“Legally terminate credit card debt! You can be debt-free in 4-6 months!” Advertisements like this are for a new type of program that has spread via the Internet over the past few years. It’s called “Credit Card Debt Termination,” and victims are paying $1,000s for this bogus service. One victim I spoke with lost more than $15,000! In this article, I’ll review the principles behind this program and explain exactly why it’s a scam to be avoided.

First, let’s get our definitions straight. The scheme I’m describing here should not be confused with Debt Consolidation or Debt Settlement (also known as Debt Negotiation), both of which are legitimate and ethical methods for debt resolution. The easiest way to distinguish the Credit Card Debt Termination scam from other valid programs is based on the central claim that you really don’t owe any money!

With Debt Consolidation, you pay back all of your debt balances. With Debt Settlement, you pay back a lower amount (usually around 50%) while the creditor agrees to forgive the remaining balance. However, with the bogus Credit Card Debt Termination program, promoters claim that you won’t need to pay anything at all (except their outrageous fees, naturally). They make the surprising claim that you can legally wipe away your debts simply by using their super-duper magic documents. Based on some legal mumbo-jumbo, the claim is made that you really didn’t borrow any money from your creditors!

In order to understand this scam, a little background is necessary. Remember the tax protest movement back in the 1970s? People were claiming that the IRS tax collection system was unconstitutional, and based on their misinterpretation of the tax code, they refused to pay taxes. The IRS came down hard on the tax protest movement, and through the court system, they blew holes in all the legal arguments put forth by the protesters. The Credit Card Debt Termination scam is a lot like the tax protest movement. In fact, among collection professionals, it’s called the “monetary protest movement.”

Just like the tax protest movement, there is a common theme that runs through all of the promotional materials issued by the monetary protestors. The basic idea is that our Federal Reserve monetary system and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) do not permit banks to loan out their own money. Therefore, according to their interpretation, the credit card banks are the ones running the scam on the American public.

Stay with me here, because the logic is pretty strange. If a bank cannot lend its own money, how does a credit card bank extend credit? The claim here is that your credit card agreement itself becomes a form of money (known as a promissory note) the moment you sign it. The idea is that the bank “deposits” your agreement as an asset on their books, and then any credit you use is offset as a liability against that asset. In other words, the core concept here is that you literally borrowed your own money from the credit card bank.

So let’s say your balance with ABC Credit Card Bank is $10,000, which you borrowed against the card to make everyday purchases. The scam promoters say all you need to do is notify the bank that you want your original “deposit” back. However, you will permit the bank to offset the amount you borrowed against the amount you have on “deposit.” Presto! You don’t owe the balance anymore!

Now, as you can imagine, the banks don’t take kindly to such tactics. Many of the consumers using this technique are getting sued by their creditors. But the scammers have more tricks available, as if the “smoke and mirrors” financial nonsense wasn’t enough. One of their techniques is the use of bogus “arbitration” forums. Arbitration is of course a legitimate system that allows businesses and individuals to resolve disputes without going to court. What do the scammers do? They coach people on how to set up a fake arbitration forum, for the express purpose of making a dispute against their creditors! Naturally, the creditors will not send representatives to some non-existent arbitration forum, so the consumer gets to rubber-stamp their own arbitration award. If they get sued in a regular court, they present their bogus award to the judge in the hopes that the creditor’s lawsuit will be dismissed.

There are other techniques used by promoters of this scheme, but the key point to remember is the central claim that your credit card debt does not really exist. Of course, it’s all nonsense based on a misinterpretation of our monetary system, and if you step back and think about for a minute, the truth seems pretty obvious. What these scammers are saying is that the entire $700 billion credit card industry is operating on an illegal basis! Even if the legal theory used by the promoters were true (which it isn’t), do you think for a moment the government would allow this giant industry to go under? That’s exactly what would happen if the promoter’s claims were proven true and used on a widespread basis.

The Federal Trade Commission, which has jurisdiction here, hasn’t stomped on these con artists yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Unfortunately, in the meanwhile, consumers are being bilked out of millions of dollars for a worthless program that will only get them into deep trouble with their creditors. If you are approached by someone offering to wipe away your debts using this system, I strongly recommend you run in the other direction while you hold on tightly to your wallet or purse.

Remember, you can eliminate your debts if you take a disciplined approach to your finances, make a budget and stick to it, and don’t use your credit cards unless you can pay off new balances in full each month.

If you love flying to tropical islands and enjoying the sun and fun or travel to other locations for business and pleasure on your favorite airline then a mileage credit card may be something you would really enjoy. With a mileage credit card, you can earn points to redeem for such trips. If you choose the right mileage card, you will be able to receive enough points to take a trip to Acapulco for a unique vacation or just jump on a flight to visit your high school friends in Atlanta, San Diego, or any other city in the United States. Mileage cards are very popular and are the best way to earn free trips.

The mileage credit card is growing in popularity for one very good reason. If you choose the right mileage credit card you will enjoy accumulating enough points to take not only yourself on an expensive vacation but every member in your family without paying for airline tickets. All you have to do to determine which mileage credit card fits your needs is to read and learn the differences each one offers.

Some people prefer to apply for a mileage credit card with only one airline. This means that you will only accumulate points when you travel on their airline and will only be able to use them for your free or discounted travel plans. However, you can find mileage cards that offer you the choice between different airlines for collecting points and for your free trips. In addition, you must be sure that if you choose one airline that they travel to your favorite destination, or you may not be saving toward that trip to Acapulco. So, check with each mileage credit card before you make your final decision to ensure you can travel to all locations that you wish.

Some mileage credit cards have membership or annual fees that you must pay. Some people do not enjoy paying these yearly fees, but you must remember that these fees may actually aid you in getting more air miles in a shorter amount of time. If you use your mileage credit card for any type of business travel, it can also be a tax deduction.

Another thing to check with every mileage credit card is their mileage plan. You should look for answers to these important questions, will by points or air miles expire, can I receive double miles, and if they have any blackout dates.

Learn what the annual percentage rate will be after their introductory special. Many mileage credit card companies offer 0 percent for the first twelve months and then the rates rise drastically. Learn what these means if you normally carry a balance on your credit instead of paying if off.

Learn everything you can charge purchases for to accumulate points. Some mileage cards offer benefits such as added points when you purchase such items as gas for your car, groceries, and more.

Now you kind of have an idea of what to look for, now get out there and search, so you can enjoy that much-needed vacation in the setting of your choice.

What is the concept of a balance transfer credit card? To put it simply, making 0% interest balance transfers from one credit card to another is a great way of answering the age-old conundrum: how to have your cake and eat it too. You have nothing to lose but to gain you have a bundle of money that could have disappeared while you paid high interests on purchases and loans youve made on your current credit card(s). Sounds like an interesting proposition? It most certainly is! Balance transfer credit cards are there to save you in the hour of need. And then there are the best balance transfer cards. We call them best for a reason; flat zero percent interest rate being one of them.

The Basic Advantage of Balance Transfer Credit Cards

However, good things generally dont last for too long in this world, and 0% interest rate offers on balance transfers would usually be valid only for short periods like three or six months, after which, normal credit card interest rates kick in. Still, that is plenty of time to relax and breathe free! Not all credit cards have this zero percent interest-rate facility though; what most cards do offer is a significantly reduced rate of interest on balance transfers. Either way, a bargain is a bargain and we the consumers end up saving a little more than a paltry sum!

Cool Features of Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Furthermore, balance transfers need not only be made from one credit card to another, the best balance transfer credit cards can be used to pay off most types of financial debts. The bottom line is: you stand to gain from a balance transfer credit card whichever way you look. So look around for some good balance transfer offers on regular credit cards or for an exclusive balance transfer credit card, and go for one that seems to be the most suited for your needs. Also remember that the best balance transfer credit cards have attractive reward schemes to motivate you – their customer – to use their cards to the maximum capacity!

The Rationale behind Balance Transfers

Often credit card companies are detested by people for their seemingly exorbitant rates of interests. They are portrayed as financial leeches that suck the blood off us common folks at the least opportunity. That may or may not be true since all lending banks and credit card companies come under strict federal regulation and supervision. However, it is time we get back at them and rip them off left right and around, out of pure spite! What say?

Many smart people in fact come close to doing so by routinely getting new balance transfer credit cards that usually have a promo offer of a zero percent interest rate for the first year or so, and then they rotate the outstanding amount from one card to another ad indefinitum. Pretty neat! It may even look like a little con trick but it is perfectly legal and could be the most logical thing to do for any person trying to make ends meet. Arent we all, by the way? In this turbulent chaotic world, most of us are constantly grappling with a makeshift existence, and it makes sense that we shift our debt from one point to another if in the process we also happen to save plenty of dollars!

Choose Your Balance Transfer Credit Card

So what are you waiting for then? Do your balance transfer now! Oh sorry, not right away, because you need to do some research and shopping around first. Although you may be rest assured that there is, by and large, no deviousness involved in the offer of zero percent or marginal interest rate balance transfer, you have to be alert while ordering a balance transfer to an existing card or while picking up your new balance transfer credit card from among a plethora of names and choices available.

To begin with, you may have spent irrationally on your credit card, but that is not the point; at least now you can make a very rational choice by carefully assessing and comparing the balance transfer credit cards available. The keyword is best, for nothing less will do!

Basically you have three criteria to take into consideration here, namely, the annual fee of the card, the transfer fee, and the rate of interest. The best balance transfer credit cards will as zero all these with a few additional features and incentives to boot! If you find any such, make merry! If you dont, make an apparent compromise and go for the second best, but still second to none, and therefore still the best! Transfer your balance, gulp down a cake and take ample rest.

If you have bad credit, you may be under the impression that you are not able to apply for a credit card. While it is true that you may be rejected from getting certain credit cards or loans, there are options available for those who have bad credit. Since a sizeable percentage of the population has bad credit, this has created a market which many banks and credit card companies have tapped into.

Your credit report is a reflection of your credit history, and it is very important when you need to apply for a car or mortgage. There may be situations where you will need a credit card to complete a certain transaction, and if you have bad credit you will run into problems. There are a number of options available for those with bad credit who want cards. Secured credit cards are one good option. A secured credit card allows you to deposit money into the account which you can then use.

Instead of borrowing money from the credit card company, you use your own money. You will not be allowed to go over the amount you place on the card. Despite this, you may have to pay the credit card company a fee in order to use their cards, and this is how their money is made. A secured credit card can be used to make any of the purchases you can make with a unsecured credit card. A prepaid debit card is another option that is used by people who have less than perfect credit.

If you are a student in college, an option may be available for you called a secured student credit card. These cards will allow students to begin building their credit while they’re still in school. Students who use these cards are prevented from going over their limit because they can only spend money which they’ve placed on the cards. It is important to remember that you won’t get the best deals or rates if your credit is poor. However, we live in an electronic age, and it is difficult to conduct many transactions without having either a debit or credit card.

Secured credit cards are a great way to allow you to make transactions while you continue to rebuild your credit. If you work hard to repair your credit, you won’t be in debt forever, and using these cards will allow you to easily make electronic transactions.

Most college students are eager to begin their lives as independent adults. Part of this journey is learning how to be financially stable and responsible with a student credit card. If you are looking for a good deal on a student credit card and you are a big fan of your particular university, you might checkout the MBNA credit card for students. You can visit the website at http://www.mbna.com and click on the card section of the site. There you will find information about the various credit cards offered by MBNA and how each one compares to the other. The student credit card is listed separately and you will be able to apply for and accept credit card online all in one visit to the website.

MBNA Credit Card

One of the most attractive features of this card for students is the fact that they offer a wide variety of designs to suit each student’s taste and collegiate affiliation. MBNA allows the consumer to select from a number of college logos so that the credit card reflects the university that the student attend.

The following is a list of all the colleges available:

Arizona State University
Auburn University
Clemson University
Trustees Of Dartmouth
Florida State University
Georgetown University
Indiana University
Iowa State University
Loyola College In Maryland
Michigan State Alumni Association
Ohio State Association
Penn State Alumni Association
Purdue University
St Johns University
University Of Texas A&M
University Of Arizona
University Of California At Los Angles
University Of Delaware
University Of Illinois
University Of Miami
University Of Michigan
University Of Missouri
University Of North Carolina
University Of Pennsylvania
University Of Southern California
University Of Texas
University Of Utah
University Of Wisconsin
Villanova University

Once you choose the college you wish to feature on your student credit card, you proceed to the application page. Here it is very important that you scroll to the bottom of the page and read the information about rates and fees before you accept credit card online.

Card Features

When you select the MBNA student card, you are using the exclusive card of your university. This is a great way to show your support for your school.

Every MBNA credit card comes with fraud protection. This means that if your card is stolen or lost and used without your knowledge or approval in a purchase, whether online or at a retail location, MBNA will not hold you responsible for these unauthorized charges.

Also, a convenient feature for students who are frequently on the go is the fulltime access to account information online. You can access your monthly statement, schedule payments online, and check your balance from any internet access around the globe. If you have trouble remembering to pay your bill on time, go to the website and set up an automatic withdrawal from your checking account so that you never miss another payment and never have to worry about late fees accumulating on your card and accruing interest.

Overall, the MBNA credit card is a great deal for college students establishing their credit.

If you have less than perfect credit, you may have seen ads promising you a credit card regardless of your credit history or job status. Most of these ads are actually for a secured credit card, which can be a great way to rebuild your credit. Your credit may need rebuilding if you have a history of unpaid credit card bills, bankruptcy, repossession, or divorce. However, you need to be aware that there are scams out there promising a credit card for people with bad credit but not delivering.

A Secured Credit Card

Many people do not know the difference between a secured credit card and an unsecured card. The main difference lies in where the money comes from when you make purchases. An unsecured credit card is the standard card issued by most lenders. You borrow money to pay for your products and services and then you are allowed to pay the lender back with interest via credit card bills. A secured credit card for people with bad credit requires an initial deposit to set you. You deposit anywhere from two hundred to two thousand dollars into an account before making any purchases. What you buy is paid for using the money in your account. So you have control of your credit limit with how much cash you put up front.

Unfortunately, in order to open an account for a secured credit card you must have the hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, it takes to secure the credit. This up-front cost makes it a prohibitive credit card for people with bad credit, who are usually on a very strict budget as their debt takes up most of their extra income. Along with the initial deposit, you might have to pay application or set-up fees, and you could be charged a fee when you make future deposits to your account in order to raise your credit limit. These fees show up on your credit card bills.

Credit Card Scams

There are legitimate promotions for a secured credit card out there and you may find several on the internet if you search reputable banking institutions for their offers. However, some companies try to lure consumers into calling a false number. The phone number listed in the ad is not toll- free, but is a 900 number that you will be billed for using. The scammers might lead you to believe that you can get the secured credit card as soon as you call the listed number. In these false ads, there is usually no mention of set-up fees, initial deposit amounts, eligibility requirements, or credit card bills, which will be larger than normal due to annual fees and high interest.

How To Spot A Scam

If someone offers you easy credit with no qualifications to get a credit card, this person or company is probably not telling you the whole truth. Any reputable lender must check your credit report before offering you a line of credit. This precaution is especially true when providing a credit card for people with bad credit. Also beware of calling 900 numbers. These numbers are not set up to provide you with a service. They are set up to make the company a profit and your phone bill could show a charge up to $50 for a few minutes.

Some Tips on How to Get Out of Credit Card Debt

It goes without saying that credit cards have a lot of advantages. Nowadays they have become an integral part of our life. More and more people prefer plastics to cash, as having a credit card is much more convenient that carrying cash. More than that, people can get more benefits from having a certain type of credit cards. For example, rewards credit cards are quite popular with people who want to get some rewards from getting a card.

However, we can’t say that credit cards are perfect. They can be both your friend and your enemy. One of the problems that credit cards can bring is credit card debt. The statistics shows that current credit card debt in the USA is about $360 billion. The fact is that it’s really easy to get into debt. However, when it comes to reducing it, many people realize that it won’t be so easy as it may seem.

If you are in debt, you are to decide what steps you should take to get out of it. Here are useful tips that can help you to get out of your credit card debt.

First of all, try to pay off your monthly card balances. There is no doubt that it will be better if you make larger payments. By doing this, you will be able to get out of debt faster, saving on interest. The fact it that your monthly minimum payment is equal to your APR. And it is obvious that if you pay off only the amount of interest accrued to your balance, you won’t be able to get out of debt.

You can also call your credit card company and negotiate with it to reduce your interest rate. In some cases it really works. Don’t forget that paying off your debt is in their interests as well. They can make a concession of this kind not to injure their reputation.

Another way of getting out of debt is to obtain a balance transfer credit card with low or 0% introductory APR. Then transfer your credit card balance to this plastic and do your best to pay off your total balance during the introductory period. In this situation you won’t lose your money on interest.

In case you have two or more plastics with debt on them, you should consolidate your balances into a regular-term note. In this situation you don’t have to pay several bills. You will have to make one monthly payment with a lower interest rate.

Of course, it’s up to a person to decide what strategy of getting out of debt he/she will choose. However, these tips can be rather helpful for those who decide to change their financial situation for the better.

Globally credit card fraud costs card issuers billions of dollars a year in fraudulent use of their cards. Some of this loss is passed back to retailers who failed to comply with the normal processing method for the card. Another part of the loss is insured. Nonetheless, as a cardholder you are potentially liable for any fraudulent use of your credit card. It is, therefore, imperative that you make yourself aware of what the current fraud scams are and how you can help to in the battle of credit card fraud prevention.

To this end, the following are some fraud prevention methods you can adopt:

* when using your card, never card out of your sight
* if you use the card in an old carbon-copy paper machine, keep the carbon-copy and destroy it later
* never use your credit card on an unsecured website
* never use your credit card to withdraw money in an ATM

Aside from the above, ensuring that you use certain technological advances with your credit card should also help in any credit card fraud prevention. In this regard, the following are currently popular with card issuers:

* identification photos: where your picture is shown on the front of the card
* fingerprinting: where a facsimile of your fingerprint is shown on the reverse of your card;
* chip and Pin systems: where the card has an encrypted chip containing details about the card and a PIN that ensures the card is a genuine issue. Essentially the chip contains the same information that used to be contained in the magnetic strip on the reverse of the card, but in chip format it is believed to be harder to copy.

Although each of these systems is no foolproof credit card fraud prevention method, with credit card fraud costing more and more each year, you can bet that issuers are going to be tackling this issue head-on: so stay aware of the latest credit card fraud preventions methods and help combat this growing problem.

Many people do not realise when their credit card debt is getting on top of them until it is too late.

The best thing to do to see how you stand with your credit card and how much you are paying back to them each month, is to calculate your monthly earnings and then calculate what you can afford to put back into your credit card account. You will then you have to divide your earnings by what you make in payments to your credit card and if you arrive at a figure of 15% or more going towards your card debt, then you are facing the chance that you are falling through a debt trap door that you cannot get out of.

If you find that you are in this position, the best thing that you can do is to stop using your credit cards and look at other areas in which you can cut back in your expenditure. The thing that I am going to suggest may not be what you would think, but it can go a long way to saving you a lot of money. The area in which you can save cash is your grocery bills, but I have to eat I here you say that is true as it is a fabric of our being, but it is the manner in which we spend our cash on groceries, that costs us a large slice of our monthly bills being higher than it should be.

Lets start with how many times that you have been looking through the newspapers, and you have came across money off vouchers on products that you do usually buy and ignored it and then threw the paper in the bin? Loads of times I bet and when in the supermarket do you go for the big named brands that are a lot more expensive but are told that they are of higher quality? Of course you do, but the fact of the matter is that the big name brands are not that much better, than the stores own branded labels and in many instances the product is made in the same place and are very similar.

Even if you see the big named brand with a promotion of 50% free or buy one get one free, you will find in many instances that it will still be cheaper to buy supermarket own brand products. And what you must also remember is that these firms are not going to sell their products at a loss. So just think at the high mark up price that they are usually at when not on a promotional price.

So by cutting down on your grocery expenditure, you will soon see the difference in your credit card debt, as you put what you are saving back in to clear your credit card balance.

At the same time as cutting your debt, remember to pay your credit card bills on time. Credit card late repayment penalties can work out to be very expensive and could actually undo all your good work. Credit card late payment penalties are currently being brought down to 12. This reduction was brought about by pressure from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT)

Okay, so youve applied for a rewards credit card. Now what? How can you maximize your returns for your reward credit card?

If youve chosen the right reward credit card, then you should have no problem in earning points more quickly. Consider what type of reward credit card you have and see if it matches your spending habits. If not, then its not yet too late to make a switch. If youre still planning about getting a reward credit card, then take your time in choosing the one that is most appropriate for your needs and lifestyle.

Choose your rewards credit card well

How do you normally use your credit card? Do you usually use it to pay for your monthly expenses such as groceries and utility bills? Does a large amount of your budget go to your car maintenance and gas expenses? Or do you travel a lot and spend more on hotel accommodations, car rentals and plane tickets? Based on your lifestyle, you can choose whether a cash-back credit card, a gas rewards credit card, or a travel rewards credit card will be best for you.

Check your credit report

Reward credit cards with the best deals are only offered for those who have excellent credit rating. Check your credit report and see if there are some steps you can do to improve your credit.

Take Advantage of the 0% Introductory Offer

Whichever rewards credit card you choose, there is usually a 0% introductory offer that you can avail off. The best ones are those that give a 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers for a whole period of 12 months. Most reward credit cards come with a high interest rate so if you choose the one with 0% APR on purchases and balance transfer for a whole year, that would be a great savings and convenience on your part. There are credit cards that give a reasonable interest rate even after the introductory period expires and thats the reward credit card you want to have.

Ask for additional cards

Some reward credit cards give additional cards for other members of the family or even friends of the card holder. The points earned from additional cards still go to the main card holder so you get to earn more rewards at a shorter time.

Pay off your monthly balances on time

Even if you intend to earn as much points as you can, dont use your credit card for purchases if you know that you cant make your monthly payment on time. Unless youre still within the 0% introductory period, then you can afford to incur a remaining balance and pay it off for the next month. Remember that reward credit cards have higher rates and if you often incur a monthly balance, the amount you pay for your interest may be worth way more than the value of the rewards you actually get.

Use your credit cards to pay your utilities

If your credit card gives you a point for general purchases, then take advantage of it and use your card to pay your telephone bills, electricity and cable. Since you really have to pay for these bills one way or another, why not use your card and collect points at the same time instead of paying in cash?