Credit card news archive

Taking on new debt in an economic downturn -- During economic instability, it is wise to reconsider the need to take on additional credit lines. ... (more)

5 secrets to smart debit card use -- Debit cards are more common now than ever. We'll give you some helpful tips to make sure you're using them in the smartest way possible. ... (more)

Auditor will review 650,000 Cap One credit card accounts to ensure money is returned -- Capital One must repay $340,000 to credit card users because the company collected old debts that had been discharged in Chapter 13 bankruptcy. ... (more)

Auditor will review 650,000 Cap One credit card accounts to ensure money is returned -- Capital One must repay $340,000 to credit card users because the company collected old debts that had been discharged in Chapter 13 bankruptcy. ... (more)

What credit card users need to know to survive the 2008 credit crunch -- Experts advise credit card users to pay down credit card debt and wean themselves off of credit card spending. ... (more)

Treasury, Ad Council team up to promote credit smarts among young consumers -- New educational campaign targets younger consumers with the message: Take control of your credit and personal finances. ... (more)

What credit card users need to know to survive the 2008 credit crunch -- Experts advise credit card users to pay down credit card debt and wean themselves off of credit card spending. ... (more)

Compare today's 0 percent balance transfer offers -- Comparison chart shows that 0 percent introductory periods are shorter, fees tougher to dodge. ... (more)

Are 0 percent APR balance transfer credit cards doomed? -- Consumers' mailboxes used to be flooded with offers for balance transfer credit cards with lengthy introductory interest periods of 0 percent. Not anymore. ... (more)

Taking on new debt in an economic downturn -- During economic instability, it is wise to reconsider the need to take on additional credit lines. ... (more)

5 secrets to smart debit card use -- Debit cards are more common now than ever. We'll give you some helpful tips to make sure you're using them in the smartest way possible. ... (more)

In times of financial uncertainty, follow timeless advice -- In this economy, it's important to keep a clear head and not heed the financial advice of all the doomsayers. ... (more)

Deadline passed for free TransUnion credit monitoring -- Sept. 24 was the final day for members of the public to sign up for free credit monitoring. ... (more)

Free credit report -- how to get the actual free ones -- The federal government has mandated the three major credit bureaus give free credit reports to consumers at least once per bureau per year. Here's how to get yours. ... (more)

American Express tops customer satisfaction chart in J.D. Power survey -- J.D. Power 2008 customer satisfaction survey ranks the top 18 credit card issuers. ... (more)

Why getting a small business card is smart -- When starting up a small business, it's important to keep business and personal expenses separate for tax purposes. ... (more)

9 questions to ask before you reaffirm an old debt -- You need facts to decide whether to reaffirm a debt. These questions will ferret them out. ... (more)

Merchants struggle to secure user data, deter identity theft -- The battle to secure your data never ends. That's why the credit card industry imposes mandatory security standards on merchants, processors, manufacturers of PIN entry devices and application developers. ... (more)

How balance transfers impact your credit score -- The ratio between how much credit you have available and how much credit is used is calculated as part of the amounts-owed category when calculating your credit score. ... (more)

Treasury, Ad Council team up to promote credit smarts among young consumers -- New educational campaign targets younger consumers with the message: Take control of your credit and personal finances. ... (more)

Credit card penalty rates: Mistakes that trigger default APRs -- Credit cardholders should recognize that they may be just one late payment away from credit card penalty (default) rates, and sharply higher bills. ... (more)

5 secrets to smart debit card use -- Debit cards are more common now than ever. We'll give you some helpful tips to make sure you're using them in the smartest way possible. ... (more)

US credit cards outdated, less useful abroad, as 'chip and PIN' cards catch on -- Sure, you can swipe to heart's content here in the United States. But bring that mag-stripe card to Europe and chances are it won't work as the credit card technology there is light years ahead. ... (more)

As private college loans dry up, students may turn to credit cards -- Students facing a 'perfect storm' of tight job market and fewer available loans may have to turn to credit cards to fund their studies. ... (more)

Taking on new debt in an economic downturn -- During economic instability, it is wise to reconsider the need to take on additional credit lines. ... (more)

In times of financial uncertainty, follow timeless advice -- In this economy, it's important to keep a clear head and not heed the financial advice of all the doomsayers. ... (more)

How balance transfers impact your credit score -- The ratio between how much credit you have available and how much credit is used is calculated as part of the amounts-owed category when calculating your credit score. ... (more)

Free credit report -- how to get the actual free ones -- The federal government has mandated the three major credit bureaus give free credit reports to consumers at least once per bureau per year. Here's how to get yours. ... (more)

Fees, the economy and gas prices are threatening frequent flier programs -- Fees, the economy and gas prices are threatening frequent flier credit card programs. ... (more)

The evolution of frequent flier credit cards and programs -- Airline frequent flier programs as we know them today began in early 1981, when the only way to earn miles was through flying. In the late 1980s, the first airline credit card made its debut. ... (more)

US credit cards outdated, less useful abroad, as 'chip and PIN' cards catch on -- Sure, you can swipe to heart's content here in the United States. But bring that mag-stripe card to Europe and chances are it won't work as the credit card technology there is light years ahead. ... (more)

Treasury, Ad Council team up to promote credit smarts among young consumers -- New educational campaign targets younger consumers with the message: Take control of your credit and personal finances. ... (more)

Review the new interactive credit card game -- CreditCards.com asked young consumers to review a new interactive game designed to educate 18- to 24-year-olds about credit and personal finance. ... (more)

Free credit report -- how to get the actual free ones -- The federal government has mandated the three major credit bureaus give free credit reports to consumers at least once per bureau per year. Here's how to get yours. ... (more)

Fed leaves rates unchanged; card rates to stay put -- The Federal Reserve, as expected, left a key interest rate unchanged. ... (more)

Fed cuts rates; will your credit card bill fall, too? -- The Federal Reserve, as expected, slashed a key interest rate, but whether that cut will be passed along to individual cardholders depends on the bank, the card agreement and the credit standing of the consumer. ... (more)

Auditor will review 650,000 Cap One credit card accounts to ensure money is returned -- Capital One must repay $340,000 to credit card users because the company collected old debts that had been discharged in Chapter 13 bankruptcy. ... (more)

Wachovia-Wells Fargo merger announced -- Four days after Citi announced a government-backed purchase of some Wachovia Bank assets, Wells Fargo Bank has announced a deal to merge with Wachovia. ... (more)

Plastic and terror: Study describes how terrorists use credit cards -- Terrorists are increasingly turning to credit cards, according to a study written by an expert on terror financing. ... (more)

The pros and cons of charging a luxury car on your credit card -- While charging a luxury car on your credit card may yield a lower interest rate, the risks are higher than a traditional fixed rate loan. ... (more)

How credit card balance transfers affect your credit score -- When a consumer is faced with a high-rate card, switching to a lower-rate card is smart, if you do it right. ... (more)

Free credit report -- how to get the actual free ones -- The federal government has mandated the three major credit bureaus give free credit reports to consumers at least once per bureau per year. Here's how to get yours. ... (more)

Balance transfer or loan? Do the math before you decide -- A reader asks which is a better way to pay off a $5,000 balance: a low-interest balance transfer card or a loan. ... (more)

Hard times require new investing, credit card habits -- In these uncharted economic waters, it is important to keep the level of credit card debt down and refrain from making large, unnecessary purchases on credit. ... (more)

Make your pension generate income beyond your death -- When you die, your pension dies with you or you can purchase life insurance with a portion of your pension, leaving behind an income for your spouse and inheritance for your heirs. ... (more)

Should you sign your credit card or write 'See ID' on it -- Writing 'See ID' in lieu of a signature is supposed to make a credit card invalid, but the reality is different. ... (more)

5 steps to avoid identity theft at the register -- Here are some steps you can take to make sure that you aren't victimized by credit card fraud when using your card in person at a retailer. ... (more)

Merchants struggle to secure user data, deter identity theft -- The battle to secure your data never ends. That's why the credit card industry imposes mandatory security standards on merchants, processors, manufacturers of PIN entry devices and application developers. ... (more)

Mexico credit cards -- Our ongoing series heads to Mexico for a look at credit card use and credit card statistics in the United States' neighbor to the south. ... (more)

What credit card users need to know to survive the 2008 credit crunch -- Experts advise credit card users to pay down credit card debt and wean themselves off of credit card spending. ... (more)

India credit cards -- Our ongoing series heads to India for a look at credit card use and credit card statistics in one of the world's fastest growing countries. ... (more)

The pros and cons of charging a luxury car on your credit card -- While charging a luxury car on your credit card may yield a lower interest rate, the risks are higher than a traditional fixed rate loan. ... (more)

Free credit report -- how to get the actual free ones -- The federal government has mandated the three major credit bureaus give free credit reports to consumers at least once per bureau per year. Here's how to get yours. ... (more)

American Express tops customer satisfaction chart in J.D. Power survey -- J.D. Power 2008 customer satisfaction survey ranks the top 18 credit card issuers. ... (more)

Why students pay for college with credit cards, tips to avoid -- When money gets too tight for tuition, a growing group of students and their families break out the plastic. ... (more)

Pummeled by plastic, layaway struggles to survive -- Though largely erased by the rise of the credit card, layaway programs haven't vanished completely. You just need to know where to look. ... (more)

Back-to-school credit card advice for students, parents -- Tips for financing the school year, dealing with credit wisely and learning how to finance post-graduation life. ... (more)

Could you live without credit cards? Here's how some people do -- Forgoing credit cards and leading a cash-only lifestyle today seems as foreign as mailing a handwritten letter: We know some people do it, but it's hard to understand why. ... (more)

The real dirt on celebrity credit cards -- We'll buy their branded clothes, their branded perfumes, their branded sheets -- but we won't use their branded cards to buy them. Why celebrity cards haven't found a place in our wallets. ... (more)

Business Credit Card Application Towards Start-up Costs -- Learn how Home Artisan Authority used a credit card to start its successful business. ... (more)

Why students pay for college with credit cards, tips to avoid -- When money gets too tight for tuition, a growing group of students and their families break out the plastic. ... (more)

As private college loans dry up, students may turn to credit cards -- Students facing a 'perfect storm' of tight job market and fewer available loans may have to turn to credit cards to fund their studies. ... (more)

Treasury, Ad Council team up to promote credit smarts among young consumers -- New educational campaign targets younger consumers with the message: Take control of your credit and personal finances. ... (more)

Taking on new debt in an economic downturn -- During economic instability, it is wise to reconsider the need to take on additional credit lines. ... (more)

How balance transfers impact your credit score -- The ratio between how much credit you have available and how much credit is used is calculated as part of the amounts-owed category when calculating your credit score. ... (more)

The pros and cons of charging a luxury car on your credit card -- While charging a luxury car on your credit card may yield a lower interest rate, the risks are higher than a traditional fixed rate loan. ... (more)

In times of financial uncertainty, follow timeless advice -- In this economy, it's important to keep a clear head and not heed the financial advice of all the doomsayers. ... (more)

Why getting a small business card is smart -- When starting up a small business, it's important to keep business and personal expenses separate for tax purposes. ... (more)

Ignoring outstanding debt won't make it go away -- Unpaid credit card debt won't magically erase itself from your credit report after a certain time -- it will impact your life for decades. ... (more)