Lessons | Credit Card Topics

Donations to CoGenerate Help Bridge Generational Divides and Create Positive Social Impact

By: Mike Senecal, 5/18/2023

In a Nutshell: America is at a point in its history where more generations live and work simultaneously than ever. But America is also among the most age-segregated societies — older and younger people coexist, but they don't work together or even understand each other all that much. CoGenerate aims to change that through programs and events that explore innovations in generational co-creation. When older and younger people collaborate, new ideas and modes of being emerge. Donations... read more »

8 Times Not to Use Your Credit Card

By: Erica Sandberg, 4/13/2023

You opened a credit card so you could use it, not for it to gather dust. You can use it to make safe and secure transactions for the things you want and need. Even better, you can earn benefits while you charge if your credit card has a rewards program. But there are a number of circumstances when you may be better off restricting your own access to the account. Here are eight times to keep your plastic in your pocket. 1. Making the minimum payment will be a struggle. ... read more »

Financial Finesse’s NIL Long Game Certification Platform Helps College Athletes Keep What They Earn

By: Mike Senecal, 4/12/2023

In a Nutshell: The name, image, and likeness (NIL) era offers college athletes unprecedented opportunities to earn revenue and achieve financial independence. But athletes must understand how to avoid financial pitfalls to make NIL a lasting success. Financial coaching provider Financial Finesse helps student-athletes reach their potential in the NIL era through NIL Long Game, the first online financial literacy certification program for leveraging NIL rights. Financial Finesse has... read more »

April Is Financial Literacy Month — Here Are 7 Ways to Take Action

By: Marcie Geffner, 4/3/2023

April is "Financial Literacy Month." While the origins of this celebration may be a bit murky, its purpose is clear: to encourage people of all ages, genders, backgrounds, occupations, and beliefs to beef up their financial literacy. Financial literacy refers to an individual's knowledge of concepts related to personal finances. The most significant of these include budgeting, saving, investing, and borrowing. Understanding these and other areas of personal finance can help you... read more »

What Is Credit Card Refinancing? 6 Ways to Lower Rates (June 2023)

By: Erica Sandberg, 3/16/2023

Carrying over credit card obligations from one month to the next can be an expensive burden, especially as interest rates creep ever higher. The current average interest rates for all new card offers are between 21.10% and 27% and can go even higher for certain types of cards or if you’ve made late payments. If you can’t pay off an expensive debt, the financing fees will add up quickly. For this reason, you may want to pursue refinancing. There are several ways to do it, but... read more »

Global Anti-Scam Organization Raises the Alarm on Pig-Butchering Scams and How To Avoid Online Threats

By: Sean Roderick, 2/8/2023

In a Nutshell: Online activity is rife with criminal scams that are becoming more deceptive and pervasive. The Global Anti-Scam Organization (GASO) is dedicated to fighting back and informing the public about various scam tactics. GASO also serves as a support system for victims of cybercrimes and helps them with the recovery process. By cooperating with law enforcement worldwide, the organization has aided in preventing scams, seizing stolen assets, and rescuing victims of human... read more »

Credit Cards After Death: Here’s What Happens

By: Erica Sandberg, 12/14/2022

There are many myths surrounding credit card debt, and a fair number concern what happens to a balance after the person who borrowed the money dies. Some people think the obligation will be automatically wiped clean, while others believe the debt is transferred to relatives. The truth is that it all depends on the situation. Here's the real story about what happens to a person’s credit card debt after they die. Navigate This Article: Joint... read more »

50 Important Credit Card Terms You’ll Find in a Cardholder Agreement

By: John Ulzheimer, 12/12/2022

If you’ve ever read through a cardmember agreement, you may have thought the bank was speaking a foreign language. The credit industry has its own nomenclature and tends to speak in acronyms. And while you may not fully understand everything you’re reading, I can assure you that it’s very important to your financial health. What follows is a guide to many of the credit-related terms and acronyms that you will likely see in a credit card’s terms and conditions. Terms... read more »

Can You Have Good Credit With Credit Card Debt?

By: John Ulzheimer, 11/1/2022

There’s no question that being in credit card debt is a bad deal financially. Credit card debt, especially if it’s too close to your credit limits, can damage your credit score. Having made that point, it’s not entirely impossible to still have respectable credit even if you have balances on one or more of your credit card accounts. If you’re working to pay down your credit card debt, which you should, you may be wondering just how serious your situation is in terms of... read more »

Vesta Accelerates Natural Coastal Weathering Processes to Remove Carbon Dioxide from Oceans

By: Adam West, 10/12/2022

In a Nutshell: Oceans have become increasingly acidic due to rising levels of human-created carbon dioxide (CO2). Vesta uses carbon-removing sand in coastal ecosystems to naturally remove CO2 from the atmosphere. The process, which accelerates a natural process that would normally take millions of years to occur, is called accelerated rock weathering. Vesta relies in part on donations to continue its important work, and cardholders can cash in their rewards to support the... read more »

20 Things You Didn’t Know Your Credit Card Could Do

By: Erica Sandberg, 10/3/2022

The most basic function of a credit card is that it allows you to purchase things using the issuer’s funds. Each time you charge, you borrow the amount of that purchase. At the end of the month, you'll get the bill for everything you bought and are given the option to pay in any increment above the minimum amount due. Your credit card can do plenty of other things for you, too. Depending on the card, yours may entitle you to all or some of the following perks. 1.... read more »

How to Use a Credit Card

By: Andrea Woroch, 9/1/2022

Credit cards are an essential financial tool that many Americans rely on every day, whether to pay for daily essentials, monthly utilities, or unexpected bills. There are many good reasons to choose a credit card when deciding how to pay for goods and services, including convenience, multiple layers of protection, and even rewards. But credit cards come with real financial risks you need to consider before you open an account and start charging. One of the most... read more »

Intrepid Eagle Finance Provides Fee-Only Financial Planning with a Focus on Christian Families

By: Jon McDonald, 8/10/2022

In a Nutshell: Financial advisors tend to focus on investment planning and wealth acquisition with a narrow, bottom-line viewpoint. But many Christian families seek a financial strategy that balances their goals for family, work, and church. That leaves them searching for providers with the passion and perspective to serve their needs. Intrepid Eagle Finance fills that gap with a foundation that enables it to better understand and help families who hold their faith as an essential... read more »

How to Get a Free Credit Score From Your Credit Card Company

By: Marcie Geffner, 8/2/2022

Checking your credit score is a smart financial habit. While your score isn’t the only criteria for whether you’ll be approved for new cards or other forms of credit, it typically is one of the most important factors that card issuers and other lenders consider. By checking your score, you can determine whether it reflects your own perception of your creditworthiness. If your score is higher than you thought, well done! If it’s lower than you had expected or hoped, you can... read more »

Is Capital One a Good Credit Card?

By: Eric Bank, 8/1/2022

We get it. After years of watching ads about the contents of your wallet, you're finally asking, "Is Capital One a good credit card company?" OK, we'll field that softball and introduce you to all the company's cards. But we'll also devote time to answering other burning questions about Capital One credit cards. By the end of this article, you'll know enough about the company to make your own commercial. Or just sit back and watch Mr. Samuel L. Jackson make his irresistible... read more »

6 Great Reasons to Use a 0% APR Deal (June 2023)

By: Erica Sandberg, 6/2/2022

Credit cards that offer 0% APR deals to new cardholders can be compelling. There are two basic types — one for new purchases and the other for balance transfers. Some even offer a 0% APR on new purchases and balance transfers. They work like this: New purchases: When you open the account, you may have a year or longer to use the credit card for purchases without financing fees on any debt you carry over from month to month. Balance transfers: You can open a credit... read more »

How Many Credit Cards Is Too Many?

By: Marcie Geffner, 5/26/2022

Many people love having lots of credit cards. One for cash back, one for travel, and a third for business expenses. More for other reasons, or just because, why not? For these card-loving folks, no specific number of cards reaches the point of "too many." On the other hand, other people may have concerns that dozens of cards could facilitate overspending or result in missed payments and impaired credit. With good arguments on both sides of the "How many cards is too many?"... read more »

Westside Food Bank Uses Donations to Deliver Fresh, Nutritious Food to Underprivileged Communities

By: Adam West, 5/9/2022

In a Nutshell: Westside Food Bank provides nearly 5 million pounds of food annually to communities in need across Western Los Angeles County. Much of that food comes from wholesale purchases, which enable the food bank to acquire fresh, nutritious food at a low cost. Westside Food Bank aims to provide nutritionally balanced staples that meet the dietary restrictions and preferences of the people it serves. It also salvages food that’s edible but not cosmetically fit for retail,... read more »

3 Credit Cards For Kids & Ways to Help Them Build Credit (June 2023)

By: Erica Sandberg, 3/28/2022

Children often want to feel more grown-up than they actually are, and that includes craving a certain amount of financial autonomy. Yet as much as kids may want to have their own credit card, minors cannot legally sign a contract. You must be at least 18 years old to get a credit card as the primary cardholder. Prepaid cards can bridge the gap. They let kids enjoy spending freedom without the risk of amassing credit card debt or credit damage. They can also help children... read more »

What Are the Different FICO Scores Used in Lending Decisions?

By: John Ulzheimer, 3/15/2022

In 1989, a credit score with the brand-name Beacon was made commercially available by Equifax in partnership with a little-known company based in San Rafael, California, called Fair, Isaac and Company. Thirty-plus years, a name change, and hundreds of billions of scores later, checking your FICO (the acronym for the Fair Isaac Corporation) credit scores remains standard operating procedure by thousands of lenders in the United States. One small but important point has to be made... read more »

What Is a Schumer Box?

By: John Ulzheimer, 2/17/2022

Credit card agreements contain a lot of information that can be challenging for the average person to digest. In fact, did you even read all of that fine print when you applied for and opened your last credit card account? The same may be true about the details in your monthly credit card statements. Most consumers don't take the time to read through pages upon pages of fine print. And even those who do may not fully understand what it is they are reading. One such... read more »

The Greater Boston Food Bank Uses Donations to Help Alleviate Food Insecurity

By: Adam West, 2/17/2022

In a Nutshell: Food insecurity can be the root cause of social inequality and unrealized promise. Without consistent access to nutritious food, people often struggle to survive, much less achieve their full potential. In Eastern Massachusetts, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) works with hundreds of partners to distribute millions of meals to community members each year. The nonprofit strives to fill systemic gaps in the food distribution system, and it relies on donations to feed... read more »

Card Rewards Donations Help Water Rangers Collect Data and Insights on Water Bodies Around the World

By: Adam West, 1/24/2022

In a Nutshell: Water Rangers is a Canadian-based nonprofit that empowers communities to collect data on the world’s water bodies. To accomplish that, the organization designs and provides water testing kits and an online open data platform with information for scientists and the public. Water Rangers’ mission is to help people collect baseline water quality data for their local water bodies so that it’s easier to identify changes in water health status and respond to pollution... read more »

When Do Credit Cards Get Reported to the Credit Bureaus?

By: John Ulzheimer, 12/16/2021

Your credit reports are not static objects frozen in time. Instead, the information on credit reports tends to change often. In fact, your credit reports change anytime a creditor sends an update about one of your accounts to one of the credit bureaus. This tends to occur multiple times each month, depending on how many open and active accounts you currently maintain. If you're in the habit of actively checking your credit reports or you have signed up for a service that monitors... read more »

Card Rewards Donations Help The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Support Women on Their Cancer Care Journey

By: Adam West, 12/8/2021

In a Nutshell: Because no real screening tests exist for ovarian cancer, many women remain undiagnosed and unaware of the early signs of the disease. The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition takes on this fact by helping educate the public on the baselines of the disease and providing support for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Through donations, including card rewards, NOCC finds the necessary funding to advance its mission and help save lives. Receiving a cancer diagnosis... read more »

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