Negotiate

Is this a good time to negotiate your rate? How much success have you had doing this?
Here's a recent article from the Chicago Tribune

Insult to injury

Here's a new article about credit card changes in 2009.
The funny part is how the companies say that to get the best rates you need a FICO score over 730 instead of 700 now. What they're really saying is, 'we're gonna be able to charge higher rates to even more people now'.

Dude, where's my bailout?

Try to follow the money trail. Bank nickel and dimes customers with ATM fees, bogus late charges, sky high interest rates. Bank then takes that money and after putting some in the pockets of politicians (financial services are among the highest campaign contributors) then puts a few million in each pocket of the bank's officers, then decides to make lousy investments in mortgages, CDO's, etc and loses billions.
So then what happens? Bank CEO calls up politicians (former classmates and co-workers in most cases) and says, "Uh, yeah, can you send us over a couple billion dollars?" No problem. Tax 'em all.

Anybody get the feeling they're being scammed?

Here's an article from the NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/05/business/05cards.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Maxed Out

If you have credit problems you MUST watch this movie. You can rent it at Netflix or most video stores. You may even be able to find it free somewhere on the net. Here's the trailer:

Nothing has changed

This article is from 1999. The scary thing is that nothing has changed in ten years.
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/19991004.asp

You are NOT alone

If you have debt issues keep in mind two things

-there IS hope
and
_ you are not alone!

Millions of Americans are up to their eyeballs is debt. If you are deep in debt you must watch the documentary , Maxed Out You can rent it, if you are a Netflix member you can watch it instantly.
There are probably clips and/or trailers on Youtube.

FICO formula...fair

Credit scores are also known as FICO scores. A number created by the Fair Isaac company. I've tried many many times to get some concrete answers to how this number is formulated. I still don't know. Even the credit reporting agencies love to make it as confusing as possible. Why would they want to do this? Here are the big three reporting agencies:
Experian
Transunion
Equifax

If you have horror stories about these reporting agencies or any other credit company please make a post about it.

More info to come soon!