About this product: No interest for one year! No annual fee! No minimum payments for six months! And, if you want to believe Robert Manning, there's no way out of the debt that we find ourselves in, as individuals and as a country. Credit Card Nation combines debt of every kind--consumer, corporate, and governmental--and creates a vast landscape of profit-spewing lenders and struggling debtors present at every level of economics. Appalling statistics set readers off on a depressing journey: the years between 1980 and 1994 saw annual consumer charges skyrocket from $170 billion to $581 billion, with the average household carrying over $4,000 in revolving debt. Accompanied by the erasure of nearly $100 billion in corporate debt and tremendous tax cuts for ever-merging conglomerates, the end of the 20th century seems to be just the beginning of an overwhelming cycle. While Manning's book is extensively researched, it is also extremely readable. Individual stories of junk bondsmen, corporate raiders, and middle-class consumers are threaded throughout the pages of charts and statistics, with a few surprises. While most media would have us believe that students who rack up charge accounts are totally irresponsible, the reality is that some of these students are helping their families with cash-advance loans to make mortgage or insurance payments. Emphasis is also placed on the tremendous advertising budgets of credit card companies: Manning comments on "how quickly the cultural norms have changed in the Credit Card Nation," we see a poster insisting "money can't buy you love, but a credit card can get you started." This is not a self-help book, and Manning has no 12-step program for debtors at any level. Credit Card Nation simply tells it as it is. --Jill Lightner
About this product: "This book is a must-read for credit card holders of all ages. Curtis Arnold offers insights into how consumers can not only profit financially from credit cards, but importantly, how to avoid falling into debt." --Thomas R. Evans, President and CEO of BankRate.com, Inc. "Finally, someone has written a guide for savvy consumers who want to make the most of the plastic in their wallets. Curtis Arnold explains exactly how to maximize your rewards so you're quite literally getting free money and also outlines winning strategies for negotiating the lowest interest rate and using balance transfers to your advantage. Anyone who wants to build credit, improve their credit, or profit from their credit cards should read this book." --Liz Pulliam Weston, MSN Money Personal Finance Columnist and Bestselling Author of Your Credit Score and Easy Money "Curtis Arnold is America's premier credit card expert. Whether you're trying to get your first card, compare credit offers, or figure out how to beat the credit card companies at their own game, Arnold's wisdom and insider tips will prove invaluable." --Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, The "Money Coach" and Author of The New York Times Bestseller Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom "If you have had enough of credit card tricks and traps, this book will show you how to turn the tables. Curtis Arnold knows the credit card business inside and out and offers proven ways to put plastic to work for you, rather than against you." --Gerri Detweiler, Consumer Advocate and Author of four books on personal finance including the forthcoming book Stop Debt Collectors "For most Americans, credit cards are seen as a necessary evil. Curtis Arnold transforms that perception. Using his advice, people can get rebates, perks, better interest rates, and all kinds of benefits from their cards that they never knew were possible. This book helps you become the master of your credit cards instead of a victim." --Jordan E. Goodman, "America's Money Answers Man" and Bestselling Author of Everyone's Money Book on Credit "Curtis Arnold provides you with tips for protecting yourself from costly credit card traps, how to use credit to your advantage, and much more. This is a must-read book!" --Marcia Brixey, Author of The Money Therapist and Founder and President of Money Wise Women Educational Services Banks spend billions to entice credit card customers with rebates, freebies, low introductory rate offers, and airline miles. This book shows you how to take maximum advantage of these special deals--without paying for them through brutally high interest rates, fees, and penalties! Top independent credit card expert Curtis Arnold reveals how to creatively finance major purchases such as cars, weddings, and condos with little or no interest charges!earn huge credit card "perks" every year!and dramatically reduce your cost of credit. He offers specific advice targeted to: young consumers, retirees facing credit discrimination, Americans recovering from debt problems, and even to consumers with spotless credit. Why should huge banks and credit card companies make all the money? Get this book, and you too can start earning and saving hundreds, and possibly thousands of dollars, like Curtis has! *Unlock the keys to huge credit card savings Find the best rates and balance transfer offers--and make the most of them *Fly anywhere, finance anything Use credit cards to get free airline tickets and cash rebates or low-cost "creative financing" *Don't get ripped off--by your bank or anyone else Avoid hidden fees, costly small print, and flat-out fraud *Slash your debt, and cut your cost of credit Stop throwing away money you could be saving or investing Acknowledgments xvii About the Author xxi Chapter 1: It's Not Just Plastic--It's Money! 1 Chapter 2: Show Me the Money! Credit Card Rebates 23 Chapter 3: Unlock the Key to Huge Savings: Master Credit Card Rates and Transfer Offers 51 Chapter 4: Avoid Problems That Hinder Maximum Profits 75 Chapter 5: How to Slash Your Debt and Keep Your Hard-Earned Money for Yourself 89 Chapter 6: Watch Out: Traps and Scams Can Cost You Big Bucks! 119 Chapter 7: Start Out on the Right Foot--Credit Cards for Students and Saving for College 155 Chapter 8: Use Targeted Cards to Your Financial Advantage 179 Chapter 9: Your Credit Report and Score: The Better You Look, the More You Profit 209 Chapter 10: Maximize the Benefits of Your Cards by Taking Advantage of Additional Free Perks 237 Chapter 11: Master Advanced Card Techniques to Save and Make Money 259 Chapter 12: Capitalize on Future Card Trends 283 Glossary 301 Index 315
Membership has its privileges, but it also has a huge share of disadvantages. Without the proper know-how and guidance, you could find yourself buried beneath an avalanche of credit card debt. Millions of Americans are just like you and are currently attempting to pay off $450 billion to credit card companies. It's in a credit card company's best interest to keep you in debt-after all that's how they make their real money. Even by following their rules, you can quickly be put at a disadvantage. It seems as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel- that is, until now.
And All That Goes With It
Whether you are overwhelmed by credit card debt or trying to prevent it altogether, Credit Card Debt has the answers. The author's basic three-step program provides the information you need to reduce interest rates, eliminate fees, and negotiate with credit card companies to keep your credit report clean. Uniquely designed to help you organize, analyze and reduce your debt, this book helps you understand how credit card companies make their money, how credit cards work, and how to use them responsibly.
About this product: Just because you are the one being pursued doesn't mean that you don't have a way to make the bill collectors have to do their own due diligence. Moreover there are ways to protect your assets from creditors and ways to clear debts without filing bankruptcy. If it does ultimately turn to that, there are things you should know about bankruptcy and this book delves into these facts as well. Answering the questions should I declare bankruptcy, when should I declare bankruptcy, what is the difference between chapter 7 and chapter 13, as well as your attorney's duties when filing these cases. While these may seem like things which are talked about ad nausea in the news and in other publications, The book breaks it down for you in way that is easy to understand and quick to follow on the fly.
About this product: Imagine telling a debt collector that he has the right to remain silent and that anything he says during his collection call can and will be used against him in a court of law. This book is not only outrageously empowering, but equally the most comprehensive and educational text within the series of my Winning the Collection Game volumes.
About this product: Effective credit card fraud prevention programs can increase sales revenue while decreasing administration costs and fraud losses. Learn the techniques and strategies to feel secure about accepting credit cards.
About this product: The Skinny on Credit Cards, How to Master the Credit Card Game. Finally, someone has written a book which is clear, concise and comprehensive on the subject of credit cards. The Skinny on Credit Cards will be helpful to everyone from the young adult getting his or her first card to the older adult who has used cards for years and never really totally understood the rules of the game. The Skinny on Credit Cards is a compilation of all the books and articles that have been written on the subject. All the experts were consulted. The Skinny On™ presents all the relevant information in an entertaining and easy-to-digest fashion. The credit card world is willing to lend you money. They want money back in return in the form of fees and interest. In some ways, the use of a credit card is a big game. Your job as a consumer is to play the game well so that you get more out of the relationship than do the credit card issuers. The Skinny on Credit Cards will teach you how to win the game!!
About this product: The most demanded information from DebtSmart®! How to stop the banks from taking advantage of you, get the best lending deals, get financially organized, pick the right mortgage, make more money, finance your next car, personal stories, Q&A, and much more! Scott Bilker, author of "How to be more Credit Card and Debt Smart," is also the creator of DebtSmart.com and the author of the best-selling book, "Credit Card and Debt Management."
Consumers are overwhelmed with the amount of resources available on any given financial topic. They dont know where to go for answers, since most financial books specialize in certain topics, or are not written for a general audience. Mary Hunt's been there-done that style of writing is warm, relevant and non-judgmental. Readers wont feel guilty for not knowing things they should know, or feel stupid for asking. Questions have been selected from those submitted to Mary Hunt through Womans Day Magazine Reader Panel, readers of Everyday Cheapskate newspaper column (email and print), and the Debt-Proof Living newsletter and website.
About this product: The real trick to building personal wealth is learning how to transform 'bad debt' into 'good debt.' This quick-hitting book explains how-without having to cut up credit cards. This is the eighth book in the phenomenally successful Rich Dad series. This book was originally published as an e-book and now joins the Rich Dad series in trade paperback format.
BOOK
