Less than $2,500 More than $2,500
Always Never Sometimes
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Like most Americans, you probably don’t thoroughly read through the credit card terms and conditions when you open a credit card account or when you receive updates regarding the terms in the mail. However, you’re doing yourself a serious disservice by ignoring them.

Often, these “updates” to your credit card’s terms indicate ways your card issuer can charge you more money. In other words, if you aren’t aware of these changes, you could unknowingly rack up additional fees, or even damage your credit.

credit card billsLook out for these common ploys:

1. Your Due Date Changes

Your credit card company can change your due date at its discretion, as long as your are notified in advance. But if you don’t read the notification, you might not realize the change. Missing a payment by even just one day can cause you to incur heavy late fees, and could increase your interest rate or void a promotional APR.

If you do notice a change and your bill is paid automatically through your online banking service, make sure to update the “pay by” section on your account to reflect the new due date.

2. Your Interest Rate Increases

Credit card companies can adjust your interest rate at their discretion, and in some instances, the interest rate can go as high as 30%. If you read about an upcoming rate hike that is significant, consider carefully before canceling the card. If you take this route, your minimum monthly credit card payment could increase. Plus, closing a credit card could hurt your credit score, especially if it’s one with a high spending limit.

Paperless Bills3. Fees Increase

Expect most of your banking and credit card fees to increase – if they haven’t already – as banks struggle to maintain profits in light of the CARD Act. Fees subject to increase include annual fees, cash advance fees, late fees, paper statement fees, and replacement card fees. Though you may assume that fee hikes would be minimal, this isn’t necessarily the case.

What You Can Do

If you notice an upcoming rate hike but can’t pay off your balance in full, consider transferring the balance to one of the low APR credit cards with a more attractive rates. If your credit is decent, you should be eligible for one with an introductory 0% APR for anywhere between 6 and 21 months.

Just be sure to fully review the terms of the agreement: Understand what the APR will adjust to once the promotional period ends, and how much the balance transfer fee is. Alternatively, and after careful consideration, you could close the account before the rate increase takes effect and continue to pay off your balance at the original interest rate.

To avoid paying excessive fees, make on-time payments a priority and switch to paperless billing. If an issuer tries to slap an annual fee on you, call customer service to see if you can get it waived – it never hurts to ask. Credit card issuers are now banned from charging an over-the-limit fee, unless you provide your written consent. In other words, thoroughly review all documents before you sign. And don’t sign anything you don’t feel good about.

credit card thoughtsFinal Thoughts

One way to minimize the effect of rate hikes and fee increases is to simply commit to getting and staying out of credit card debt. All it takes is a little sacrifice, some common sense, and a careful reassessment of your spending habits.

The three golden rules to eliminate credit card debt are to spend less than you make, to create and stick to a budget, and to eliminate unnecessary purchases. Let the banks fend for themselves when it comes to staying profitable. You’ve got better things to do with your money!

Have you had an interest rate hike in the past? What did you do about it?

Author Bio: David Bakke discusses smart money management and responsible credit card use on Money Crashers Personal Finance. Additionally, he enjoys playing with his young son, eating good food, and reselling electronics online.

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Have you ever wanted a clear perspective on your money, how it’s being used, and where it’s spent? Are you losing track of your debts and finding it difficult to manage your funds, wishing for a helping hand to guide your way to financial freedom? How would it feel like to have control of your finances and have a clear picture of all your expenses, debts, and spending?

SpringCoin

Without doubt, more Americans struggle today with expenses and burdening debts than the previous two generations. There’s three main reasons behind these staggering statistics:

  1. Overwhelming Credit Card Debt
  2. Not Starting a Budget
  3. Lacking an Emergency Savings Fund

A new and better approach is needed to recover and start fresh. SpringCoin is a unique and smart service designed to manage finances by leveraging the latest programming technology. It’s an “automated debt relief coach” that helps you pay off debts faster, while also strengthening your financial knowledge to empower you to make better decisions.

It generates personalized payment plans that are tailored to fit each individual’s financial situation. It will search through thousands of debt plans to find the right one, as well as negotiate the lowest rates to help you recover from your debts the quickest way possible.

How does SpringCoin work?

SpringCoin is a user-friendly online financial management system that allows you to gain knowledge about all aspects of your finances. The following fundamental components are available as soon as you log in:

  • Upcoming Payments
  • Goals for the Week
  • Visual Representation of Bills (Calendar)
  • Progress Bar
  • Recent Activity Log
  • Upload Bills
  • Alert Box

Personalized Debt Solutions for Full Debt Relief

SpringCoin offers a free credit report, which provides you specific details about all of the money owed to your creditors. You can add and link all of your financial accounts to the system without affecting your credit score.

debt relief

You can also edit the debt amount manually, if you feel there have been any changes. All of this data is then linked to SpringCoin, where it reviews, evaluates, and provides customized solutions for the swiftest route to debt relief. In addition, SpringCoin analyzes your spending patterns and monthly income to devise the most ideal plan for your situation.

Payment Plans

SpringCoin generates a customized monthly payment plan for you and automatically sends payments to your creditors. The program’s premium plan will help you reduce your interest rates by reaching out to creditors to make special concessions that reduce your costs greatly.

With no late fees, the service automatically runs to keep you out of debt.

Track Spending

You can use SpringCoin to track how much you spend for each category, including utilities, shopping, transportation, bills, and other expenses. You can also add or change the desired amounts for each expense.

track budgets

If you exceed the defined amount, SpringCoin automatically suggests you methods to reduce expenses and remain within the limits. Manually adjusting your spending for each category is also available.

Link All Your Accounts

In order for SpringCoin to give you an accurate picture of your finances, it’s best to link all your accounts. You can add an account by simply clicking the “Add Account” button and entering the bank’s name and login credentials. The “Your Accounts” page lists all the creditors that are already enrolled with SpringCoin.

Link accounts

The premium plan offers special concessions with the creditors, such as interest rate or balance reduction. You can even link your credit cards with SpringCoin, which allows your daily balance to be easily updated. Another benefit of this system is that you no longer have to remember usernames and passwords for all of your separate accounts.

Upcoming Bills and Timely Alerts

SpringCoin tracks all of your bills and alerts you when a due date is near. If an immediate action is needed, a red alert bar will appear on top of the dashboard. The “Upcoming Bills” page lists all the upcoming payments, including all recurring payments like telephone bills, cable bills, or subscriptions. Track or untrack any bills any time, and view spending by periods, such as weekly or monthly.

Calendar

SpringCoin’s smart calendar on the dashboard lets you easily visualize your payment dates, providing information on your paid and due expenses.

Weekly Goals – Challenges

The weekly goals and challenges help you reduce your debts faster while increasing your financial literacy. SpringCoin has a fun and interesting way to expand your knowledge and remove your burden by recommending quizzes. For example, if you pay an additional $25 to one of the creditors, you earn an extra six points.

weekly challenges

SpringCoin will then automatically add the additional points once you have reached your criteria as it tracks your goals. The quizzes also feature links to reading material so you can be prepared and study beforehand. These reward points are built to increase your financial IQ while helping you to become debt free.

Safe and Secure

The service is 100% safe and secure, as SpringCoin uses a “state of the art 128-bit encryption technology.” This is the same technology that is used by banks. When you link your accounts, SpringCoin only reads the data and cannot change it whatsoever.

SpringCoin Debt Counselors

As a member, you have access to SpringCoin’s expert debt counselors available anytime to answer your questions and guide you. If you need any help with calculating, predicting, or forming better decisions, and need to speak to a live person to help you with the online program, you can give them a call and receive help immediately.

debt counselors

SpringCoin Giveaway

In celebration of Financial Literacy Month, SpringCoin is giving away 100 FREE lifetime accounts for their online financial management tool! All you have to do is sign up for SpringCoin through this link. and start setting up your financial plans! It’s that easy!

SpringCoin is extremely cost-effective. The solutions provided are derived to help you save money while you lay the groundwork for your financial freedom. SpringCoin is a full financial service with automatic payments, debt solutions, tracking payments, and educational materials designed for anyone wanting to find a solution to managing their money the best way possible.

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Do you have a hard time managing your money and keeping track of your financial goals? If so, you are definitely not alone, as most people have trouble tracking the financial aspects of their lives. If you fall into this category of consumers, CreditSesame.com might be a tool for you to consider.

CreditSesame.com

It’s designed to help you keep track of your credit and your net wealth without a lot of extra work on your part. What exactly is CreditSesame.com and how does it work?

Tracking Your Debt Situation

CreditSesame.com makes it possible to easily see what’s going on with your debt situation at any given time. If you’ve ever taken a look at your credit report before, you know exactly how much information it contains. Continuously monitoring this information on your own can be a bit of a chore.

If you have multiple credit accounts and loans, you may not be sure exactly where you stand each month. You’ll easily be able to see your credit account balances and loan balances all in the same place, without having to look at multiple statements or online accounts.

Credit Sesame Debt

With CreditSesame.com, you see all of the latest information on your accounts every month. You also get to see what your credit score is on a monthly basis. Since your credit score is continuously changing based on the financial moves you make each month, this can be a valuable feature.

You don’t have to wonder if the steps that you’re taking will make a difference to your credit score. You can actually see if it’s working as you go.

In addition to providing information about your credit score, you also get access to important information such as your debt-to-income ratio. This type of information is vital to lenders and creditors when they evaluate your credit history after you apply for financing. In the end, don’t fall for the various credit card myths!

Money Saving

Another attractive feature that comes with CreditSesame.com is the money saving offers. Since CreditSesame.com knows the terms of your loans and credit accounts, it can tell when a better deal is available in the market. It continuously scours the market, looking for better deals on loans and credit cards.

Saving moneyIf it finds a deal with a better rate than what you’re already paying, it will alert you. You can then take advantage of these money saving offers and the new account information will be included in your CreditSesame.com profile.

Free Credit Scores

CreditSesame.com also provides you with access to your free credit score each month. In exchange for signing up for the service and checking out periodic money-saving offers, they give you your free credit score every month from Experian. You don’t have to sign up with a credit card or provide any payment data.

free credit score

The Verdict

CreditSesame.com is a service that makes it easy for you to monitor credit accounts, check your credit score and save money. If you are trying to rebuild your credit score after making a few bad choices, this could be an ideal service for your credit card goals.

It could also help you avoid any possible identity theft since you can always see what’s going on with your credit accounts. In today’s world, you can never be too careful in that regard. Overall, this is a quality service that makes it possible for you to stay on top of your finances and build for the future. Be sure to FOLLOW @CreditSesame on Twitter!

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We love when people with great, financial wisdom give of their time to answer questions. We were lucky enough to have Richard Smith of Fool.com do any interview with us. Rich is know in the Internet world as a financial writer that knows his stuff. Although he mostly writes for the Fool.com, Rich has also been seen on AOL DailyFinance, Yahoo Finance, and many other high-authority financial websites.

A former lawyer, Rich knows his stuff and is always willing to help people out by sharing his wisdom. Rich is an individual investor, part-time financial writer, and recovering international lawyer based in Indianapolis. We would just like to thank Rich for taking the time to answer the following questions!

Motley Fool

What do you enjoy most about finances?

Rich: Bargain-hunting. Whether it is shopping for a cheap stock, taking advantage of a tax break on my daughter’s 529 plan, or scoring a great deal at the supermarket (it’s on sale *and* I have a coupon? Hurray!), I am always on the lookout for a bargain.

Where do you try and save the most money?

Rich: Honestly, like most people, I probably spend too much time on the wrong things. Clipping coupons and looking for sales on the Internet. If I were smarter, I would spend more time on — and I would urge others to spend more time on — trying to save money on bigger ticket purchases.

To illustrate, I spent hours shopping for the best deal on a 50″ flat screen TV this past holiday season, and probably saved $100 to $200 as a result. If I spent the same amount of time shopping for a used car, the savings would likely be in the $1000 to $2000 range. Or if I sank the same amount of time into researching a mortgage refinance, and haggling with my banker over the “junk fees” charged on the refinance, the savings could easily be $1000 upfront, and thousands more over the lifetime of the mortgage.

What do you like most about the FOOL.com?

Rich: The people. The Motley Fool is made up of hundreds of thousands of individuals, all working together to find winning stock investments, and help each other vet these investments for the best bargains. But it’s also got hundreds of discussion boards dedicated to everything from exchanging advice on tax filings to home economics to starting and running a small business. We’re all in this together, and the Fool is our online “home base.”

InvestAt what age would you recommend people to start investing?

Rich: The “miracle of compound interest” means that the longer you invest, the greater your ultimate profit — so the short answer to this question is “whatever age you are right now.” As for the common arguments against investing in stocks, I’ll address them in two examples: With banks paying 0.1% interest rates, there’s little reason for a retiree to not buy a steady, safe utility stock paying a 5% dividend.

At the other end of the scale, what little kid wouldn’t like to have a share certificate hanging on their wall, declaring them to be a part owner of Disney? There’s no such thing as too old, or too young, to invest.

What are your thoughts on the credit card industry during 2011? Future (2012)?

Rich: 2011 was a great year to invest in credit card companies, because everyone was worrying about the effect of the cap on debit card fees that the banks could charge. Like Warren Buffett says, you want to get greedy when everyone else is fearful.

2012, and beyond, I only see the industry growing. Online retail is the only aspect of retail that is really growing great guns, and you need a credit card to shop online, so …

What credit card companies do you think will see growth in the 2012 stock market?

Rich: I would shy away from the issuers, generally. There’s a lot of non-credit-card related danger in the big banks, with their unknown exposure to the European debt crisis. If I had to buy an issuer, though, I think Capital One is attractively priced at about 6 times earnings, with long-term growth of more than 7%.

If you had to invest in one credit card company, who would it be and why?

Rich: I prefer the “real” credit card companies, which act as toll booths collecting a fee every time someone uses a card. Visa, Mastercard, Discover. Of the three, Discover is the lowest quality company, but has a much more attractive price.

I’d buy that one today, or wait for another industry-wide scare and use that as an opportunity to buy Mastercard or Visa. (And yes, there’s also AmEx, but I’ve never liked AmEx much. It’s policy of charging higher fees than the others tends to irritate retailers, and irritating your customer base just never seemed smart to me.)

Percent signs

Real quick, 3 Pros and Cons of Investing in Credit Card Companies

Pros: Fast growth, reasonable (and in Discover’s case, cheap) valuation, and easy to understand business models

Cons: For the issuers, the non-credit-card-related businesses have unknowable risks to them. That’s a con. Their prices look cheap, but may be “cheap for a reason.” Call that con number two.

And I’ll throw out a wildcard con in the form of a movement to force Amazon and other online retailers to collect sales taxes from online purchasers — that will dampen growth in the short term, but may also create a buying opportunity because long-term, I still see electronic purchases as the long-term trend away from physical cash.

We would just like to thank Rich for taking the time to answer the following questions!

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Best cash back cardsIn the era of reward points and freebies, consumers are always on the look out for additional savings and incentives while using credit cards. The companies in charge of issuing credit cards try to lure customers in by offering bigger and better rewards in exchange for the use of their card. With the economic downturn, it has become harder than ever for credit card companies to keep existing clients happy, much less bring in new accounts. One route is through the offer of cash-back cards. As much as consumers may like receiving airline points or savings on gas, what the average man needs more than anything is extra cash. To compare rates and rewards for many cards at once, simply use the credit card FREE comparison tool above!

Best Cash Back Credit Cards for 2012

The following list addresses some of the best-rated cash back credit cards available for 2012, in no particular order.

Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card

Citi dividend platinum select visa card

One of the cash-back credit card favorites is the Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card. Besides the main reason people choose this card (cash back rewards), this card has no annual fee and clients receive a $200 cash bonus shortly after opening their Citi card if they charge $1,000 within the first three months. And unlike many other cards, the rewards have no expiration date, allowing this card to be among the most popular in 2012.

Cash-back percentage: 1% (5% in select rotating categories quarterly)

Annual fee: None

Bonus: Get $200 cash back after $1,000 in purchases within the first three months

Expiration: No expiration on rewards

Formula: Earn 5% cash back in selected quarterly categories and 1% cash back on all other purchases

Chase Freedom Credit Card

Chase freedom credit card

Similar to the above Citi card, the Chase Freedom credit card also offers a hefty cash-back percentage of 5% for select rotating categories quarterly, and 1% otherwise. The only difference is the cap of $1,500 on the quarterly rewards. There is also a tidy little intro bonus of $100 cash once you spend $500 in the first three months. No annual fee and no expiration on rewards add to the popularity factor.

Cash-back percentage: 1% (5% in select rotating categories quarterly up to $1,500)

Annual fee: None

Bonus: You will get $100 cash back after you spend $500 in your first three months

Expiration: No expiration on rewards

Formula: Get 1% cash back on all purchases

American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card

American express blue cash credit card

When it comes to what expenses make up the most of our budget, groceries, gas and clothing usually top the list. That’s when the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card comes in handy. One of the highest percentages in the cash back credit card world, users will receive 6% back at supermarkets, 3% at gas stations as well as department stores. The low annual fee will quickly be recovered with the high percentage of cash-back rewards. No expiration on reward is an added benefit.

Cash-back percentage: 1% (6% at supermarkets, 3% at gas stations, department stores)

Annual fee: $75

Bonus: Earn $150 cash back when you spend $1,000 in the first three months

Expiration: None

Formula: Get 6% cash back at supermarkets, 3% cash back at gas stations and department stores, and 1% everywhere else

First National Bank of Omaha Graphite American Express Card

Graphite American Express Card

Similar to the Blue card, the First National Bank of Omaha Graphite American Express Card awards consumers on necessity purchases, such as groceries and gas. It also offers a high percentage of cash-back on airline tickets, which with the rapidly rising costs of fuel and extra fees, 3% of all airline costs could add up!

Cash-back percentage: 1% (3% on airlines, 2% on gas and groceries)

Annual fee: $99 after the first year

Bonus: Get $100 cash back when you spend $1,000 in qualifying purchases during the first three billing cycles

Expiration: Cash-back rewards expire exactly three years after they are awareded

Formula: Get 3% cash back on qualifying airline purchases, 2% cash back on qualifying gas and grocery purchases and 1% on all other qualifying purchases

BankAmericard Cash Rewards

BankAmericard cash reward cardAs Bank of America makes it’s debut on our list, the BankAmericard Cash Rewards Visa longs to offer fantastic bonuses and high percentages on everyday purchases. Besides the usual 1% cash back on all purchases, the BankAmericard offers 3% on gas purchases up to $1,500 and 2% on $1,500 in grocery purchases. No annual fees and no expiration add value and peace-of-mind to these card users.

Cash-back percentage: 1% (3% on up to $1,500 of gasoline, 2% on up to $1,500 in groceries)

Annual fee: None

Bonus: Get $50 cash back after you make $100 in purchases within 60 days of account opening

Expiration: No expiration on rewards

Formula: Get 1% cash back on every purchase, 2% on groceries and 3% on gas (quarterly $1,500 maximum applies to bonus rewards on grocery and gas purchases, 1% on purchases after max is reached)

American Express TrueEarnings (Costco) Card

American Express TrueEarnings Costco Card

The American Express TrueEarnings Costco Card offers multiple levels of cash-back percentages, including gas, dining out and travel. Since this card is offered through Costco, users much have a Costco membership. No additional fees are required, and rewards do not have expiration dates.

Cash-back percentage: 1% (3% on up to $3,000 of gasoline, 2% travel, restaurants)

Annual fee: Coscto membership required; no additional fees

Bonus: No intro bonus offered

Expiration: No expiration on rewards

Formula: Earn 3% cash back on annual gasoline purchases up to $3,000, then 1% after that. Plus, earn 2% cash back at restaurants, 2% when you travel and 1% everywhere else, including Costco

Capital One No Hassle Cash Rewards

Captial One No Hassle Cash Rewards

The themes of rewards based on food and gasoline purchases continue with the Capital One No Hassle Cash Rewards card. With 2% cash-back at all gas station and grocery stores, the No Hassle Cash Rewards card sticks to it’s name and makes the rewards process easy with no cap on the amount spent per year. A low annual fee paired with no expiration of rewards adds to the key features of this card.

Cash-back percentage: 1% (2% at gas stations, grocery stores)

Annual fee: $39

Bonus: No introductory bonus

Expiration: Rewards have no expiration

Formula: Get 2% cash back on purchases at gas stations and major grocery stores, 1% cash back on all other purchases

Accelerated Rewards American Express Card

Bank of American Accelerated Rewards Amex Card

One of the highest percentages for all general purchases, the Bank of America Accelerated Rewards Amex card offers 1.25% on all everyday purchases, without any specific categories. With a pretty much guaranteed $50 cash in the first two months (after spending at least $100 on your card), the Accelerated Rewards lives up to it’s name! No annual fee is an added bonus.

Cash-back percentage: 1.25% on all purchases

Annual fee: No annual fee

Bonus: Get $50 cash back after you make $100 in purchases within 60 days of account opening

Expiration: Five years after earning points

Formula: Receive 1.25 points for every $1 spent

Fidelity Investment Rewards American Express

American Express Investment Rewards by Fidelity

An easy, cut-to-the-chase credit card, the Fidelity Investment Rewards Amex card make its easy with a simple percentage: 2% on all eligible purchases. No annual fees, no amounts to reach in order to receive cash-back.

Cash-back percentage: 2%

Annual fee: None

Bonus: No intro bonus

Expiration: After five years

Formula: Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases

Navy Federal Credit Union goRewards Card

GoRewards card by Navy Federal Credit Union

 

Just like in the Navy, the Navy Federal Credit Union goRewards card is pretty straight-laced and to the point. No bonuses, low annual fees and and easy 1 point per $1 spent, no matter the category of the item being purchased.

Cash-back percentage: 1% – 1.25%

Annual fee: $18

Bonus: No intro bonus

Expiration: After four years

Formula: Earn one point with every $1 of net purchases

Choosing the Card That Best Fits Your Lifestyle

When it comes to applying for a credit card, the applicant needs to be sure of what the company has to offer them. Lifestyles favoring dining out and travel, as opposed to simple grocery purchases, all have credit cards that tend to those particular needs. It’s best to research them a bit and not focus on one area over another. It may be easy to get blinded by the terms “cash” and “free”. However, annual fees and specifics on using rewards points must be taken into account as well. Be responsible with your credit cards and enjoy the benefits that so many companies offer! To find a list of credit cards, be sure to use our FREE comparison tool below!

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Every year, millions of Americans tune in to catch the Super Bowl, even if their team has been out of playoff contention since Week 10 of the regular season. Even if they’re watching for the love of the game (and the fact that they won’t see NFL action again until the fall), every fan is going to be talking about one thing for sure: the commercials.

Super bowl commercial credit card rewards

Advertisers paid an average of $3.5 million for just 30 seconds of viewers’ attention. While we won’t get into which commercials were the best or funniest, we thought we’d compare some of the credit card rewards YOU could have earned if you had paid the average price companies paid for 2012 Super Bowl commercials just to promote yourself for 30 seconds during America’s ultimate prime time: the Super Bowl.

We picked some of the top credit cards for the main rewards categories, and calculated just how far those credit card rewards could take you. Hopefully you don’t actually plan on road tripping to the moon and back, but maybe you will be able to realize the benefits to be had from choosing the right credit card for your needs.

Airline Credit Card Rewards

Airline Rewards

Credit Card: Continental Airlines OnePass

Rewards: 140 Roundtrip Flights (once a week for 2 years 8  months)

With the Continental Airlines OnePass, purchases in the “other” category will be worth 1 mile in rewards for each dollar that you spend, and 25,000 rewards miles gets you a round-trip flight within the U.S. Since putting your home video up for 30 costs falls in the “other” category, you’re looking at 3.5 million rewards miles, which comes out to 140 round-trip U.S. flights.

You probably won’t be saying, “I’m bored!” for a while, since you’re covered for a round-trip flight once a week for over 2 years! Say you want to start March 1 when you get your rewards statement back for February spending, you’ll be able to fly until somewhere Tuesday, November 10. Oh, did we mention that’s November of 2014?! Hope you brought your travel pillow!

Gas Rewards Credit Card Rewards

Gas Rewards

Credit Card: Chase BP Credit Card

Rewards: $70,000 in Gas

Let’s say all you’ve got is the Chase BP Credit Card, BUT you’ve signed up within the last two months, so you’re getting 2% cash back for “other” purchases in the introductory period rather than the usual 1% (Good timing – see how much difference this makes in a bit!). With the Chase points system here, you can redeem the minimum 2500 points for a $25 check.

Thankfully, you were smart and decided to purchase that commercial time with double the reward percentage, so you’re entitled to $70,000 in cash back rather than the regular $35,000. So just how far will $70,000 get you these days? Obviously it’s doing to depend on a variety of rapidly-changing factors, but we’ll set some ground rules.

We’ll let you get 28 miles per gallon, and your gas costs are going to be around $3.48 per gallon. If you spend your hard-earned cash back rewards on gas at that price, you’re qualified for  about 20,115 gallons of gasoline. Now that can take you places – about 603,448 miles worth!

Just how far is that? Assuming gas mileage would be the same in space (it wouldn’t be), you could drive to the moon and back, and then halfway back to the moon again, with the average distance to the moon being 238,857 miles. If you preferred to stay safe on the earth, you could drive around the world (24,901 miles) just over 242 times. Either way that’s about 8,620 hours of driving time, which is a serious road trip! Are we there yet??

Hotel Rewards Credit Card Rewards

Hotel Rewards

Credit Card: Marriott Rewards Credit Card

Rewards: 11 Nights in a Marriott Suite: Downtown Indianapolis

The next category is the hotel rewards card, and we chose the Marriott rewards credit card. Again, you were smart and signed up for this one just before you decided to splurge and get into your own Super Bowl commercial, netting you 30,000 extra bonus points right away.

The rewards with the Marriott card are offered as 1 point for every dollar you spend outside of Marriott services. Your $3.5 million for 30 seconds of fame gets you 3.5 million reward points to add to your original bonus 30,000 points. If you just wanted to cash out with this, a million points gets you $12,500, so you’ve earned $44,125. If you put that into your Super Bowl hotel stay in Indianapolis, it’s good for 11 days of the premium price of $4,000 a night.

But the whole point of a hotel credit card is reaping the hotel benefits, right? Let’s put your rewards to work that way. With Marriott’s card, you receive 1 Elite night stay for every $3,000 that you spend. With all of your reward points, including the startup bonus, you qualify for 1,176 Elite nights, or just over 3 years and 2 months!

Cash Back Credit Card Rewards

Cash Back Rewards

Credit Card: Chase Freedom Cash Back Credit Card

Rewards: 1% = $35,000 Cash Back | 5% = $175,000 Cash Back

For our cash back rewards credit card, we’ve chosen the popular Chase Freedom credit card. This rewards system can get you up to 5% cash back when you use the bonus categories of a given quarter; otherwise, it’s 1% cash back for the rest. That means your looking at $35,000 in rewards just for trying to buy your popularity with a little Super Bowl face time.

BUT, let’s say Chase included the Super Bowl commercials as a bonus category for a quarter, and you pounced on that deal without a second thought! With that extra 4%, you’re coming out with $175,000 cash back, enough to get you a brand new 2013 Lotus Esprit!

Travel Credit Card Rewards

Travel Rewards

Credit Card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Rewards: Rent Your Own Island for 3 weeks 5 days or  Stay in Bora Bora for 1,048 days

The Capital One Venture rewards credit card is another card that would reward you handsomely for your decision to share the Super Bowl spotlight with the likes of Madonna. Your reward miles come out to around 24 miles for each dollar spent, meaning your $3.5 million turns into 84 million travel miles!

If you want to redeem those miles for cash, every 100 reward miles you have is worth $1. Your total bonus cash will be approximately $840,000! What kinds of vacations would you take with that kind of money? Well, you’re just shy of the $1 million Abu Dhabi vacation at the Emirates Palace. Maybe you should have gone for a whole minute of Super Bowl commercial time!

How about some things you CAN afford with just those reward points. Want to enjoy a truly private beach? How about renting your own island? With just the cash back, you can afford almost 4 weeks of blissful tranquility on the Isla de sa Ferradura! If you’re looking for a more extended stay, you could always stay in Bora Bora, French Polynesia… for nearly 2 years and 11 months! Don’t forget the sunscreen!

The Fine Print and a $3.5 Million Example

We decided to have a little fun with the numbers here, and there are plenty of problems with our estimates such as rewards limits, credit limits, and taxes and fees for starters. You are probably wanting to see an example of a $3.5 million commercial. Go ahead take a look at the below commercial, and tell us if you think the commercial is worth $3.5 million.

Hopefully you enjoyed our humorous look into the excessive amounts of money spent on advertising these days, and are not now planning on dropping $3.5 million just for some rewards points!

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The economy is slowly recovering, but household budgets are still tight. When choosing a credit card, many people want a card that provides them with points or rewards they can use toward travel, dining, or cash back. If you are looking to find the best credit card with the best rewards, then check out our FREE credit card finder! The following are 10 of the best reward credit cards for 2012.

Chase Sapphire

Chase Sapphire offers the option of redeeming points for travel or merchandise or for cash back. Currently, they are rewarding 25,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. Additionally, the card rewards 2 points for every dollar spent on dining and 1 point for all other purchases.

Chase Sapphire Credit Card

Points never expire and there are no limits on the number of points you can earn. Only applicants with a credit rating of excellent should apply. There are no annual fees. Standard APR is 15.24%.

Capital One Orbitz Visa Platinum

The Capital One Orbitz Visa Platinum credit card rewards 3x bonus points for travel booked on Orbitz. Bonus points are earned for airfare, hotel and other travel bookings. Points can be redeemed for airfare, hotels, merchandise and gift cards. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar.

Capital One Orbitz Visa Platinum

Capital One is offering a 0% introductory rate until November, 2012 including balance transfers. There is no annual fee. The standard APR is 13.9% – 19.9%. Applicants must have an excellent credit rating to get the 0% introductory rate and the lower APR.

Miles by Discover

Discover offers several cards, but the Miles by Discover credit card allows cardholders to accumulate rewards faster. Cardholders earn 1 point for every dollar spent and can redeem points for travel, merchandise, gift certificates or cash. During the first year, it’s possible to earn $120 in travel rewards by getting 1,000 bonus miles every month you make a purchase the first year.

Miles by Discover Credit Card

Discover offers a 0% introductory rate for the first 6 months, then charges 10.99% – 16.99% APR, depending on your credit rating. Discover charges no annual fee.

There are no blackout dates for travel redemption for airline, hotels or rental cars. Discover has been rated #1 in customer loyalty by a popular consumer group (2011 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index Report).

Gold Delta SkyMiles AMEX

With the American Express Gold Delta Skymiles card, points can be redeemed for airfare on Delta and Northwest flights only. There is no introductory APR, but members can earn 30,000 bonus points when making purchases during the first year.

American Expres Gold Delta SkyMiles

The SkyMiles card has a standard APR of 15.24% – 19.24% APR. Like most AMEX cards, there is an annual fee of $95, but it’s waived the first year.

BankAmericard Power Rewards

Unlike the other cards, the BankAmericard Power offers bonus points on everyday purchases of groceries and gas. Points are redeemed in the form of cash back bonuses.

BankAmericard Power Rewards Credit Card

Bank of America is offering a 0% introductory rate for 12 months for balance transfers with the rate adjusting up to 12.99% making it one of the lower rate cards. There’s no annual fee. Applicants must have a good to excellent credit rating.

Chase Freedom

The Chase Freedom offers 10,000 bonus points at sign-up and an introductory rate of 0% for 12 months on balance transfers and purchases for 6 months. Bonus points are earned on airfare, hotel, car, groceries and gas. All points go toward a cash back reward. Every 3 months, Chase creates categories, such as grocery stores or airlines, in which consumers can earn 5% cash back rather than the standard 1%.

Chase freedom

There is no annual fee and points never expire. After the standard introductory period, interest rates climb to 11.99% – 29.99%. Chase is only offering the card to those applicants with a very good or excellent credit rating.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards card is offering a 25,000 point sign-up bonus and awards bonus points on all Southwest Airlines purchases. Bonus points are earned for travel related expenses (airfare, hotels, travel bookings) and points can be redeemed for airfare, hotels and gift cards.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card

There is no introductory period, but the interest for all cardholders is 14.24%. Annual fees run $69. Consumers with a good credit rating can apply.

This card is about perks when flying on United. Rewards are accumulated in miles rather than points, and then redeemed for airfare on United. They offer a 25,000 mile sign-up bonus, with the potential of earning another 15,000 miles during the first year. Miles never expire and there’s no limit on the number of miles you can earn. For every $1 spent on United or Continental Airfare, you earn 2 miles, while all other purchases earn 1 mile per dollar spent.

Other perks include checking your first bag free, ability to board during priority boarding and 2 complementary day passes to the United Club annually. There is a $95 annual fee, which is waived the first year. The standard APR on this card is also 14.24% across the board. You might ask, “Would airline miles credit card work for me?” It all depends on your situation, but we all love to travel at some point…right?

Extras

All cards offer 24/7 on-line access and customer support, account alerts via e-mail or text and zero liability if the card is lost or stolen. All cards, with the exception of Southwest and United, provide emergency replacement.

As a consumer, you have lots of choices for a credit card that offers rewards. By reviewing the rewards that are important to you, finding a card to suit your needs can be an easy and rewarding endeavor. Before you apply for any credit cards, you should take the time to check your credit score to insure you have great credit. One slip-up in your payments could drastically affect your rewards.

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Identity theft affects nearly one in three consumers, according to the Washington Post. In 2010, it cost Americans $37 billion in losses. Fortunately, there are several ways consumers can protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft.

We’ll hone in on four ways that you can keep yourself and your credit cards safe from fraud. After you have found the best ways to protect your credit, use our FREE credit card finder to find the best credit cards for your personal needs!

check credit scoreEnroll in Credit Monitoring

You can sign up for a credit monitoring service for free at CreditKarma.com. The site will check your credit report daily for significant changes, and email you if any changes occur, such as a new credit inquiry, a new account, a delinquent payment or improved payment history.

When you receive the notification via email, you should note immediately if it was initiated by your own actions. If not, get a copy of your credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com to find out more information; it could be an error, or worse, a red flag of identity theft or fraud.

credit card fraud

Set up Credit Card Security Alerts

Some credit card companies will let you set up manual alerts, such as one that notifies you when a certain amount is authorized on your credit card for a single transaction, or when you have a specific amount of available credit remaining on your card. Setting up security alerts will help you better track the status of your credit cards and keep your eyes open for any suspicious activity.

If you have a joint credit card, remember to talk with the other cardholder about the alerts you’ve set up. After all, you do not want to find fraudulent credit card charges on some crazy credit card receipts!

Initiate a Fraud Alert

If you place a fraud alert on your credit report, lenders and creditors will be required to contact you to verify your identity before extending a credit line or loan in your name. A fraud alert can prevent thieves from opening new accounts in your name. There are three different types of fraud alerts:

  • Initial Fraud Alert – For those who are concerned about identity theft but haven’t yet become victims, this fraud alert will protect your credit from unverified access for at least 90 days.
  • Extended Fraud Alert – For victims of identity theft, this fraud alert will protect their credit for up to seven years.
  • Active Duty Military Alert – For members of the military who wish to protect their credit during deployment, this fraud alert will last for up to one year.

You can remove a fraud alert at any time. To place a fraud alert on your credit, you need only contact one of the three credit bureaus. That bureau is required to notify the other two bureaus about the alert.

  • Equifax: Online or by calling 1-800-525-6285
  • Experian: Online or by calling 1-888-397-3742
  • TransUnion: By calling 1-800-680-7289

credit card freezeInitiate a Security Freeze

A security or credit freeze prevents any new inquiries into your credit profile. In other words, any individual attempting to open a new line of credit in your name will be unable to do so unless you temporarily lift the freeze. A security freeze is best used by those who have been recent victims of identity theft. It allows them the time they need to deal with any fraudulent accounts and activity without worrying about new accounts being created.

There is no time limit on how long a security freeze can remain on your credit, but there is sometimes a fee since laws are set on a state-by-state basis. To initiate a security freeze, first review your state’s credit freeze laws. Then, go to each credit bureau’s website to inquire how to place a security freeze:

Bottom Line

However you decide to protect your credit, make sure to review your credit score and reports on a regular basis. It will keep you up-to-date with what’s going on with your credit profile.

Bethy Hardeman is the social media maven at CreditKarma.com, a completely free credit management service that provides free credit scores, financial education and personalized savings recommendations. Credit Karma helps more than 4 million consumers realize the everyday cost savings of having a good credit score.

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Have you ever wondered if your debit or credit card receipt would compete with some of the largest spending splurges ever? Well, we did some number crunching and some intense research on the largest and most interesting receipts, and came up with some pretty hefty credit card receipts.

Take a look at these 20 enormous and interesting receipts. We hope this doesn’t make you justify excessive spending and rack up your credit card bill on your next purchase. Once you are done reading, try out our FREE credit card finder to find the perfect credit card for your needs!

1. The Largest ATM Receipt Ever

most expensive receipt

Receipt of: David Tepper

Amount: $99,864,731.94

Ok, we know this is a debit card but couldn’t leave an almost $100,000,000 receipt off the list. Coming in at #1 is the hedge fund master David Tepper. With that type of money in his checking account, he better be covering that keypad when he types in his pin. After all, he would not want someone to touch those millions. Wonder if he would even realize if a couple million was missing?

Speaking of credit/debit card safety. Take a look at this video of how easily one can steal your pin and eventually your millions (in David Tepper’s case).

Now that the credit/debit card protection course is over, let’s move on to some more crazy and larger receipts.

2. One Expensive Night Out by Drake

Expensive bar receipt

Receipt of: Drake

Amount: $189,375.98

ONE NIGHT! That is all this bill was for! Drake should consider using this money next time to take his sold out crowd out, and not just his entourage. At least his crowd could help fund these types of bills through buying cd’s and going to concerts!

3. The Most Expensive Lunch Receipt

Most expensive lunch

Receipt of: Roman Abramovich

Amount: $47,221.09

Do you remember when your mom used to give you $.25 for milk money? You thought you were living large. Just think of all the milk you could have bought with $47,221. You could have practically bought the whole dairy farm (a little exaggeration). Abramovich didn’t blink an eye whipping out his credit card for this expensive lunch receipt. We just would have love to see the waiter’s reaction when they saw a $7,000+ tip.

4. The Bruins Win Stanley Cup and Spend the Money!

Bost Bruin ReceiptReceipt of: Boston Bruins

Amount: $156,679.74

The Boston Bruins not only dominate the professional hockey world, but also make the list for one of the largest receipts! Management must not have been too excited to see their team spending all this money on one night, but sometimes you just have to celebrate a big win. After all, the Bruins are one of the most historic franchises, and have sold out enough games to cover this little (but really big) bill!

5. Lebron James Dominates Las Vegas for the Weekend!

lebron james billReceipt of: Lebron James

Amount: $171,937.53

The King struts his large contract in Las Vegas! This shows what you can do once you make it in the “Richest NBA Players” list. We just wonder what his bill will be like the night after he wins an NBA Championship.

6. Iron Maiden Takes Care of the Tab

Iron Miaden Bar TabReceipt of: Iron Maiden

Amount: $20,109

There seems to be a lot of spending when people accomplish something great (Who knew?). Iron Maiden continues to sell thousands of records to their die-hard fans. With their enormous sales, Iron Maiden makes it on the list of largest receipts. Maybe they have such die-hard fans because they take them out and cover their tab….or maybe it is due to their amazing music. We will let you decide that for yourself.

7. A Really Expensive Starbucks Coffee

starbucks billReceipt of: A person who loves Starbucks!

Amount: $20.65

This goes to show why Starbucks is so successful, and how every business can learn something from Starbucks! Although this bill says $0, the total amount was over $20 for a single cup of coffee. This person just went to Starbucks enough times to build up the Reward Points. Hopefully, paying over $20 for a caffeine fix isn’t a daily habit for this guy.

8. Charged for Farting?

farting chargeReceipt of: Unknown

Amount: $2.00 of a $49.70 bill

You know it’s bad when you get charged for farting. We have heard of having to put money in a jar when you cuss or do something you agreed that you wouldn’t do. However, this is the first time we have ever heard of someone getting charged for farting. If the person kept going to this place, they might want to look at investing in some BEANO!

9. Twilight Vampires Like Coffee?

Iced BloodReceipt of: A Thirsty Vampire?

Amount: $2.00 of a $30.20 bill

We all know Americans love coffee so we assume it wouldn’t be to strange to see your average vampire at the local coffee shop. We just wonder if this was for one of the Twilight vampires breaking their truce with the werewolves, or just Bella giving nourishment to her new baby.

10. A Wife…….

Wife Receipt

Receipt of: Someone in need of someone special

Amount: $3.99

What is the world coming to? Granted, there have been instances when people have bought a wife. But to buy one in Target, and for $3.99?? This sounds a little ridiculous to us. What happened to love and building a relationship rather than buying one?

11. Buy a Burrito Get a Cockroach for FREE!

cockroach receipt

Receipt of: A Tofu Burrito Aficionado

Amount: Free Cockroach w/Purchase

Hmmm… it seems like most people are trying to get rid of cockroaches. Imagine the sign to this place: “Free Cockroach with the Purchase of 2 Burritos and a Small Guacamole”. We are guessing this place must have some other interesting specials! We are going to keep our eye out for what they offer next!

12. An Expensive Receipt = Being Charged for Nothing

nothing receipt

Receipt of: A person who should ALWAYS check over their receipt (You should too!)

Amount: $50 for Nothing

You know the saying, “Nothing is free.”? Well, this goes to show that “nothing” could cost you $50. This person probably had a pretty funny expression once they realized all they got for $50. Hopefully they were able to go and get their money back. That leaves us wondering if there would be a “Refund Charge” though.

13. Pay for Those Insect Eggs

Insect receipt

Receipt of: We don’t want to know.

Amount: $3 for Something You Can Find in the Backyard

Who knew there would be such a market for insect eggs? Maybe people should think about collecting insect eggs from their backyard and selling them in their neighborhood (kind of like a lemonade stand).

14. Optimus Prime Saves the World and Saves you $4

optimus receipt

Receipt of: N/A

Amount: It doesn’t matter… Optimus Prime was the customer’s assistant = PRICELESS!

Optimus Prime does it all: saves the world from ultimate destruction, turns into a semi-truck, and now assists customers at local department stores. What is next? We don’t know the exact price of this receipt, and we could care less. Anything with Optimus Prime is priceless!

15. Nothing Worse Than a Cocky Cashier

hot receipt

Receipt of: We aren’t worried to much about the customer on this one. We just want to make sure the cashier isn’t to cocky with the next customer that comes in.

Amount: N/A

Have you ever gone and bought something from someone who wasn’t going to give you the time of day? We can only image what it would be like to come across this cashier.

16. Paying for a Cat’s Hairball?

cat hairball receipt

Receipt of: Someone who either 1. doesn’t have a cat or 2. likes wasting money

Amount: $11.99 for “One Cat Hairball”

The receipts keep getting crazier. A cat creates many hairballs throughout their life, so you would think this customer could find a local cat in their area to get a hairball from. They must have gotten really desperate for their hairball, though, because we can think of plenty of ways to spend $11.99 better!

17. Cat’s Pee Costs Money?

cats pee receipt

 

Receipt of: Someone who either 1. doesn’t have a cat or 2. likes wasting money

Amount: $16.84 for “Cat’s Pee”

First there was a cat’s hairball, and now people are paying for cat’s pee. It’s time to move away from those interesting animal purchases, and move onto some other receipts.

18. “Employee of the Month” Janet

janet receipt

Receipt of: The Customer of the “Employee of the Month” Janet!

Amount: Priceless. Janet is the employee of the month!

We had to show this one! After all, Janet was employee of the month and for good reason. This is the only receipt that is actually correct and not ridiculously overpriced. Congrats, Janet, hopefully you would have corrected their spelling of “tries” if they had asked you to edit this before putting it onto the receipt!

19. Joints at Target

joint receipt

Receipt of: Someone needing some new joints?

Amount: $19.99 for a Joint…not bad!

Ok, we know this isn’t literally a joint. But you have to admit that it looks pretty funny. We can picture it now….Target: The #1 stop for Joint Replacement!” You think it will catch?

20. A $1,000,000 Dinner Side

expensive receipt

Receipt of: N/A

Amount: $1,000,000 for a side

We saved one of the best ones for last.: a $1,000,000 side. This restaurant should definitely market themselves as the “Home of the $1,000,000 Side”. We are just wondering what their sales are? It should only a couple $1,000,000 side orders to cover the restaurant’s annual expenses.

Any Others?

From the most expensive to the very odd, you have seen the craziest credit card receipts we could find. Now don’t go out there and try to match some of the most expensive credit card receipts. We wouldn’t want you getting into any serious debt. No matter what your purchase is, make sure you always make good choices and check over your receipt. Last but not least, don’t forget to keep track of your receipts for further accounting. Hopefully you don’t run into a machine like the one below:

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Do You Want to Feel Like a Financial Genius?  How would you feel about being rewarded with the opportunity to win awesome prizes every time you contribute to your savings account? Haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like if paying off your loans felt less like losing money and more like taking positive steps toward financial fitness? Well let CreditCardChaser recommend SaveUp.com as a great resource for daily opportunities to win back some of your money, great services, and cool gadgets for simply keeping your finances under control.

SaveUp.com Company ReviewWhat Is SaveUp.com All About?

SaveUp.com is intended to “help Americans succeed financially,” as stated by CEO and co-founder, Priya Haji. This is how it works:

  • You sign up to the rewards program here.
  • You click the accounts tab at the top of your home page.
  • You put in your information and verify your identity.
  • You start playing for rewards!

Each time money is deposited to a savings or loan account, you receive more credits. Prizes are won by playing simulated scratch off games which cost about 10 credits each. You have a limited amount of “plays” (opportunities to spend your credits), but you win something almost every time.

Security Issues

Since the encryption is at the same level used by most banks, we felt pretty comfortable using confidential information to register and with allowing the site to monitor accounts. The site also has three reputable systems of security in place; which also happen to use the same monitoring software that most banks uses for online banking.

SaveUp.com does not access or make changes to any financial accounts, nor can any users do so through them. This is important to note, especially if you are a bit skeptical about linking to your bank account through other websites. Not to worry, your privacy is protected three-fold.

SaveUp.com PrizesIt All Sounds Awesome…But What Kinds of Prizes Can I Win?

Everything from gaming to cash to home improvement can be found on the prize opportunities. Here are some of the recently popular prizes you will find:

  • Gift Cards from American Express, Apple, and Crate&Barrel
  • Home Make-Overs
  • Gaming Consoles
  • Portable Electronics
  • Trips and Vacations
  • Airfare Packages for Anytime you Want to Fly
  • Debt Repayment Offers

Not to mention the cash prizes and , of course, the $2,000,000 jackpot! There are so many rewards, you may have a hard time deciding what to play for. You will be able to read comments posted by winners of different prizes, however, so that should make it a bit easier to figure out. Besides, you’ll always be able to play again tomorrow.

Definitely Check This Site Out—SaveUp.com Makes Saving Worth Your While

Take it from CreditCardChaser, this site is safe, interesting, and most of all rewarding. You will feel great about saving money and you won’t have to suffer through the debt repayment blues; SaveUp.com will be the silver lining around your cloud of loan payments. Plus, it can be a lot of fun to play the little scratch cards available on the site; it’s like gambling without wasting all your cash! Overall, experience was great, the site was clear and user friendly, and the prizes are enticing. Enjoy!

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