Category Archives: Credit Card Industry
- Payment Protection Plans Horrible for Consumers. Banks Love Them.
We’ve all seen them. Those offers to cover us if we are sick, laid off or injured and unable to make our credit card payments. Over the years, for every one person that has told me they have received some payment or benefit from the program, there have probably been 500 more that have not. [...]
- Robo-Signing Fraud Hits Credit Card Companies. Makes Lawsuits Problematic.
Photo Credit: Sebastianlund In the last year there has been quite a lot of news about the mortgage industry using a technique called robo-signing. This is where a person is supposed to review documents to proceed against a homeowner and foreclose on their home but in fact never examines the information to see if it [...]
- Can I Settle Credit Card Debts for Less Because Banks Cannot Prove What I Owe Them?
The following is an excerpt of a question from a CRN educational subscriber that was sent to his CRN specialist and forwarded to me for my take on the issues raised. I think it is a compelling topic so I am sharing the questions and concerns and the response I gave. Question: “What is Consumer [...]
- West Virginia Settles Charges Against Capital One
West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw announces a settlement his office reached with Capital One Bank (USA) N.A.; Capital One Service, LLC, a Delaware corporation; Capital One Services II, LLC; Capital One Services III, LLC; COSI Receivables Management, Inc. (collectively Capital One), to resolve claims involving credit card practices in place prior to January 1, [...]
- Be Smart and Find the Best Credit Card That’s Right for You
For anyone who has spent more than a few minutes on the GetOutOfDebt.org site you easily come to the conclusion that it is primarily about getting rid of debt but getting out of debt is more than just about eliminating your bills. Getting out of debt is also about not getting into overwhelming debt. One [...]
- Negotiating With Credit Card Companies
Many consumers are under the false assumption that they need to hire an attorney when negotiating with credit card companies to settle debts. The reality is that anyone can attempt to negotiate with creditors including the consumers themselves. I don’t want to imply that there are not attorneys out there who can effectively negotiate with [...]
- Would You Like to See Easier to Read Credit Card Agreements?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is soliciting feedback and comments from consumers about a news and simpler format for credit card agreement. That’s a terrific idea. Even more impressive is the public database they maintain with over 300 current agreements from banks all over the U.S. The CFPB is soliciting comments and you can [...]
- CFPB Releases Credit Card Complaint Report
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a report today on the first three months of collecting consumer complaint information about credit card issues. Of the 5,074 complaints received by the CFPB, 83.8$ were forwarded to the credit card issuer. Of those forwarded to the credit card issuers, 74% were reported as a full or [...]
- Couple Faces Serious Jail Time For Their $25 Million Nationwide Telemarketing Fraud Scam
Kara Singleton Adams, from Georgia, was found guilty last week on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, and structuring financial transactions, relating to a $25 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme. Already convicted in this scheme are three co-defendants including Adams’ husband, Jason James Eyer, James Adolph Schoenholz, and Brittany Dunphy. All three pleaded guilty to related [...]
- True Cradle Robbers – Stealing Credit From The Cradle
It’s often not a parent’s first thought to check the credit report of their minor child, however, it may now become a necessity. Not because a child may fraudulently be using credit without their parents’ knowledge but because scammers may have stolen their unused Social Security number and identity. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) put [...]
- Financial Literacy For Kids: How To Really Teach Kids How To Manage Money
When I was 8 years old my dad took me into Citibank to open my very first savings account. He said it would teach me the value of a dollar and the importance of saving. I don’t remember how much I started my account with and if I deposited on a regular basis but I [...]
- Breaking the Credit Card Codes. Here is the Hacker Cipher.
I’m always surprised when I give people my credit card number and then they ask me if it’s a Visa or MasterCard. These thing have some logic behind them but everybody doesn’t know the secrets to the codes. If you reach into your wallet you’ll find that all your Visa cards will begin with a [...]
- American Express Targets Whippersnappers With FourSquare Credit Deals
It was only a matter of time before credit card companies entered the location-based, social media scene. It was announced today that American Express and Foursquare have officially teamed up. I remember when Foursquare hit the scene back in 2009. “This is stupid” I said. “Why would I want anyone to know where I am? [...]
- Are Stay-At-Home Mom’s At Risk For Being Denied Credit?
The Federal Reserve has recently proposed new rules in credit card lending to only consider one’s personal income and not the household’s income. Essentially, this sounds smart. They are trying to prohibit those without a steady income from taking on credit, especially those unable to repay their debt. However, Margaret Ryznar points out an outstanding [...]
- The Effectiveness Of Tearing Up Unwanted Credit Card Offers
Ever wonder how effective tearing up an unwanted credit card offer is? Many will just tear it in half, or even tiny pieces, throw it in the garbage and never think of it again. However, how easy would it be for a criminal to get a hold of your garbage and tape it back together? [...]