An Introduction To Affinity Credit Cards
Posted on August 13, 2007
Filed Under Credit Cards | Leave a Comment
By: Michael Strauss
Affinity credit cards are one of the most popular kinds of plastic we carry today, especially as the fashion for balance transfer deals and the like continues to fade. Where once the focus was on how we could save money by shifting our credit card debt around, now more and more of us are looking to profit from our card use, or at least to benefit in some way from our everyday spending habits. This change of emphasis has led to a vast increase in the number of rewards and cashback cards on the market, but where do affinity cards fit in to the picture?
At its simplest, an affinity card is one which identifies the cardholder with a particular company, organization, or field of interest. The card will generally have a visual design to reflect this link, and will also offer some benefit related to the affinity topic in question. A good example is a hotel chain affinity card. If a credit card account holder travels a lot on business or for pleasure, and has a favorite chain of hotels to stay in, then a credit card linked to these hotels can offer benefits such as discounts on room reservations, a points program which lets you build up credits for free meals or use of facilities, or even access to advanced concierge services to make your stay in a new city more enjoyable.
Are Online Credit Card Applications Too Easy?
Posted on July 21, 2007
Filed Under Credit Cards | Leave a Comment
By: Michael Strauss
The days when the only way to get a credit card was to visit your bank in person are gone forever. Nowadays, it’s even quite old fashioned to apply for a card by mail - it’s much easier and quicker to apply online, and in many cases you’ll even get an instant decision on whether your application is accepted or not. While this is obviously a great convenience, there is a downside to online credit card applications: they can actually be too easy, and can harm your credit rating.
When you’re offered the chance to apply for a credit card online, it’s not always clear exactly what kind of customer a card issuer is hoping to attract. Each kind of card is aimed at someone within a range of circumstances, such as having a minimum income, being older than a certain age, or having a certain level of credit score.
Bank of America Student Credit Card
Posted on June 3, 2007
Filed Under Credit Cards | Leave a Comment
By: Jeremy Biberdorf
As a college or university student, you are often living away from your parents for the first time. You want to show your parents that they don’t have to worry about you. Many students are too proud to ask their parents for help. So what does a student do when they need to order something online? What about when renting a movie? A student needs a credit card to be independent from their parents.
One of the most popular student credit cards is the Bank of America Student Visa Platinum Plus Credit Card. Unlike most other student credit cards, a student doesn’t need a cosigner to apply for this Bank of America student credit card. They won’t need to ask their parents to put their credit at risk. In some cases, their parent’s bad credit could even prevent them from getting other student credit cards.
Cash Back Business Credit Cards
Posted on May 3, 2007
Filed Under Credit Cards | Leave a Comment
By: Jeremy Biberdorf
A typical small business needs to watch every penny. To last in the competitive business world, you need to maximize profits and just as importantly, reduce expenses. Many businesses don’t realize that they could easily be saving a percentage of their purchases with a cash back business credit card. Instead of letting bank fees eat away at your profits, your credit card can work for you.
How can the banks offer cash back for your business?
For decades the banks have been charging high interest rates and eating away at business profits. Businesses would just sit back, hoping the bank would eventually give them a better interest rate. Times are changing though. Today the credit card market is very competitive. A business can now choose between credit cards from nearly any financial institution. Read more
Charity Credit Cards - A Good Deal?
Posted on April 14, 2007
Filed Under Credit Cards | Leave a Comment
By: Michael Strauss
Charity credit cards have become increasingly popular over recent years, as people seek to support their favourite charities at seemingly no extra cost to themselves. When you take out one of these cards, a one-off donation of a few dollars is made by the card issuer to the charity linked to the card, followed up by a small percentage of everything you spend, again donated by the card company rather than the cardholder.
Cards are available covering a huge range of charitable organisations, from local to national and even international, and there is almost certain to be one that supports an area of concern to you. Read more
Choosing a Business Credit Card
Posted on March 18, 2007
Filed Under Credit Cards | Leave a Comment
By: Jeremy Biberdorf
Does your business pay too much for its credit card? Too many businesses just settle for a basic credit card from their local bank. Those businesses end up paying too much interest or high annual fees. For the money you already give the bank, doesn’t your business deserve better?
A smart business compares available credit card offers to find the card that best suits them. Just because you have a bank account just down the street, it doesn’t mean you’re stuck choosing from their credit cards. Check what the other banks have to offer. Read more
Choosing the best company for your credit card
Posted on February 27, 2007
Filed Under Credit Cards | Leave a Comment
By: David
As you probably already know, there are many credit cards out there. The one you choose however, should reflect your lifestyle and your ideal spending amounts. If you are looking for the best possible deal and the best company for your credit card, you’ll obviously need to look around at what you have to choose from and what works best for you.
The first thing you’ll need to decide when choosing your credit card, is why you need one in the first place. Some people choose to get a credit card for cash flow purposes. With a credit card, you can make purchases and buy things, leaving your paycheck or other source of income in your bank account to draw interest. This way, your money will continue to grow while you continue to buy the things you need. Then at the end of the month, simply pay your bill. Read more
Top 10 life insurance shopping tips
Posted on February 20, 2007
Filed Under Insurance | Leave a Comment
By: Kade Phillips
1. Who should buy life insurance? If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, then you should consider buying life insurance.
• Does anyone rely on you for financial support? If so, life insurance will help to protect their financial well being.
• Do you have a mortgage, car loan or any other outstanding debts? If so, a life insurance policy can provide a way to take care of these outstanding bills, along with any others like funeral expenses, legal fees, taxes, and medical expenses.
• Do you own a business? If so, you are liable for the debts your business owes. Your personal assets could be liquidated to pay these debts, which could leave little left for your family. Plus, if you have a partner, life insurance could help them buy out your portion of the business.
• Do you want to leave money to a charity? You can use life insurance to leave money to your favourite charity.
2. Who you would like to insure? You can get a policy on your own life, for other members of your family, or a joint one for you and your spouse.
Why Is Your Car Insurance So Expensive?
Posted on January 18, 2007
Filed Under Insurance | Leave a Comment
By: Nicholas Hunt
Although these days it’s pretty easy to arrange your car insurance online, comparing quotes at the click of a button and paying by credit card for instant cover, one ever present difficulty still remains: the high cost of insurance policies. The fact that having car insurance in place is both a legal requirement and a sensible idea doesn’t detract from the annoyance of having to pay what seems to be an exorbitant sum, and most of us would jump at the chance of reducing the bill.
To do this we need to know what factors insurance companies use when deciding how much our premiums will be.
A Credit Card Deal with Coffee Flavor
Posted on January 11, 2007
Filed Under Credit Cards | Leave a Comment
By: Andrea Domini
What do you dream of when you wake up early in the morning? Take a shower? And then? What is the divine drink that helps you to shake off your sleepy mood and get your energy shot? Exactly. That is coffee. Espresso, cappuccino, latte, mocha, black or with sugar or cream – it is really something that can make your day. If you are a coffee lover, Starbucks Duetto Visa from Chase Bank is the credit card that has been designed just for you.
You, probably, know that America is the leading coffee consumer in the world. But could you imagine that Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee a day? That is 146 billion cups a year. Quite impressive, huh? About 54% of adult Americans drink coffee daily. That makes up over 100 million everyday coffee consumers in the US.
The average amount of coffee an American consumes a day equals to 3.2 cups. The average price for a coffee like espresso, cappuccino etc. is $ 2.45. The price for a brewed coffee is about $ 1.38. Now let’s do simple math. Say you drink a cup of brewed coffee in the morning and 2 cappuccinos daily. That will be about $ 6.30. And your annual coffee expenses will result in $ 2,300. Never thought of it this way?
We constantly try to find a way to save money on large purchases, on some specific products, but everyday purchases often slip our attention. Meanwhile some of them might cost you much higher than a couple of air trips.
« go back
