NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- American Express said Thursday that first-quarter profit fell 6%, as the credit card giant felt the pinch from a worsening U.S. economy and financially stressed consumers. |
I have heard numerous times that if you have overall good credit, you should ask your credit card company to lower your interest rate. What is the best way to go about this? Is it likely they will lower my rate or should I even bother?
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Opting out of paper credit card statements is one way to protect the planet for Earth Day. But banks and financial institutions are beginning to build and offer a variety of "green" products that allow consumers to bank and use credit cards with environmental interests in mind. |
The Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee, in an effort to combat a likely recession, slashed a key short-term interest rate Tuesday, this time by three-quarters of a percentage point. The move by the Federal Open Market Committee followed a half-percent rate cut Jan. 30 and brought the federal funds rate down to its lowest level since December 2004. |
Subprime credit cards are issued to customers with bad credit or no credit history. They are sometimes referred to as "fee harvester cards" in the credit card industry. These cards typically carry low credit limits of $250 to $500 and are designed to help cardholders launch or re-establish payment histories. |
The proposed Regulation Z revisions cover two different kinds of disclosures designed to warn consumers who make the minimum payments on their accounts. Paying only the minimum amount each month lengthens the amount of time credit cardholders can take to pay off their debts -- and increases the amount of interest creditors earn from accountholders. |
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?
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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. |
Do you know if FICO and the three major credit reporting bureaus have changed the rules for credit card shoppers? It's frustrating when you shop for better interest rates and get them only to have them punish you on your credit score for shopping.
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While everything from Chevrolets to stamps can be put on plastic, there's one place people can still get rebuffed: the landlord's office.
For many people, the only time each month they even dust off their checkbooks is when the rent is due. But while acceptance is hardly universal, a growing number of landlords allow paying rent by credit card.
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