eye. I can’t even believe it’s already October. But as much as I would love to enjoy the warm mornings and sunshine for a bit longer, the truth is that the holidays will be upon us before we know.

Between ...

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Air France-KLM Launches U.S. Credit Card

Air France KLM Credit Card

A couple of decades ago, it might have seemed strange for a European airline to launch a credit card in the United States. However, with international travel at an all time high, it makes sense that Air France-KLM creates a credit card targeted to its die-hard customers h...

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American Express Revamps Gold Card

Revamped Amex Gold

American Express has updated and relaunched its Gold Card to target consumers who value earning bonus points on food-related items and getting better travel benefits.

Formerly known as the Premier Rewards Gold Card, the rebranded card is now simply known as the America...

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Summer 2018 Credit Card Vacation Spending Survey

Summer Vacation 2018

How do you pay for your vacations? Some use cash or their debit card while others just charge it to their credit cards. Savvy vacationers are even able to redeem their points and miles to get away from it all. To find out more about how Americans pay for their leisure tra...

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Wealthiest Households Carry Massive Credit Card Debt, Too

Wealthiest Households Debt

When you think about Americans who are walking around with credit card debt, which groups do you envision? If you’re anything like me, you assume that it’s the poorest households – those with the lowest annual incomes -- that are saddled with high balances. And, you’d be ...

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Earning Chase Points for Disney? Change of Plans

Disney Chase Changes

If you’ve been saving up Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book that Disney vacation you’ve been dreaming of, you might want to change your strategy. It has just been announced that you can no longer use the Chase travel portal – or your accrued points – to book your dream...

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What’s the Right Age for Your First Credit Card?

When to Get Credit Card

Making that first jump into the world of credit cards can be a little scary, for young adults and parents alike. After all, maintaining a healthy credit score is imperative for the future, but the mismanagement of a credit card can be financially devastating.

So, what...

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Card Changes Make Barclay Arrival Plus World Elite More Enticing

Better Arrival Card

If you’ve thought about signing up for the Barclay Arrival Plus World Elite Card in the past year or so, you may have been confused. After all, they stopped accepting new applications for this card a while back, only to relaunch it this summer with an increased welcome bo...

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Are You a High-Risk Borrower?

High Risk Borrower

It’s no surprise that banks – including credit card issuers and lenders – want to avoid high-risk borrowers. Or if they do extend credit to this less-than-ideal group, it usually includes low limits, higher interest rates, and even special terms. But what exactly makes so...

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Visa and MasterCard to Pay $6.2B in Class Action Settlement

Visa MasterCard Class Action

Price-fixing is controversial, no matter who is at the helm. When two of the largest names in credit cards – Visa and MasterCard -- are accused of violating antitrust laws to benefit themselves, though, it garners serious attention. That’s why it made the news last week w...

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Chase Ending Its Blueprint Platform

Chase Ending Blueprint

If you currently carry one of any number of Chase credit cards – including the Ink and Sapphire lines – you are probably familiar with Blueprint. This free card program has made it easier to manage purchases on your Chase card, as well as plan your repayment on the balanc...

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No Credit Score? No Problem, Says Petal

Petal Update

Updated October 9, 2018 - No credit history? No credit card for you! At least, that's been the traditional attitude of credit card issuers. Getting your first credit card can be something of a Catch-22 because banks aren't prone to taking a risk on giving a credit card to...

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Tally Debt Management App and Tally Advisor Come to Android

Tally App

Imagine that you have a mountain of credit card debt--or maybe you don't have to imagine it, as the average American is carrying $5,700 in credit card debt, according to a recent study from ValuePenguin.

If you have thousands of dollars of credit card debt, it may feel...

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Credit Card Not Approved? Ask for a Reconsideration

Credit Card Reconsideration Request

When you submit an application for a new credit card, there are three possible outcomes: you’ll be approved on the spot, your application will be placed under further review, or you’ll be denied outright. If you find yourself with a “we’ll get back to you” answer, or even...

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How Credit Cards Gave Me $551 Back on Groceries This Year

Save Money on Groceries

Look, I’m not afraid to admit it: I’m a cash back rewards fanatic. I have hand-selected the credit cards in my wallet based on my typical spending patterns, and I optimize their usage accordingly. This year, it really worked out well, too: I managed to get over $550 back ...

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Discover Adds Two Student-Selected Card Designs to Its Portfolio

Discover Student Designs

In a time when you can customize virtually anything to your liking, it makes sense that you can also have a customized credit card in your wallet. Not only does it say something about who you are when you pull it out to pay for something, but it can also brighten up your ...

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10 Tips Millennials Can Use to Lower Credit Card Debt

Millenial Tips for Debt

Having credit card debt at any stage in life can be a scary situation, but it’s especially unsettling for young people and Millennials. No one wants to start their adult life in a deep financial hole.

Credit card debt can sneak up on people of all ages, including Mille...

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Simplify Rewards with the Discover it Business Card

Discover It Business

If you’re a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to spend less, and keep more of the money you earn. One of the best ways to do that is with the right business credit card.

Just last week, Discover announced the launch of their newest product, the Disco...

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British Airways Customers: Monitor Your Credit!

British Airways 2018 Breach

It seems like each week, we hear about another large company being hacked and having their customers’ information stolen. After all, three-quarters of all companies say that they’ve had their data hacked before. This time around, though, the company is British Airways… an...

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New Law Protects Credit for You and Your Children

New Law Protects Children

With all of the big financial breaches in recent years, it makes sense to be concerned about your identity. After all, when a company like Experian – which holds the key to some of our most important and impactful personal information – is hacked, there’s no telling where...

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How Masked Credit Cards Can Protect Your Identity

Masked Credit Cards

It’s a scary statistic: three-quarters of American retailers have reported data breaches, with more than half of them reporting stolen information in the last year alone. When you consider that even Equifax – one of the leading credit reporting agencies and a gatekeeper f...

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Does Checking Your Credit Lower Your Score?

Check Credit Lower Score

It’s one of those commonly heard myths floating around the credit sphere: don’t check your credit too often, or you’ll drop your score a few points. I’ve even heard it quantified: “Every time you check your score, you lose 2 whole points!”

But is there any truth to th...

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Will Your Credit Card Blow Up?

Credit Cards Blow Up

EMV has taken a stronghold in America, with most credit cards now containing chips that securely store your personal information. Still, understanding this new technology can take a little getting used to--after all, we've had magnetic stripe credit cards for decades--and...

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Should You Ever Let a Credit Card Sit Dormant?

Dormant Credit Cards

Over time, our spending habits, budgets, and financial needs change. This means that the type of credit card we need may also change.

As a result, the credit card that you carried two, five, or even fifteen years ago may not be the right product for you. Instead, you p...

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What Factors Go Into Determining Your Credit Limit?

Factors of Credit Limits

Every time you open a new line of credit – either via a new credit card or personal loan – you’re given a credit limit. This limit is the maximum amount of debt you can accumulate with that particular lender, at least on that particular account. But how exactly do lenders...

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What Is Manufactured Spending and Is It Bad?

Manufactured Spending

The credit card rewards game is an enticing one. By spending on certain cards, you’ll earn lucrative rewards that can go towards flights, hotel stays, or cold hard cash back. But the caveat with rewards is: you have to spend money to make money.

That’s why some people...

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Americans' Personal Debt Continues to Climb

American Debt Rising

Even though debt reduction is a high priority on many Americans' financial to do list, Americans are finding themselves in more personal debt than they have been in years, says a new study from Northwestern Mutual. And credit card debt is a leading contributor to American...

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5 Signs You Are Carrying the Wrong Credit Card

Wrong Credit Card

If you’ve been swiping the same credit card for a few years now, you may be comfortable with everything it offers. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right card for your wallet. But how do you really know if you need to look into another (possibly better) car...

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British Company Aims to Start Card Revolution in the U.S.

Revolut

An online bank that's been making waves in Europe is planning on expanding to the U.S. later this year. Revolut is a digital banking services provider that boasts its members can do a lot of traditional financial services activities without the same kind of fees.

Revol...

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All About American Express Cards’ Plan It Feature

What is Amex Plan It

In order to avoid high interest charges and a spiral into credit card debt, you need to pay off your balance in full each month. But what about those times when you need to make a large purchase and don’t want to (or can’t) pay it all off at the end of the month? Well, th...

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Which Card Features Are Most Important to Consumers?

2018 JD Credit Survey

Every credit card is different, offering their own unique array of perks and rewards. But which of these features ranks highest among cardholders?

JD Power & Associates recently released their 2018 Credit Card Satisfaction Survey. As we mentioned in a previous post, Di...

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Retailer Apps Are Getting More Popular With Consumers

Popular Retail Apps

How many times have you been checking out at your favorite retailer and been encouraged at the register to download the store’s app? Your cashier might mention it, your receipt might remind you of it, and there might even be signs on the credit card machine, all telling y...

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Looking to Improve Your Credit Score? Try a Simulator

Credit Score Simulator

If you’re monitoring your credit score and trying to improve it over time (aren’t we all?), you may have wondered what moves would make the biggest difference. Are you better off paying down multiple balances or focusing on one debt at a time? Should you close an old, ina...

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How Important is Your Debt-to-Income Ratio?

Debt to Income Ratio

When talking about credit and debt, we tend to focus mostly on our credit utilization. This number – calculating the amount of debt you are carrying compared to your overall credit limits – is an important factor in your credit score and your perceived creditworthiness. B...

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When Should You Redeem Credit Card Rewards for Cash?

Redeem Rewards for Cash

These days, most credit cards – and especially the most popular ones – offer rewards to cardholders. These rewards come in many forms and can be earned in any number of ways. One of the biggest questions, though, comes when it’s time to actually redeem those earned reward...

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Here’s Why Your Credit Score Might Have Improved This Year

Boost Credit Score

If you’ve been monitoring your credit regularly, or even actively working to improve it, you have probably seen an increase in your credit score. This is likely due to a number of factors, such as paying down your debt, increasing your credit history, and maybe even incre...

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4 Biggest Credit Card Myths

4 Credit Card Myths

With an industry as confusing as credit cards, it’s easy to see why there are plenty of myths floating around. Some of them are more prevalent than others, but all have the ability to impact your spending habits and even your credit, should you believe them.

While ther...

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Discover Reclaims Top Spot in Satisfaction Awards

Discover Wins JD Power

For the last five years, Discover and American Express have been neck and neck for the top spot in one of the most prestigious customer satisfaction awards, the J.D. Power Credit Card Satisfaction Survey. Last year, Amex beat Discover by eight points to get the crown, but...

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American Express Adds New Features for its Cardholders

New Amex Features

American Express is trying to up the ante when it comes to adding useful benefits and bonuses for its cardholders.

One benefit that the company has rolled out is a freeze feature, which allows cardholders to place a temporary hold on their card if they've misplaced the...

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The Right Credit Card Makes College Expenses Easier

Right Card for College

It’s already August, and fall semester is right around the corner. With school starting up any day now for many colleges, this means that there’s plenty to buy. And by using the right credit card for those purchases, you can save yourself a lot of heartache (and a lot of ...

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Can Your Credit Limit be Too High?

Credit Limit Too High

No matter how long I’ve been using credit cards, I always get a little excited when an issuer bumps up my credit limit. My credit utilization goes down, my credit score goes up, and I have an even larger safety net if I had some big, unexpected expense come up. But it doe...

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Should You Pay Your Bills With Credit Cards?

Pay All Bills

Paying a bill with a credit card can, at first glance, seem counterintuitive. After all, you’re satisfying one debt by creating another. However, there are quite a few good reasons to pay monthly bills with plastic when you can.

By doing so, you can earn rewards on yo...

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Are You Leaving Rewards Behind?

Leaving Rewards Behind

There are some people who make almost every purchase with credit card rewards in mind, planning around cash back earned and card benefits offered. Then there are others who simply use their credit cards as a method of payment, giving little thought to what each swipe is e...

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Americans Paying Billions in Credit Card Interest

Billions of Dollars in Debt

Credit cards give you the power to purchase things even if you can't afford to buy them outright. If you can pay the balance of your purchases within a specific timeframe, that money loan is free, but if you carry that amount over from month to month and pay only a part o...

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Kroger Begins Banning Visa Cards in Their Stores

Kroger Bans Visa

If you currently buy your groceries at Kroger stores, you have probably already heard the news. Depending on where you live, you can no longer use your Visa at the register. The change is expected to spread even further, too, meaning that you may need to change your credi...

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How to Optimize Your Back-to-School Shopping

Back to School

The summer has already flown by, and the start of school is just around the corner. That means back-to-school shopping is already on most parents’ radar. Whether you’re buying markers and backpacks for your primary school child or a new laptop and books for your college-a...

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Visa Re-Ups as Olympic Credit Card Sponsor

Visa Olympic Sponsor

When it comes to the Olympics, Visa has been the credit card of note--and it will continue to be that way, as the two organizations have extended their partnership through 2032.

Visa's partnership is as a part of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) The Olympic ...

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How Credit Card Loyalty Can Hurt You

Loyalty

Now, let me start by saying that I have nothing against loyalty; in fact, I value it in almost every area of my life. When it comes to credit cards, though, being too loyal can cost you quite a bit. While there are certainly reasons to stay committed to a particular card ...

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Signs That Someone Is Using Your Credit

Identity Theft Signs

Identity theft is a serious concern in today’s digital age. We manage everything with technology, from our online bill payments to digital credit card statements and even paying for purchases with our smart devices. A technology-centered world leaves us vulnerable to brea...

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Reasons Your Credit Matters Even If You Don’t Use It

Reasons Credit Matters

Many young adults today are forgoing credit cards altogether, as well as abandoning “the American Dream” of owning a home. They’re not alone, either, and these growing trends can be seen across all generations. So, if you have no plans for a credit card or a mortgage loan...

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Credit Cards Offering Rewards: What’s in It for Them?

Rewards Card Benefits

Now, if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. With that said, though, I have always wondered: why exactly do credit card companies offer their customers cash back rewards?

I understand the concept of incent...

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Your Complete Guide to Credit Card Cash Advances

Cash Advances

Want to know the truth? I buy almost everything on a credit card. Whether we are talking about my morning coffee, my insurance premiums, or our new living room furniture, I pull out the plastic in an attempt to rack up maximum rewards. Even still, there are times when cas...

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New Credit Card Option for Non-Prime Borrowers

Today Card

If your credit is in the toilet, you don't get a whole lot of options to borrow money or to get credit cards that have unique features. Now there's a new card on the market called Today Card that allows non-prime consumers to get some of the credit card perks usually rese...

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Chase and Southwest Introduce the New Rapid Rewards Priority Card

Chase Southwest Card

If you’re a fan of low-fare airlines and are on the lookout for a new rewards credit card, there is a new product on the market for you. Just last week, Chase and Southwest Airlines announced the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, which comes in addition to the...

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Thinking About Debt Consolidation? 6 Things You Need to Know

Debt Consolidation

If you’re currently carrying around multiple credit accounts with balances – whether they’re student loans, various credit cards, or a mix of types – you might have considered debt consolidation. In fact, you’ve probably already been forced to think about it, thanks to em...

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Citi Launches New L.L.Bean Co-branded Mastercard

Citi LLBean Card

Good news for lovers of the outdoorsy retailer L.L.Bean: There's a new Mastercard on the market that will help you earn rewards on your favorite L.L.Bean clothing, gear and home décor.

Now, this isn't the first co-branded rewards credit card for L.L.Bean, but a recent ...

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How to Keep Medical Bills from Impacting Your Credit

Medical Bill Collections

Health insurance and medical costs have changed a lot in recent years. Personally, I’m paying a lot more in premiums than I did before, yet my co-pays and cost-shares seem higher than ever. Whether we are talking about my own rare doctor’s visits, though, or my special ne...

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Join the Ranks of Metal Card Holders for a lot Less

Metal Credit Cards

Pulling a metal credit card out of your wallet can make you feel like a million bucks. They're much cooler looking than the standard plastic card that everyone typically gets, and their weight makes it known that you are somebody. Flash your metal card, and invariably, so...

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Why Are Americans Ditching Their Debit Cards in Droves?

Ditch Debit Cards

The debit card has seen a steep decline in usage in recent years. In fact, since 2013, we have seen a significant drop in the number of American households who prefer using this form of plastic, opting instead for its credit card cousin. But why are families choosing to c...

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Why You REALLY Shouldn’t Let an Account Go to Collections

Accounts in Collections

Even if you’ve never had an overdue bill, you probably still know about accounts going to collections. Or, at least, you have an idea of what it entails.

But is an account in collections really that big of a deal? How does the process work, what is the impact on your c...

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Everything You Need to Know About 0% Balance Transfer Offers

0 Balance Transfer

Whether you’ve been on the lookout for a new credit card product or simply get pre-approved offers in your mailbox each week, you’ve likely heard about 0% balance transfers. These promotions, usually offered to new cardholders, are an excellent way to get a leg up on your...

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Is Airport Lounge Access Worth the Expense?

Airport Lounge

Whether you’re a frequent flyer or just travel a few times a year, you’ve likely felt the allure of an airport lounge. The temptation that comes with getting out of the hustle-and-bustle, the complimentary food and drink, or even just the availability of a comfy chair wit...

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Pros and Cons of Getting a Joint Credit Card

Joint Credit Card

One of the best things about credit cards is their flexibility. Thanks to authorized users and joint accounts, you can share your credit card privileges with anyone and manage money easier than ever before.

There is a big difference between an authorized user and a joi...

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Should You Worry About Your Credit Score When Buying a Car?

Buying a Car

If you’re shopping for a car, you’ve got plenty to consider. New or used? Leather or cloth seats? If you plan to finance that new purchase, though, you’ve got one more thing to ask yourself: Do I need to worry about my credit score before I buy this vehicle?

Depending ...

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Should You Put Unexpected Cash Toward Credit Card Debt?

Unexpected Cash

Whether you win the lottery, get a bonus at work, or simply find $100 in an old jacket, unexpected cash can come from anywhere. They can be pretty exciting, too, giving you extra wiggle room in your budget and maybe even allowing for a fun purchase or two. If you are tryi...

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Move Over Cards and Phones, Payment Jewelry Is Next

Payment Jewelry

First there were coins, then came paper money, then plastic, then smartphones. All of these could be replaced in the near future by the arrival of something that actually is quite older—jewelry.

Payment jewelry using NFC (near field communication) technology is being ...

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Visa Signature v. World Mastercard

Visa Signature World MasterCard

Visa’s premier card lineup is the Signature marque, while Mastercard’s equivalent is the World card. If you’re thinking about opening either one, you should first be aware of what the similarities between the two are, and what differences exist.

The World Mastercard, ...

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KeyBank Offers Many Checking Accounts for a Variety of Needs

KeyBank Checking

If you’re in the market for a new checking account, KeyBank has several to choose from. The financial institution offers several packages with different pricing schedules.

KeyBank’s basic checking account is Key Express. There is no required on-going minimum balance, a...

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Be on the Lookout for Credit Card Shimming

Credit Card Shimming

Credit card thieves had a hey day with stealing card information through a technique called "skimming," where they would attach a device in or on a card reader that would steal your card's information if you put the card in that reader.

EMV chip cards were supposed to...

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Wells Fargo Enhances Propel Card's Rewards

Enhanced Propel Card

Wells Fargo has announced a new rewards structure for its Propel American Express credit card, rewarding cardholders who spend their money on dining, travel, and streaming services.

As its corporate blog states, this is the scandal-ridden company's "latest move to reco...

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Which Monthly Bills Will Impact Your Credit Score?

Monthly Bills

Your credit score is a finicky beast. No one truly knows the specifics that go into calculating your magic number(s), and FICO isn’t telling anytime soon. Plus, there’s always the issue of which accounts are reported to which bureau and whether they’re even affecting your...

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Make These 5 Money Moves Before Moving in Together

Moving in Together

Whether you’ve been dating for six months or six years, the decision to move in together is a big one. There are many considerations involved, too. Will one of you move in with the other, or will you pick a brand new place together? How will you split the chores? Who is r...

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6 Credit Moves to Make If Buying a Home Within 2 Years

Buying a House

If you’re thinking about buying a home in the near future (say, sometime in the next two years or so), you have a lot of things on your mind already. You’re probably thinking about the area in which you want to live, how much of a down payment you’ll need, and even the am...

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How Teachers Can Get Out of Debt This Summer

Teachers Summer Debt

Most of us are excited about summer finally arriving. If you’re a student, teacher, or school administrator, you’re probably more excited than the rest of us -- after all, this means a few months of well-deserved fun, sun, and no alarm clock.

But while you should defi...

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Amex Hopes New Cash Magnet Card Attracts Cardholders

Amex Cash Magnet

American Express has launched a new credit card to its portfolio called Cash Magnet, its third cash rewards card. The card features a simple rewards structure and is geared toward younger cardholders who have busy lifestyles.

The Cash Magnet card offers unlimited 1.5 p...

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Secured Cards Offer an Alternative to Regular Credit Cards

Secured Card Option

If your credit report and score aren’t quite good enough to qualify for a credit card, you may be eligible for a secured card that can be used at the same locations that accept regular credit cards. A secured credit card is co-branded with Discover, American Express, Visa...

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Citi Cutting Back on Credit Card Benefits

Citi Cutting Benefits

If you're a Citi credit card holder, you may have received a notice in the mail or when you log into your account announcing that soon your Citi card will give you fewer benefits.

You may not have ever used these benefits--or even known they existed, especially if you'...

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Americans Just Aren’t Using Mobile Wallets. Why?

Digital Wallets Not Used

We’ve seen it everywhere from coffee shops to pharmacies, and even in department stores: the option to pay with your mobile wallet. Simply opening your cell phone to pay for purchases sounds incredibly easy as well as convenient, especially since our phones are typically ...

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Pay Off Credit Card Debt with Savings App Digit

Digit Pay App

Digit isn’t a new app. In fact, people have been saving money with Digit since 2014, automatically tucking cash away each month without even thinking about it (to the tune of over $1 billion total). Now, though, Digit wants to help its users do even more, using their auto...

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Small Business Owners Carry Double the Credit Cards

Small Business Carry Many Cards

If you’re a small business owner, you probably rely on a number of financial products to keep your business moving. Like most business owners in America, you probably also have quite a few credit cards in your arsenal. You may even be leveraging your personal credit and r...

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Kohl’s v. T.J. Maxx: Whose Card Is Better?

TJX Card

If you shop frequently for clothes and accessories at some of America’s major retailers, you probably are aware of T.J. Maxx and Kohl’s. Both companies offer credit cards that provide benefits for frequent shoppers. Let’s check them out and see if one store’s card is a be...

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New Chase IHG Card Offers Hotel Rewards

IHG Card Offers

If you're a fan of InterContinental Hotels, Hotel Indigo, Crown Plaza Hotels, Holiday Inn or one of the many other brands under the IHG hotel umbrella, you might be interested in its two new credit cards: The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card and the IHG Rewards Club T...

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Credit Card Advice for Your New High School Grad

Credit Cards High School

Summer is just around the corner. This means that many parents have excited new high school grads at home, who are eagerly preparing for college. While your worries may center around them eating well, not drinking underage, and actually showing up for class, there’s one m...

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Traveling This Summer? Use Your Credit Card

Summer Vacation Spending 2018

If you’re taking any trips this summer – whether back home to see the grandparents or halfway across the world – there are a lot of things to consider. You need to plan how you’ll travel, where you’ll stay, and whether you need trip insurance. One thing you don’t really n...

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IKEA Launches Visa Rewards Card

IKEA Visa Card

If your house is full of Hemneses, Billys and Skulsfjords; you're extremely handy putting furniture with an Allen wrench; or you have a soft spot for Swedish meatballs, IKEA's new rewards Visa card might be for you.

The new Visa rewards card issued by Comenity Capital ...

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Allegiant Air v. Sun Country Airlines

Allegiant vs Sun Country

Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines are two low-cost carriers that offer credit cards that surprisingly aren’t the most budget-friendly cards. Nevertheless, they come with some nice perks if you fly frequently enough.

First, let’s take a look at Allegiant’s card. It...

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Watch Out for These 7 Cash Back Credit Card Traps

Cash Back Traps

Cash back credit cards are incredible products. You can earn hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars’ worth in free rewards, just for buying the things you needed anyway. But while they are beneficial in many ways, rewards-based cards also have a few pitfalls that can tri...

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No Fee Credit Cards Offer Solid Rewards

No Fee Solid Rewards

For consumers that tire of playing the credit card rewards game commonly referred to as churning, the temptation to find one or two cards with great rewards programs and ditch the rest may be great. There’s never been a better time to give up the time-consuming task of tr...

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The Best Credit Card Perks for Active Duty Military

Credit Cards for Military

The military is a demanding job field, one that requires a lot of both its servicemembers and their families. In an effort to ease the strain on these military men and women – especially when they are called up for active duty service – there is now a law that offers quit...

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How to Get a Lower Interest Rate on Your Credit Card

Getting Lower Rates

One of the most enticing features of credit cards today is probably the introductory APR offer. For a certain number of months, you can carry a balance on your new credit card without paying a single penny in interest charges. This is incredibly helpful for paying off a l...

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Credit Cards From Nordstrom and Macy’s

Macys Nordstrom Card

Nordstrom and Macy’s are two department stores that attract a lot of customers, both on- and off-line. Both of them offer store and credit cards that come with a range of benefits. Let’s take a look at these cards and see which store provides the better perks.

Up firs...

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How to Handle Credit Card Fraud As a Consumer

Fraud Solutions

Credit card fraud is the most common type of identity theft, as reported by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). There were 133,015 reports filed in 2017. It’s a bigger problem for American consumers than tax-related fraud or unemployment fraud.

Incidents of credit ca...

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New Developments in Biometric Cards

Biometric Technology

Biometric technology continues to make baby steps toward being viable for use in credit cards, as Visa is launching a biometric payment card in the Middle East. Meanwhile, other card companies are making inroads as well. SmartMetric has created a biometric fingerprint sca...

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The Best Ways to Use Your Credit Card Rewards

Best Way to Redeem

There are usually a handful of options for redeeming your credit card rewards. So, which one gives you the most bank for your buck?

If you’re using a credit card that offers cash back rewards – and why wouldn’t you be, considering that it would earn you free money on t...

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How to Minimize the Impact of a Late Credit Card Payment

Minimize Impact of Late Payments

Even the most responsible people can sometimes miss a bill payment. Whether an established auto-pay didn’t go through, life just got hectic, or there was an extenuating circumstance, it can almost be an easy oversight. So, how can you minimize – or even correct – the dama...

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The Ten Commandments of Responsible Credit Card Use

Credit Card 10 Commandments

Credit cards get a bad rap sometimes. They’re blamed for consumers’ smothering debt or high interest charges. In reality, though, credit cards are excellent tools for building a credit history, earning cash back, and allowing for financial flexibility. It’s all in how you...

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Why and How to Get a Credit Limit Increase

Get a Credit Limit Increase

Most of us have been there, especially as credit card newbies. We open a new account, only to be offered a paltry limit that does little for our spending options and even less for our credit score. But luckily, this low limit won’t last forever. Whether you request a cred...

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6 Ways to Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards

6 Rewards Card Tips

Earning rewards, either in the form of points or miles, is one of the best benefits of credit card use. You’ll essentially earn free money just for buying the things you need anyway. But are there ways that you can squeeze even more rewards out of your credit card program...

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Why You Should Start Planning for the Holidays Now

Start Holiday Planning

I know, I know, it feels like 2018 just started. Some of us were shoveling snow just a week or two ago, after all. However, we are more than a third of the way through the year already, which means that now is the perfect time to start thinking about the holidays.

No,...

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How the Right Credit Card Makes Airport Security Easier

Right Credit Card for Travel

Do you have exciting plans lined up for the summer or are you thinking ahead to holiday trips home? While you’re probably focused on cutting costs and earning miles right now, you should also be thinking about how to make that upcoming trip even easier.

According to a...

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Are Credit Card Rewards Programs Too Complex? - Roundup #11

Jason Steele CardCon

Jason Steele addresses a question that many people have asked when it comes to rewards credit cards and their programs. As the landscaped has evolved, have the specifics of the programs themselves become increasingly difficult to decipher for the consumers using them? Let...

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Are Gas Station Credit Cards Worth It?

Gas Station Credit Cards

Gas station credit cards offer tempting sign-up bonuses, are easy to sign up for on-the-spot, and often offer an ongoing promotion that cuts the cost of filling your fuel tank.

It seems like a gas station credit card that offers a certain amount of money off each gal...

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MoneyLion Offers a New Style of Financial Management

MoneyLion

A new financial services company called MoneyLion has launched, and it is trying to revolutionize the way people manage credit, make investments, and take out loans.

There are two account options available at MoneyLion: the regular account, which is free; and MoneyLio...

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Digit Adds Feature to Chip Away at Credit Card Debt

Digit Pay

The app that helps you save more money than you thought you could is adding a feature that lets you chip away at your credit card debt and hopefully help you pay it off faster than you thought you would.

Digit, a savings generator app, recently announced a new feature ...

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Schwab Offers American Express Cards

Charles Schwab Amex

If you’re in the market for a new American Express card, you may want to take a look at a couple of cards at Charles Schwab. While Schwab is better known for its stocks and bonds, the financial conglomerate also operates an FDIC-insured bank; and it has two American Expre...

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Bank of America Launches Erica, a New Artificial Intelligence

Bank of America Erica

Move over Siri, Cortana, and Alexa. Bank of America has launched its own helpful bot. Her name is Erica, and she is capable of a wide range of banking functions. She’s not able to order pizza or play music for you, however.

Bank of America has integrated Erica in its ...

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Travel Credit Cards Offer Temptation and Rewards

Credit Card Rewards Temptation

Using credit card rewards is a trendy way to pad a travel budget. Nearly 70% of Americans have a travel rewards credit card according to a survey conducted by Harris Poll in late February of this year.

While it’s a great way to add some luxury or a few extra days to ...

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State Farm Offers More than Insurance

State Farm Credit Cards

If you currently have auto or home insurance at State Farm, you may want to take a look at the company’s deposit products. State Farm Bank is FDIC insured and offers a large selection of account types.

First up is State Farm’s checking account. It comes with no monthl...

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Why Do Credit Cards Put the Numbers on the Back Now?

Numbers on the Back

If you carry any number of credit cards these days – especially some of the newer, more exciting products – you’ve probably noticed a trend. Many of these cards look much different than the ones we are accustomed to seeing in our wallets, complete with elegant designs, he...

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Removal of Tax Lien Data Means a Big Credit Score Boost for Many

Tax Lien Removal Credit Score Boost

Beginning on Monday, some consumers may get a welcomed surprise when they open their credit-monitoring apps: a significant score boost. That’s because come April 16, all three credit bureaus will begin excluding tax liens from consumers’ credit scores. This change, which ...

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American Express Closing Down Plenti Program

Amex Closes Plenti

If you have an American Express Plenti co-branded credit card, mark your calendars. American Express is shutting down its Plenti loyalty program this summer, and if you don't use your points, you'll lose them.

Plenti tweeted out that it would end its program on July 1...

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Chase and Marriott Launch New Premier Plus Rewards Card

New Marriott Chase Card

Last year, Chase Card Services and Marriott International, a leading global hotel brand, renewed their co-branding credit card agreement, and this year they're launching a new rewards card that has a limited-time 100,000-point new cardmember bonus.

The Marriott Rewards...

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Why Am I Still Signing My Credit Card Receipt?

Signed Credit Cards

If you're like me, when you're shopping, you want to get through the cashier line as fast as possible. That's why last year's announcement from the four major credit card companies--American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa--that they were eliminating the signature ...

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Why It’s Bad That 49M Americans Stick with Old Credit Cards

Shocking Credit Cards

There’s something to be said for loyalty – even when it involves credit card products – but does that loyalty come at a price?

A recent study found that a surprising number of Americans are sticking with their old, trust credit card, even if it might not be the best pr...

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Barclays Offers First High-End Credit Card with Loyalty Bonuses

Recurring Credit Card Bonus

The Barclays Arrival Premier World Elite Mastercard is a new credit card designed to offer a yearly incentive that encourages long-term use. Credit card users sometimes open new cards just for the sign-up bonus and introductory offer. After meeting the terms and collectin...

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How to Choose the Right Bank Account

Choosing Bank Accounts

If you need to open a bank account, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices today. There are a variety of account types and even different kinds of institutions. Once you understand the advantages and disadvantages of the various choices, you’ll be better ...

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These Financial Habits Don’t Impact Credit Worthiness

Financial Habits

Building good credit is an often-misunderstood process. Having a low FICO score means you’ll pay a higher interest rate on revolving accounts like credit cards as well as personal loans, auto financing, and mortgages. If your credit history shows negative items such as mi...

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Credit Cards are Offering Bigger Bonuses Than Ever Before

Bigger Credit Card Bonuses

When shopping around for a new credit card, there are a few important things to compare. You’ll want to know if the card earns rewards (because, why not?), whether it charges an annual fee, and how many perks it includes. You are probably also drawn in by welcome offers, ...

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How to Build Credit Before College

credit before college

Few of us even think about our credit while we are in high school. There are plenty of things to worry about beyond finances, credit cards, and qualifying for student loans. However, there a number of reasons that you (or your high school-aged child) should work to build ...

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The "How-You-Pay" Landscape Still Evolving

How You Pay

A long time ago, you could only pay for things with cash. Then the concept of credit appeared in the 1920s, but you could only use credit at a particular store or chain that offered it. The credit card that most of us have at least one of--but likely more--in our wallet i...

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SunTrust Credit Cards Offer Competitive Perks

SunTrust Bank

SunTrust Bank has a very large selection of financial services, on both the business and consumer sides. One of its personal Mastercards would make a good addition to a SunTrust checking account, as the credit card can serve as overdraft protection.

The Cash Rewards c...

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What to Do If Your Credit Card Application is Denied

Rejected Credit Card Application

Whether you’re just starting out in your credit-building journey or are a plastic-carrying veteran, nothing is guaranteed. Anyone can be denied for a credit card application at any time, even if you were confident in your odds for approval. So, what are the reasons you co...

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USAA Bank Accounts Are Ready for Service

USAA Checking

USAA was founded in 1922 to make financial products more accessible to servicemen and their families. Today, the company has millions of customers and billions of dollars in assets. Soldiers who currently serve or previously have served in the U.S. armed forces can open a...

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Flip Your Bitcoin into a Payment Card

Fit Pay Bitcoin

Cryptocurrencies have been tremendously popular over the last couple of years, but if you have a nice-sized chunk of cryptocurrency sitting in your digital currency wallet--say, from having a side gig that pays you in Bitcoin--and you need to use that currency to cover yo...

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Capital One Unveils Eno, Intelligent Web Assistant for Your Card

Eno

How many times have you been shopping online, only to abandon your potential purchases because you didn’t want to get up to find your credit card? Or maybe you were even concerned about the security of the website, and didn’t want to hand over your credit card number. Wel...

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Amazon Making It Easier to Shop Without a Credit Card

Amazon Shopping No Card

If you’re one of the 30% of Americans who don’t currently hold a credit card, you may feel like you’re missing out on the magic that is Amazon. The online sales giant, known for its lightning-fast Prime shipping (and even same-day delivery on some items), has been steadil...

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Credit Card Offers Cryptocurrency Rewards

Cryptocurrency Rewards

Cash back, air miles and points not cutting it for you anymore? There's a new credit card coming out that's going to have a new type of reward: Cryptocurrency.

Blockrize is the brainchild of entrepreneur Thomas Harrison, who wanted to invest in cryptocurrency but got t...

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Predictions for the Future of Credit Scores

Credit Score Predictions

As Heraclitus once said, Change is the only constant in life. And while you may have never thought about it, your credit report isn’t exempt from this rule.

In fact, I have a few predictions about the types of shifts we will encounter in the near future. All of these w...

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Who is Left with Your Credit Card Debt When You Die?

Death and Debt

The average American currently has over $6,000 in credit card debt. If you are currently walking around with a balance on one or more cards, you may wonder what would happen to it if you were to unexpectedly pass away. Would your spouse be on the hook for the balance owed...

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New Debit Card Options for Kids Make Parents’ Lives Easier

Debit Card for Kids

Few people carry a consistent supply of cash in variously sized bills, these days. Plastic is easier to handle, safer, and often comes with rewards programs. For parents, finding change and small bills for after-school snacks between activities, spending money for a day o...

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HSBC Premier Looks for Clients With Deep Pockets

HSBC Premier

HSBC provides a wealth management package called Premier for high-net-worth individuals. The global bank offers this special service in just a few select countries. Hong Kong and the UK are of course included as these locations are where the bank has its roots. U.S. resid...

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Card Fraud and Card Declines Not Uncommon, Says Survey

Credit Card Fraud Survey

Have you ever gone to a store or gone out to eat with a group of friends and been embarrassed because your credit card's been declined? Have you checked your credit card statement and groaned with the realization that someone's stolen your card number and made some fraudu...

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Retail Credit Cards

Retail Credit Cards

Whether you do most of your retail shopping in a department store, sporting goods store, or even a big box electronics store, you’ve probably been offered a retail-branded credit card at some point. Often incentivized with shopping discounts, these store credit cards usua...

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Best Credit Cards for Excellent Credit

Excellent Credit

If you have an exceptional credit score, you are in a great position for applying for a new credit card. With your established, positive credit history, the door opens to you for some of the best credit products around. So, which product is the best credit card for excell...

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Citigroup Customers May Get A Refund Check Later This Year

Possible Citi Refund

Citigroup overcharged millions of their credit card customers between 2011 and 2017. They plan to send letters of explanation and refund checks to people affected by their failure to lower interest rates as mandated by the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Dis...

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Best Credit Card for Amazon Spending

Credit Card for Amazon

If you shop around online, you’ve probably bought something on Amazon. But don’t worry, you’re not alone – as many as 86% of American adults have bought from the Prime shipping online giant. If you’re going to shop on Amazon, though, which credit card is your best choice?...

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Getting Your First Credit Card

First

Signing up for (and using) your first credit card can be exciting. Not only does it give you spending power that you didn’t previously have, but you’re building your credit history at the same time. If you get the right card, you can also earn rewards on the things that y...

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Citigroup to Refund Millions in Interest Rate Charges

Citi Refund

In a move that you don't often see by major banks, Citigroup recently announced that it plans to refund hundreds of millions of dollars to some of its U.S. customers to make up for an error the credit card issuer found in determining annual percentage rates.

Citigroup ...

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Mastercard Challenges You to Do Something Priceless

MasterCard Priceless Challenge

Mastercard is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its "Priceless" campaign with a new global push to urge its cardholders to start their own personal journey on the road to fulfilling a passion or purpose.

The credit card brand started its "Priceless" program in 1998 a...

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Would You Willingly Go into Debt for These 6 Things?

Reasons to Go Into Debt

Oh, debt. Most of us have carried it, many have fought their way out, and almost all of us have regretted ever being in debt in the first place. It may be surprising to think, then, that many Americans would willingly go into debt again… but only for certain purchases.

...

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Which Credit Card Should You Use to Pay Your Cell Phone Bill?

Which Credit Card to Pay Cell Phone

If you have a credit card that earns cash back rewards, it only makes sense to use the card for as many of your expenses as possible. After all, you essentially earn free cash each month by doing so, without spending extra money. But are there perks to using specific cred...

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Citibank Says They’ll Refund $335M to Credit Card Customers

Citibank Refunds 335 Million

If you have a Citibank credit card and have paid interest on your balance over the last few years, you may be getting a refund in the mail sometime soon. After a standard, periodic internal review, the company discovered that its interest rate methodology had been skewed....

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5 Credit Card Habits to Eliminate in 2018

5 Bad Credit Card Habits

Credit cards are an excellent financial tool, allowing us flexibility in our spending, the ability to earn rewards on the things we buy, and even help up build our credit reports. But not everyone knows how to properly manage one (or a wallet full of them). Could your cre...

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Equifax Faces A New Wave of Class Action Lawsuits

More Equifax Lawsuits

During September of 2017, the credit reporting agency Equifax reported that a data breach exposed the personal information of more than 140 million Americans. The leaked information put these people at risk for identity theft.

Equifax publicly acknowledged the data bre...

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Federal Reserve Bank of New York Releases Credit Card Trends

Fed Releases Credit Card Trends

The Center for Microeconomic Data at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has released a Survey of Consumer Expectations, and it reveals a lot of fascinating information about how Americans plan to use their credit cards in the future.

For instance, the percentage of ...

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Starbucks Lovers Earn Stars with New Chase Credit Card

Starbucks Visa Launch

Announced a few months ago, Starbucks and Chase have finally launched their new co-branded Starbucks Visa rewards credit card, which is integrated with the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program. Customers earn Starbucks Stars on all of their purchases, which they then can red...

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Is Financial Infidelity the Ultimate Betrayal?

Financial Infidelity

Most of us would never even think about cheating on our significant other. According to a recent survey, though, there’s a type of cheating that many consider to be even worse than a workplace affair: financial infidelity.

This type of infidelity involves lying to you...

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Paying Off Credit Card Debt - Credit Card Expert Roundup

Jason Steele CardCon

Issue # 6 of the Credit Card Reviews Industry Roundup covers paying off credit card debt. Credit Card Expert Jason Steele asks the participants this week:

What are the most effective ways to pay off credit card debt?

This week we have Susan Johnson Taylor, Louis...

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Equifax Extends Free Credit Freeze, Launches Credit Lock

Equifax Credit Freeze

In the wake of last year's epic breach at Equifax that affected up to 145 million consumers in the U.S., Equifax offered free credit monitoring and free credit freezes. Although the credit monitoring offer ended in January, the company has extended its free credit freeze ...

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Major U.S. Banks Say No to Cryptocurrency Credit Card Purchases

No Cryptocurrency With Credit Cards

While governments issue warnings about the dangers of purchasing cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, a few of the largest credit card companies have released new policies against what enthusiasts call the money of the future.

Capital One, PNC Bank, and TD Bank were the fir...

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Women and Men Have Different Financial Regrets

Different Financial Regrets

No matter where you are in your financial journey, you’ve probably made some mistakes along the way. These might be small (such as a purchase that you regret in hindsight) or very large (like not saving enough for retirement while you could). Either way, it’s fair to say ...

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What’s the Deal With Credit Card Pre-Approvals?

Pre-Approved Credit Cards

If your mailbox is anything like mine, it’s filled with the same stuff each afternoon: bills, pizza delivery menus, and credit card offers. So, what do these credit card pre-approval letters really mean? Should you simply toss them out, or can they actually benefit you?...

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Credit Card Trends 2018 - Expert Roundup

Jason Steele CardCon

For Issue # 5 of the Credit Card Reviews Industry Roundup, Credit Card Expert Jason Steele asks the following question:

What are the big trends that you see in the credit card industry in 2018?

Here are the responses from this week's industry experts which inclu...

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Traveling to Alaska Could Be Rewarding

Alaska Credit Card

Instead of watching reality TV shows about Alaska, you could actually travel there and earn some pretty nice rewards along the way. Bank of America has teamed up with Alaska Airlines to offer a Platinum Plus Visa and a Signature Visa.

The Platinum Plus card comes with...

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Visa is Introducing a Biometric Credit Card

Visa Launching Biometric Card

What do you think about the new(er) chip readers at the cash register? Do you consider them neat, frustrating, invasive, secure, or any other adjective? Well, Visa wants to take your credit card security up a notch, by introducing the biometric credit card this year.

T...

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Despite Record Debt, Credit Scores on the Rise

Scores Rising

Americans have got more consumer debt than ever, yet according to Experian's annual State of Credit report, our credit score numbers are still climbing.

This month, the Federal Reserve released its latest report on consumer credit, which showed that Americans' level of...

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Citi Checking Accounts Try but Fail to Impress

Citi Bank Accounts Fail to Impress

Citigroup is one of the world's largest financial conglomerates with prominent operations in investment banking, credit cards, and wealth management. The company also offers simple checking accounts, and they can all be opened with no deposit.

First up is the Citibank...

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Paying Off Holiday Debt Easier With 0% Balance Transfer Cards

Paying Off Debt with Balance Transfer Cards

Credit card debt is at a new all-time high as of November 2017. Consumers owe $1.02 trillion according to the latest report from the Federal Reserve. The average American made $1,054 in new charges to their credit cards during the holiday season.

In a December 2017 su...

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KeyBank Offers Prepaid and Credit Cards

KeyBank Prepaid Credit Cards

If you’re looking for a cashless payment method, KeyBank offers a suite of cards that provide zero liability fraud protection, 24/7 customer service, and online and mobile banking.

First up is the Key2More Rewards credit card. Co-branded with Mastercard, it comes with ...

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Higher Income Means Higher Credit Card Balances for Americans

Higher Salary Means Higher Debt

A recent telephone survey of American adults conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International revealed that 43% of credit card holders carry a balance that’s more than two years old. 23% have credit card debt that’s more than five years old. With average in...

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How to Find an Ideal Emergency Credit Card

Selecting Emergency Credit Cards

Many Americans suffered a financial setback in 2017. According to a survey conducted by the National Endowment for Financial Education over 60% of households said they had an unexpected expense during the year that couldn’t wait.

Unexpected and expensive car repairs, ...

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Credit Card Debt Is on the Rise - Is Yours?

Is Your Credit Card Debt Rising

It's the beginning of a new year, which means you see a lot of personal finance advice on how to create financial goals for the year that help you build your personal wealth. Usually this advice includes getting rid of as much credit card debt as possible.

Unfortunate...

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Not Knowing About Your Holiday Debt May Cost You

Not Knowing Holiday Debt Hurts

Ah, January. It's exciting to start a new year and perhaps turn over a new leaf. After all, flipping a calendar to a new year means endless possibilities for a better life, right?

That's true, until the December bills come in. It's easy to get into the holiday spirit a...

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31 Million Americans Expect to Die in Debt

Die in Debt

Have you ever looked at your credit card or student loan balances and thought to yourself that you’ll be in debt forever? Well, you certainly aren’t alone – in fact, two-thirds of U.S. adults believe they’ll be in debt until they die.

A recent survey of 1,144 adults, c...

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Could You Be Paying Your Credit Card Bill All Wrong?

Are We Paying Credit Cards Wrong

Did you know that there is a wrong way to pay off your credit card bill each month? That’s right… depending on when you make your credit card payments – even if they are for the entire balance – you could be negatively impacting your credit history.

Until a few years ...

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Biometric Credit Cards Take Next Step

Next Step Biometric Credit Cards

Biometrics are slowly infiltrating the products we use on a daily basis as being a more secure way to authenticate who you are by using something that's unique to you. I, for one, use my fingerprint to unlock my cell phone and my laptop. Pretty soon, we could use biometri...

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Wells Fargo Sued Yet Again – This Time by Navajo Tribes

Wells Fargo Sued by Navajo Nation

If you thought that Wells Fargo was finally putting all of their litigious woes behind them (after a few years of lawsuits, claims of fraud, and company apologies), you’d be wrong. Last week, it was announced that the company is yet again being named the defendant in a la...

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Petal Raises Funding for Nontraditionals' Credit Card

Petal Jason Gross

No credit history? No credit card for you! At least, that's been the traditional attitude of credit card issuers. Getting your first credit card can be something of a Catch-22 because banks aren't prone to taking a risk on giving a credit card to someone who doesn't have ...

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Nearly Half of Millennials are Clueless About Their Credit Cards

Millennials Clueless About Credit Cards

Oh, millennials. Our newest age group to emerge into the “adulting” scene, they seem to still have a bit of catching up to do. This is further evidenced by a recent survey, which found that nearly half of the young generation is clueless as to their current credit card in...

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Are Deferred Interest Credit Cards a Scam?

Deferred Interest Credit Cards

If you’ve ever gone furniture shopping, you’ve likely encountered them: branded credit cards that usually offer a discount on your purchase, as well as no interest for x number of months. It sounds incredibly tempting, and usually results in you doing some enticing math i...

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The What and Why of Credit Card Piggybacking

Credit Card Piggybacking

You may or may not have heard the term “piggybacking” before, in relation to your credit cards. However, if you’re looking to build your credit, you’ll probably want to learn a bit about it.

How Piggybacking Works

Credit card piggybacking is the practice of hopping ...

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Target v. Walmart: Who Has the Better Cards?

Target Cards vs Walmart

If you shop regularly at one of America’s major retailers, you may be able to trim your receipts by using a store card. This is the card you most likely have been asked to open at the cash register. There’s ample reason to take the advice, although be sure to read the fin...

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Premium Loyalty Programs Benefit Consumers Year ‘Round

Premium Loyalty Programs

Customer loyalty isn’t as strong as it once was, and retailers are stepping up their game to get the attention of shoppers who may look elsewhere for the best deals. According to a recent survey conducted by FreeShipping.com, only 4% of holiday shoppers valued loyalty to ...

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With GM Marketplace You Can Pay by Car

GM Marketplace Payments

Mobile payments have been the next big thing for years, as companies keep wooing customers with options for paying for goods on the go within a mobile app. Now GM literally lets drivers of its cars make mobile payments with its new Marketplace feature.

Marketplace wor...

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The Price of Credit Card Fraud

With constant news about data breaches, worries over credit card fraud are far too real for consumers. Fraud losses related to credit card use total roughly $22 billion annually, and the cost of fraud is on the rise.

The good news is consumers are shielded directly fro...

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Will Getting Married Impact Your Credit?

Marriage Impact on Credit Score

It’s a commonly-voiced concern: if you tie the knot, will your new spouse’s credit impact your own (or vice versa)? This is a particularly important question if one of you has a notably worse credit history than the other.

So, does your credit report change when you s...

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Credit Card Reviews Industry Roundup: For Issue # 3 of the Credit Card Reviews Industry Roundup, Credit Card Expert Jason Steele asks the following question: What's Your Best Tip For Maximizing Rewards Programs with Your Credit Card?

Jason Steele CardCon

For Issue # 3 of the Credit Card Reviews Industry Roundup, Credit Card Expert Jason Steele asks the following question:

What's Your Best Tip For Maximizing Rewards Programs with Your Credit Card?

Here are the responses from this week's industry experts which inc...

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Startup Claims to Have the Edge in the All-In-One Card Market

Edge Card

Over the last few years a few companies have made a big splash trying to bring all-in-one credit cards to the market. Some of these companies include Plastc, which went bankrupt before it ever shipped a product to its early backers, and Coin, which did ship a product but ...

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Yes, You Can Be Auto-Billed Even If You Change Your Card Number

You Can Be Auto Billed

It happens often: your card expires and is replaced automatically, or you request a new one due to fraud, loss, or personal preference. The pain in this, though, is that you need to then inform all of the companies with whom you have recurring monthly billing that you hav...

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iPhone X Offers Face ID for Card Payments and More

IPhone X Face ID

The new iPhone X comes with an exceptional feature called Face ID that can be used in place of the older fingerprint scanner of previous phone models. Face ID projects tens of thousands of tiny infrared dots onto the user’s face. If the technology recognizes the face, it ...

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Discover Cardholder? Prepare to Lose Benefits in 2018

Discover Benefits Leaving 2018

If you currently carry a Discover card for the cash back rewards and perks, you might want to pay attention. Some of those benefits will be disappearing in 2018, and they may impact how you spend in the future.

Let’s take a look at what’s being eliminated, what’s stayi...

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How to Stretch Your Holiday Budget with Credit Card Rewards

Stretching Holiday Budget

Starting the new year with a pile of credit card debt isn’t ideal, but consumers who know how to maximize their credit card rewards and minimize their fees and interest charges throughout the year can use plastic to put a dent in their holiday spending.

The key to get...

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Bank Director Releases Financial Performance Rankings

Bank Director Banking Awards Results

A recent survey of bank performance by Bank Director, an informational company that tracks such things, has graded some of America’s most well-known financial institutions in a variety of categories. And the results suggest that bigger is not always better.

Best for ...

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Why a Credit Card Shouldn’t Be Your Emergency Plan

Credit Card as Emergency Fund

If you were faced with a large, sudden expense in the next few weeks, where would you turn first? Would you pay it in cash from your savings account, take out a personal loan, or simply turn to the available credit on your favorite credit card?

If you’re like many Amer...

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Credit Cards with Budget Airlines

Budget Airline Credit Cards

While credit cards and frequent flyer programs of major airlines are better known, budget airlines also have their own lineups. In particular, Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines both offer Mastercards and loyalty programs that can reward devoted customers of these compan...

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Credit Card Debt Harder to Pay Off When Fed Raises Prime Rate

Card Debt Hard to Pay Off

Information from the Federal Reserve and The U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the average American adult has $5,700 in credit card debt. Nearly 40% of all American households carry credit card debt.

Many consumers will see those bills rise if the Fed decides to raise ...

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When is Debit a Better Choice than Credit?

Using Credit vs Debit

“Credit or debit?” You’ve likely been asked that hundreds of times at the register. Do you know which one you should be choosing, though? Let’s talk about when it’s smarter to choose debit over credit.

When to Choose Credit

Before we jump into the times when yo...

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Shoppers Keep Pulling Out Their Plastic

Shoppers Keep Pulling Out Their Plastic

It's shopping season, which means consumers and retailers are primed to see a lot of money change hands--or, quite probably, a lot of plastic change hands. More consumers have access to credit than ever before, and more of them are carrying a balance, according to a new r...

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SunTrust Checking Accounts Have Fees, but They’re Avoidable

Suntrust Avoidable Fees

SunTrust Bank has a variety of deposit and credit accounts that are competitive with those offered by better known financial institutions. In particular, SunTrust’s checking accounts come with many useful banking services and there are methods available to avoid their mon...

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5 Questions to Ask Before Opening a Store Credit Card

Opening a Store Credit Card

We’ve all been there. You lug all of your new purchases to the register, watching the total climb higher and higher, when the clerk offers you an enticing offer to “save 20% on your purchase today.” The only catch? You have to apply for the store’s branded credit card.

...

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Home Depot Store Cards

Home Depot Store Cards

If you plan to remodel your home, or do such activities professionally, Home Depot offers a selection of credit cards that provide extended return periods and discounts on financing. Because these cards aren’t co-branded with Visa, MasterCard, or another credit card compa...

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Keep Your Credit Card Safe this Holiday Season

Keep Credit Cards Safe

Another week, another credit card breach. This time, it's Forever 21 that's explaining why its point of sale devices in some stores were hacked, leaving anyone who bought something from them between March and October of this year wondering if they're going to have to go t...

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Starbucks and Visa Collaborate on A New Co-Branded Credit Card

New Starbucks Visa

During Starbucks' fourth-quarter earnings call, CEO Kevin Johnson indicated that the company would launch their newest financial product this winter. In cooperation with the financial giant Visa, Starbucks will offer a co-branded credit card by Chase that makes earning St...

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Student Loan Borrowers Are Shopping 'Til They Drop This Christmas

Student Loan Shoppers

‘Tis the season, which means that gift-giving is probably on your radar. But if you also have student loan debt, beware: it seems that you’re at risk for digging yourself even further into debt with holiday shopping.

A recent survey found that this year, those with stu...

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Traveling Internationally with Debit and Credit Cards

Traveling Internationally with Debit and Credit Cards

That trip you’ve been dreaming about to Monaco could go a lot more smoothly if you know which debit and credit cards to take with you, and which ones to leave behind. Fees and policies for foreign currency transactions, ATM withdrawals, and purchases made outside the Unit...

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Visa Debuts Olympic-Themed Wearables for PyeongChang

Visa Winter Olympics

As Visa's tagline says, "It's everywhere you want to be," and if you're going to the Olympics in PyeongChang this coming February--or even just want to buy some Team USA merch online--it's the only credit card you'll be able to pay with if you want tickets or souvenirs. T...

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What 2017’s Retail Apocalypse Means for Store Credit Cards

Retail Stores Closed

National media calls the closing of 20 giant retailers in 2017 retail apocalypse. Big names like The Limited, J.C. Penney, Macy’s, and Abercrombie & Fitch couldn’t keep up with competition from online giants like Amazon and are closing some of their physical locations. ...

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Credit Card Debt Can Hurt Your Wallet and Your Love Life

Debt Can Hurt Your Love Life

You already know how much damage credit card debt can do on your wallet. The interest alone easily add up to hundreds – if not thousands -- of dollars a year! But do you also realize just how much of an impact it can have on your love life?

If you’re in debt, your prim...

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How to Know if You're Using the Wrong Credit Card

Using Wrong Credit Card

If there’s one thing that we as humans are pretty good at, it’s becoming complacent. We get comfortable in our jobs, in that well-worn sweatshirt from college, and even with our credit cards. We find ourselves a good thing, and don’t really see any reason to change. The...

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More Brokers Are Providing Credit Cards

Brokerage House Credit Cards

A new trend in the brokerage industry is developing, one which has nothing to do with investing. Brokerage houses are offering credit cards, and they offer some nice benefits when linked to a securities account.

TD Ameritrade, for instance, offers the Client Rewards C...

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New Look, Cards for Hilton Credit Card Program

New Citi Hilton Cards Coming

Holders of Hilton Honors credit cards are in for a change. Come 2018, they're going to get a different brand of card, and there will also be other Hilton credit cards to choose from.

At the beginning of the November 2018, Citi announced it has sold its portfolio of Vis...

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5 Ways to Help Your Kids Build Good Credit

Teach Kids About Money

My parents taught me many important things growing up: my mom drilled in the importance of manners and taught me how to bake, while my dad showed me how to change a tire and throw a mean right hook. However, there’s one subject that my parents (unfortunately) didn’t focus...

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Uber Jumps Into Credit Card Space with Big Rewards Card

Uber Credit Card

Uber is the latest company to jump into the crowded credit card market, and it's making a big splash with its new rewards card, which offers up to four percent back on select purchasing categories.

The popular ride sharing company partnered with Barclays for its Uber V...

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Capital One Customers Have Useful Small Business Tools

While Capital One is well known for its personal credit card commercials, the financial company also provides many bank products that small businesses can take advantage of.

First up is a business checking account called Spark Business Checking. It has no monthly fees...

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How to Choose the Best Credit Card for Holiday Shopping

Holiday Shopping Credit Cards

For many people, the winter holiday season means extra spending. Gifts, celebratory meals, hosting parties, and travel expenses add up quickly. A report released by Magnify Money states that for consumers who add debt during the holidays, the average amount is $950. Over ...

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Move Over Visa Signature, Visa Infinite Is Here

Visa Infinite

The Signature card has been Visa’s top offering in the United States for several years now. But a new product, Visa Infinite, has arrived, and it offers the company’s highest level of benefits. While some perks overlap with the Signature tier, Infinite offers many luxurie...

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How to Churn Your Credit Card

If you love the feeling of receiving something for nothing, credit card churning was created with you in mind. This involves signing up for several credit cards at one time, looking to receive the sign-up bonuses and rewards for new customers. The churn aspect enters the ...

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Biometrics Make Credit Cards More Secure Than Ever

Credit Card Biometrics News

What if you could verify a purchase with a fingerprint, apply for a new credit card with a selfie, and verify your identity with your voice?

New technology adopted by large banks means better security for consumers and a reduced number of expensive security breaches a...

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Mastercard is Breaking Up With the Dotted Line

Mastercard Signature

By now, we are all incredibly familiar with the drill at the cash register. You ring up your items, swipe your credit card (or, as is the new norm, insert a chip), sign a receipt or digital screen, and head out the door. Well, Mastercard is planning to make that process o...

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Citi Priority Provides Nice Benefits

Citi Priority Benefits

Citibank has come up with an all-inclusive financial package that offers both investing and banking perks. Called Citi Priority, this membership comes with all the normal Citi services, such as branch locations and a handy mobile app. But it also offers a long list of ben...

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New Cap One Card Rewards Foodies

Capital One Savor

The cash back rewards credit card scene has been competitive as of late, with credit card companies and banks fighting to outdo each other with rewards schemes. Now Capital One adds another cash back rewards card to its arsenal, and this time it's geared towards foodies, ...

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Credit Card Myths That Cost Americans Thousands of Dollars

Credit Card Costly Myths

The average American owns more than three credit cards. They are a convenient, safe, and popular way to pay for nearly everything. Even though credit cards are everywhere, there are a few persistent myths that smart consumers should understand.

_It’s alright to miss a...

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Everything You Need to Know About Credit Card Hardship Programs

Credit Card Hardship Programs

Sometimes, life throws you a financial curveball. This could come in the form of an illness, job loss, divorce, or any other unplanned event that impacts your bank account as much as your cortisol levels.

So, what can you do when your budget takes a nosedive but the c...

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JetBlue MasterCards Offer Lucrative Perks

JetBlue MasterCards

One of America’s most popular budget airlines, JetBlue, has teamed up with Barclays to offer two attractive MasterCards that come with a host of nice benefits. The JetBlue Card carries no annual fee, while the JetBlue Plus Card costs $99 per year.

Either card can be u...

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Why You Should Never Get a Cash Advance from Your Credit Card

Cash Advances Are Bad

When you signed up for your last credit card, you may have noticed some verbiage in the terms about cash advances. If your credit card company is anything like mine, they may even send you cash advance checks on occasion, which you could simply deposit into your bank acco...

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Debit Card Use Is Declining

Debit Cards On Decline

A new survey by Mercator Advisory Group, a research company that specializes in payments and banking, is shedding important light on how consumers are performing financial transactions, and what the future holds for payment technology.

Although there are almost 70 bil...

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Sony Rewards Teams with Capital One for Credit Card

Sony Rewards

If you're a hard-core gamer, entertainment lover and Sony Rewards member, there are some new cards designed to help you rack up Sony Rewards more quickly. Sony has partnered with Capital One to offer two no annual fee Visa rewards cards geared toward those who love entert...

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Whole Foods Customers Hit by Hackers

Whole Foods Cyber Attack

Thursday, September 21, 2017, was a tough day for Whole Foods. Hackers stole payment information from their customers at undisclosed locations’ restaurants and taprooms. Only 10% of all Whole Foods stores have beer on tap, and the company isn’t disclosing exactly how many...

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Signing Up for Your First Credit Card? Here Are 6 Things to Avoid

Signing Up for Your First Credit Card

Getting your very first credit card can be pretty exciting. Whether it’s because you have a specific purchase in mind, want to start building your credit history, or just want to have it in case of emergencies, that first taste of plastic is a big deal.

This is why it’...

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Are You Missing Out on Free Shipping?

Free Shipping Benefit

Major credit card brands often put together a variety of sweet perks to encourage you to use their credit card more frequently. Those perks can include travel assistance or extended warranties and other valuable benefits -- like free shipping on certain online shopping pu...

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Nontraditional Financial Transactions Gaining More Acceptance

Nontraditional Financial Transactions

A recent survey by Fiserv, a financial services technology company with billions of dollars in revenue, has found that the use and acceptance of nontraditional banking services are gaining ground, especially among Millennials.

An older study from 2016 found that only ...

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Why Do Veterans Have More Credit Issues Than Civilian Consumers?

Veterans With Credit Cards

Military servicemen and women are, on average, known for being regimented and disciplined. It’s interesting to learn, then, that a recent study found military veterans are more likely to have credit-related issues than their civilian counterparts.

The study, conducted ...

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Steps to Protect Yourself From the Equifax Data Breach

Save Your Equifax Identity

If you’re like most Americans, you’re probably concerned about the recent cyber attack on Equifax, one of the big three credit bureaus. If you’re not, you should be. According to the company’s internal review, vital data was stolen from roughly half the country. This info...

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Amex Breaks the Mold with No Annual Fee Delta Card

No Fee Delta Credit Card

Airline miles have long been a popular type of credit card reward, but traditionally in order to earn reward miles on a particular airline, one has to have a branded credit card for that airline--and it typically comes with an annual fee.

Not anymore. Delta and America...

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40% Of Americans Nearing Retirement Say They Have Too Much Debt

Debt Retirement

In a recent report issued by the National Bureau of Economic Research, two studies of retirees reveal that early baby boomers born between 1948 and 1953 aren’t as well off financially as those born in the two decades before.

Recent Census Bureau data indicates that am...

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Should Consumers Be Buying Packs of Gum on Credit?

Buy Gum Credit Cards

Once upon a time, pulling plastic out of your wallet at the register was reserved for big-ticket items. Maybe you used a credit card to purchase new living room furniture, or for that big screen tv. Stores often offered zero percent financing for a period of time, too, re...

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How to Keep Yourself Safe After the Equifax Breach

Safe After Equifax

Nearly 150-million people had their data exposed in the Equifax data breach -- that’s half of the population in the United States. Two weeks after the July breach was revealed, experts are now saying that the hack was so massive, the thieves were able to steal some 200-th...

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Wells Fargo Scandal Continues

Wells Fargo Scandal Continues

Just when Wells Fargo thought a recent scandal was finally behind it, new revelations have surfaced, causing the fiasco to rekindle. Previously, the company announced that 2.1 million bogus accounts were opened without customer approval by employees trying to meet stressf...

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When it Comes to Credit Cards, Women are a Step Ahead

Women Better Credit Than Men

Women spend more and make less, but they can manage their credit better than men. A new report released by the research firms Yankelovich Monitor and Greenfield Online revealed women are responsible for 85-percent of all consumer purchases despite making 80-percent less t...

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Credit Scores and Home Insurance Rates

Credit Scores Home Insurance

Having good credit can be a very beneficial thing. It can allow you to snag awesome credit products, like rewards-based credit cards. It can unlock the door for things like student loan refinances or consolidation loans. And, according to one recent study, it can also sav...

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PayPal Launches Cash Back Rewards Mastercard

PayPal 2 Cash Back

PayPal is jumping into the cash back rewards credit card market with a new Mastercard that offers two percent cash back on all purchases, both online and in stores, wherever Mastercard is accepted.

Two percent cash back is on the high end of the cash back rewards spec...

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E*Trade Bank Provides Checking Accounts and Convenient Loans

ETrade Checking Accounts

ETrade is widely known for its funny commercials, which advertise the broker’s low-cost investment services. What is not well known is that ETrade is part of ETrade Financial Corporation, a holding company that also operates ETrade Bank. The banking unit of E*Trade ha...

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Are You Frustrated By These Top Credit Card Complaints?

Frustrating Credit Card Complaints

Credit cards can be a big blessing to those that use them. They’re an easy way to earn rewards on the things you already buy, and can provide a buffer when you need to make a big purchase and don’t have the cash on hand.

However, they can also be a curse.

It isn’t ...

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6 Common Credit Myths Debunked

Credit Score Myths

Getting a good grasp on the idea of credit scores can be confusing. After all, there are so many different factors involved, it’s hard to know the impacts of every move you make. More than that, though, is the fact that there are literally hundreds of credit scoring model...

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Subprime Credit Cards May Be Dangerous for Consumers

Subprime Cards Hurt Credit Scores

Many consumers open a subprime credit card account hoping that it will improve their low FICO credit score. Nearly 40% of millennials have subprime credit according to TransUnion. Over 16 million Americans with credit scores below 600 own at least one credit card. A subpr...

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Chase and Southwest Airlines Offer Rewarding Visa Cards

Chase Southwest Airlines Program

With the help of Chase, Southwest Airlines has a suite of Visa credit cards that earn miles in Rapid Rewards, its frequent flyer program. Even better, the cards offer enticing perks like admission to special events and access to international flights through partner airli...

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American Express Topples Discover for Satisfaction Award

American Express Tops JD Power

After Discover had been rated the best in card satisfaction for the last three years, but this year, American Express surged to reclaim victory in the J.D. Power 2017 Credit Card Satisfaction Study.

In the eleventh edition of this study, American Express got the highes...

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Hard vs. Soft Inquiries

Hard vs Soft Inquiries

If you’ve ever checked your credit report, you’ve noticed the section about inquiries. This part of your report plays into about 10% of your FICO credit score, so it certainly isn’t insignificant.

So, what are credit inquiries, are there different types, and how do the...

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Bank of America is Blazing a Trail to a High-Tech World

Bank of America Technology

Bank of America is working on a suite of new technologies that will change the way you perform banking transactions. One tool in particular that could revolutionize how financial affairs are conducted on a mobile device is an iris scanner.

The bank has teamed up with ...

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Bank of America Jumps Into Premium Rewards Cards

Bank of America Premium Rewards

The luxury rewards credit card segment is getting a new competitor, as Bank of America is launching a new high-end rewards card this September.

Called the Premium Rewards card, it aims to break into the segment of rewards card holders who may want a piece of the premiu...

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Millennials Don't Understand Credit Cards, Says Survey

Millenials Confused By Credit Cards

The generation that has all the information at their fingertips actually possesses some surprisingly poor awareness about how credit cards work, says a new survey from LendEDU.

LendEDU, an informational website about student loan refinancing, recently commissioned a po...

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Delta SkyMiles Can Be Earned with American Express Cards

3 Delta Skymiles Cards

If you fly regularly on Delta Air Lines, American Express offers a card that earns miles in the company’s frequent flyer program, SkyMiles. In fact, there are three Delta SkyMiles cards. They have different levels of rewards with different annual fees.

The first one i...

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This is Why Credit Card Chip Readers are So Slow

Slow Chip Readers

It’s a familiar scene nowadays: you’re at the counter ready to pay, but first, you have to ask if they accept chip. If they do have it, you insert your credit card for an undisclosed amount of time until the machine beeps and rattles and asks you a bunch of questions. Eve...

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Consumers Favor Checking Accounts Over Investing and Spending

Americans Favor Checking Accounts

American consumers have more money, more debt, and are choosing to deposit their income into checking accounts instead of shopping or investing. The latest data from the Commerce Department shows that consumer spending in the United States was flat during the first part o...

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Wells Fargo Is Building New Technologies for Its Customers

Wells Fargo Control Tower

Wells Fargo & Company is hard at work creating new technological features that will improve its customers’ banking experiences with the company. It recently announced the development of Control Tower, an innovative tool that will display a “digital financial footprint” of...

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Discover Adds New Identity Theft Protection

Discover Identity Theft Protection

Having your identity stolen is no joke. If a thief gets a hold of your personal information, they can take out credit cards and loans in your name that they never intend to pay. If you don't check your credit report on a regular basis, you won't know these accounts exist ...

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Consumers Pay Big Money for These Credit Card Mistakes

Crucial Credit Card Mistakes

The cost of credit is on the rise in 2017, and making these mistakes with credit cards is more expensive than ever.

Carrying a large balance from month to month

If the Fed raises interest rates as promised throughout this year, nearly everyone who carries a balance...

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Do You Really Need a Perfect Credit Score?

Perfect Credit Score

Credit score companies FICO and VantageScore have recently adopted new ways of calculating your ability to repay loans, and the new scoring methods are making it possible for credit card users to have higher credit scores; both credit score companies put the credit score ...

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Visa Publicly Announces Their War on Cash

Visa War On Cash

Is cash on its way to becoming a financial dinosaur? If Visa has their way, extinction is imminent. Visa plans to hand $10,000 over to each of 50 restaurants and food vendors for marketing and technology upgrades if the business will commit to starting what Visa calls, ...

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College Students Should Have and Use Credit Cards: Here’s Why

College Student Credit Card Use

Going to college is the first time many Americans have their first experiences with adult-style responsibilities such as managing their money. The college experience presents unique financial challenges because students must cover all their expenses with little or no inco...

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Citi Launches Digital Wallet in the U.S.

Citi Pay Mobile Wallet

Citibank has launched its digital wallet called Citi Pay, which allows Citi customers to quickly pay for goods and services online, in-app or in-store.

The service was first rolled out in Singapore, Australia and Mexico last November, and it included tap and pay capabi...

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Citi and Hilton File for Divorce

Citi Hilton Divorce

After more than 16 years together, Citibank and Hilton are going their separate ways. Earlier this year, the hotel chain created an exclusive partnership with American Express, and beginning in January of 2018, all Citibank credit cards with the Hilton logo will stop work...

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The Mobile Wallet That Lets You Go Back in Time

Curve Financial Time Travel

Curve, one of the hottest new mobile-wallet options out there, has rolled out a new feature that lets you switch which card you paid with. It’s like the first step towards time travel -- kind of.

Fittingly, they’re calling it ‘Financial Time Travel,’ and it’s patent pe...

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The Future of Credit Card Payments: Virtual Credit Cards?

Final Virtual Lending

In our convenience driven world, we’ve shifted to a “get it and forget it” psychology. Need to order an Uber or Lyft at 1 am? Easy. Just use the app. Want to pay for parking without using coins? Download the app, connect your credit card information, and pay instantly. Bu...

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New Credit Scoring Changes Go Into Effect

New Credit Scoring Live

It might pay to check your credit score this summer, as you might see it rise, even if you haven't done anything differently with your credit. Although the boost might seem as if it happened by magic, it's really the result of a new change credit reporting agencies (CRAs)...

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Credit Card Skimming and How to Avoid Being the Next Victim

ATM Credit Card Skimming

The credit card thieves targeting you don’t need sophisticated hacking skills to get ahold of your credit card details and take all of your money. Though credit card skimming, the practice of stealing credit card numbers off the physical credit card rather than online, is...

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Consumers Credit Score Knowledge Worsens

Credit Score Knowledge Worsens

A credit score is an important tool that lenders, billers and even landlords use to make decisions about you. A good credit score can mean you get a good interest rate on a mortgage or auto loan or get approved to move into that dream rental apartment. A bad credit score ...

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Automate Your Financial Life with Tally

Tally Financial App Automate

A new financial app launched this week with the promise that it will help consumers automate their financial lives. Tally aims to revolutionize the credit card industry by automating individuals' credit card management and saving money for those who carry balances from mo...

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Credit Card Cash-Back Programs Are Under Threat

Cash Back Under Threat

Credit card popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, in part, due to incentivising points systems and cash back programs. But now, impending lawsuits are threatening consumers beloved cash-back programs.

But who in the world would have something against cash-back, ...

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How to Fix an Error on Your Credit Report

Steps to Fix Credit Report

Finding an inaccuracy on something as important as your credit report can be alarming. After all, the impact can be wide-reaching and detrimental.

What does it mean? How will it impact your credit score and loans? More importantly, are you the victim of credit fraud? ...

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Final: The Frontier of Credit Card Safety

Final Fintech

Millions of Americans use their credit cards to buy goods and services online, but this doesn’t mean ecommerce is getting any safer. Data security breaches continue to rise in 2017 as hackers attack retailers to steal credit card numbers and other personal information. If...

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Online Shopping Puts Consumers at Greater Risk of Fraud

Great Risk For Fraud

A recent poll by creditcards.com indicates that despite rising reports of credit card fraud, consumers continue to allow merchants to save their credit card and debit card details online.

Two-thirds of the poll’s respondents indicated that they allow at least one mobi...

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Are Credit Cards With Revolving Rewards Really Worth It?

Revolving Category Credit Cards

You’ve probably seen these eye-catching cards out there, on television commercials or in your mailbox. You know, credit card companies offering ridiculously high cash back rewards – as much as 5 or 6%! – on the things you buy most: gas, groceries, and even Amazon.com purc...

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Visa Envisions a World Where Your Credit Card Is Invisible

Invisible Credit Cards

At the 2017 Wired Business Conference, sponsored by Visa, there’s evidence that the way consumers pay for goods and services is about to undergo sweeping changes.

Visa’s innovation chief, Jim McCarthy, would like physical credit cards to disappear. The company is work...

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More Americans Aren’t Paying Their Credit Card Debts

Not Paying Credit Cards

Right now the U.S. economy is looking pretty good -- unemployment is down and stocks are up, but more Americans aren’t paying their credit card debts.

That’s according to a new study by Moody’s Investor service, who says over the last two financial quarters banks have...

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Low-Rate Balance Transfer Offers Decoded

Low Rate Transfer Deals

Credit card issuers love sending direct mail to solicit new cardholders, so you might be used to seeing a lot of credit card offers in the mail. Some of these have special, limited time rates for new cardholders who transfer balances onto the new card. Others contain bala...

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Credit Card Defaults Bump Upward

Credit Card Defaults on the Upswing

With the unemployment rate slowly, but steadily, declining and the workforce participation rate showing an increase, it may come as a surprise that credit card defaults are also experiencing a bit of an upswing. While the defaults are nowhere near the 9% to 10% rates whic...

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Prepare for Summer Travel!

Summer Vacation Savings

Summer's just around the corner, so that means it's time to prepare for summer vacation. Whether you're staying close to home or traveling half way around the world, getting away from it all can be a great approach to resting and recharging--that is, until you get the bil...

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5 Quick Fixes for Boosting Your Credit Score Today

Credit Score Quick Fix

Ah, your credit score. The key to everything from a home mortgage to low interest rates, and everything in between. Some employers are even known to run credit checks on potential employees before offering them a position. Your credit score has a huge impact on almost eve...

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Heavy Metal Cards Linked to Low Self-Esteem

Metal Credit Cards Low Self Esteem

Today’s hottest new accessory isn’t a designer bag or expensive foreign watch, instead, it’s a small piece of metal consumers carry mostly out of sight. That is, until it’s time to pay the bill.

The metal credit card craze has swept the nation, but for once it’s not r...

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Most Often Overlooked Money-Saving Credit Card Benefits

Overlooked Credit Card Benefits

There are many benefits to paying with a credit card. Sign up bonuses and cash back programs offer credit card customers powerful incentives to open new accounts, switch cards, or simply continue to use the cards they like the most.

Unfortunately for many card users, ...

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Chipotle Data Breach and Your Credit Card Security

Chipotle Credit Card Breach

Another day and yet another credit card data breach. This time hackers targeted Chipotle Mexican Grill at various locations throughout the U.S. (if you believe you might have been a victim of this crime, Chipotle provides information on the specific restaurants affected h...

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The What and Why of a Goodwill Letter

Goodwill Letter

Think back on your financial history over the past decade. You’ve probably grown a lot in recent years, picking up new habits and beliefs. It’s likely that you’ve begun prioritizing savings or budgeting more than you did before. Maybe you’ve even done some learning from m...

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Credit Scores Affect Americans’ Financial Lives in Many Ways

More Impacts Credit Scores

It’s true that credit scores make a massive impact on the financial lives of Americans. However, many people don’t understand what their credit score is and how it works.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that student loan, automobile, and mortgage balance...

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Rewards Card Users Face Two Big Problems

Wrong Credit Card

Rewards card users open their credit card accounts with the best intentions. They look forward to cashing in on points, gift cards, miles, and even cash back offers. While it’s a lofty goal, many users fall short of their goal to get the most out of their rewards card acc...

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Should You Give Your Child a Prepaid Credit Card?

Kids Prepaid Card

I remember being 12 or 13 years-old and having my dad drop my friends and me off at the mall. He would often hand me a bill from his wallet – usually $10, but sometimes $20 if he was feeling extra generous – and bid us goodbye for a few hours. We were incredibly happy per...

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Mastercard Tests Fingerprint Detection Chip Card

Mastercard Fingerprint

Hackers are always on the lookout for new ways to steal your identity. First, they swiped our credit card identities right from under our noses by hacking computer data or even physically scanning our cards through our wallets. Today, we have chip cards and pins for an ad...

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Number of Credit Card Holders Hits Pre-Recession Levels

Record Number of Credit Card Holders

The number of credit card holders in the U.S. with at least one credit card has reached 171 million, the highest level since 2005. That’s according to the credit monitoring firm TransUnion.

"Overall, the credit market is performing well," Nidhi Verma, TransUnion's sen...

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The Reasons You're Not Getting Credit

Denied Credit

When you're trying to get a credit card or other types of loans, like mortgages and auto loans, banks have to decide not just if they're going to lend to you, they also have to decide how much interest to charge you. One of the tools they use to help make that decision is...

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Beware of New Trend in Credit Card Theft

New Credit Card Theft

Technology makes it easy to use credit cards pretty much anywhere, but where there's technology, there's a way to hack into it.

You've likely heard of skimming, a way card thieves steal credit and debit card numbers from card reader terminals at places like ATMs and g...

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Millennial Credit Scores the Lowest in the U.S.

Millenials Low Credit Scores

Forty three percent of Millennials currently have subprime credit, which means their credit score is situated somewhere between 550 and 620. This is surprising considering the fact that, in the Digital Age, information about how to keep a solid credit rating is everywhere...

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Wells Fargo Still Feeling the Impacts of Last Year’s Scandal

Wells Fargo Scandal Revisited

If you were paying attention last year, you probably heard at least something about Wells Fargo and their big scandal involving fake accounts. Even after their record-breaking fine, it seems that the massive bank isn’t done taking a beating.

What They Did

To rec...

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U.S. Bank Joins the Luxury Card Market

US Bank Altitude Reserve

First Chase wowed travel-focused consumers with its fancy Sapphire card. Then Amex added a Platinum card to its luxury line. Now U.S. Bank debuts its Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite card, a luxury travel rewards card that gives extra rewards for using mobile payments.

W...

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Should You Close Your Old Credit Card Accounts?

Close Credit Card Accounts

If you’ve been in the personal finance realm for any period of time, you’ve probably heard one of the classic rules of credit cards: Don’t close those old accounts, or your credit score will drop! But is this really true, and are there times where it really is smarter to ...

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Why the Rules for Your VantageScore are Changing

Vantage Score Rules Changing

Just when you thought you got the hang of this whole credit score thing, they’re changing the rules. The new changes to VantageScore, the alternative to FICO that’s often used when applying for credit cards, are based on increasingly-available trended data.

Forbes rep...

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EDGEcard Looks to Succeed Where Other Smart Cards Have Failed

EDGE Card Information

Security and convenience top the list of reasons many consumers continue to look for ways to leave their credit cards at home. For this reason, mobile payment systems offer an attractive value proposition to credit card holders: Load every credit card you have into the sy...

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Pay Off Credit Card Debt and Save Money at the Same Time

Save Money Pay Bills

It’s one of the most confusing and frequently pondered questions in personal finance, but untangling it could mean the difference between meeting financial goals or falling far short. Should you pay off credit cards or put money aside for emergencies?

The average Ameri...

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Are You Ready for Your Credit Score to Change?

Fico Score Changes

Applying for a new credit, an auto loan or a mortgage? You'd better hope that your credit score is good. This is a three-digit number that signifies what type of borrower you are, which is basically how well you manage money and debt and if you're likely to default on a l...

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How to Handle Credit Card Fraud When It Happens to You

Handle Credit Card Fraud

In the game of credit card industry vs. thieves, it seems as if the neck-and-neck race is never ending. As spending money gets easier with advanced technology, but it doesn’t necessarily get safer.

Almost half of Americans have been victimized by a credit card thieve...

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Credit card deals expected to increase summer travel this year

Summer Travel Bonuses

A surge in luxury, travel credit card signups that brought on huge points rewards could be what drives summer travel to be more hectic this year.

Gerard du Toit, a Boston-based partner at the consulting firm Bain & Company, explained to Marketwatch that about half of p...

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Credit Card Hacker Receives Stiff Prison Sentence

Russian Credit Card Hacker

The news is peppered with accounts of hackers breaching company networks and stealing data. In fact, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), parent of Holiday Inn, is one of the latest companies under scrutiny for data breaches. The hotel company acknowledged in February tha...

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Should I Pay an Annual Fee On a Credit Card?

Annual Fees Worth It

There are many credit cards out there, all offering a little something different to their consumers. You have cards that earn cash back or miles, rewarding cardholders for their spending habits. Some give 0% APR on purchases and/or balance transfers for a period of time,...

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Helping Your Kids Establish Credit Is Easier Than You Think

Kids Establish Credit

As a parent, you want your kids to have a leg up in this world, which is why you move to areas with good schools and encourage them to excel in sports and their other interests. It might be challenging to even think about your kids having credit reports and credit scores ...

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The Big Perks Behind Metal Credit Cards

Metal Credit Cards

For a while, a lot of people thought physical credit cards would become obsolete and that payment apps and smart devices would make it so that consumers never had to swipe their plastic in public again. So naturally, the metal credit card craze caught industry observers ...

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The Rules for Paying Taxes with a Credit Card

Taxes And Credit Card

Tax season is here. In fact, the deadline is quickly approaching. That means procrastinators, those dealing with confusing filings, and others who are avoiding the big bill are now looking this fateful day in the eye. But, there’s also the early filers who have already co...

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Tamper-Proof Wocket Keeps Your Credit Cards Organized and Safe

Wocket

So you have two debit cards, seven credit cards, and more rewards cards than you can count. Keeping track of all that plastic can be aggravating, especially if you try carrying them around with you all of the time. And then there’s traveling. If you’re a globetrotter usin...

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Credit Card Debt Keeps Rising, Tops $1 Trillion

Rising Credit Card Debt

New data from the Federal Reserve shows that consumers in the United States have combined credit card debt at a level that hasn't been seen since before the most recent recession.

The Federal Reserve tracks consumer debt on a monthly and quarterly basis. Revolving deb...

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Not all Credit Score Calculations are Created Equally

Fico Scoring

In the world of credit card scoring, many consumers aren’t aware that credit card lenders can utilize various credit scoring reports to determine your creditworthiness -- indeed, there are dozens of ways your score can be calculated.

While there isn’t exactly a “secre...

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New App Features Ease Credit Card Management

Make Things Easy

When you just want a little bit of information about your credit card, why would you bother calling customer service just to spend a lot time going through phone menus or sitting on hold--or worse, have to deal with a keypad that doesn't register or your card number, or h...

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AwardMe Lets You Maximize Free Travel with Credit Card Rewards

AwardMe

Financial institutions specialize in getting you excited about rewards so you’ll sign up for their credit cards. You usually can claim the rewards based on how much money you spend on the cards and where, and they can add up to some pretty amazing deals, especially if you...

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Experian is Fined $3 Million for Misleading Credit Score Consumers

Experian Fined 3 Million

If you’ve ever opened a credit card, bought a home, or even signed up for high speed internet, you’ve had your credit checked. In order to determine your creditworthiness, lenders will often turn to one of the three credit bureaus -- TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian – for...

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Earn More Credit Card Rewards When You Pay with Plastiq

Pay Anything With Plastiq

The hassle of paying bills never goes away no matter how much or how little money you earn. If you prefer or need to use your credit card rather than cash to pay bills, you’re stuck when certain businesses, such as those to which you pay rent, car payments, property taxes...

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Fed Hike Affects Credit Card Interest Rates

March 2017 Federal Reserve

The Fed has increased interest rates only three times since the financial crisis of 2007-2008: the most recent coming in March of 2017. While this may signal a perceived boost in the U.S. economy, interest rate hikes – even as minuscule as a quarter of a point – cause a c...

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CFPB Seeks Public Input on Credit Cards

CFPB Wants Help

Have complaints--or kudos--about how well your credit cards actually work for you? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) wants to hear from you to help it compile its latest credit card review.

The CFPB, the government agency that looks out for consumers' int...

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American Express Updates Platinum Card

Amex Platinum Benefits

Will credits for Uber rides be a tempting enough reward for consumers to sign up for a new credit card? American Express hopes so. The credit card has recently announced it's updating the rewards--and fees--associated with it Platinum Card.

Beginning March 30, America...

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CFPB Looks to Expand Credit Access

Expand Credit Access

As the old saying goes, it takes money to make money. In personal finance, sometimes you need to borrow money in order to make an investment that can reap a larger reward. This can be having the ability to buy a computer that can help you further your education or get cer...

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Outstanding Card Debt Hits $1 Trillion

Debt Hits 1 Trillion

In the cult classic "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," the villain Dr. Evil learns a thing or two about the changing value of money. When he demands a ransom of one million dollars, his Number 2 quietly informs him that that's not that much money in today's do...

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Say Good-Bye to Coin

Coin Shuts Down

Not quite two years after it shipped its first batch of product, Coin, the technology company that made a big splash by providing a credit card consolidation tool to make your wallet slimmer, is calling it quits.

Coin launched in November 2013, and after months of dela...

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Valentine's Day Deals for Your Sweetie

Valentine's Day Deals for Your Sweetie

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and whether you'd like to get a gift for that special someone in your life, celebrate the love of friendship or treat yourself, that means you're opening your wallet. According to Bing, last year people spent a record $19.7 billi...

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Card Account Openings Reflect Stronger Economy

Stronger Economy

A stronger economy means more consumer confidence, and the American Bankers Association's latest Credit Card Market Monitor report reflects this concept, as it found that more consumers are interested in having and using plastic as a form of payment.

Last August, we h...

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Data Breach Record Trounced

Data Breach Record Trounced

Identity theft can be completely ruinous. Thieves who get your information can open credit cards and mortgages in your name. In some cases, they drain your bank account or charge their medical bills to you. The consequences can be dire in terms of suddenly thinking you're...

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Amazon Prime Now Has an Exclusive Credit Card

Amazon Prime Credit Card

Membership often has its rewards, and Amazon hopes that its new Visa card will entice people to sign up for its Amazon Prime service. Now members of Amazon Prime can now apply for a new Amazon Visa card that's just for them--and offers rewards of its own.

This week, Am...

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Your Information Hacked in Just Six Seconds

Personal Information Hacked

For many people, shopping online takes the hassle out of going to the store. There's no traffic, no crowds, no lines--you can sit at home in your pajamas and shop in comfort.

However, as more people shop online and credit card technology improves, credit card thieves ...

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Credit Card Technology May Combat Online Fraud

Combat Fraud

A few weeks ago, this space ran an article about a data breach at Madison Square Garden that may have affected credit card holders whose cards only have magnetic stripes. If these cards had had EMV chips, the likelihood of their card information being stolen and potential...

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Holiday Shopping: Cash, Credit, or Debit?

Thanksgiving Holiday Shopping

Before you can get your Thanksgiving turkey on the table, your mailbox and inbox are filled with holiday shopping catalogs and offers. Whether you've already crossed everyone off your list or you're waiting to shop until it's actually Black Friday, you should be thinking ...

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Wells Fargo Struggles to Rebuild its Image

Rebuilding Image

It's been a rough couple of months for the leadership at Wells Fargo, ever since the scandal broke that some of the company's employees had been opening different types of accounts--including credit card accounts--for customers without their permission. This issue with We...

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LifeLock Debuts New Credit Card Management App

Lifelock App

Identity theft protection company LifeLock has just released a mobile app that can help consumers manage all of their credit card accounts in one place.

Called Identity, the company bills it as a "personal assistant" to help you manage your online accounts through your...

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New Credit Card Acts Like a Debit Card

Zero Financial

Debit cards are a popular payment option because they allow people to manage their finances and budget within their means. Credit cards are popular because they can help consumers buy big-ticket items, and many of them come with rewards programs. Although banks may offer ...

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Green Dot Enters Credit Card Market

Green Dot Bank

Green Dot Corporation, better known for its prepaid debit cards, has launched a Visa secured credit card that's designed to help consumers who have little to no credit history, or who have low credit scores, the opportunity to build their credit while having the benefits ...

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Amex Wins Appeal in Merchant Preference Case

Amex Wins Case

American Express scored a big victory this week, as it won an appeal around whether merchants can guide customers into using other types of credit cards.

The case first started in 2010 when the U.S. Justice Department and 17 states sued American Express, Visa and Mast...

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Chase Dives into Luxury Card Market

Chase Dives In

When you have fine tastes and an income to match, it's likely that you'll want a luxury credit card for your handcrafted Italian leather wallet. Several luxury cards exist, but Chase Card Services has just launched another card to tempt consumers who are willing to pay $4...

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American Express Has Summer of Special Offers

Summer Special Offers

This summer, American Express has announced several special offers for its cardholders. The company is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Membership Rewards program; it's partnered with online warehouse retailer Boxed; and it's offering special travel rewards for new...

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Discover Repeats as Most Satisfying Card

Discover Repeats

For the third year in a row, J.D. Power has named Discover as the best in credit card customer satisfaction, narrowly beating out former stalwart American Express.

"This recognition by J.D. Power for the third consecutive year inspires us because it comes from our card...

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Visa Tests Wearable Payments at Olympics

Olympics Wearable Payments

While all eyes are on Rio de Janeiro this August to watch the best athletes in the world compete at the Olympic Games, Visa is also debuting some new payment technologies to showcase what the credit card company has on tap in terms of wearable payments.

Visa is a TOP (...

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Consumers Spending More on Credit Cards

Spending Up

Although the country's economic growth has been weak, the credit card market has seen healthy growth in the first quarter of the year, according to a new report released by the American Bankers Association this month, and signs point to consumer spending and a better labo...

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New Cards Coming to a Store Near You

New Retail Cards

Over the last few months, several retailers have opted to create their own credit cards. These store cards, also called retail or private label credit cards, are options that can only be used at one particular store. These cards can also be incorporated with store loyalty...

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As Millennials Mature, They Want Credit Cards

Millenials Want Credit

Millennials have become the darlings of marketers, now making up the largest population group in the country. Because it's so large and is now in prime spending years, this generation will also affect the economy with how Millennials spend their money.

FICO recently re...

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Ally Bank Issues First Credit Card

Ally Cash Rewards

Ally Bank, an Internet-only banking institution, has launched its first credit card, a cash back rewards Visa card.

Cardholders can earn cash back on all eligible purchases they make with the card. Gas and grocery purchases earn two percent cash back. All other purchas...

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New Stonegate Card Issued for Use in Cuba

Stonegate Cuba Card

A Florida bank has become the first bank in the United States to issue a credit card that will work in Cuba. Stonegate Bank, headquartered in Pompano Beach, has announced its new MasterCard that will allow American travelers to use a credit card in Cuba.

This is a big ...

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New Digital Wallet Aims to Best Mobile Wallets

Spendwallet

While traditional credit card companies are slowly converting to new chip technology and mobile wallets like Android Pay and Apple Pay are slowly gaining traction at retailers, digital card consolidation products are still popping up to help you manage the physical clutte...

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Discover Opens Free Credit Scores to All

Discover Free Scores

Discover, who was one of the first credit card companies to offer free credit scores to its cardholders, is now offering that service to all U.S. consumers, regardless of whether they have a Discover card.

"Credit scores play an important role in many of life's big mo...

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Senator Durbin Takes on EMV

Dick Durbin EMV

Senator Dick Durbin from Illinois is a name associated with the financial services industry due to the Durbin Amendment, which was an add-on to the 2010 Dodd-Frank legislation to institute financial reform in America. Durbin's amendment limited the amount banks could char...

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New MasterCard Gives Marvel Fans Super Powers

Marvel MasterCard

MasterCard has tapped into the popularity of comic book heroes by teaming with Synchrony Financial and Marvel Partnerships to offer its take on the trend: a Marvel MasterCard credit card that offers cashback rewards and Marvel-related cardholder benefits.

"The Marvel M...

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Report: Consumers Using Credit Cards More

Consumers Using Cards More

When consumers aren't afraid to spend and the job market is good, credit card usage tends to rise. The American Bankers Association found that that's the case in a steady year-over-year increase during the fourth quarter of 2015, as the association reports in its latest C...

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Walmart Ups Ante with New Rewards Perks

Walmart Rewards

Earlier this month, Walmart, the world's largest retailer, announced it's changing the rewards on its Walmart Credit Card and Walmart MoneyCard credit card program, in what seems to be an effort to compete with other retailer card programs, particularly the new Costco Vis...

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Credit Cards Win Gold for Tools and Features

Credit Cards Win Gold

Earlier this year, Corporate Insight, a New York-based competitive intelligence and user experience research firm, released its fourteenth annual Credit Card Monitor Awards. These awards rate different banks in terms of their online and mobile car tools in a variety of ar...

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At Wells Fargo, New Card Rewards Program Goes Far

Wells Fargo Go Far

Being rewarded for using a credit card is a must for many American consumers--last year the American Bankers Association noted that a full 83 percent of credit card users have rewards-based credit cards, showing just how much cardholders like to be rewarded for spending m...

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Get Smart About Credit this Week

Smart About Credit

This week is National Consumer Protection Week, an annual campaign that's designed to highlight financial topics, inform consumers about their rights and promote tools that help people make better-informed decisions.

Sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission, the even...

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MasterCard Launches Luxury Card Line

MasterCard Luxury Line

New chip technology? That's old news. If you're looking for the latest and greatest in state of the art credit cards, look no further than the new Luxury Card. Developed by MasterCard, this new portfolio of luxury credit cards, you can now hold a card that's designed to g...

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Love and Money on Valentine's Day

Love And Money

Do love and money mix? Or should they mix? This year, as couples look forward to Valentine's Day, new survey results suggest that couples prefer fun as opposed to talking about money--an attitude that could cause big surprises as things get serious.

This year, Discover...

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New Cards and MasterPass Partner Hit the Market

New Cards MasterPass

If your wallet can hold more plastic, you've got more credit card options, as retailer Wawa has launched a new private label store credit card and Wells Fargo has added another American Express option to its line of American Express Propel cards. Or if you prefer to pay d...

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CFPB Warns About Risky Credit Card Practices

CFPB Risky Practices

Last week we started looking at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) biennial report on consumer credit cards and the gains that consumers have made since the CARD Act was signed into law, including saving billions of dollars on over-limit and late fees.

T...

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Another Smart Watch Coming to Steal Cards' Thunder

Swatch Payments

Every week it seems like there's another product hitting the market that will allow you to use your credit card--without actually using your credit card. The Apple Pay, Android Pay, Coin, Samsung Pay, the Apple Watch, other wearables that double as payment devices…the lis...

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FitPay Wins Wearable Start Up Challenge

FitPay Wearables

Ten years ago, most of us never thought we'd be so connected to our phones, let alone be able to do so many things with them. Now we're entering a phase of emerging technology that will introduce many of us to the concept of wearables, clothing or devices that incorporate...

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Practice Safe Online Shopping this Holiday Season

Practice Safe Online Shopping

With Thanksgiving deals, Black Friday and Cyber Monday kicking off the holiday shopping season, it's not just prime time for using your credit card to spend money, it's also prime time for hackers to steal credit card data. Nobody wants the gift of identity theft this hol...

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Android Pay -- A User's Experience

Android Pay

With mobile payments being touted as the next great way to use your credit card, this week I decided to jump on the mobile payments bandwagon and see what life would be like paying with my phone.

Even though I could have used Google Wallet when I got my Android phone,...

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Navy FCU Upgrades Credit Card Rewards Program

Navy FCU

Rewards are a popular feature with credit card holders, which means credit card issuers try to make sure they're on top of the latest trends in rewards that maximize value for their cardholders. This month, Navy Federal Credit Union (Navy FCU) upgraded its rewards program...

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MasterCard Jumps into Wearables Market

MasterCard Jumps into Wearables Market

If you're buying something at a store and want to pay with credit, you're probably already quite used to pulling out a plastic credit card. MasterCard announced this week that it is launching a program to expand the types of objects consumers can use to pay with MasterCar...

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FBI Warns About Chip Cards

FBI Warns About Chip Cards

This fall, one of the big milestones for implementing EMV chip card technology passed with a lot of fanfare, but not a ton of implementation. Merchants have been slow to upgrade their terminals, and card issuers have been slow to send out chip cards. Now an FBI Public Ser...

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CFPB Proposes Arbitration Clause Ban

CFPB Proposes Arbitration Clause

When you got your last credit card, did you also sign away some of your rights? You may have, without even realizing it. Some credit card companies bury language within the fine print of their card agreements that doesn't allow cardholders to band together in class action...

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Credit Reports in a Jiffy

Credit Reports in a Jiffy

Personal finance experts advise getting copies of your credit report annually to make sure that it's accurate. You want to make sure that everything on your credit report is attached to you and not someone trying to steal your identity or that the credit bureaus haven't a...

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A Slivver of Protection

Slivver Flu

We're heading into cold and flu season in the United States, which means that a lot of people take precautions to protect themselves from getting sick: Getting a flu shot, making sure not to touch people who are coughing, washing hands more often, being careful about what...

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EMV Deadline Hits this Week

EMV Deadline

When you flip the calendar page to October this week, listen closely--you might hear those ominous, "BA BUM BAAAA" tones. Well, maybe you won't, but in the credit card industry, October 1 is a fairly ominous day, as it's one of the major deadlines in the road to transitio...

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Credit Cards Meet Biometrics

Biometrics

While the U.S. continues its shift from very outdated magnetic stripe technology to EMV technology, payments companies are already trialing what could be the next thing in payments: biometrics.

Both Visa and MasterCard are testing the waters with adding biometric eleme...

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Coin 2.0 Comes to Wallets

Coin Wallets

Coin, one of the many credit card consolidation devices on the market, has recently released Coin 2.0, which incorporates NFC technology and is EMV-Ready. This allows users to add EMV cards to their Coin and make contactless payments with it.

The Coin device touts the ...

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Discover Tops Card Satisfaction Rankings

Discover Number One

Discover has finally toppled American Express off the top of J.D. Power's annual U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study this year, making 2015 the first year Amex has not been the national leader in this prestigious survey.

2015 marks the ninth edition of J.D. Power's sur...

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New Star Trek Cards Are Out of This World

Star Trek Card

A little less than a year before the next installment in the Star Trek movie reboot series is released, NASA Federal Credit Union (NASA FCU) has launched a set of Star Trek Visa-branded rewards credit cards.

The cards come courtesy of a licensing agreement with CBS Co...

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Credit Card News Round Up

News Round Up

Now that summer is in full swing, many of the major credit card brands are pulling out the stops on special offers and deals to help their cardholders enjoy the summer even more. Here's a quick look at some of the programs they have on tap.

Discover Extends Double Cas...

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Oh, the Ways We Pay!

Ways We Pay

If you want to think about the evolution of payments, just think about what a cashier would ask you in the checkout line. If you remember far back enough, you'd be asked, "Cash or check?" That gave way to, "Cash, check or charge?" which then turned into "Cash or credit?" ...

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Discover Signs Deal to Expand Global Acceptance

Discover Global Acceptance

If Visa is everywhere you want to be and MasterCard offers priceless experiences around the globe, what does Discover, the third largest credit card network in the world offer? Now with a new deal, it will offer more acceptance worldwide for its Diners Club and Discover b...

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Summer Plus Vacation Equals Credit Card Debts

Summer Vacation Debt

For many people, the summer months mean it's time to tap into that bank of vacation days and spend some time relaxing in the warm weather. With the cost of travel a lot lower this year, the possibilities of hitting the road for a little R&R seem more feasible than ever be...

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House Bill Proposes Credit Card Debt Relief

Make Debt Disappear

Could it one day be legally possible to have basic credit card debt forgiven? If Rep. Scott Peters had the choice, the answer would be yes. Early last month, the congressman from the San Diego area introduced the Consumer Debt Forgiveness Tax Relief Act of 2015, which if ...

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Farmers Entices with a New Rewards Card

Farmers Rewards Card

"We are Farmers! Ba ba ba dum bump bum bum bum!" If you've heard Farmers' jingle before, you know how it goes and just how much of an earworm it can be. Farmers wants that though, and now they want you to hear it every time you open your wallet, as the company is launchin...

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New Credit Cards Primed for Summer Spending

Summer Spending

Several credit card issuers have launched new cards or special bonus offers for their existing cards, tempting consumers to add more credit to their wallets or earn larger rewards during the prime summer months.

TD Bank and TD Ameritrade have launched a new high reward...

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Discover It Card Promo Doubles Cash Back

Discover Double

Cash back rewards are one of the most popular types of credit card rewards, and Discover is upping the ante with a special summer two-month promotion tied to its Discover It card that offers double cash back rewards after the first year of holding the card.

This two-mo...

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Exclusive Card Hits Dallas

Valt Dallas

Last year we wrote about the Magnises card, an uber-exclusive black steel card for the New York City market. The Magnises card isn't a different credit card because it uses the data from one of your existing credit or debit cards, but the new card offers perks like access...

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Payments in the Future

Future Payments

As I write this week's article, I'm on my way home from Australia, where I've been for the past twelve days. While I was gone, I tended to joke that I was living in the future because I was 14 hours ahead of everyone at home, but when it came to buying anything and paying...

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Coin Universal Card Starts Shipping

Coin Is Shipping

After about two years and many delays, universal credit card Coin has started shipping its product to the nearly 350,000 early adopters who jumped at the opportunity to fund Coin's crowdfunding campaign to support the product.

Coin made a big splash when it launched--t...

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New American Express Card Gives You Plenti

Plenti Rewards Card

American Express has teamed up with Plenti, a loyalty coalition, to offer a new cobranded credit card that allows cardholders to earn Plenti rewards points. Members of the Plenti rewards program can use these points at a variety of retailers around the U.S.

The America...

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Pay the Taxman or Your Credit Could Suffer

Taxes And Credit Scores

April 15 can put fear into a lot of people, as that's the day that taxes are due. If you're one of the lucky ones who get a refund, the only thing you need to worry about is making sure your tax return is filed on time. If you owe the IRS money, it's not a particularly gr...

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Could Dynamic CVV Be the Card of the Future?

Dynamic CVV

The CVV code may be better known as "that three-digit number on the back of your credit card." CVV stands for Card Verification Value, and this system, which is either a three-digit number on the back of your card, or, in the case of American Express, a four-digit number ...

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Samsung to Battle Apple Pay

Samsung Apple Pay Battle

Mobile payments have been "the next big thing" for many years, but actually getting Americans to use their phones as a payment device has been a different story. Apple Pay made a big splash last fall when it was introduced in Apple's new iPhone 6 as a way to load credit c...

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Don't Forget Your Annual Credit Check

Annual Credit Check

Perhaps you're celebrating National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) with a big slice of cake or making a special NCPW sandwich, but hopefully you're also learning about different ways to protect yourself financially. For credit cards, one of the best ways to protect yours...

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National Consumer Protection Week Seeks to Inform

Consumer Protection Week

Did you know that as a consumer you have rights when it comes to a lot of products you interact with? If you didn't, then next week is your week to learn. March 1-7 has been designated National Consumer Protection Week, a national effort to educate people about the rights...

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Anonymous Purchases? Think Again

Connect The Dots

Data breaches and stolen credit cards are a couple of the ways people experience identity theft, and keeping personal information private is a key part of securing them. However, our personal information isn't the only thing that can identify us, according to a study by r...

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Data Breaches Set Record in 2014

Data Breach Record

Last year--and yes, it was only just over a month ago--didn't it seem like every week there was yet another report of a data breach or a store or company that had its information hacked? That's probably because there was. The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) found th...

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New Credit Card Fights Global Climate Change

Fight Climate Change

Modernization has changed the effect that humans have had on the earth, and the increase in greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere mainly due to burning gasoline and other fossil fuels for energy, deforestation, industrial production, and other practices have led to an in...

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Will 2015 Bring You a Priceless Surprise?

Priceless Surprises

MasterCard is continuing its Priceless promotional program, and this year's it's teamed up with entertainer Gwen Stefani to bring surprise into MasterCard users lives.

This year the program is called Priceless Surprises, and instead of previous iterations of the progra...

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Wells Fargo Announces ATM Reward Redemption

ATM Rewards Redemption

Rewards are nice, which is a big reason why rewards credit cards are so popular. However, being able to redeem those rewards easily is also a key to whether or not you'll use the card often--or often enough to make the rewards worthwhile.

Now Wells Fargo has simplifie...

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Colleges Marketing Fewer Credit Cards

Marketing Agreements

The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) has released its annual report on marketing credit cards at colleges and universities, and it shows that the number of credit card agreements between schools and financial institutions continues to decline. However, the inform...

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Citi Sees Double with New Cash Back Card

Double

Citi's turning up the pressure on the competition with its latest cash back card, offering cash back not just at the time of purchase, but also when you pay it off.

Citi's new Double Cash Card gives one percent cash back on all eligible transactions--what you spend on ...

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Looking Toward a Fraud-proof Credit Card

Fraud Proof

Today's credit card news is full of stories about the migration from magnetic stripe technology to EMV chip technology, and how that will make credit cards less susceptible to fraud. That's very true--a Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Working Paper noted that when credit ...

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Will You Pay with Mobile this Holiday Season

Holiday Mobile Payments

The holiday shopping season is underway as retailers have been touting Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for weeks in an effort to lure customers to their stores or websites. In years past, shoppers paid with cash. As credit cards became more proliferate, they became th...

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Credit Card Late Fees

Credit Card Late Fees

Credit card late fees can feel like a slap in the face. Not only are these fees expensive, but cardholders who happen to pay late will also incur more interest charges and may even have a higher penalty interest rate imposed.

Thankfully, there are many strategies that ...

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Paying from the Heart

Paying With Heartbeat

Authenticating payments has been a big issue in combatting credit card fraud. Having a credit card in hand and perhaps even showing a photo ID doesn't necessarily mean that the person whose in possession of the card is the owner of the card. As the future trends toward mo...

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Airport Lounge Access From Credit Cards

Airport Lounge Access

As the weather turns nasty this winter, travelers will often find themselves trapped in monotonous airport concourses, waiting for flight out. And even in the best of circumstances, travelers need an oasis from the crowded food courts and overpriced shops that litter toda...

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Stratos Card Could Be Game Changer

Stratos

We're continuing our series on consolidated credit cards. These are cards that you can load most, if not all of the cards in your wallet onto in order to make your wallet a little slimmer, provide ease of payment and make it more difficult for thieves to steal one of your...

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Prepaid Cards are Inferior to Credit Cards

Inferior Versus Superior

In the payment industry, there is nothing hotter than the trend towards prepaid debit cards. Major companies issue them, the Millennial generation uses them, and celebrities endorse them, but how do their features and benefits stack up against standard credit cards?

Th...

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Getting Elite Status When You Travel

Elite Status

Navigating our modern travel system is all about managing the indignities you must face. Will you have to arrive two hours early to wait in a line to check your bags, go through security, and board the plane? Will you be asked to pay fees for your bags, for a better seat,...

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Final Wants the Final Word on Cards

Final Card

We're continuing our series on credit card consolidators, but the subject of this week's article might be considered just the opposite. Many of the card consolidation products on or coming to the market promote the idea of putting all of your cards onto one device in orde...

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The Significance Of Swipe Fees

Swipe Fees

When you think about it, credit cards are a beautiful system. Cardholders are assured a secure and convenient transaction, and merchants don't have to worry about their customer's credit. And when customers use a card with no annual fee, and pay each month's statement bal...

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Diners Club Returns To The US Market

Diners Club Returns

Diners Club is one of the oldest names in the credit card business, having offered the world's first multipurpose charge card in 1950. Nevertheless, it has not offered its card to new applicants in the United States over the last five years as the brand has changed owners...

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Benefits Offered By Payment Networks

Payment Network Benefits

Credit card issuers love to tout the rewards and benefits offered by their cards. Some cards offer valuable points, miles, or cash back rewards, while others feature perks with specific retailers or travel providers. But there is a lesser known set of benefits that is not...

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Creating A Reward Credit Card Portfolio

Reward Card Portfolio

Those who are not carrying a balance on their credit cards can think of them as financial instruments to be optimized. Just like investments, credit card users can hold a portfolio of credit cards that each serve a different purpose in order to maximize their returns.

...

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It Can Always Be Saturday Night in Your Wallet

Saturday Night Live Credit Card

The hit comedy and variety show "Saturday Night Live" turns 40 this year, and thanks to a licensing deal between MasterCard and Columbus, Ohio-based Comenity Bank, you can now own an SNL credit card that can earn exclusive rewards based on the show.

Cardholders earn on...

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Coin Delays Shipment, Implements Beta Test

Coin Shipment Delayed

Last November we brought you the story of Coin, a revolutionary new credit card product that would allow users to cut down on the number of credit cards they had to carry around with them by consolidating them on this device. Coin announced its product with much fanfare, ...

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Home Depot Bests Target with Breach

Home Depot Breach

Many corporations want to be number one, and that typically means being the largest or having the most. However, no company wants to be known for having the largest breach of credit card information. Yet Home Depot recently became known for just that, as it announced this...

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Apple Pay: The Tipping Point for Mobile Payments?

Mobile Payment Apple Pay

Last week Apple announced the release of the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6S Plus and the Apple Watch. Since this isn't a mobile phone blog, we normally wouldn't be interested in that sort of release, but these three products use a new feature called Apple Pay, which allows iPhon...

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Americans Keep Paying Their Credit Cards

Paying Credit Cards

Most Americans who have credit cards know that part of the privilege of being allowed to carry a credit card is that you agree to pay off the money you charge on it. Not doing so can get you into a world of trouble, including the potential for needing to declare bankruptc...

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Amazon Launches Card Reader

Amazon Card Reader

Although Amazon is ubiquitous with online shopping, the online retailer has decided to jump into the mobile card reader space to compete with Square and PayPal. It's recently launched Amazon Local Register, a card reader and mobile app geared toward small businesses.

M...

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One Millennial's Quest for a Credit Card

Credit Card Quest

The Millennial generation is graduating from college, entering the workforce and taking on the responsibilities of adulthood. But what is it like for this generation to have credit cards?

Data from Experian's State of Credit report shows that Millennials have fewer ba...

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Study Shows High Rates of Debt in Collections

High Debt Rates

The recession and housing crisis of the last several years is still having an effect on millions of Americans, according to a new survey published by Urban Institute that found that over one-third of adults with credit files have a debt in collections. The areas of the co...

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Survey: Americans Confident about EMV Cards

EMV Card Survey

It's not quite like Paul Revere's ride through Massachusetts warning the Colonists the British were coming, but one can almost hear similar cries of "EMV chip cards are coming!" They may be coming, but what do American consumers think about this change? Are we ready for i...

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Visa's V.me Becomes Visa Checkout

Visa Checkout

Last month Visa rebranded and relauched its V.me eCommerce payment service. Now called Visa Checkout, the service still intends to simplify and make shopping online through any type of computing device as simple as it is to swipe a physical credit card at a store, while m...

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Mega-Exclusive Card Hits New York

Magnises VIP Card

Perks. Access. Special events. Many credit card companies have VIP cards that invoke exclusivity. The Visa Black Card is made of stainless steel, has a $495 annual fee and promises VIP treatment at hotels and airport lounges, luxury gifts and more. Not to be outdone, Amer...

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Sam's Club to Introduce EMV Card

New Sams Card

Sam's Club, the warehouse club division of Wal-Mart, has announced that it will introduce a new store credit card that will feature cash back rewards and EMV chip-enabled technology.

The announcement signals the end of Sam's Club's current credit card program, which is...

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Spotlight on Skimmers

Credit Card Skimmer Thief

The news this year has been full of credit card breaches--hackers breaking into a company's databases to steal thousands or millions of people's credit card and personal information that's then used or sold in some way to enable theft and other criminal activity. Target, ...

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CARD Act Celebrates Five Years

CARD Act 5 Year Anniversary

On May 22, consumer advocates celebrated the fifth anniversary of the CARD Act, the 2009 law that put reforms in place to protect American consumers from abusive credit card practices. In cheering the success of this law, some advocates also noted the need for the Consume...

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Want to Be at the World Cup? Bring Your Visa.

FIFA World Cup Brazil

Soccer fans planning to go to Brazil to take in this year's World Cup had better be sure to take their Visas--not just the visa you may need to enter the country, but your Visa card. Visa is the exclusive global financial services sponsor for the FIFA World Cup, which mea...

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Americans Shed Credit Card Debt, Cards

Shed Credit Card Debt

A recent Gallup poll indicates that Americans are toning down their love affair with credit cards. Not only are we carrying less outstanding debt on the cards we have, more of us are also paying the full balance we owe every month. Furthermore, we are also carrying fewer ...

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Wells Fargo Launches Two New Amex Cards

Propel Card Travel Experiences

This week Wells Fargo and American Express launched two new rewards credit cards designed to allow customers to earn rewards faster, enjoy special perks and have extra protection for shopping and travel.

"Last year, we announced our partnership with American Express as...

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Xapo Introduces Debit Card for Bitcoin Currency

Xapo Debit Card

If you have bitcoins, the virtual peer-to-peer digital currency, you now have a way to use them to buy things, whether it's online or in person, thanks to bitcoin wallet provider Xapo's new bitcoin debit card.

Bitcoin is a digital currency that's been around since 2009...

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Loop Credit Card Fob Enables Mobile Wallet Use

Loop Credit Card NFC Payments

We do a lot of things with our smart phones, and one thing industry experts expected by now was that more people would be using their phones to pay for purchases. Some technological advances have helped this, but one major problem has been the fact that both the user and ...

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Amex Launches New "EveryDay" Card

Amex EveryDay Card Launch

This April, American Express will launch its new Amex EveryDay Credit Card, a new rewards credit card that gives cardholders a bonus for using it.

Unlike traditional rewards cards that give you points not just based on how much money you spend using the card, but it al...

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Barclaycard Adds Features to Travel Community

Arrival Travel Community

Last summer I wrote about Barclaycard's new travel rewards card called Arrival. It's a MasterCard that lets you earn miles on purchases and apply them toward tickets on any airline. Extra perks of the card include a 10 percent mileage rebate, a subscription to TripIt Pro'...

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Target Moves on EMV Cards

Target EMV Cards

In dealing with the aftermath of the breach on its computer systems, Target has announced that it plans to speed up its planned implementation of chip-enabled smart cards, also known as EMV cards.

Target's Chief Financial Officer John Mulligan announced the company's ...

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Keep Alert for the $9.84 Scam

984 Credit Card Scam

As if the news of the Target credit card breach hasn't been enough, two other retailers -- Michael's craft stores and Neiman Marcus -- have also reported breaches in which consumer credit card data may have been stolen. On top of that, there's another credit card scam hap...

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CFPB: College Card Agreements Decline

College Agreements

In its recently released annual report on college credit cards, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found a decline in college credit card agreements, yet the agency still sees a need for financial institutions to disclose their marketing agreements with colle...

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Don't Forget Your Cashback Bonus Savings

Cash Back Bonus Calendar

January's usually a month where people do a little fiscal belt-tightening, as the fun spending mood of the holidays ceases, the bills roll in, and you resolve to save more money in the new year. Rewards cards can help you put back a couple of extra dollars, so now may be ...

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News from Target Data Breach Keeps Getting Worse

Target Data Breach Fallout Update

The data breach that Target suffered during the 2013 holiday shopping season is apparently larger than first thought. The discount retailer had initially reported that the nearly three week-long malware attack affected 40 million credit and debit accounts. Now the discoun...

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Study: Rewards Cards May Come at a Price

Rewards Cards May Come At A Cost

Rewards cards that offer cash back, gifts, miles or other goods seem like a good deal, but they actually could end up costing you more, particularly if you carry a balance. The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation conducted a study last year th...

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Good Strategies for Paying Off Holiday Bills

Pay Bills

Everyone's opened their holiday presents, the wrapping paper's been thrown away and you start looking forward to a new year. It always seems that the mail, which was recently full of holiday wishes and good cheer, is now full of holiday bills.

If you didn't pay cash fo...

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Does Marketing Drive Your Financial Decisions?

Financial Marketing

When you make decisions about your credit card choice, usage and payments, are you making your financial decisions based on knowledge or marketing? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently published a study that believes biased marketing may be guiding con...

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New Technologies Could Transform the Way You Pay

New Mobile Payment Technologies

You might not think twice about pulling a credit card out of your wallet to pay for something, but the concept about using some sort of card as a method of payment has been around for less than 100 years. We've come a long way from the first days of these cards, which sta...

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Slim Your Wallet with One Coin

Coin

If you've ever felt that your wallet is too fat, not because you've got a lot of cash but because you're carrying a lot of cards, now there's a new product to help you streamline your wallet. It's called Coin, a mobile app that comes with a device that looks and acts like...

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New Credit Card Supports Cancer Research

Cancer Research Credit Card

Earlier this year, cancer research initiative Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) gained a fundraising partner in MasterCard. Now MasterCard has upped its commitment to the organization, and a credit card issuer has joined in to raise money for cancer research.

Fifth Third Bank,...

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Millions Eligible for Free Credit Scores

Free Credit Score

The all important credit score, the number that determines your creditworthiness and is used to help determine how much of a loan you can get and how high your interest rates will be, used to be something you paid for. Now millions of credit card customers will be able to...

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Huntington Bank Offers Customers a Voice

Voice Rewards Card

Huntington Bank, a regional bank located in Columbus, Ohio, has expanded its credit card offerings to include a consumer card called Voice. Huntington designed the card with its customers in mind and intends to give them a voice in how they want to set up their credit car...

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MasterCard Expands Digital Wallet Services

Digital Shopping Cart

MasterCard has recently announced two developments that it hopes will further the growth of its MasterPass digital wallet service, including more retailer acceptance and adding content purchasing.

North American online fashion retailer Beyond the Rack has joined Master...

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Technology Infuses Credit Cards

For decades, credit cards have had the same look: plastic, with an account number embossed on the front and a magnetic stripe on the back. The introduction of the EMV card started changing the appearance of credit cards, adding a computer chip to the front of the card tha...

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Wells Fargo to Issue American Express Cards

Adding to their long history together Wells Fargo and American Express have added to their partnership to allow Wells Fargo & Company to issue new credit cards on American Express' network.

Wells Fargo and American Express' relationship goes back to the founding of bot...

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Capital One Debuts New Cash Rewards Card

A lot of credit card holders want their cards to work for them, so they opt for one of the many rewards cards available on the market. Capital One has made it even more difficult to choose among rewards cards with the introduction of its new Quicksilver Card that tries to...

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Credit Card Website Rankings Show Differences

Change Sciences recently published its "Credit Card Web Site User Experience" trending report that looked at 18 top credit card websites

These days, many people interact with their credit card company online. Whether it's shopping for a new card or paying a monthly bill, consumers flock to the Internet to handle many of their credit card transactional needs.

That makes it important for credit card compa...

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BillGuard Tracks Grey Charges

If you've ever looked at your credit card statement and wondered why you're getting charged fees for things you didn't intend, such as an unwanted auto-renewal or unintended subscription, you may be the victim of "grey charges," a term to describe credit or debit card cha...

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Protect Yourself from Card Fraud this Summer

With the warm summer weather comes festival and summer vacation season. While it's great to get outdoors and explore, being at a crowded event or a tourist in an unfamiliar city can make you a target for criminals and identity thieves. If you take a few minutes to prepare...

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New Barclaycard Arrival Aimed at Travelers

After an initial launch last December, Barclaycard US has expanded the availability of its Arrival World MasterCard travel rewards credit card to all U.S. customers, giving cardholders a way to earn miles for travel--even when they're redeemed.

Barclaycard Arrival card...

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A Glimpse at Platinum Rewards

Like the average American, I get a lot of credit card offers in the mail each week. Most of them I tear up without even opening, but the heavy silver envelope from American Express had me looking more closely.

"Dear Ms. Jaracz," the letter started. "Do you expect the b...

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AARP Members Can Chase New Credit Card

Chase Card Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. has partnered with AARP to offer a new rewards credit card to the organization's members. With this card, cardholders will be able to earn cash back on purchases, but they won't have to pay an annual fee.

The AAR...

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Let Your Fingers Do the Paying

In today's world where faster is better--particularly when you're at the cash register, waiting for someone to swipe their credit card, thumb through their wallet for cash, or even worse, write a check--a new start-up company has found a way to make credit card payments f...

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MasterCard Continues Evolving Mobile Wallets

Last year MasterCard launched a big push for the use of mobile wallets, a tool in which you can store your credit card information in a secure area of your cell phone or in an app that's on your cell phone to use for paying for goods at stores. At the recent Mobile World ...

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The Romantic Side of Credit

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, love and romance or flowers and chocolates might be on the brain. Even though those items are important, sitting down and taking an unromantic look at your finances and credit can help you and your partner have a deeper relatio...

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Will You Pay More for Using Your Credit Card?

Many gas stations have a policy of charging more for using a credit card versus paying with cash. The price differences are clearly marked at the pump, and consumers have the right to choose whether or not they will pay a little extra for the convenience of using plastic....

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Discover Has "It"

To start off 2013, Discover Financial Services has added a new credit card to its portfolio that it claims will change the credit card industry. The Discover it card offers rewards, Discover's vaunted customer service and a look like no other.

"We believe that consumer...

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Does Crowdsourcing Work in Credit Cards?

Last spring, Barclays introduced Barclaycard Ring, a simple credit card that's driven by crowdsourcing, a movement where its members make decisions about the card's policies. What have the masses accomplished this year with the Barclaycard Ring card?

One of the selling...

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Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Launches Rewards Visa

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and U.S. Bank have teamed up to launch the Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature Card, which allows cardholders to earn a free night stay at over 1,000 participating Carlson Rezidor hotels worldwide.

"The launch of this card is a sign...

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Citi Tracks the Prices for You

Sometimes shopping for a deal can be a great thing. Say you're shopping for a new flat-screen TV, and you've spent hours doing research on different models and looking at sales flyers to get the best deal. You think you've got exactly the model you want at a great price, ...

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The Credit Card of the Future?

While credit card issuers in the U.S. are busy introducing EMV technology to Americans, MasterCard has been working on the next generation of credit cards, and it's like nothing else you've seen.

MasterCard Worldwide has collaborated with Standard Chartered Bank Singap...

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Tipping Made Easy with DipJar

You've just ordered an impossibly complicated coffee drink at your local coffee shop, but the barista remembers exactly how you like it and doesn't raise an eyebrow over your needing a two-thirds caf, one-third decaf, mocha skim latte with part soy milk, part skim milk wi...

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Credit Card Debt Rates on the Rise

Credit trends could be returning to normal, says a recent analysis of consumer-credit data, as Americans are letting their credit card debt rise, and they aren't being as diligent about making payments on time.

According to [TransUnion's quarterly report of credit card...

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The EMV Card Experience

One of the biggest developments in the U.S. credit card scene over the last year has been the introduction of the EMV chip card. This card, which is slowly coming on the market in the U.S., is prominent in many other areas of the world. But what is having a chip card like...

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Super Fan? Get a Super Credit Card

If you call yourself a football superfan, Sunday is your day. You probably watch all the games wearing your team jerseys and are managing at least one fantasy league. Even though you may show your dedication in the stadium and on the couch, you can also put your money whe...

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