Ameriprise Financial, the financial planning company that was once part of American Express, announced Monday the launch of new MasterCard credit cards that will be issued by Barclays PLC. |
Via its Security & Exchange Commission filing today, Visa announced its intention to raise nearly $19 billion in its upcoming initial public offering of stock, which would make it by far the largest IPO ever. (The largest to day was AT&T Wireless' $10.6 billion IPO in 2000.) |
Citi announced yesterday that it has become the exclusive credit card partner to Live Nation, the concert promoter that is now getting heavily into ticket sales as well. While specifics of what benefits this brings to Citi cardholders were few, Citi did promote this as an expansion of its Private Pass program and said "potential benefits include access to presale and preferred tickets, box seats at select venues, premium seats, exclusive merchandise and a variety of unique VIP experiences." |
OK, credit card news isn't likely to be as scintillating as celebrity news, or maybe even ice sculpture news. But trust me -- there's value in keeping up with developments in the world of credit cards. |
When visiting a foreign country, you can conveniently use your American credit card for most goods and services. The part that's not so convenient? Each purchase usually comes saddled with a foreign transaction fee, or what used to be called a currency conversion fee. It's wise to find out what the fee for your card is before you leave the country so you can budget your spending abroad. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. |
Are there some people who shouldn't have credit cards? I think I might be one of them. When I'm stressed, I spend every dime I have, and I don't even know where the money goes. A few months ago, I was stressed out at work and before I knew it, I had spent the rent money. I don't have any savings or retirement funds, but at least I don't have any credit card debt. I'm so scared I'll get in trouble with credit cards that I've never had one. Should I stick to paying for everything with cash? |
Credit counseling agencies could once negotiate lower interest rates on behalf of debt-ridden clients. But credit card issuers are no longer willing to be as forgiving, adding more pressure to some already over-stretched borrowers. |
I'm currently in a position where I have some extra money each year. After maxing out my 401(k) and Roth IRA account, I have about $40,000 to $50,000 to invest. My question is, should I be using this money to pay off my mortgage (15-year fixed at 5.375 percent) or investing in stock mutual funds?
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Americans may well be more environmentally conscious and willing to support ecological causes, but not if it means making major changes in how they use their credit cards, according to a new national survey commissioned by CreditCards.com. |
A typical credit card weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, but when you consider that there are more than 1 billion cards in circulation today, that's an awful lot of plastic. While most people think that an expired card is best shredded and tossed, there are a creative few who are happy to breathe new life into old cards -- and who are doing their part to keep that plastic from heading to the landfill.
Old credit cards are being recycled into everything from guitar picks to jewelry. Tiffany Threadgould, who sells earrings made from credit cards, says it's easy to see the appeal: "Credit cards are so abundant and iconic," she says. "When you can tell what the first life of an item is, it's educational and shows others what can be created out of scrap materials."
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