Browsing Tag »cash«

With little help from credit cards, retailers expect weak holiday sales

October 16, 2009

Holiday sales will be down 1 percent this year, according to the leading retail trade association, with lackluster spending by consumers unlikely to get a boost from Christmas presents put on credit cards. According to the National Retail Federation, frugal-minded consumers are likely to shift away from credit cards and instead put holiday buys on [...]

Emily’s list: Boss’s Day edition

October 16, 2009

Today is Boss’s Day, an annual holiday celebrated in America. A bad boss can make your world a living hell, but a great boss can make your life much easier. Today is a time for employees to thank their superior for being a good and fair boss (though right now, I think it’s simply a [...]

Consumer Reports’ Credit Cards Worth Holding

October 16, 2009

In the November 2009 issue of Consumer Reports magazine, they had a rundown of “credit cards worth keeping.” This is an especially useful list now that terms are changing and many of us are considering moving on. Here are Consumer Reports’ picks: Balance-Transfer Cards Consumer Reports likes American Express Clear, PenFEd Visa Platinum and People’s United Bank [...]

MasterCard, Visa (Cauldrons) to 7-Eleven (Kettle): You’re so Black

October 16, 2009

Let’s play a quick game. Guess by who this comment was made and at whom: These companies “used deceptive language to trick their customers into signing something they thought would save them money.” (WSJ) You might think the party being accused of deceiving consumers with deceptive language was the very same industry that was recently [...]

Wednesday Links: The ripoffs continue, BofA charges annual fees and how to pay off your credit card debt with micropayments

October 16, 2009

Greetings, MYC readers. There’s a lot of buzz about credit cards this week and so I thought it’s time for another roundup. Here’s what’s in the news: Still Getting Screwed PressofAtlanticCity.com has a reader writing in to complain that, in spite of the new CARD Act, they are still getting jacked around by credit card companies, namely [...]

The MYC Link Roundup: Free Credit Scores, Debit Trends and More

October 16, 2009

Today, we’ll be taking a look at some essential and interesting links and articles from around the web on the topic of credit cards. With the economy in a rut and new credit card and banking legislation on the horizon, now is an especially important time to be aware of all the news and views [...]

Bank of America: The Nice Guys?

October 16, 2009

The results are in, and according to numerous studies, we’re pissed about our credit cards. We’ve had our credit limits slashed, our rewards cut back, our interest rates hiked and our coffers raided by fees, fees and more fees. Some vindication came in the form of the Credit CARD Act, but for the most part, [...]

Nickled and Dimed: The High Cost of Banking While Poor

October 16, 2009

You load sixteen tons, and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ’cause I can’t go; I owe my soul to the company store… That’s the chorus to an old coal mining song first recorded by Merle Travis in 1946. When he talks about the company store, he’s talking [...]

Futuregoof: 4 Grand Frustrations in Credit Card Technology

October 16, 2009

Our era is one marked by explosive technological growth. It seems like just as soon as you’ve figured out the latest gizmo, then it’s no longer the latest. In this way, we more often find ourselves adjacent to the next tech generation rather than astride it. And like the kid who finally got through the [...]

Credit Card Review: Chase Freedom

October 16, 2009

Chase Freedom has always been a favorite among card users seeking cash back rewards. But in recent months, there have been some big changes to this card that was once the hands down best card for cash back rebates. You can still get $100 cash back with a new Chase Freedom card, but once you’re [...]