Credit Cards eZine Archive

Now that US economy is still weak, more and more people find themselves in a large amount of debt. Believe it or not, but there are many of those for whom credit cards are the only way to pay their bills and buy everyday things like gas and groceries. It's no wonder that they may end up in heavy debts, and the most annoying thing about this situation is that your card companies may raise your interest rates, especially when you have charged too much and your debt/available credit is high. When it's getting too hard to cope with sky-high interest rates and a growing debt burden, it's high time to consider credit card counseling. Learn how it works, and how you can choose the right firm.

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You are much more likely to be using a frequent flyer credit card and reaping its benefits, if any, than to realize what role such cards play in the business of airlines and credit companies. Meantime, frequent flier programs that initially were started as a tool of attracting loyal customers, have undergone a fundamental change in the last 30 years and turned into a big and really profitable business for the airlines.

The business is becoming ever more valuable in the light of the ever rising oil prices, and in their pursuit of revenues, airlines often move their customers to the background. Hence, there are all those customers' recent bitter complaints about flaws in the frequent flyer programs they participate in.

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Who do you think benefits most from the Federal Reserve's campaign on cutting the interest rates? Evidently, not the card providers whose most credit cards are issued on a variable rate basis. Why? Because as long as the Federal Reserve continues to reduce the prime rate, companies will have to follow and it is obligatory for them.

However, when a card is based on a fixed rate, it becomes easier to keep the rate at a profit-yielding level as the companies can legally set and regulate it themselves. Federal Reserve's policy has prompted Capital One Financial Corp. to switch some of its variable rate cards onto a fixed rate basis so that the bank could preserve its revenues.

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Convenience checks tied to a person's credit card account are not somewhy that widely discussed as fees, rates, rewards and various tips of a smart card use. Meanwhile convenience checks are nothing more than just a hidden form of hefty charges imposed on a cardholder straight after cashing it.

So, when next time you receive a mail and find a convenience check with a good amount of money on it, remember about three key factors that can turn your desire of using the easy money into a big headache.

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Consumer, labor and civil rights groups backed by some members of Congress have been pressing for a new and strong regulation against the unfair and deceptive practices pursued by card companies, now when it has become especially urgent with the US economy tightening.

As noted by the groups, it is high time for the Credit Card Act to become aggressive in protecting cardholders, especially financially vulnerable families, from companies' tricks. On April, 30 Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd introduced the Credit Card Reform Bill which, in brief outline, embraces the following points.

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As soon as the Federal Reserve proposed its new tougher rules to curb the unfair lending practices and overdraft fees, the American Bankers Association made a stand for their interests. They claim that being restricted in the way they do business is nothing more than a gross interference in the healthy competition and a "delay mechanism" of the right developments in the credit card market.

In fact, the policy of the Federal Reserve may seem to be a bit illogical on the one hand. Prohibiting card companies from collecting excessive and unfair fees, the Federal Reserve may risk losing part of its revenues, especially now that the default rates on credit cards have menacingly increased.

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There is nothing new in that lots of credit card applications for good credit customers come with no pre-set limits. Almost everyone agrees that it is cool to be unrestricted in card spending and admits being happy about having a no pre-set limit plastic in his/her wallet.

One of our readers, Mr. Collins, wrote us about his experience of owning such a card and his story is sure to set credit consumers with no pre-set limit ideas on the right path.

If you have got a notice from your bank offering an upgrade from your current card to a no limit plastic, think twice before you respond to give permission.

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Irrespective of the Fed' hard efforts to make things easier for credit consumers through forcing companies into better disclosures and restricting their predatory policies, lots of cardholders entered 2008 with heavy outstanding balances. While interest rate hikes, hidden penalty fees and unfair pricing and allocation of customer's payments are being fought against, customers are at sea how to manage the unpaid bills accumulated in 2007.

However, some basic line of behavior has shown up in the Online Resources Corporation survey which polled US households and financial companies in connection with the credit card crisis and increased delinquencies.

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It is not for nothing that co-branded credit cards enjoy a significant part of the credit market and customers' continuous loyalty. When two or more major brands sing a partnership the quality of their services and magnificence of rewards can surpass all possible expectations.

Airline credit cards and hotel chain cards are a good example of how customers can benefit from a co-branded rewards program. Airlines, hotel chains and gas stations are, however, the most regular companies partnering with card issuers for a mutually profitable business.

What would you say about movie industry as a source of co-branded credit cards?

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We are so much concerned about privacy and security issues that we are desperate to do anything to avoid being ID victims. However, most of us do not mind carrying Radio Frequency Identification tags embedded in our passports, credit cards and even clothes. On the contrary, FRID chips go a long way among US consumers and enjoy financial support from credit card and other financial companies, as well as from automotive and security industries.

Meanwhile, a growing number of financial and security experts are expressing concerns about the real protecting efficiency of RFID chips. What are the chips intended for in credit cards and are they really that necessary to be embedded in our cloths or passports?

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