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Ask Creditnet: Using Credit Cards to Finance Medical Expenses

November 14th, 2011 by Joshua Heckathorn

Dear Creditnet: I want to get eye surgery, but I was told I need to have a credit card to be able to set up a payment plan. Unfortunately, I'm already in debt, have bad credit, and I can't seem to get approved for any credit cards right now. I do have a stable job, but $7,000 is too much to pay in one lump sum. I really need to get this surgery. Is there any credit card that will approve me?

Online Holiday Shopping: 5 Tips for Bargain Hunters

Black Friday ignites a sense of unbridled excitement in many holiday shopaholics. For the rest of us, it's cause for nothing more than another good reason to stay close to home, sit by the fire and enjoy an extra cup of hot chocolate while the masses fight it out on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Updated by Joshua Heckathorn on Sun, 2011-11-13 16:00

Tackle Your Credit Card Debt with P2P Lending

Interest rates may be at historic lows, but average interest rates for even the best credit cards are still in the double digits. For consumers struggling to pay off high-interest credit card debt, the task can almost seem insurmountable!

Updated by Joshua Heckathorn on Thu, 2011-11-10 16:00

Last Day to Get Southwest Rapid Rewards Card 50,000 Bonus

November 10th, 2011 by Joshua Heckathorn

The 50,000 point signup bonus for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card is unfortunately flying away just as fast as it flew in last month. I doubt the promotion is getting the axe due to lack of popularity. In fact, my guess is this card offer has been extremely popular among the millions of consumers searching for ways to bring down the cost of their holiday travel this year. It's difficult to turn down over $800 in free money for travel, even if there is a $69 annual fee attached to the card!

Citi Diamond Preferred Card Review: $200 Cash Back Holiday Promo

November 9th, 2011 by Joshua Heckathorn

If you drool all over yourself when thinking about the deals you'll score this coming Cyber Monday, Citi has yet another deal for you to help kick off the holiday shopping season. $200 cash back, in the form of a statement credit, for spending just $500 online within the first 3 months on the new Citi Diamond Preferred Card. That's a 40% return on your initial $500 spend, which is an awesome deal for a no annual fee credit card. Most other card offers will require at least a $1,000 spend during the first 3 months to qualify for signup bonuses, so this is especially great if you plan to spend less this year on your shopping but still want to enjoy an attractive cash back bonus. While it's not entirely clear how purchases will be categorized as online or not, any shopping you do on sites like Amazon or Etsy should obviously count as online purchases. However, If you do purchase something from a store that has brick-and-mortar locations as well, I would make sure you check your statements closely to verify that all the transactions are properly categorized as "online" purchases. There are bound to be mistakes.

The Top Five Myths About FICO Scores

November 7th, 2011 by Logan Abbott

We're all aware of the importance of having great credit scores, but sometimes figuring out how to get that stellar credit score is like cracking the code to the secret sauce at your favorite burger joint. The result is that over the years, dozens of credit scoring myths and misunderstandings have popped up as people have attempted to get their financial lives in order. Here are my top five in descending order.

Bank Transfer Day: Over 77,000 Strong

November 4th, 2011 by Joshua Heckathorn

Tomorrow, Nov. 5th, is Bank Transfer Day. I honestly didn't realize how large a movement this was until I checked out their Facebook page today. Not only do they have over 40,000 likes, but over 77,000 people have indicated they plan on participating in the event by moving all their money from for-profit banking institutions to not-for-profit local credit unions by tomorrow. That's a big number! Credit Union executives must be drooling all over themselves.

Creditnet's Celebrity Wedding Cost Match-Up Game

November 2nd, 2011 by Joshua Heckathorn

Think you know what some of the world's most famous couples have spent on their weddings? If so, test your celebrity wedding prowess today by playing Creditnet's Celebrity Wedding Cost Match-Up Game.

Ask Creditnet: Which Debt Should I Pay Off with a Balance Transfer?

October 31st, 2011 by Joshua Heckathorn

Dear Creditnet: I was recently approved for a zero interest credit card with a $3,500 credit limit. The zero interest promotion lasts for the first 12 months. I’m looking to put the first $1,000 to great use by either paying off balances on 2 high-interest credit cards totaling $800 with monthly minimum payments of $20, or by paying off the balance on a $1,150 auto loan with monthly payments of $165. I'm not sure which will boost my credit score the most. Can you answer this?

Bobber Users Gamification to Promote Saving

October 26th, 2011 by Logan Abbott

A new Seattle-based company is using gamification via Facebook to help encourage young people to save and practice proper financial management skills. The company, BobberInteractive, allows users to set goals, measure their progress and engage/interact with friends via a Facebook app that uses the social media site as a gaming and goal-sharing platform. The hope is that those using the social platform will use gaming to solidify and enhance their ability to save and invest. Sounds just like Farmville, right? Er...no. This game actually teaches something of value.

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