13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
What do a shoe retailer, an online discount broker, and a popular clothing retailer all have in common? All three - DSW Shoe Warehouse, Ameritrade, and Polo Ralph Lauren - sustained breaches to their customers' accounts. Unfortunat...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
If you are looking for a safe investment and you have between $100 -$1,000 to invest, you should consider a certificate of deposit or CD. When purchased through a bank, CD's are federally insured up to $100,000.
When you inves...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
Congratulations college freshman! You're about to embark on one of the most exciting times of your life. By now your parents, siblings, and friends have offered you all kinds of advice on how to make your transition to college sm...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
Mention the "b" word, as in BUDGET, to a friend and they'll look at you like you have a third eye growing from the middle of your forehead. For most people the word budget too often carries negative meanings such as limits, restrict...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
In the wake of 40 million MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express accounts recently being breached, consumers and legislators are scrambling for ways to protect their personal and financial information from being hijacked ...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., the nation's #2 bank and leading issuer of credit cards, has announced it will issue new "contactless credit cards" to its account holders beginning June 1. The new cards can be "waved" in front of a spe...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
Thanks to the FACT(Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions) Act, all U.S. residents will be allowed one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting agencies - Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. This legisl...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
As a consumer you've learned the importance of establishing a good credit rating with your lenders. Whether you are shopping for a new home or auto, or searching for the best deals on insurance, your credit worthiness will be judg...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
Ask a friend what money resolutions they made at the beginning of the year and your bound to hear them reply "Pay off my credit cards." Ask them how they planned on reaching that goal and most of them won't have an answer.
Th...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
The American Dream of home ownership is on the rise across the United States. According to the latest figures available, the US homeownership rate reached a record 69.2 percent in the second quarter of 2004, up from 68.3 percent ...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
In this day and age, ATM's have become a fast and efficient way of getting our hands on our money. But if you're not cautious, the automatic teller machine can also be a quick way for others to get their hands on it too.
Not ...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
The next time you open your credit card statement, take a closer look at the small insert titled "changes to your credit card agreement". You know the one I'm speaking about. It's that small, folded paper written in legalese ...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt
You've just opened your credit card bill and attached to your statement you find a "convenience check" included. It may already be filled out with a dollar amount such as $300, $500, or even $1,000. Your mind fills with ideas of w...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt [See Author's Biography]
Rewards cards have become the latest rage in the credit card industry. In the past, consumers shopped for credit cards that offered the lowest interest rate. Next came cards with low interest rates and no...
13th August 2005
By: James Dimmitt [See Author's Biography]
A few years ago a friend asked me to co-sign on an apartment lease for him. This friend didn't have perfect credit and couldn't get the apartment without a co-signer on the lease. He assured me that he wa...
