Search For Credit Cards

Every year on January 1, millions of people make a mental commitment to better their lives, be it lose weight, eat healthier, get more exercise, make more money, be more responsible, and a multitude of other would-be-nice promises. Financial resolutions can be just as important for consumers who are facing debt, working through a shopping problem, or desperately needing to save large sums of money for something important like a house, car, or college.

Responsible financial behavior – not to mention irresponsible financial behavior – directly impacts your future and the experiences you may enjoy due to your financial situation. Your home or apartment, your car, and the types of vacations you take are just a few of the ways your saving and spending habits can impact your life. No matter where you are age-wise on the spectrum, you can still improve your life with smart and responsible financial behavior.

Consider these financial and credit card resolutions for the New Year

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I’m assuming most people don’t even know State Farm issues credit cards.

After all, the company is better known for its insurance products than anything else.

But it does indeed issue credit cards, mortgages, and other types of loans, while also offering checking and savings accounts via State Farm Bank.

The way State Farm sees it, why should they stop at insurance when they can provide/cross-promote related financial instruments to their customers – and make a killing doing so?

So how do State Farm credit cards stack up?

Well, there are five State Farm credit cards currently offered by the company, including a couple rewards cards, a low rate credit card, a student credit card and a business credit card.

The rewards cards offer between 1-1.5% back in State Farm Dollars, which can be used for State Farm products, such as insurance, bank products and services, and so on.

Some of their credit cards also have a FixPay option, where you get to choose the number of payments and corresponding Annual Percentage Rate (APR) you’d like to pay related to a large purchase or unexpected expense.

Nothing groundbreaking really, just a payment plan to help people tackle their credit card debt if they can’t do so on their own.

State Farm credit cards don’t have any 0% APR promotional periods on purchases or balance transfers, but some come with promo APR as low as 2.9%.

Again, nothing to get too excited about, given many credit card issuers offer 0% on both for as long as 24 months these days.

And none of their offers are fixed-rate credit cards, another negative if you’re after low APR.

The Verdict

In closing, a State Farm credit card isn’t really something I would seek out, as there are much better deals in basically every class of credit card.

And who really wants their rewards to be stuck within the company when there are cash back credit cards out there that put money back in your wallet?

State Farm is smart to offer credit cards alongside their other financial instruments, but you’re probably better off shopping elsewhere for your credit needs.

Google announced they are working on a new Smartphone that will one day have technology that enables the user to use it like a credit card. Co-developed with Samsung, the Nexus S is the latest version mobile phone to have Google’s Android software. It has short range wireless technology called Near Field Communication. This technology allows a user to read information from tags that are embedded in everyday objects.

In other words, this phone can look up prices on products by reading the barcode. Experts say this technology is just a step away from using the mobile phone as a credit card. The phone can read the tag and make a payment from the proper credit account, all without having the plastic card in their hands. At least this is what experts feel will happen. It is not able to make credit card transactions yet, but it seems Google is working towards the proper security software to make it possible. W

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Credit card group MBNA has been ordered to improve the way it deals with customers struggling to keep up with debt repayments.

The Office of Fair Trading has imposed a series of requirements on the lender after Citizens Advice raised concerns about the way its in-house debt collection arm was handling customers in financial difficulties.

The trading watchdog found when people who could not afford to make their full repayments offered to pay a token sum, the letters MBNA sent to them were so unclear, consumers often could not tell if their offer had been rejected or accepted.

It also failed to follow its own policy on some occasions, by bypassing customers’ appointed representatives, and instead contacting individuals directly.

As a result of the investigation, from January 1 MBNA must make it clearer in letters sent to customers who are in financial difficulties that it will accept partial repayments if they have shown that this is what they can afford to pay.

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