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Are you still in love with the little plastic card in your pocket? Let me play Cupid’s enemy here. Do you know the secrets these devils bear? Let me tell you the truth.

1) Annual Charges:

Do you think of it as a better option? It is better if you consider paying for that again. This is just robbing you off money. Now if you find the reward outweighing the annual fee you can consider opting for this.

2) Rewards??

Did you read the fine print properly? The free air ticket that they are providing brings in more trouble than relief. Can you imagine booking a year in advance, or flying on particular dates, to particular places, staying at a particular place which are pre determined? Do you call them rewards?

3) Convenience checks:

These come with low rate balance transfer offers. Can you believe these are actually treated as cash advances? A sudden bill of 3% or a minimum of $5 to $ 10 is a shock. If you go for a stop payment you are handed a bill of $30 to pay for a so called convenience check which added to all your inconvenience. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are thorough with the current news on security of your credit then you must be aware of the $10 package offered by Lifelock for your credit safety. Now who would mind spending a minimum of $10 a month for security? You can use this tool provided with all or any of the credit bureaus for setting up a credit lock.

Experian is not happy with this whole issue. Recently it has sued Lifelock for selling this product illegally. The case is still pending at the Federal court in Ca. According to FTC, Experian does not have a clean record as well. In the Year 2005 they were also sued by an agency for using deceptive services and providing free offers on the freecreditreport[dot]com website and had to pay a $1 million as a settlement.

Just for you to rejuvenate your knowledge regarding the different security measures read more: Read the rest of this entry »

There are credit card programs available in the market, which are based on health and medical expenses. If you are undergoing persistent medical expenses and not very comfortable carrying revolving credit, then these cards might come handy.

Two major banks Citibank and BoFA are offering these special credit card programs which help reducing the total medical expenditure in a year. BoFA is offering point based programs. In case you have insurance through Aetna, you can turn your accumulated points to “cash direct deposits to a health savings account, or other standard rewards.” Members of Caremark are eligible or awards but not cash deposit.

For Citibank the offer remains open for all. It offers discounts through PrescriptionDiscountBenefit [dot] com.

These credit card interests vary from 10% to 11%.

Want to handle your gas bills better? Why not go for a pre paid gas card. Find some facts that will help you better in your choice.

Pre-paid gas cards

You want to use cards then; the best way to get it is by buying it. Some people find it smart to get it free. The best advantage of a pre-paid gas card is that you can avoid any Gas station identity fraud. However one fact is that many gas stations give you upto 5% cash back immediately for the usage of cash instead of a card. So why not go for a cash pay?

Want to find more about this? Read the rest of this entry »

Your credit report defines your financial existence. The three digit score can keep you and can devastate you as well. There is no need of unnecessary panic. This was just to start a conversation by raising an alarm.

Here goes the five guidelines:

1) Check your credit report

Annual Credit Report [dot] com provides you with free credit reports from all the three bureaus Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. Order it for free once in a year or you can call 1-877-322-8228 for ordering free report. Read the report thoroughly and check all the items both relevant and irrelevant. This enables to find out any probable inaccuracy.

2) Dispute incorrect items:

The first point of contact should be the credit bureaus for any mistaken item in your file. Rather than disputing online send a certified mail with your complete name and address. Write meticulously regarding each item that you dispute and the reason. Request for early correction of the items. Usually it gets done within a month.

To know the other guidelines go ahead Read the rest of this entry »