5 Ways a Rewards Credit Card Can Save Money on Vacation

Jan 30, 2011 Posted Under: Credit Cards Info

With credit card companies desperately vying for the attention of prospective customers, there have never been more rewards credit card offers available on the market. Fortunately, the majority of rewards credit cards provide some form of benefit or discount which can be extremely advantageous when one is planning for or is enjoying a vacation. The following are five ways that a rewards credit card can save money on a vacation.

1. Gasoline Discounts

Some credit cards, commonly known as gas rewards cards, provide a specific rebate percentage for each gasoline purchase. At the end of the rewards period, a check or certificate is mailed to the cardholder for the total amount of all of the rebates applied to the account during that year. Other cards may provide these rewards in the form of a balance credit, while others may send out rebate checks on monthly basis rather than annually.

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Can I correct a mistake on my credit file?

Jan 30, 2011 Posted Under: Credit Cards Info

If there’s a mistake on my credit score how can I correct it?

James Jones, from Experian, replies: ‘Significant mistakes on credit reports aren’t very common but they can of course happen.

By law the information on your credit report should be accurate and up to date. If do you disagree with something on your report you should attempt to rectify it in one of two ways.

Your first option is to contact the organisation that registered the data in the first place.

In most cases this will be a bank or other lender. If they agree with you, they will amend the files at each credit reference agency they have sent the data to.

Alternatively, you can get back in touch with the credit reference agency you obtained your report from and raise a data dispute with them.

This is certainly your best course of action if you think the error is the fault of the agency, for example, you’re on the electoral roll but this isn’t showing on your report.

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Pros and Cons of Paying Your Bills with Credit Cards

Jan 26, 2011 Posted Under: Credit Cards Info

Paying your bills with credit cards can be a convenient way to stay on top of what you owe. In most cases you can even increase your cash-back earnings on your rewards cards with your bill payments. Before you link your credit card account to all your utility bills, though, be sure to consider the pros and cons of paying your bills with credit cards.

Pros of Paying Bills with Credit Cards

Consider these benefits of paying your bills with your credit card

Automatic payments give you fewer bills to fill out each month. This can be great if you travel a lot or just have a lot of other things to juggle in life.

Avoid worrying about services being turned off or interrupted coverage since you’ll never miss a payment.

Paying online can be quicker and easier than filling out a paper bill and putting it into the mail.

Rewards points can add up faster when you put your utility bills on your credit card.

Cons of Paying Bills with Credit Cards

While putting bills on plastic can be rewarding, there are also certain risks to consider

Autopay gives your credit card information or bank account info to the company issuing your bill.

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How to Opt Out of a Credit Card Without Damaging the Credit Score

Jan 25, 2011 Posted Under: Credit Cards Info

There are many reasons to opt out of a credit card account, including, but not limited to, heightened interest rates, excessive late penalties, unfair policies, hidden fees and overall dissatisfaction with the issuer’s support and service. With interest rates being as high as 29% on some accounts, and the universal default clause allowing for excessive interest rate penalties, it’s relatively easy to become infuriated with a credit card company and cancel an account on the spur of the moment. Opting out of the credit card account in the wrong way, however, could result in even more financial troubles, such as higher interest rates on future credit cards. To keep the credit score intact, consider the following before opting out of any credit card account.

Understanding the Utilization Rate

The utilization rate, also known as the credit to debt ratio, is the percentage of credit available in comparison to the percentage of currently outstanding debt. Ide

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Rental History to Be Included in Credit Reports

Jan 24, 2011 Posted Under: Credit Cards Info

Credit bureau Experian announced last week that positive rental history will be included on credit reports going forward.

The move should help underbanked consumers, such as college students and recent immigrants, build credit history.

In the past, only subsets of negative rental activity were included on credit reports, so consumers’ credit scores could only be hurt by their rental history.

The company said one-third of the country rents and argued that on-time rental payments should be included to reflect the “true creditworthiness” of those who pay on time each month.

Banks and lenders also stand to benefit from the change, as they’ll be able to update their underwriting procedures to automatically capture a consumer’s rental payment obligations from a credit report, instead of inputting it manually.

They’ll also have a more accurate understanding of a consumer’s total monthly obligations to assist in making future credit offerings.

Experian noted that the addition of positive rental history on credit reports will boost credit scores for more than one in three consumers in the highest risk VantageScore® score band to at least the next highest score band.

VantageScore uses both a number and letter grade (A, B, C, D or F), and has a credit score range of 501-990.

It’s unclear if the more popular Fico score will utilize positive rental history, but it’s fair to say it would make sense.

All the more reason to ensure you make your rent payments on time each month.

Direct Express Debit MasterCard

Jan 20, 2011 Posted Under: Credit Cards Info

If you’re tired of having to wait for your paper benefits check in the mail, listen up! The U.S. Department of Treasury announced waiting for those paper checks are soon to be a thing of the past. The Treasury will now provide all federal benefits through a prepaid “Direct Express” Debit MasterCard. This also goes for the 8 million of you receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. This scheme is projected to save Saving Social Security, and ultimately the taxpayer, $1 billion over the next decade with the absence of paper costs. You can also choose a direct deposit option to your checking account. Either way you go, you don’t have to choose until March 1, 2013.

How to Manage Employee Credit Card Accounts

Jan 19, 2011 Posted Under: Credit Cards Info

Issuing employee credit cards is an excellent way to alleviate and allocate the fiscal responsibilities of managing and operating a business. Many small to medium-size businesses have a moderate employee base, with supervisors, managers, and administrators often needing access to funds for supplies and company investments. In the interests of time and productivity, many business owners choose to issue credit cards to their employees, which are all linked to a single business credit card account. Employee credit cards offer a number of benefits, including centralized expenditure tracking, fewer financial administrative duties, and simplified tax accounting. The following information provides tips and techniques which can be employed to manage employee credit card accounts and ensure the safety of company funds.

Establishing Acceptable Use

The first step that any business owner should take, after issuing employee credit cards, is to establish a detailed and professional policy which outlines what types of purchases and transactions are considered to be an acceptable use of company credit cards.

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What You Should Know about Student Credit Cards

Jan 18, 2011 Posted Under: Credit Cards Info

Students in college have all kinds of expenses, ranging from text books to pizza, but let’s not forget about that spring break shopping spree, those sorority or fraternity excursions, and countless other weekends away and unexpected expenses. Student credit cards can help college kids make it through the semester, but there are a few things you should know before diving in head first.

Student credit cards can help allay some of those calls home asking

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