When a customer gets sacked from his job, card issuers are going to have a hard time getting their money. That's why they are offering to settle, often for far less than they're owed. That's one of the upsides to these troubled times. It seems like a no-brainer, but its worth going over. If times are [...]

When the Senate passed the credit-card reform bill on Tuesday, it was hailed as "a great day for consumers." That may be so, but what about small business owners who've been struggling with credit cards? The short answer: It depends on how your small business is incorporated, and what card you have. The Credit Card [...]

Now that President Obama has signed a federal law to protect consumers who use credit cards, you are going to want to know what this means for you. Well, MSN has a great article that will tell you. It's a good article that shows you the good, the bad and the ugly of the situation. [...]

MSN Money has an interesting article about getting free money from banks. It's worth a read. Banks will actually pay you money to open an account with them. Why would they do that? It's simple. They want to snag you as a customer, hoping that they then keep you for life. Or sell you a [...]

MSN money has an interesting article about how to guide teens toward financial safety. As they point out, teens can sign themselves up for all kinds of debt, even before they are able to legally drink. They can spend their whole lives trying to pay off student loans for instance. It's a bit of a [...]

The new year is a time for a fresh start.  I have a suggestion for new year's resolution: pay off your credit cards. The economy isn't looking to good in 2009.  People have lost their jobs and more will lose their jobs this year as the economy continues to free fall.  So what can you [...]

If you're like millions of Americans you may be getting a surprise.  You're credit card company is probably raising your APR (interest rate).  What should you do? Don't Carry a Balance I use a credit card but don't care about the APR.  How can that be?  Am I too rich to care?  No, I just [...]

So the economy has taken a down turn.  You've decided you might need to start saving some money.  Well, it's too late.  You should have been saving five years ago.  But there's hope. There's a Chinese proverb about the best time to plant a tree. The best time to plant a tree was twenty years [...]

I used to work for a credit card/finance/mortgage company.  I always wonders how they got around the capital requirements I learned about in Money and Banking class.  Well know I finally understand the big picture.  Most of the expansion in the last 20 years has been a result of securitization. What the Heck is Securitization? [...]

It's important to note that even though the hysterics of Washington bureaucrats indicate otherwise, lending has not stopped.  It may cost you a little more, and you might have to actually, well, you know, qualify for the loan, but the banks are still lending money. I talked to a banker buddy of mine and he [...]

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