The Ultimate Guide to Credit Cards
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Mike Senecal
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About The Author

Mike Senecal draws on more than 20 years of editorial experience to update CardRates.com readers on industry trends, business news, and best practices in budgeting and credit use. Mike has worked in academic and trade publishing, including roles as managing editor and technical editor at the University of Florida and as contributor to finance industry publications, including Surety Bond Quarterly and Independent Agent, among others. Mike holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina.

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Latest Posts

185 posts written/edited to date
How Taxpayers Subsidize Charitable Giving That Funds Climate Change Disinformation and Inaction

How Taxpayers Subsidize Climate Change Inaction

Every law has unintended consequences, and new research from the Institute for... read more »

Mike Senecal 1/13/2025
As Gen Zers Grow Their Wealth, Banks Are Competing to Understand Their Credit-Building Needs

New Research Explores Gen Z's Credit Competency

As more members of the Gen Z cohort, born between 1997 and 2012, strive to make... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/19/2024
How Pending State Legislation on Interchange Fees Threatens Digital Payments Nationwide

Pending State Legislation Threatens Digital Payments

Merchant-acquiring banks pay interchange fees to credit card issuers to fund... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/18/2024
An Expense and Fuel Risk Management Platform That Puts Fleet Owners and Managers in Control

Proactive Expense and Fuel Risk Management for Fleets

Fleet logistics optimization often takes a back seat to the constant pressures of... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/18/2024
New Research From Fidelity Investments Reveals More Americans Prioritize Discussing Family Finances

New Research From Fidelity Highlights Family Finances

Just-released research from Fidelity Investments finds more American families... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/13/2024
New to the Crypto Space? Store and Manage Your Coins Offline in a Beginner-Friendly Hardware Wallet

A Beginner-Friendly Hardware Wallet to Manage Your Crypto

BitBox is old news in crypto — and that’s a good thing. The first version of its... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/12/2024
Time Tracking and Productivity Monitoring Software to Help Businesses Embrace the Global Workforce

Software to Help Businesses Embrace the Global Workforce

A growing number of companies in a range of business categories see the advantages... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/12/2024
6 Finance Experts Pick the Best Credit Cards for Beginners in 2025

6 Finance Experts Pick the Best Credit Cards for Beginners

I didn’t always have the financial experience I have today. As a consumer, I had to... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/10/2024
A Payment Solution With Loyalty Programs That Help Merchants Turn Transactions Into Engagement Tools

How Payments With Loyalty Programs Boost Results

There’s no turning back the trend that has customers everywhere clamoring for more... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/9/2024
What is an Interest-Free Period? How Credit Card Grace Periods and Promotional Rates Work

How Credit Card Interest-Free Periods Work

Credit card issuers earn their living primarily from the interest we pay on... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/5/2024
Truck Fleets Save Costs and Gain Flexibility When They Upgrade to a Modernized Fuel Card Platform

A Modern Fuel Card Platform to Streamline Truck Fleets

Truck fleet owners and managers know that traditional fuel cards provide discounts... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/4/2024
Competitive Products and Interactive Education are Directives at This Digital-First Credit Union

Education is a Directive at This Digital-First Credit Union

Where you put your money as a financial institution says a lot about your... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/3/2024
Access Upfront Cash Without Taking on Debt by Leveraging Your Home’s Future Value

Unlock Your Home Equity to Achieve Your Financial Goals

U.S. homeowners collectively hold $11.5 trillion of accessible home equity, yet... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/3/2024
How Credit Card Chargebacks Work and Protect Consumers

How Credit Card Chargebacks Help Safeguard Cardholders

I imagine Amazon needs quite a few resources to photograph and document every... read more »

Mike Senecal 12/2/2024
What is a Statement Balance? How to Read and Understand Your Credit Card Bill

What is a Statement Balance? How to Read Your Credit Card Bill

Credit card debt is revolving, meaning you can carry a balance on your account —... read more »

Mike Senecal 11/26/2024
SMBs Choose Fast and Flexible Revenue-Based Financing to Access Working Capital As Needed

Revenue-Based Financing Offers Flexible Capital Access

Small business owners shouldn’t have to risk their personal credit to pursue their... read more »

Mike Senecal 11/21/2024
Streamline Business Procurement With an AI-Enhanced Purchasing and Payment Solution

An AI-Enhanced Purchasing and Payment Solution

Once you grow your brick-and-mortar business beyond the embryonic stage, you need... read more »

Mike Senecal 11/19/2024
Removing Borders and Barriers to Streamline Transactions and Spur the Global Digital Economy

Borderless Currencies Spur the Global Digital Economy

Anyone in the world with an internet connection can do business with anyone else... read more »

Mike Senecal 11/13/2024
Put a Card at the Center of Your Travel and Expense Program to Maximize Visibility and Control

A Card-Centric Travel and Expense Platform

Corporate travel and expense management platforms can’t offer employees and teams a... read more »

Mike Senecal 11/12/2024
What is a Credit Freeze and How Can It Help Secure Your Credit Reports?

What is a Credit Freeze? How to Protect Your Credit

Are you who your data says you are? Digital transformation has caused an explosion... read more »

Mike Senecal 11/12/2024