Low Interest Credit Cards

A change is gonna come… and if you are a renter, it could be great news for your credit report.

Experian, one of the big three credit bureaus, began including rental payment data on consumer credit reports in January, and will affect the Experian credit score and VantageScore. It’ll be a good addition to most consumers’ credit toolbox, but as with all big changes, there could be a downside.

Right now, Experian has gathered rent payment history from large property managers of approximately 8 million residents nationwide, but reporting rental data could easily become a more widespread practice amongst credit bureaus. Getti

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Recent cases have included a man who had £1500 taken from his account using a PIN. The bank refused to pay the money back, saying he must have been careless. The Ombudsman noticed that the criminal had tried every card in the man’s wallet, using the same number, and therefore concluded that the bank must have been negligent. The customer was not refunded.

However, money has been refunded in different cases, including one where an elderly man with a very regular withdrawal pattern had money withdrawn from a different branch, at the time in which he was working at a charity shop. The Ombudsmn concluded that this didn’t fit his usual pattern and demanded that the bank refund.

The moral of these stories is to make sure you are careful with your card and PIN at all times, otherwise you could end up out of pocket. However, if you are unlucky and have been careful, and get into a dispute with your bank about this type of refund, use every bit of information you can – alibis of who was with you at the time are useful. The

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While college was meant to prepare us for the real world, recent graduates have to come to terms with a new reality: we are crippled with student loan debt, job-hunting in a jobless economy, competing for interviews with others just like us (plus the still-unemployed graduates of last year), and sometimes must consider moving back in with parents to make ends meet.

Interestingly enough, according to Sallie Mae, about 84% of undergrads have at least one credit card. If you fall into this percentile, congratulations–you are establishing your credit! But, how many know what their credit score is, let alone how important credit is for future financial opportunities?

Instead of scrambling after graduation, recent grads like me should have been learning in college how to financially prepare for being on our own. S

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Some accounts indicate consumer protection reforms of 2010 helped people reduce consumer debt last year, despite grim projections for some on its potential effects. After the passing of the CARD Act, credit card interest rate hikes subsided and the trend toward reducing overall credit debt continued in America, although the debit interchange reform is likely to see the death of many free banking services thanks to its channeling revenue streams. Still, revolving credit debit currently stands at only 800.5 billion, nearly its lowest point in two years, and some issuers have actually eliminated fees like penalty APRs for cardholders who miss payments. These conclusions, drawn by a BillShrink personal debt survey, also show the CARD Act prevented issuers from raising certain rates, in addition to other notable provisions including 45 days’ notice on fee and rate changes and a cap on penalty fees so that they don’t exceed the cost of the offense that activated the fee .

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Visa, MasterCard and Discover fill your mailbox with credit card offers. You can’t log onto the Internet without pop-up ads encouraging you to apply for the latest cash-back or rewards credit cards. You’d think, then, that all you’d need is decent credit to qualify for consumer credit cards today.

Maybe … but not if you’re applying for many of American Express’ premium credit cards.

Try applying for the American Express Platinum or Gold Card. You might find that even if you do have a solid credit record, that American Express will send you a “No Thanks” after you submit your application.

Desirable Cards

These top-of-the-line credit cards are desirable. The American Ex

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