Credit Cards Offers Online

How to Find College Textbooks for Cheap or Free

Written on April 2, 2011 – 8:01 pm | by Adam Gomez

Let’s face it, financing an education is expensive.  In addition to tuition and fees, you have to factor in parking passes, extracurricular activities, and textbooks.  These items alone can cost you a hefty amount of change.  As a student or a parent of student, it won’t take you long to rack up a serious amount of debt before graduation day.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you defray the cost of college:

‘Textbook’ can be the dirtiest word in a college student’s vocabulary.  Not only are they cumbersome to read and carry, they also tend to be very expensive.  At $50-$150 a piece, textbooks tend to be the one thing many students refrain from buying or try to share with roommates.In some cases this can work, but more often than not you’ll find that not having your own book means not studying on your own schedule or sometimes not getting the book at all when you really need it.  I know ways to g

Read more…

Tags: Textbooks, Textbooks Cheap

Posted in Financial Advisor | No Comments »

Gift Cards From Office Supply Stores Outsmart Spending Categories

Written on April 1, 2011 – 9:19 am | by Alicia Ross

I recently visited an office supply store and saw a large rack of gift cards for sale. Nothing unusual there. I then remembered that I hold an American Express Business Platinum card. It offers 5% cash back on purchases from office supply stores. That got me thinking. Immediately, I noticed two different gift cards from companies that I would likely do business with. The first was Southwest Airlines.  Certainly 5% off of a Southwest ticket would be something, especially for my family of three.  The next card that caught my eye was from the Home Depot.  I would certainly have to consider this when it came time for my next major project or appliance purchase.

Is It Worth It?

At best, I might value my rewards from my Capital One Venture rewards card at 2% or maybe 3% from my Starwood.  I would then have to weigh the additional percent or two against the hassle of purchasing the cards and using them.  I also should consider the risk that the gift cards are not used.  While I don’t think I would lose them or forget about them, I am sure a large percentage of cards end up that way.

This trick can be applied at grocery stores when they are being rewarded at a higher rate by spending categories. Playing

Read more…

Tags: Gift Cards, Office Supply, Supply

Posted in Credit Cards Advisor | No Comments »

Staggering Petrol Prices Cause For Concern With Car Loan PPI

Written on March 29, 2011 – 11:07 pm | by admin

There are lots of variations of payment protection insurance, otherwise known as ppi, that show up on many products but essentially it’s a type of insurance and you may have a case for ppi claims if you have obtained a car loan in the last decade.
With petrol costs crushing customers’ extra revenue due to its constant rising costs it might be a cause for worry for individuals who also have to purchase car loan ppi.
The rise in the buying price of oil is on average 15.8p a litre much more at the pump than last year and supermarkets get warned these surging fuel prices are sapping buyer spending power.
Previously year customers have spent £400 million less amidst information that oil prices are continuing to go up; even though the petrol prices in britain already have struck a record-breaking £6 a gallon.
The standard unleaded price, which can be 115p a litre, indicates the shift in customer spending from the store checkout to the forecourt.
It now costs almost £3.50 more to refill a tank normally than it did in January of the year.
Retailer Morrison’s’ annual numbers show that its fuel sales benefited from the higher oil costs, rising 18% during the last year on a like-for-like basis. That rai Read more…

Tags: reclaiming ppi

Posted in Financial Advisor | No Comments »

Understanding the Foreign Transaction Fees

Written on March 25, 2011 – 6:33 pm | by Nicole Gutierrez

Foreign transaction fees are charges commonly added to your credit card statement when you make a purchase in another country. Card issuers say these fees are in place to account for the currency exchange from one country to another, but speculation always exists about where this money really goes. Most foreign transaction fees usually range from 2% to 3% and are billed per transaction. Even if you aren’t traveling, it is possible that a purchase you make with a foreign merchant may also incur a foreign transaction fee.

It is wise to monitor your credit card statements on a regular basis to watch for fraudulent purchases or incorrect charges. When you first see a foreign transaction fee you might be a little confused or alarmed. These fees are very common with most credit card issuers, including American Express, Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, HSBC, Wells Fargo, and Discover Card.

However, one credit card issuer in particular does not charge foreign transaction fees. If you are planning to do a fair amount of traveling abroad, you might want to consider a credit card from Capital One, which offers a wide variety of credit cards – including secured and unsecured cards, rewards cards, and more – that do not charge a foreign transaction fee when you make purchases abroad.

Read more…

Tags: Fees, Foreign Transaction, Foreign Transaction Fees, Transaction Fees

Posted in Credit Cards Advisor | No Comments »

Credit Card Processors Waive Interchange Fees For Japanese Relief Donations

Written on March 19, 2011 – 7:21 pm | by Alicia Ross

As we saw with the Haiti earthquake, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are now waiving their interchange fees for non-profit donations to relief organizations providing assistance to Japanese people. Visa and Mastercard are only doing this until March 31st, while Amex is continuing this program until May 15th.

Mixed Feelings

Yes, it is good that these companies are not profiting from this disaster, but their good will is only temporary. American Express should be commended for continuing its interchange fee waiver a month and a half beyond Visa and Mastercard. If you are not able to make a donation until next month, you should make it with your American Express card as the charity you donate to will receive the entire amount of your donation.

At the same time, why do they charge these fees at all? Earthquakes and other disasters occur too often all over the world.  Every death is tragic, yet there seems to be some threshold that the number of deaths involved has to reach before these companies will stop skimming from charity donations in the form of interchange fees.  In reality, the threshold is in how much publicity a disaster generates, and how much good PR they can expect from a temporary waiver.

I Support Interchange Fees

Ironically, I have always championed the right of credit card processors to charge merchants whatever interchange fees the market will bear. M

Read more…

Tags: Donations, Interchange Fees

Posted in Credit Cards Advisor | No Comments »

The Ins and Outs of Unsecured Credit Cards

Written on March 18, 2011 – 5:14 am | by Nicole Gutierrez

Most common credit cards are known as unsecured credit cards, meaning they don’t require a deposit to fund the card. Secured credit cards, on the other hand, are typically funded with a security deposit that is refillable by the cardholder. Much like a gift card or debit card, the consumer can only spend what they have. Unsecured credit cards usually offer lower interest rates as well as credit checks and credit approval, as well as a set credit limit.

Here are a few other important points to understand about unsecured credit cards

• Consumers with decent credit or good credit typically benefit most from the unsecured cards due to the lower interest rates.

• Consumers with poor credit may still be able to get approved for an unsecured card, but it may offer a very small line of credit. Secured credit cards are often the better choice for consumers with bad credit.

• To qualify for an unsecured credit card, the issuing bank considers the applicant’s credit history, potential earnings, and financial situation.

Each consumer’s individual financial behavior and history determines whether an unsecured credit card or a secured credit card would be the better option.

Read more…

Tags: Cards, Credit Cards, Unsecured Credit, Unsecured Credit Cards

Posted in Credit Cards Advisor | No Comments »