Temporary Credit Cards: What You Need to Know

09 Feb 2011 | by Porfirio Hillman | No Comments »

While many scam artists are out there waiting for their next victims, shopping online doesnt have to be scary. Stay ahead of the curve by doing your online shopping with a temporary credit card. Temporary credit cards, also known as throwaway cards or virtual credit cards, can help protect you from identity theft and fraudulent use of your credit cards. Temporary cards are essentially credit card numbers generated by the issuing bank that are attached to your account but may expire immediately after use or according to other similar terms.

When Is a Good Time to Use a Virtual Credit Card?

Different card issuers offer different kinds of temporary cards or alternatives, so it is best to do some research before selecting your plan of action. You may benefit from using a virtual credit card when you are shopping online at a merchant that is not as well known as shops like eBay and Amazon.

What Is an Example of a Temporary Credit Card?

Bank of America offers ShopSafe to cardholders.

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Paying Down Your Mortgage Quickly

09 Feb 2011 | by Admin | No Comments »

When you go to buy a house and you start applying for mortgages there are many things that you should take into consideration. First of all, never buy a house that you feel the mortgage payment will be too much for you to afford. This is a trap and can cause you to go into foreclosure so fast that your head will spin. Instead, find a house that is listed in the right price range so that you know you will be able to come up with the monthly payment every month without fail. Proper mortgage financial planning is imperative. If you are just buying a house for the first time you may want to Find a financial planner in Alabama to consult with to make sure that you understand what all of the options you are being offered are and what they mean. Full Post…

Tags: Mortgage

What Credit Reports Do I Get With The Risk Based Pricing Rules

06 Feb 2011 | by Billy Miller | No Comments »

When consumers begin receiving their notices pursuant to the new Risk Based Pricing rules that went live on January 1, 2011 they will receive one of two notices.  The first is the Risk Based Pricing notice that simply states that the creditor uses risk based pricing and that they didn’t get terms as favorable as others have gotten.  The second notice is the Score Disclosure Notice, whiches with the score used to make the decision.  I wrote about this at length here.

Here’s something to consider when you begin receiving these notices…the credit reports that you can claim for free aren’t exactly the same.  First off, both notices contain “get your credit report here” language, but that’s where the similarities end.

The credit report that you’re directed to by the Risk Based Pricing noticees directly from the credit bureau where the data was purchased by the lender.  And, most importantly, that report does NOT count against your allocation of free credit reports as provided by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The credit report that you’re directed to by the Credit Score Disclosure noticees from Annualcreditreport.  And, that one DOES count against your allocation of free credit reports as provided by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Keep that in mind when/if you start getting letters from your letter that notify you of your credit score.

AARP Credit Card: Unlimited 5% Cash Rebate on Everything for 6 Months

05 Feb 2011 | by Porfirio Hillman | No Comments »

The AARP Platinum Visa card has an excellent new offer, evoking memories of the good ‘ol days of the now-defunct Citi CashReturns card: an unlimited 5% cash back rebate on all purchases for 6 months.

After the first 6 months, the card earns a 3% rebate on travel-related purchases and 1% on everything else. Rewards are earned as points, which are redeemed at a value of one cent per point. For example, 2,500 points can be redeemed for a $25 check. There is no maximum number of points that can be accumulated in the program.

Before you rush out to apply, do first note that you must be an AARP member to be eligible for this offer. If you are not already an AARP Member, you can join by calling 1-800-424-3410 or visiting www.aarp.org.