A recent article reviewed the new debt agreement as follows: “It’s like a 400-pound man boasting that he plans to drop 20 pounds over a decade, while his doctors warn about the risks of losing weight so fast.” I found that analogy grossly misinformed. It’s much more like a 400-pound man who is gaining 50 [...]
Student Loan Debt…
Posted By Last updated August 11th, 2010 1 Comment
… is higher than credit card debt in our country (hat tip: Wall Street Journal). How can this be?, you may ask, when the number of news stories on credit cards seem to vastly outweigh the corresponding reports on student loans. Well, yes, credit card stories seem to outnumber student loan stories by a ratio of about 15 to 1, according to StudentLoanJustice.org. How did this happen?
More Fallout From the Credit CARD Act
Posted By Last updated February 24th, 2010 Leave a Comment
Like I mentioned in my article yesterday, this week ushers in the new credit card laws. On Monday, the provisions of the Credit CARD Act of 2009 took effect, to the joy of consumers everywhere. Well, not all consumers. Confused? Don’t be. The new credit laws will increase the cost of credit for people with worse credit scores.
The Death of Personal Responsibility
Posted By Last updated February 22nd, 2010 Leave a Comment
Happy Monday morning! Did you know that today is the day that the credit card rules enacted in the Credit CARD Act of 2009 go into effect? Most likely you have seen increased communication from your credit card companies already, as they attempt to predict the effect of the rules on their profit (and change your rates preemptively). However, I would like to concentrate on one area of the credit card laws which will probably shake things up right away – the new restrictions placed on credit cards for people under 21.
Cutting Up the Card
Posted By Last updated February 10th, 2010 1 Comment
Credit card issuance was down significantly in 2009. In hard numbers, through October issuance was down 46%. Simultaneously, debit card usage was up between 10 and 20% worldwide according to Visa and Mastercard’s Results. The trend is evident; consumers are moving away from debt and trying to make purchases out of funds they already have.
Revolve Debt to Fund an Emergency Fund?
Posted By Last updated January 31st, 2010 1 Comment
CNN’s Walter Updegrave fielded a question this weekend which, simply, sort of shocked me. A reader wanted to know if he and his wife should temporarily stop paying the full balance on their credit cards in order to build up an emergency fund. Is this really an option that some people are considering?
Reactions to Credit Card Laws: ‘Consumer Friendly’ Offerings
Posted By Last updated January 25th, 2010 2 Comments
Even though I lifted the moniker from this article on CNN Money, the scare quotes are appropriate. I’ve written about the Credit Card Act of 2009 and its unintended consequences. Lucky for you, the law is starting to bear fruit. We’ve seen issuers who offer cards with 79.9% interest rates, at least this article features a few cards with redeeming qualities. Anyway, you can tell the title is a bit tongue in cheek, but let’s tackle the features in the three cards shown.
Charge Cards: How They Compare to Standard Credit Cards
Posted By Last updated December 24th, 2009 Leave a Comment
Merry Christmas Eve to all my Christian readers, I’ve got a gift for you a day early. What if you could take your credit card now, make it so you can’t run a balance, and add an annual fee? Sound like something you might be interested in? Me neither. However, that’s exactly how a charge card compares to a traditional credit card.
The Truly Free Credit Report
Posted By Last updated November 20th, 2009 1 Comment
There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Maybe you can think of an exception, but the only free lunches I’ve been on were for interviews or retirement seminars. How about free credit reports?
Surprisingly, yes, there is a way to get a free credit report. You can get a free credit report from each credit agency every year, to boot. How to do it? For starters, you don’t go to the site with the singing pirates.
Lending to Friends
Posted By Last updated November 12th, 2009 Leave a Comment
Yesterday there was an interesting topic on CNN Money, one which gets touched on at most major personal finance sites: should you loan money to friends? The answer most often given, is no. There are some caveats… this specific article mentioned securing the loan in some way. What’s the best way to structure such a loan, assuming you go through with it?
