Credit Cards Blog

Credit Karma, a site that offers free credit scores and tools to consumers, will now let you peek at your TransUnion VantageScore and auto insurance score for free. “We thought we would illustrate the breadth of credit scores available to lenders and bankers by providing consumers free access to them,” says CEO Ken Lin. Credit

It’s a new year, and it’s a good time to turn over a new leaf when it comes to managing your credit cards. First, get a handle on your credit card debt. Now is the time to tally up all those credit card balances. How much additional damage did you do with all your holiday

The Christmas holidays may be over, but all those ’tis the season credit card charges have a way of dragging on … and on and on. According to a poll by Consumer Reports, as of October, 13.6 million Americans were still paying off credit card charges from the 2009 holiday season. That’s some holiday hangover.

Looking for help settling credit card debt?  Watch out for fees. A consortium of nonprofit credit counseling agencies filed a joint complaint letter to the Federal Trade Commission, claiming that some debt settlement companies are skirting new federal rules and charging excessive upfront fees. The letter was signed by the chief executives of 11 prominent

On Thursday, the Federal Reserve proposed new rules that would set standards for interchange fees that merchants pay to banks when consumers make purchases with their debit cards. The proposal would implement provisions in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The proposed rules, intended to set standards for determining whether a debit

You have limited money left over each month. Should you put that money toward your credit card debt or should you focus on building up your savings? What’s the best financial move for you? Consider one of these strategies. Boost your bottom line. From a purely dollar and cents standpoint, paying down credit card debt

Reduced credit card limits could keep you from refinancing your mortgage, according to a Dec. 14 article in The Wall Street Journal. The WSJ cited slashed consumer credit card lines and subsequent plummets in consumer credit scores as factors impeding homeowners from refinancing their mortgages. Banks charge high closing costs on customers with less than

Thinking about transferring several thousands of credit card debt to a new card with a rock-bottom introductory rate? Consider your move carefully. Consolidating multiple credit card balances onto a single card with a super-low introductory rate can be a nifty financial move.  But there are plenty of snags to watch out for. First off, you

The New York Times reported yesterday that Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson filed a lawsuit against Discover Financial Services, claiming that it duped customers into buying optional fee-based products such as credit monitoring and payment protection plans. The lawsuit alleges that the company made “aggressive, misleading and deceptive” telemarketing calls to customers, and in some

Have credit card debt? Be sure to monitor your credit limits from month to month. The Credit CARD Act does not require issuers to give 45 days’ advance notification for credit limit decreases. So it’s a good idea to check the credit limit on each of your credit cards each month, especially if you carry credit