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CARDNEWS FOR CONSUMERS
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(5/31/01)
Teen Mastercard
Move over VISA Buxx, here comes a prepaid, reloadable teen payment card
from your largest competitor. This week the iGEN MasterCard is making its
debut in about 100 Rite-Aid stores in the metropolitan Washington, D.C.
area.
-READ MORE |
(5/30/01)
Card Stickers
Using credit cards can be a sticky situation if you are maxed out. Perhaps
a few stickers on your credit cards can help.
-READ MORE |
(5/29/01)
Campus Cards
College cards are getting wired. The first full-scale application of Web-based campus card account
management capability was launched last week by the University at Buffalo.
-READ MORE |
(5/25/01)
Bankruptcy Surge
With unemployment rising and new bankruptcy laws on the horizon, it is
little wonder that the number of bankruptcy filings during the first part
of this year have soared.
-READ MORE |
(5/24/01)
Code Blue
When American Express introduced its Blue smart card it was dubbed the
"Evolving Card". After nearly two years, the Blue card has hardly changed and
does little more than a traditional magnetic stripe card.
-READ MORE |
(5/23/01)
Bulletproof Privacy
If you are concerned about the privacy of your personal financial
information,
there is a legitimate way to beat the system.
Just set up an "Asset Protection Corporation", preferably in Nevada. Some
wealthy consumers also transfer funds out of the country.
-READ MORE |
(5/22/01)
Credit Squeeze
If want to switch to a new credit card, better do it soon! Banks are getting
stingy. One-fifth of banks reported this month they had tightened standards on
credit card loans over the past three months, compared with only 12% in
January.
-READ MORE |
(5/21/01)
Card Tips
May has always been a hot month for credit card offers and even though we are
in an economic downturn, the offers keep on comin. But now, more than ever,
you
need to look for credit cards that give you the best bang for the buck.
-READ MORE |
(5/18/01)
Elvis Cards
The "King is Back", and he might be hiding in your mailbox. MBNA, the
nation's second largest bank credit card issuer, has cranked up the marketing machine
this month for the Elvis Presley Platinum Plus VISA card.
-READ MORE |
(5/17/01)
Card Cash
Think twice about getting cash from a credit card this summer. Cash
advances from credit cards have always been a bad deal, now they've gotten
worse.
-READ MORE |
(5/15/01)
Seven Year Itch
By summer, some credit card rates will drop to their lowest level in seven
years which will give consumers the itch to switch. The rate drop is driven
solely by the Fed action to lower short term interest rates, producing a 7%
prime rate.
-READ MORE |
(5/14/01)
Fee Party
The credit card fee frenzy appears to be finally fizzling out. All but one
of the top ten issuers have capped late fees and over-limit fees at the $29
level.
-READ MORE |
(5/11/01)
Mum's Day
Americans use their credit cards for Mother's Day purchases more than they
do for Valentine's Day or Father's Day. The most popular gift for this
weekend's Mother's Day will be flowers.
-READ MORE |
(5/10/01)
Smarter Blue
American Express is expanding the functionality of its Blue smart card at
physical retail locations in the USA. AmEx also announced this week a
three-part program to enhance the music experience for Blue customers.
-READ MORE |
(5/9/01)
Smart Visas
Next week may be a pivotal week for smart credit cards in the USA, as VISA
and some issuers gear up to make smart card announcements. With slightly
more than one million smart VISA cards already in circulation, VISA said
this week it is plowing ahead with an initiative to drive more acceptance
of smart cards.
-READ MORE |
(5/8/01)
DialUp Purchases
Before long you will be able to walk up to a vending machine, pull out your
cell phone, and purchase some goodies just by dialing a special number. It is
already happening in Europe and Australia and is coming to the USA.
-READ MORE |
(5/7/01)
Refunds Coming
More than 60,000 cardholders of Direct Merchants Credit Card Bank
MasterCards will be receiving refunds in the next three to four months. The
card issuer reached a settlement last week with the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency regarding its sales and marketing practices
used in connection with an offer for a partially secured credit card.
-READ MORE |
(5/4/01)
Secured Biz Card
One of the biggest challenges facing an entrepreneur is building business
credit. This week Wells Fargo introduced a new business MasterCard that is a
secured credit card with a company credit limit up to $100,000.
-READ MORE |
(5/3/01)
Card Types
"Gamers" and "Rate Surfers" beware! One of the nation's largest consumer
credit bureaus has come up with a new service to help card issuers sniff
out what type of cardholder you will most likely become.
-READ MORE |
(5/2/01)
Charge X10
This may settle some of the jitters over using credit cards on the Internet.
VISA this week launched a new sweepstakes that will reward you with the
opportunity to win ten times the amount of your online purchase.
-READ MORE |
(5/1/01)
Plastic Livin
With the economy in a tailspin and layoffs mounting, there is concern that
some consumers may start living off just their credit cards. Why? Most
consumers have not saved during the good times.
-READ MORE |
