<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406</id><updated>2011-07-28T08:16:21.269-07:00</updated><category term='debt relief'/><category term='Getting rid of cc debt'/><category term='C'/><category term='Credit Card Debt'/><title type='text'>Godebtrelief</title><subtitle type='html'>We provide services to reduce your unsecured credit card debt through debt settlement and debt negotiation. Financial freedom from unsecured credit card debt, high interest rates and the struggle to make minimum payments is over.  Take advantage of our free consultation and see how you can reduce your debt by up to 60%.</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>11</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-8463084586455550736</id><published>2009-04-17T10:04:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-04-17T10:29:28.742-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='debt relief'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Credit Card Debt'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Getting rid of cc debt'/><title type='text'>Find Relief in Bowling Green, Kentucky</title><content type='html'>Bowling Green is uniquely located south of Central Kentucky with Nashville to its south and Louisville to its north. In spite of its faraway location, we have always been able to provide esteemed and caliber service to our debt-settlement clients in Bowling Green.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bowling Green is the headquarters for unique sports car enthusiasts. Moreover, the town is famous for it's showcase of vintage cars. Next, the aquatic life at Preston Miller Park is the largest water playground in entire South Central Kentucky. Bowling green is a hub for parks, jewelry stores and unique photo galleries.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So, if you look forward to seek a solution to any issue related to debts such as debt negotiation or debt reduction in Bowling Green, call &lt;a href="http://www.godebtrelief.com"&gt;GoDebtRelief&lt;/a&gt; immediately.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-8463084586455550736?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/8463084586455550736/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2009/04/find-relief-in-bowling-green-kentucky.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/8463084586455550736'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/8463084586455550736'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2009/04/find-relief-in-bowling-green-kentucky.html' title='Find Relief in Bowling Green, Kentucky'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-2493937173228631354</id><published>2009-04-07T09:17:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-04-07T09:34:13.550-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='debt relief'/><title type='text'>Debt Relief Available in Owensboro, Kentucky</title><content type='html'>Owensboro, a city located on the banks of the Ohio River, is about 32 miles Southeast of Evansville in Kentucky. It is the third largest city in Kentucky and we are still easily accessible to our debt-settlement clients located in Owensboro.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Owensboro, called Kentucky's Festival City, organizes around 20 annual events and festivals. The city also has regional art and civic centers that organize 1000 events each year. You will surely love the fine arts, barbeques, and Bluegrass Music Museum in addition to the botanical gardens and other antique stores. Owensboro will certainly steal your attention in Kentucky.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you wish to settle any of your debt-related issues such as debt negotiations or debt reduction in Owensboro, call GoDebtRelief today.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-2493937173228631354?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/2493937173228631354/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2009/04/debt-relief-available-in-owensboro.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/2493937173228631354'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/2493937173228631354'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2009/04/debt-relief-available-in-owensboro.html' title='Debt Relief Available in Owensboro, Kentucky'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-5074522669005220783</id><published>2009-02-23T12:54:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-23T12:57:48.654-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Getting Rid of Debt in Covington, KY!</title><content type='html'>Covington is the largest city in the northern province of Kentucky located on the banks of Ohio River. Even though Covington is the largest city in the area, we are available to assist anyone with all of your debt related needs.‭ &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Covington is‭ ‬famous for its bridge,‭ ‬which was the longest suspended bridge designed by John Roebling.‭ The bridge is built between Cincinnati and Covington. It crosses the Ohio river connecting Ohio and Kentucky. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Covington is also proud of the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church,‭ ‬which is a unique and beautiful building. When visiting the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church it's hard to stop admiring its structure.‭ &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Covington is a great place to visit, and has many activities available. If you are looking for a night on the town the boardwalk has many great bars and restaurants. There is also a great aquarium if you're looking to visit with children. There are also many has theaters,‭ ‬furniture‭ ‬markets,‭ ‬shoe stores and antique‭ ‬stores.  Covington is a great city to visit and you'll be glad you made the trip!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you want‭ ‬to settle any of your debt-related issues such as debt negotiations or debt reduction,‭ ‬feel free to call GoDebtRelief‭ ‬today.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-5074522669005220783?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/5074522669005220783/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2009/02/covington-great-place-to-visit.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/5074522669005220783'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/5074522669005220783'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2009/02/covington-great-place-to-visit.html' title='Getting Rid of Debt in Covington, KY!'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-1574087358028790926</id><published>2008-10-10T08:39:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-10-10T09:03:18.699-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Credit Card Debt'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Getting rid of cc debt'/><title type='text'>Getting rid of credit card debt</title><content type='html'>The odds that you are one of the millions of Americans that is encountering credit card debt is great. Your credit card may dominate you for impulse buying, dinners at expensive restaurants and shopping sprees. Moreover, most people do not keep track of their credit card expenses that lead into unpaid bills. Because of overspending, unnecessary credit card debt became a pattern. However, it does not mean that you need to live with debt that will result in psychological stress. Overwhelming credit card debt feels like being financially imprisoned and getting rid of it will give you the financial freedom you want - and you can do something about it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Controlling your income and expenditures is exactly what you need to do to outset getting rid of your debt through budgeting and you can attain it by creating a realistic budget for yourself that will help you in assessing your &lt;a href="http://www.godebtrelief.com/unsecured%20credit%20card%20debt.asp"&gt;credit card debt &lt;/a&gt;while taking into account your everyday necessary expenses. You need to be realistic and honest on your spending habits. Likewise, self- discipline will give you greater chances of creating an effective payment plan.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is difficult to get rid of credit card debt if you are still having unnecessary spending using your cards. Stop using your credit cards as much as possible, likewise limiting your unnecessary expenditures is one way of getting rid of your credit card debt. However paying with a credit card for payments of other cards by having cash advances may sound convenient compared to carrying cash but it will only increase your debt problem and make it difficult for you to control your finances.  Increasing your monthly payments towards your credit card balances will eliminate your credit card debt faster too.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;After getting rid of your credit card debt, you probably want to keep only one or two accounts open to improve your credit rating. Having to many credit card accounts can extremely harmful to your credit rating as it increases temptation in spending more money that you do not have that can result in more credit card debts.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-1574087358028790926?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/1574087358028790926/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/10/getting-rid-of-credit-card-debt.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/1574087358028790926'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/1574087358028790926'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/10/getting-rid-of-credit-card-debt.html' title='Getting rid of credit card debt'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-4612060715811740800</id><published>2008-09-25T15:38:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-25T15:41:35.514-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Credit cards are a part of our culture.</title><content type='html'>Credit card debt is a part of our culture. Credit cards make it easy to buy things even if we don’t have the money for them right away. Consumers have grown accustom to living in credit card debt. Credit card companies promote living the high life with their credit cards. The fact is Americans are in need of credit card debt solutions. Debt companies want you to stay in credit card debt because they can make significant profits each month when you send in your monthly credit card payment.&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;If you are sitting on just a balance of $10,000 in credit card debt and make the minimum payment each month you’ll be paying on that debt for 50 years. The credit card company will be taking half of your debt payment in interest and hardly knocking down the principle. It is like you are running on&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;a credit card debt tread mill.&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Debt Settlement can get you off of the credit card debt treadmill and get you some debt relief. Your debt settlement advisor will work with you on a debt management plan that will fit your monthly budget. Credit card debt doesn’t have to keep you throwing good money at bad each month when you make a payment.&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Speak with one of our debt settlement representatives to stop your personal debt from draining your wallet each month.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.godebtrelief.com"&gt;Go Debt Relief&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-4612060715811740800?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/4612060715811740800/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/09/credit-cards-are-part-of-our-culture.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/4612060715811740800'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/4612060715811740800'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/09/credit-cards-are-part-of-our-culture.html' title='Credit cards are a part of our culture.'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-8067923229873974749</id><published>2008-08-26T09:33:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-26T09:38:32.492-07:00</updated><title type='text'>What about Signature Loans?</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQxeTGrKhI/AAAAAAAAAA4/FPB7G5ZNYFY/s1600-h/HappyPeople.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 170px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQxeTGrKhI/AAAAAAAAAA4/FPB7G5ZNYFY/s320/HappyPeople.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238866663132834322" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;An unsecured signature loan is a loan that is not backed by collateral. Also known as a signature loan or personal loan.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Unsecured signature loans are based solely upon the borrower's credit rating. As a result, they are often much more difficult to get than a secured loan, which also factors in the borrower's income. However, an unsecured signature loan is considered much cheaper and carries less risk to the borrower.[1] However, when an unsecured signature loan that is not backed by collateral is granted, it does not necessarily have to be based on a credit score. For example, if your friend loans you money without any collateral, meaning something of worth that can be repossessed if the loan isn't repaid, then your credit score has zero to do with it, but rather the value of your friendship is at stake. Therefore the real meaning of an unsecured signature loan is that it is not backed by any object of value and is loaned to you based on your good name. For financial institutional purposes, they may want to look at your credit score because they are not your friend and it is strictly a business transaction, therefore your good name may be associated with your historical payment history on prior debt, reflecting in your credit score. There are three types of unsecured signature loans.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First there is a personal unsecured signature loan, meaning a loan that you individually are responsible for the repayment of, second is an unsecured business loan which leaves the business responsible for the repayment, and finally there is an unsecured business loan with a personal guarantee. With the latter, although the borrower is the business, you as an individual will be the payer of last resort if the business defaults on the loan.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As with any unsecured debt there is probably a higher interest rate than would be with a secured loan.  You may find yourself in over your head with the bills already and your personal unsecured signature loan is nothing more than another reminder of your mistake.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Debt settlement is the best alternative to a debt consolidation loan, credit counseling and an bankruptcy.  &lt;a href="http://www.godebtrelief.com/default.asp"&gt;Go Debt Relief&lt;/a&gt; is your best bet, and will save you the most money...&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-8067923229873974749?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/8067923229873974749/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-about-signature-loans.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/8067923229873974749'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/8067923229873974749'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-about-signature-loans.html' title='What about Signature Loans?'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQxeTGrKhI/AAAAAAAAAA4/FPB7G5ZNYFY/s72-c/HappyPeople.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-8552747375091411564</id><published>2008-08-26T09:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-26T09:19:28.638-07:00</updated><title type='text'>"Burned by Furniture Financing Deals and Finance Company"</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQtBehALnI/AAAAAAAAAAw/hj2E7Kqylds/s1600-h/financing_0.gif"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 166px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQtBehALnI/AAAAAAAAAAw/hj2E7Kqylds/s320/financing_0.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238861769933336178" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Recently read over blog entry at &lt;a href="http://www.thedenverblog.com/2008/01/burned-by-furniture-row-financing-deals.html"&gt;The Denver Blog&lt;/a&gt; and found it interesting and on topic regarding debt settlement.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Financing deals like, "Zero Financing until 2012..." can be catchy and seem promising, however there is a catch!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Briefly, you don't have to make payments until years later, BUT, with out making payments you draw near the deadline at which time you find they will go back to the beginning and charge you interest from the start date forward.  OUCH...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you have made this mistake and find yourself in DEEP debt, there is a solution that will not require one drop of interest, no scar like a bankruptcy and no risk to loosing your property.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Debt settlement is the best alternative to debt consolidation, credit counseling and bankruptcy.  See more &lt;a href="http://www.godebtrelief.com/furniture%20loan%20payments.asp"&gt;here.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-8552747375091411564?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/8552747375091411564/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/burned-by-furniture-financing-deals-and.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/8552747375091411564'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/8552747375091411564'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/burned-by-furniture-financing-deals-and.html' title='&quot;Burned by Furniture Financing Deals and Finance Company&quot;'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQtBehALnI/AAAAAAAAAAw/hj2E7Kqylds/s72-c/financing_0.gif' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-454190315618178089</id><published>2008-08-26T08:39:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-26T08:42:10.862-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Consumer credit accounts: great stores with flashy perks, high rates and lots of debt for everyone.</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQkQCors8I/AAAAAAAAAAo/NyA80lLm5rQ/s1600-h/macysmagiccard.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 140px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQkQCors8I/AAAAAAAAAAo/NyA80lLm5rQ/s320/macysmagiccard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238852124542743490" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span class="heading1black"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:Arial;font-size:10;"  &gt;Do the math when retailers offer special deals for their store credit cards. Behind the bonus dollars and discounts are often outsized fees and feeble rewards.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span class="smallprompt"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Department stores and specialty shops are giving their "very special" card customers another reason to shop: rewards. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;After years of piling on the perks, many major store cards have added rewards. The aim? To keep loyal store card customers coming back for more, of course.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;But don't let the promise of a 10% discount, exclusive offers and rewards lull you into agreeing to a lousy card deal. There's nothing rewarding about having your money sucked away by high interest rates.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;"These rewards don't come for free," says Paul Richard, executive director of the &lt;st1:place st="on"&gt;&lt;st1:placetype st="on"&gt;Institute&lt;/st1:placetype&gt; of &lt;st1:placename st="on"&gt;Consumer Financial   Education&lt;/st1:placename&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;. "Put the pencil to it and see if it's really going to benefit you."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;With most reward programs, you earn points for a rewards certificate good toward a future purchase at the shop or department store. Rewards certificates range from $10 to $25 and the rate that you earn rewards varies widely from store to store.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="heading3red"&gt;Expensive bonuses&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Charge $250 on a GapCard or a Linens 'n Things card and you earn a $10 rewards certificate. The variable interest rates on the cards, 16.55% at the Gap and 16.85% at Linens 'n Things, aren't sky-high but they're not all that great either, especially when you consider all the zero-percent credit card offers available now.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;With a store card from Nordstrom, you'll have to spend a whole lot more than $250 to cash in on any reward. And like any department store card the interest rate is through the roof. You pay a 21% interest rate any time you carry a balance on your Nordstrom card, and the rewards are tough to land. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;You earn just one point for every dollar you charge on your Nordstrom card. To earn a $20 certificate from Nordstrom, you'll need to rack up 2,000 points, which means you'll need to charge a cool two grand. But at least you earn points from your very first Nordstrom card purchase. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;At Bloomingdale's, you've got to do some serious charging before you earn even a single rewards point. To qualify for rewards at Bloomingdale's, you have to spend at least $1,000 annually on your Bloomingdale's card. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Three percent of each purchase you make goes into your rewards tally. So spend $100 and you've earned three reward dollars. To earn 25 reward dollars, you'll need to charge about $834. If you shop at a double rewards event when 6% of each purchase gets counted toward rewards, you only need to spend about $417 to earn a $25 rewards certificate. It's too bad this deal isn't available to everyone who carries a Bloomingdale's store card.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="heading3red"&gt;Bad news at Bloomingdale's&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Folks who carry a plain old account with Bloomies may get advance notice of sales and private preview days, but they can't earn a single rewards point -- not until they charge $1,000 in a single calendar year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;So when you think about it, to earn a $25 reward at Bloomingdale's you'd have to spend at least $1,834, or $1,417 if you shop during a double rewards event. That's not much of a reward, is it? And the interest rate on a Bloomingdale's card is nothing to brag about either: a hefty 21.6% . &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;At Banana Republic, store card customers that charge $800 in a single year qualify for a special Luxe card. Luxe customers get free alterations on all purchases and snag a $25 reward each time they pile up 500 reward points on their cards. Luxe customers earn one point for every dollar they charge on their cards except during double points week, when they earn two points for every dollar they spend. To earn a $25 reward, you'd need to spend $500 on your Luxe card or $250 during a double points sale, after spending $800 to earn the card. On special Luxe days, you may be able to earn triple points on some purchases.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Folks with a regular Banana Republic card can earn rewards points as well. Banana Republic card holders earn one point for every dollar they charge expect during double points weeks when they earn two points for every dollar they spend. To qualify for a $15 award, you need to rack up 350 points. You could earn that in a snap by spending $175 during a double points week. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;But before you go on a Banana Republic shopping spree, consider the fixed 17.4% interest rate you pay if you carry a balance on your Banana Republic or Luxe card.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="heading3red"&gt;They want you to spend, spend, spend&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Don't forget that every store card program has a single aim: tempting you to spend more money. That's why you're alerted to all those "exclusive" sales and previews. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;A rewards program, even a good one, is just another way to entice you into spending more money in a particular store. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;"Retailers want you to visit the store again and again," says Gerri Detweiler, author of The Ultimate Credit Handbook. "You may end up spending more on things you don't really need or want just to build up rewards."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;The trick is to take advantage of store card perks and rewards without going overboard with your spending. Buy things that you need during special sales and pay off your balance every month. If you earn points toward a future reward or discount, that's great. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;If you do go overbroad with your spending and find yourself stuck with a hefty balance on a store card with a high interest rate, consider transferring the balance to a lower-rate card. Why not snap up a card deal with a zero-percent teaser rate? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Paying zero-percent interest for a year sure beats paying more than 20% interest on a store card. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="heading3red"&gt;Consider cards with co-branded perks&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Want store card perks and rewards without the steep interest rate? Look for co-branded store credit cards. Unlike traditional store cards, you can use these cards to make purchases outside a department store or specialty shop. They also tend to have lower interest rates and more robust rewards. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Consider the TJX Platinum Visa card from Capital One. You earn 5% rewards when you shop at any T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods or A.J. Wright store and 1% rewards when you shop anywhere else. Whenever your rewards dollars reach 10, a $10 certificate is mailed to you. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Spend $200 on your TJX Platinum Visa at a T.J. Maxx store and a $10 certificate will be headed your way. That's not a bad deal. And neither is the 1.9% APR you pay on card purchases for the first six months. After that, a fixed 9.9%, 12.9% or 19.8% interest rate kicks in, depending on your credit.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;The interest rate on BJ's Platinum MasterCard from First USA is even more impressive. You enjoy a zero percent teaser rate on purchases and balance transfers for six months, followed by a variable APR of 9.9%, 11.9% or 15.9% depending on your credit. It's too bad the rewards on this card are so puny.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;You earn just 1.5% rewards when you use the card at any BJ's Wholesale Club. When your reward dollars, called BJ's Bucks, total 20, a $20 check is mailed to you. To reach the $20 rewards mark, you'd need to spend about $1,334 at BJ's Wholesale Club.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;You also earn rewards when you use the card outside of BJ's, but it's nothing to get excited about. If you carry a balance on your BJ's card, you earn 1% rewards on any outside purchases you make. If you pay your balance in full each month, you earn a measly 0.5% rewards when you shop outside of BJ's. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Loyal Nordstrom customers may want to consider signing up for the Nordstrom Platinum Visa instead of a Nordstrom store card. The rewards and the interest rates on the Nordstrom Platinum Visa are a whole lot better.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;With a Nordstrom Platinum Visa you earn two points for every dollar you charge at Nordstrom. Once you pile up 2,000 points, you receive a $20 certificate good at any Nordstrom store. True, you'll need to spend $1,000 at Nordstrom before you earn a $20 certificate, but that still beats the $2,000 you would have to spend on a Nordstrom store card to nab the same $20 reward.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="normalloose"&gt;Plus, with a Nordstrom Platinum Visa you pay an interest rate of 8.15% , 11.15% , 15.15% or 19.15% , depending on your credit. All of those deals beat the 21% interest rate you pay on a Nordstrom store card.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-454190315618178089?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/454190315618178089/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/consumer-credit-accounts-great-stores.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/454190315618178089'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/454190315618178089'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/consumer-credit-accounts-great-stores.html' title='Consumer credit accounts: great stores with flashy perks, high rates and lots of debt for everyone.'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQkQCors8I/AAAAAAAAAAo/NyA80lLm5rQ/s72-c/macysmagiccard.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-4103503653942374932</id><published>2008-08-26T08:03:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-26T08:06:02.958-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Debt reduction through debt settlement?</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQb0FIlajI/AAAAAAAAAAg/NjRHLZp9D9w/s1600-h/credit_cards.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 97px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQb0FIlajI/AAAAAAAAAAg/NjRHLZp9D9w/s320/credit_cards.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238842848084060722" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So what is Debt reduction through debt settlement really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Debt reduction through debt settlement--information you can put to use.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Those wonderful plastic burdens. Ah, the pleasures of credit cards. We all know how difficult it is to say no to Mr. Visa and Mr. MasterCard, however we still need to try a little harder. Sure, it's a blast to head out on the town for a night of fun, and load up the new credit card with a variety of material things and restaurant bills. It can actually feel like you have a bundle of money in the bank. Wrong, reality check; you are just building up a future debt that will soon prove difficult to grapple with. It will then be time for credit card debt reduction through debt settlement. Yes, you will want that horrific monthly bill cut down to size in no time. It can be a harsh feat keeping up with those gargantuan interest rates that only seem to grow over time.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Have you looked into credit card debt reduction through debt settlement? There are ways to bring down your monthly bills. It's in fact normal for many of us to struggle with credit card debt. We Americans are always purchasing things we can't afford. I've come to the conclusion that it's an innate quality we simply can't avoid. Regardless of your current standing, you can achieve credit card debt reduction through debt settlement. Have you looked into consolidation? It can prove beneficial to consolidate your credit cards into one low monthly payment. This way you're not overwhelmed by huge monthly bills that you can't live with on your current income. I took advantage of a credit card consolidation process when my monthly bills got completely out of hand. There was no way I could keep up with then in addition to my student loans. Consolidation worked as a perfect credit card debt reduction through debt settlement. It's all about the interest rates. My card was killing me with a 9.9 interest rate every month. When your balance is 12 grand, how can you keep up? No one wants to fork over an additional 100 bucks in interest to the credit card companies every month. You can consolidate and acquire a much lower interest rate.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;If you are in a financial bind and loaded down with debt, it's time to take action. Get online today and see how you too can achieve credit card debt reduction through debt settlement. Cyberspace has made this process very easy. You can compare and contrast offers from your laptop, and decide what credit card debt reduction through debt settlement route is perfect for you. Stop throwing your hard-earned cash out the window.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;span style=";font-family:&amp;quot;;font-size:130%;"  &gt;The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you'll be glad you took the time to learn more about Debt reduction through debt settlement.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-4103503653942374932?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/4103503653942374932/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/debt-reduction-through-debt-settlement.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/4103503653942374932'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/4103503653942374932'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/debt-reduction-through-debt-settlement.html' title='Debt reduction through debt settlement?'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SLQb0FIlajI/AAAAAAAAAAg/NjRHLZp9D9w/s72-c/credit_cards.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-6646978178380022013</id><published>2008-08-18T13:03:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-18T13:47:04.409-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Credit Card Ballon Will Pop and It's Going to Hurt!</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SKnfWDwRIyI/AAAAAAAAAAU/zaL3e8qUJyI/s1600-h/BubbleBurst.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 105px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SKnfWDwRIyI/AAAAAAAAAAU/zaL3e8qUJyI/s320/BubbleBurst.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235961611852784418" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Have you heard these before: “Put it on the plastic. “ “Bang my card” or just “charge it”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We have all heard and used these terms before. We all have credit card debt and we are tied to it as a part of our life's daily spending. This is true and we're happy with the card until it comes time to pay the bill. The other unfortunate truth is that our society enables us to live a life of material possession even if we don’t have the money to afford it. We live beyond our financial means and its our consumer credit cards that make it easy to do so, but at what cost?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Everyone is paying attention to the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;dwindling&lt;/span&gt; house market, but people are not paying attention to the next wave about to hit our weakened economy. The credit card tsunami is heading right toward us. In Combination with the massive mortgage losses, a credit card &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;Armageddon&lt;/span&gt; has the possibility of taking out our &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;entire&lt;/span&gt; economic system.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Consumer Credit Cards are an unseen but major player in the these uncertain fiscal times. The mortgage lender and credit card companies lust, compounded with deregulation by all sides of government policy and the Bush administration, has taken us to a level which is close to that of the stock market crash and Great Depression.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Home equity and credit card balances have gone hand in hand for a while. Homeowners can’t use their house as a piggy bank like they once did. Equity used to be used to pay off credit card debt. Now there is very little or no equity for the average &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;homeowner&lt;/span&gt;. Homeowners cashed in $1.2 trillion from their home equity from 2002 to 2007 to pay down credit card debt and to cover other costs of living, according to public policy research organization Demos.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Clearly there needs to be better regulations by both the government and lenders. Simply the biggest problem is in fact the average “Joe or Jane” consumer who spends more then what they bring home.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This review covers a &lt;a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danny-schechter/the-next-bubble-is-on-the_b_118062.html?view=print"&gt;recent article&lt;/a&gt; by Danny &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;Schechter&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-6646978178380022013?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/6646978178380022013/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/credit-card-ballon-will-pop-and-its.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/6646978178380022013'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/6646978178380022013'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/08/credit-card-ballon-will-pop-and-its.html' title='The Credit Card Ballon Will Pop and It&apos;s Going to Hurt!'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6j9hjW_-Xqw/SKnfWDwRIyI/AAAAAAAAAAU/zaL3e8qUJyI/s72-c/BubbleBurst.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759748139213130406.post-616427899743915650</id><published>2008-06-25T08:32:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-09T11:39:08.636-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='C'/><title type='text'>Credit Card Payments = Death of a Thousand Cuts.</title><content type='html'>It blows my mind to hear how much money people pay out each month on their credit card bills. Though out the day I hear of people who make as much as $900 a month payments out to their various credit cards. ($900 a month is a mortgage payment on a small house!) How much credit card debt does it take to make your total monthly payments $900? Typically anywhere from $30k to $50k. How does someone get into that much credit card debt? The stories are endless. Some people fall on hard times while others simply spend what they want and worry about it later.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The kicker is that usually people with such high credit card balances are actually paying significantly more for the original item then what they ever thought because of the interest they are sitting on with these cards.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;...And I'm not one to pass judgement. I got a phone call from Chase right after I got out of college offering me a zero percent interest credit card for a year. I signed up then and there. I spent it on the stuff that I needed to live. A new mattress, some dishes, shower curtain...oh and several nights out at a bar in Cincy called the Pavillion. Well I was one day late on a payment and suddenly that pretty O% went up to 19.9% Over night my $1800 balance was eating my money for around $178 a month going to nothing! (heck, it might have even been more!)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pull out $180 out of the ATM some time and then throw it out the window. That's what I was essentially doing with my credit card debt.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But the credit card companies make it a slow death of a thousand cuts. You don't feel it. You pay the minimum payment and hope that the balance will go down. Next month you look and the statement and all that money you paid just covered their interest or their fee for using the card. It's a lot more painful to imagine a cold hard stack of 20's in your hand getting handed over to someone.....FOR NOTHING! (Reality check, I can hand over money to the waiter at the end of a good meal, at least I'm full for a few hours!)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The bottom line is that individuals need to take a serious look at their credit card statements and ask themselves three easy questions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. How much am I paying out total each month on my credit card?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;2. How much of the money I am paying out is actually going to the principle? (or how much is &lt;em&gt;not&lt;/em&gt; going to the principle?)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;3. Where am I going to be a year from now if I keep paying the credit cards at the rate I am?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The answers to these questions should open your eyes to where you really stand with your credit card debt.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5759748139213130406-616427899743915650?l=godebtrelief.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/feeds/616427899743915650/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/06/credit-card-payments-death-of-thousand.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/616427899743915650'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5759748139213130406/posts/default/616427899743915650'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://godebtrelief.blogspot.com/2008/06/credit-card-payments-death-of-thousand.html' title='Credit Card Payments = Death of a Thousand Cuts.'/><author><name>Peace of mind from debt</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/01192373401303818364</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
