Emily’s list: Super Bowl edition


Written on February 5, 2010 – 3:57 pm | by admin

We are just two days away from Super Bowl Sunday! It doesn’t get any more American than this — millions of us will be in front of our flat-screen televisions drinking beer and eating wings and watching highly anticipated commercials. Oh, yeah. There’s a football game, too.

One thing I marvel at when I occasionally watch professional football is how ridiculously huge some of those men are. The linebackers practically look like Shrek. It amazes me that the offensive players from the other team are ever able to get past these big guys. I’m sure it takes tons of momentum and motivation to defeat them.

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When plastic and pigskin collide: 9 credit card Super Bowl ads


Written on February 3, 2010 – 1:07 am | by admin

Are you ready for Super Bowl XLIV? You may have the big screen TV, snacks and beer on hand, but you aren’t truly ready for Sunday’s football game until you’re prepared for the commercials. While any credit card industry ads aren’t likely to generate as much controversy as those starring a Mr. Tim Tebow, for example, if commercials from past Super Bowls are any guide, the latest crop of credit card commercials could still get viewers talking. Here, in reverse chronological order, are the credit card industry’s best, worst and most mediocre Super Bowl ads from years gone by:

Capital One – Snowglobe – (2007), Super Bowl XLIThe opening shots of this ad reveal a suburban family forced to live in a home with some seriously shoddy insulation.

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Impossible To Get Rich On Salary Alone


Written on January 31, 2010 – 11:20 am | by admin

There’s a great article on Money Under 30 about how it is pretty much impossible to get rich on your salary.

I agree. You need side income, whether it be from investments, passive income streams (such as rental properties or a small business), etc.

For the vast majority of us, we will never get rich on our salaries alone. A salary is certainly useful, and should be looked at as a safety net. But it is not enough.

Even professionals, doctors and lawyers, may only bring home $150,000/year or so after taxes. This is a comfortable living, to be sure, but it is by no means “rich” — especially when a decent studio in a good part of Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York may cost you around 4 times that amount.

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How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt 101


Written on January 31, 2010 – 1:47 am | by admin

If you are drowning in credit card debt, or have collection agencies calling you at work and at home, it’s understandable if you feel overwhelmed right now. However, you can get your credit card debt under control, eliminate it, and show the credit card companies that you can handle credit responsibly. Here are some useful tips for getting out of credit card debt for good.

Work with the credit card issuer

If you sense that you won’t be able to make next month’s credit card payment, proactively contact the credit card issuer yourself. Expla

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Egg customers unable to use some debit cards to make repayments


Written on January 30, 2010 – 7:47 pm | by admin

People with NatWest or Royal Bank of Scotland debit cards have been unable to use the Egg website to make payments to their accounts as the site has not recognised their cards.

The problem is thought to stem from the website not recognising the card’s bank identification number (Bin) – the first six digits that appear across the front of the card.

NatWest and RBS are currently in the process of migrating their 13 million current account customers from Maestro to Visa debit cards.

The problem with Egg is thought to have occurred because its systems have not been updated to recognise the new numbers. <

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Redeeming Citi rewards points even more rewarding for Haiti


Written on January 30, 2010 – 5:39 am | by admin

Cashing in rewards points has never been more rewarding for me. Today, I redeemed 5,000 rewards points in exchange for a $50 donation to the American Red Cross International Response Fund for Haiti relief.

When I read in the New York Times blog that credit card companies were allowing users to redeem rewards points and donate to the Haiti relief efforts, I knew I wanted to contribute in some way.

Let me say that I have already donated to the Red Cross Haiti fund, directly on the charity’s Web site.

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