Save Money This Holiday Season - Avoid the Pain of Your Next Credit Card Bill. Guest Post by David Landry Jr. While joy and good cheer surround holiday shopping, there is little pleasure in discovering that you spent far more than you can afford. The sad lesson comes in opening your credit card statement the following month. To mitigate the pain, or avoid it altogether, here are five tips … [Read more...]
“Unbanked” and “Underbanked” – How US Banks Fail to Serve Nearly 60 million Americans
"Unbanked" and "Underbanked" - American citizens who lack access to secure banking services. Guest post by John Gower, NerdWallet.com. From the piggy bank to federal student loans, banks touch the lives of almost every American. Yet, nearly 60 million Americans lack access to secure banking services and/or do not have a bank account. Minorities and immigrants, in particular, often rely on … [Read more...]
The World Bank: The Bank’s Role in the Global Economy and Why it Matters
The World Bank is the largest financial backer of international development, particularly of emerging nations. Guest post by Angie Picardo A supremely powerful institution, the World Bank is also frequently criticized for its policies, initiatives and operations. Framed with successes and shadowed by missteps, the Bank has generated significant fiscal and social change for countries around … [Read more...]
Identity Thieves Don’t Need Your Credit Card or Even the Number to Steal It.
Just when you think it can't get worse, it does. According to a credit card executive I spoke with, credit card thieves run a series of numbers - something like a lottery. Master Card, Visa and American Express each start with identifiable numbers. Credit card thieves then append random numbers and keep running them through a program. Eventually, they hit the lottery - your card. You … [Read more...]
Bank of America Sued…Again – It’s only the fifth inning according to the New York Times
New York prosecutors sue Bank of America over Bad Loans On Wednesday, federal prosecutors in New York took aim at Bank of America. They accused it of carrying out a scheme, started by its Countrywide Financial unit, that defrauded government-backed mortgage agencies by churning out loans at a rapid pace without proper controls. In a civil suit, prosecutors seek to collect at least $1 billion in … [Read more...]
American Express Prepaid Card – What You Should Know About Prepaid Cards
The American Express prepaid card confers the "stature" of being an American Express Card holder. The prepaid card is honored by merchants that accept American Express. But there are also concerns. Fraudulent charges. Immediate credits might be issued in some cases. However, cardholders are more often informed that it takes about eight weeks before a final decision is made, and they will not … [Read more...]
American Express Credit Fraud Alert – Phony Debt Collection on Behalf of American Express
A reader sent us the following debt fraud alert: A company with no name is sending out delinquent debt collection letters allegedly on behalf of American Express. If receive a debt validation letter, please read the fine print on both the stationary and envelope! Debt collection tactics in the AE case: The top of the letter contains an address, but no company name. In small type at the … [Read more...]
Credit Card Company Beats Wall Street Estimates by Raising Interest Rates
Master Card and Visa have been gouging cardholders for years, while American Express remained consumer and small business-owner friendly. Not any more. American Express raised interest rates about a year ago. Rates were hiked by over 5 percent annually in our low interest economy. The purported reason: Too many cardholders were walking away from their obligations. Or so American Express … [Read more...]
US Economic Crisis Options: Dabble, dither, dump, default, destroy or be daring
US Economic Crisis by Dr. David Goldenberg: Strategies to Deal with the Economy (before late is too late.) [Dr. Goldenberg is the author of Creating Condo & Homeowner Association Documents and The Art of War 3: Canons of Commerce.] Here’s a mutually exclusive and exhaustive list of the broad families of strategies to deal with the current U.S. economic crisis. Which would you prefer? Tell … [Read more...]
Foreclosure Process Inside Story. Attorney Evan Rosen: Why Banks are Slow to Foreclose.
The following article was authored and shared with our readers by Florida foreclosure expert, attorney Evan Rosen. I interviewed Evan on the foreclosure process, specifically: how banks and third-party groups foreclose on homes without proper documents - and ways you can stop them. Enjoy the audio and Evan Rosen's insightful article below. ~ Dr. Joyce Starr Understanding the Foreclosure … [Read more...]