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Credit Card News Updates
Recent updates from my credit card news blog at CardRatings.com: Fewer card delinquencies expected in 2010. (It could be because we all lost our shirts in 2009.) Choose between higher fees and lower credit scores. Buy that smartphone with your credit card to protect against theft. Bank of America mails Clarity Commitment letters. (Is that…
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Have you been rate jacked by your credit card issuer?
We just posted a new feature to the front page of CardRatings.com: Credit card rate hikes have become a popular strategy for lenders who want to purge their portfolios of less profitable accounts. New federal credit card regulations give consumers the power to reject a credit card rate increase, but only at the expense of…
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First Snow of Winter
Even though it's our second winter back north, it still feels like a surprise to wake up to this. Especially since it was 65 degrees out earlier in the week.
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Credit Card News Updates for October
From my newsblog at CardRatings.com: Shrinking Credit Card Defaults Cheer Issuing Banks RevolutionCard Enlists Fifth Third Bank for Credit Card Security Overhaul Outsourced Credit Card Programs Help Small Banks Attract Customers Capital One Confirms Credit Card Interest Rate Freeze American Express’ New Charge Card Offers Triple Reward Points to Frequent Flyers
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My New Kenmore Dishwasher Has Arrived!
Right now, it’s still in a box that doubles as a handy kitchen island for unloading groceries. Tomorrow, it’s getting fully installed, and the old, broken Kenmore dishwasher is being hauled away. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the havoc caused by my not-yet-six-month-old Kenmore dishwasher. I really got to that point where I…
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Running a Canon PIXMA MP620 Wirelessly Under Snow Leopard (For Now)
Folks have been asking for details ever since my happy tweet… Until this all gets automated, this process should work if you had already set up your Canon wireless printer/scanner under Mac OS X 10.5: 1. Reinstall the 10.5 versions of the IJ Network Tool and the printer and scanner drivers posted on Canon’s site.…
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CRM Systems Thrive with Five Kinds of Data
First-time buyers of CRM systems often wonder what makes customer relationship management software tick. Effective CRM tools go beyond lists of names and addresses. They collect and help teams interpret five critical types of data… Read more on the Small Business CRM Software Blog…
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CRM Software Helps Drive Customer Loyalty
A third of consumers make purchasing decisions based on the level of customer service offered by companies with effective CRM applications. Recent results from a British consumer survey suggest that retailers must do more than institute reward programs to maintain customer loyalty during a recession. Although the latest generation of customer relationship management software makes it…
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Social CRM Software Helps Companies Evolve Customer Contact
While business leaders grapple with Twitter and Facebook interactions, experts advise companies to master the art of the direct message in under 140 characters. CIOs and other company leaders with questions about their investment in social CRM applications can review previous innovations to understand the importance of communicating with customers using their favored systems. Read the…
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Ten Reasons to Get Out of Debt: Dirty Collector Tricks
While many debt collection agencies perform legitimate work for credit card issuers, banks, and other lenders, some rogue collectors have drawn the attention of law enforcement officials for their dishonest and illegal behavior. If you need some inspiration to get out of debt faster, learn about these ten extreme cases of collector misconduct: Read the…
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Higher Minimum Credit Card Payments Offer Fast Track Out of Debt
In a recent column for the NY Times, Freakonomics authors Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt explained the genius behind the concept of low credit card minimum payments. When studied by academics, test subjects who selected their own minimum payments often paid far more than monthly bank statements required. Read the full article on the CardRatings.com…
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Why I’m Not Shopping at Sears Anymore
(Image courtesy the Manatee County Public Library Historic Photograph Collection, via Malls of America.) Lori and I both grew up in households where Sears was the only place you would ever consider buying appliances. Associates were friendly, and sold you these heavy duty Kenmore appliances that were so sturdy, they rarely needed more than routine…