Working with Banks Articles

Working with Banks Articles
It's important to be well educated about working with banks before
applying for credit or making any other major financial decision. In
our education center we will inform you how to act when working with
banks. We publish new credit card articles weekly so be sure to check
back often.

How to Reduce Marketing Offers from Bank of America Companies
If you're a Bank of America account holder, you might be getting more
marketing offers than you know what to do with. This article explains
how to opt out of mail and phone offers that you don't want to
receive.

The New Business Owners Guide to Accepting Online Payments
As more people decide to try and increase their income by starting
online businesses, there is a greater number of individuals who
require methods of accepting online payments. It's necessary that an
online business appears professional, so potential consumers have the
confidence to trust and buy from them, and it's equally necessary that
the credit cards can be accepted over a secure connection.

Beware of Financial Profiling
Can your credit limit get slashed because of your spending habits?
What about other people's spending habits? This article examines the
trend of financial profiling and how it can affect your credit.

Small Business Owners Find it Hard to Stay Afloat
Imagine having a great idea for a small business, only to be denied
for the loan that would finance your venture. That's what small
business owners are experiencing. Here's a look at the struggles they
face and how financing can be secured.

When Credit Cards are Disputed
When you set up shop and allow for payments via debit and credit
cards, there are numerous advantages- including spontaneous shoppers,
and people who will buy more when they can put it on a credit card,
but there are also a few disadvantages as well.

Disputing Credit Card Charges
Let's imagine for a moment that you've just received your credit card
bill in the mail, and you think the only purchase you made with it the
previous month was at the gas station. What do you do then, when you
find three purchases at Old Navy, and a bunch of other purchases you
know you didn't make?

How to Reduce Marketing Offers from Bank of America Companies

How to Reduce Marketing Offers from Bank of America Companies
by: Janna Weiss

Is your mailbox bulging with "pre-approved" credit card offers? Have
you received calls from telemarketers hawking low interest home loans?
Maybe you've received unsolicited insurance quotes over e-mail. Where
are these offers coming from? If you've got an account with Bank of
America, you need look no further for the culprit.
Bank of America recently sent out a notice to its account holders. It
contains instructions for limiting unsolicited marketing from Bank of
America companies. With just a few simple steps, customers can
drastically reduce the amount of marketing they receive via mail,
telephone, and the Internet.

First, call 1-800-282-2884. You'll be connected to an agent who will
ask for your account number and some personally identifying
information. Once you've verified that you are the account holder, you
will be asked to supply the phone numbers, addresses, and e-mail
addresses that you wish to remove from their marketing lists.

The limited marketing will take effect on October 1st, 2008. Every
point of contact that you remove will stop receiving marketing
promotions for five years. When this period nears an end, Bank of
America will send out a notification so that customers can opt to
limit their marketing for a further five years.

Note that this doesn't stop direct marketing offers from businesses
you hold an account with. To stop receiving offers from Bank of
America credit cards, call the number on the back of your card and ask
to opt out of all promotional letters, balance transfer offers, and
pre-screened credit card marketing.

Banks and credit card companies are notorious for sharing your
personal information with their affiliate companies. When your
financial records and credit score get passed around, you'll start
receiving letters and calls urging you to accept credit cards you've
already been approved for.

But these phone calls and mailings are misleading. You cannot be
pre-approved for a card you didn't apply for. The truth is that these
companies obtained your personal information and, based on what they
saw, decided to offer you a credit card. Some offers even contain
actual cards that can be activated with a simple phone call. This can
lead to big problems if someone steals your mail. (Identity theft,
anyone?)

To learn more about Bank of America's privacy policy and marketing
practices, go to the Bank of America web site. You can also opt out of
pre-screened credit offers by entering your information at
OptOutPrescreen.com.

You can thank the Federal Reserve for laying down rules and forcing
banks to comply - rules that include telling customers about their
right to refuse marketing offers from Bank of America affiliates.
Hopefully other banks will follow suit, and our inboxes and mailboxes
will once again have room for messages we actually want.

Working with Banks Articles

Working with Banks Articles
It's important to be well educated about working with banks before
applying for credit or making any other major financial decision. In
our education center we will inform you how to act when working with
banks. We publish new credit card articles weekly so be sure to check
back often.

How to Reduce Marketing Offers from Bank of America Companies
If you're a Bank of America account holder, you might be getting more
marketing offers than you know what to do with. This article explains
how to opt out of mail and phone offers that you don't want to
receive.

The New Business Owners Guide to Accepting Online Payments
As more people decide to try and increase their income by starting
online businesses, there is a greater number of individuals who
require methods of accepting online payments. It's necessary that an
online business appears professional, so potential consumers have the
confidence to trust and buy from them, and it's equally necessary that
the credit cards can be accepted over a secure connection.

Beware of Financial Profiling
Can your credit limit get slashed because of your spending habits?
What about other people's spending habits? This article examines the
trend of financial profiling and how it can affect your credit.

Small Business Owners Find it Hard to Stay Afloat
Imagine having a great idea for a small business, only to be denied
for the loan that would finance your venture. That's what small
business owners are experiencing. Here's a look at the struggles they
face and how financing can be secured.

When Credit Cards are Disputed
When you set up shop and allow for payments via debit and credit
cards, there are numerous advantages- including spontaneous shoppers,
and people who will buy more when they can put it on a credit card,
but there are also a few disadvantages as well.

Disputing Credit Card Charges
Let's imagine for a moment that you've just received your credit card
bill in the mail, and you think the only purchase you made with it the
previous month was at the gas station. What do you do then, when you
find three purchases at Old Navy, and a bunch of other purchases you
know you didn't make?

How to Reduce Marketing Offers from Bank of America Companies

How to Reduce Marketing Offers from Bank of America Companies
by: Janna Weiss

Is your mailbox bulging with "pre-approved" credit card offers? Have
you received calls from telemarketers hawking low interest home loans?
Maybe you've received unsolicited insurance quotes over e-mail. Where
are these offers coming from? If you've got an account with Bank of
America, you need look no further for the culprit.
Bank of America recently sent out a notice to its account holders. It
contains instructions for limiting unsolicited marketing from Bank of
America companies. With just a few simple steps, customers can
drastically reduce the amount of marketing they receive via mail,
telephone, and the Internet.

First, call 1-800-282-2884. You'll be connected to an agent who will
ask for your account number and some personally identifying
information. Once you've verified that you are the account holder, you
will be asked to supply the phone numbers, addresses, and e-mail
addresses that you wish to remove from their marketing lists.

The limited marketing will take effect on October 1st, 2008. Every
point of contact that you remove will stop receiving marketing
promotions for five years. When this period nears an end, Bank of
America will send out a notification so that customers can opt to
limit their marketing for a further five years.

Note that this doesn't stop direct marketing offers from businesses
you hold an account with. To stop receiving offers from Bank of
America credit cards, call the number on the back of your card and ask
to opt out of all promotional letters, balance transfer offers, and
pre-screened credit card marketing.

Banks and credit card companies are notorious for sharing your
personal information with their affiliate companies. When your
financial records and credit score get passed around, you'll start
receiving letters and calls urging you to accept credit cards you've
already been approved for.

But these phone calls and mailings are misleading. You cannot be
pre-approved for a card you didn't apply for. The truth is that these
companies obtained your personal information and, based on what they
saw, decided to offer you a credit card. Some offers even contain
actual cards that can be activated with a simple phone call. This can
lead to big problems if someone steals your mail. (Identity theft,
anyone?)

To learn more about Bank of America's privacy policy and marketing
practices, go to the Bank of America web site. You can also opt out of
pre-screened credit offers by entering your information at
OptOutPrescreen.com.

You can thank the Federal Reserve for laying down rules and forcing
banks to comply - rules that include telling customers about their
right to refuse marketing offers from Bank of America affiliates.
Hopefully other banks will follow suit, and our inboxes and mailboxes
will once again have room for messages we actually want.

Balance Transfer Credit Card Articles

Balance Transfer Credit Card Articles
It's important to be well educated about balance transfer credit cards
before applying for credit or making any other major financial
decision. In our education center we will inform you about any aspect
of applying for and using balance transfer credit cards. We publish
new credit card articles weekly so be sure to check back often.

Easy Guide To Transferring a Credit Card Balance To a Better Credit Card
Transferring a high interest credit card balance to one with a better
interest rate and/or better overall terms and features is usually a
good way to reduce the amount of money you pay back on your existing
debt. Depending on the "better" credit card you select, you may also
be able to benefit from a rewards program or gain other features you
didn't already have – including travel accident insurance coverage or
an extended warranty program for new purchases made with the card.
There are a few instances when a balance transfer is not the great
deal it appears at first glance though, so it's important to do your
research before moving your accounts around.

How Balance Transfers Affect Your Credit Score
Transferring balances with high interest rates to a credit card with a
lower interest rate (or a 0% interest balance transfer offer) is a
great way to pay your debt off faster and save money in the process.
It's not as cut and dry as transferring the money from one place to
another though, there are some other considerations to work out before
you rush into the next balance transfer offer you qualify for:
primarily, how does a balance transfer affect your credit score?

Are 0% Balance Transfer Offers Really Free?
Paying off credit card debt with 0% interest is a dream come true –
which is exactly why a large number of credit card companies offer the
promotions. They know it will attract new customers who have debt with
other credit card companies to transfer that debt to their cards. But
where is the value to the company offer the credit card balance
transfer offer; if they let you repay that debt with 0% interest?

Balance Transfer Checks- Opportunities to Save
Credit card companies spend quite a bit of money on marketing to
attract new customers-and it's always cheaper to keep customers they
have rather than trying to find new customers.

Avoid These Common Credit Card Balance Transfer Mistakes
That offer to transfer your credit card balances sounds like a pretty
good deal, doesn't it? And it is, until you take out your magnifying
glass and start reading all the fine print that goes along with the
offer. What a lot of people don't realize is that the lender making
such an unbelievable offer wouldn't be doing so if there wasn't some
way to benefit financially. These lenders actually feel safe in
assuming that most people transferring balances won't pay attention to
the potentially costly details that accompany the offer.

Transferring a Credit Card Balance
Are you staring at that attractive advertisement for switching credit
card companies by transferring your balance from one card to another?
While many of these offers are truly great deals, balance transfers
and card-switching is not something to jump into, eager as you may be.
You need to do your homework first: Do enough research and
investigating in order to determine whether it in fact is worth it or
a good idea to make the transfer.

What You Should Know About Switching Credit Cards
With U.S. credit card debt at an all time high, many savvy consumers
and investors are renewing their commitments to rid themselves of this
burdensome and in most cases, unnecessary debt. In doing so they are
constantly searching for the next best credit card with higher credit
limits, lower annual percentage rates (APRs), and zero balance
transfer offers.

Consolidating credit cards
Credit card consolidation is a popular solution for those with
significant credit card debt, usually distributed on three or four
different cards. Basically, this means putting all your debts together
on a single card, like transferring it all to one loan. Of course, the
goal is to pick a card that offers better conditions than what you
already have, in order not only to simplify, but also to reduce your
payments.

Balance Transfer Credit Card Articles

Balance Transfer Credit Card Articles
It's important to be well educated about balance transfer credit cards
before applying for credit or making any other major financial
decision. In our education center we will inform you about any aspect
of applying for and using balance transfer credit cards. We publish
new credit card articles weekly so be sure to check back often.

Easy Guide To Transferring a Credit Card Balance To a Better Credit Card
Transferring a high interest credit card balance to one with a better
interest rate and/or better overall terms and features is usually a
good way to reduce the amount of money you pay back on your existing
debt. Depending on the "better" credit card you select, you may also
be able to benefit from a rewards program or gain other features you
didn't already have – including travel accident insurance coverage or
an extended warranty program for new purchases made with the card.
There are a few instances when a balance transfer is not the great
deal it appears at first glance though, so it's important to do your
research before moving your accounts around.

How Balance Transfers Affect Your Credit Score
Transferring balances with high interest rates to a credit card with a
lower interest rate (or a 0% interest balance transfer offer) is a
great way to pay your debt off faster and save money in the process.
It's not as cut and dry as transferring the money from one place to
another though, there are some other considerations to work out before
you rush into the next balance transfer offer you qualify for:
primarily, how does a balance transfer affect your credit score?

Are 0% Balance Transfer Offers Really Free?
Paying off credit card debt with 0% interest is a dream come true –
which is exactly why a large number of credit card companies offer the
promotions. They know it will attract new customers who have debt with
other credit card companies to transfer that debt to their cards. But
where is the value to the company offer the credit card balance
transfer offer; if they let you repay that debt with 0% interest?

Balance Transfer Checks- Opportunities to Save
Credit card companies spend quite a bit of money on marketing to
attract new customers-and it's always cheaper to keep customers they
have rather than trying to find new customers.

Avoid These Common Credit Card Balance Transfer Mistakes
That offer to transfer your credit card balances sounds like a pretty
good deal, doesn't it? And it is, until you take out your magnifying
glass and start reading all the fine print that goes along with the
offer. What a lot of people don't realize is that the lender making
such an unbelievable offer wouldn't be doing so if there wasn't some
way to benefit financially. These lenders actually feel safe in
assuming that most people transferring balances won't pay attention to
the potentially costly details that accompany the offer.

Transferring a Credit Card Balance
Are you staring at that attractive advertisement for switching credit
card companies by transferring your balance from one card to another?
While many of these offers are truly great deals, balance transfers
and card-switching is not something to jump into, eager as you may be.
You need to do your homework first: Do enough research and
investigating in order to determine whether it in fact is worth it or
a good idea to make the transfer.

What You Should Know About Switching Credit Cards
With U.S. credit card debt at an all time high, many savvy consumers
and investors are renewing their commitments to rid themselves of this
burdensome and in most cases, unnecessary debt. In doing so they are
constantly searching for the next best credit card with higher credit
limits, lower annual percentage rates (APRs), and zero balance
transfer offers.

Consolidating credit cards
Credit card consolidation is a popular solution for those with
significant credit card debt, usually distributed on three or four
different cards. Basically, this means putting all your debts together
on a single card, like transferring it all to one loan. Of course, the
goal is to pick a card that offers better conditions than what you
already have, in order not only to simplify, but also to reduce your
payments.

Consolidating credit cards

Credit card consolidation is a popular solution for those with
significant credit card debt, usually distributed on three or four
different cards. Basically, this means putting all your debts together
on a single card, like transferring it all to one loan. Of course, the
goal is to pick a card that offers better conditions than what you
already have, in order not only to simplify, but also to reduce your
payments.

Since there are so many offers out there, and lenders fight over your
business, you can sometimes find solutions that can save you thousands
of dollars per year. If you consolidate your debt to a credit card
with low interest and 0% balance transfer, you can save considerably,
and pay off your credit sooner (which, of course, is the main goal
when dealing with credit card debt).

The most serious mistake people do when consolidating is to go though
the entire process just to simplify their accounting, and they don't
pay enough attention to how much they could save. Another mistake is
to close your zero balance accounts when consolidating. This
practically means you close some of your credit options, which is
never a good idea.

When you plan to consolidate, call your banks and explain the
situation. They want your business, and you'll be surprised how
flexible and willing to negotiate they can be, once you explain to
them that you have various options available to take your business
someplace else.

There are many web sites offering solutions for debt consolidation.
However, keep in mind that, while this is a comfortable and fast
solution, you don't have the options to negotiate directly with the
banks. Also, most often the best offers come from banks that want to
keep your business, so make sure you give a change to the banks you've
had a long-term relation with. If you're not pleased with the results,
take your money elsewhere quickly.

Consolidation is often a necessity for students, new graduates, or
people who have filed for bankruptcy some time ago. If you've handled
your payments well and managed to clear up your record to a certain
degree, there is no need to continue paying more than it's worth for
your credit cards. Sit down and go through the numbers carefully, and
think analyze the problem realistically. Don't forget to check your
credit report and your credit rating before you start anything - it
will help you plan and plead your case. Also, if your credit request
gets rejected, don't forget to ask for your free copy of the credit
report.

Of course, credit card consolidation is not a miracle solution for all
your financial problems. On the contrary, you may find that it
requires a lot of financial discipline to make the payment on time and
to straighten things up. However, it is less confusing than having
several small credits, and so it is easier to keep things under
control.

There is also the option of getting credit counseling, if things get
really confusing. A successful plan will make sure you make the
payments on time and regularly, without putting a strain on other
aspects of your life. Of course, it's a lengthy process, usually
taking one or two years - but it's worth the trouble.

Sometimes, you can lower costs by consolidating your debt through a
second mortgage - but be really careful about the hidden costs and
problems - you may want to consult with a specialist or two before
taking this step. Usually, this means that your home will become
collateral, and you may lose it if things go wrong. Also, costs add up
quickly and you may end up paying more than you initially thought.