When You've Passed On, Who Inherits Your Credit Card Debt?
When we die, we leave all kinds of things behind, including our debts. And it's not always clear what exactly happens to those obligations. Consider your credit card debt, for example.
Credit CARD Act of 2009
How Colleges May Be Helping Banks Rob Their Students
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has reason to believe colleges are letting their students get snookered by the banks the schools partner with, and it has launched an inquiry.
Prepaid Cards: Banks and Celebrities Love Them ... But Should You?
When financial industry reforms in Washington nixed some of banks' favorite ways to drain extra profits out of your credit and debit cards, they turned to a slightly different piece of plastic: the prepaid credit card. And celebrities are looking to profit from them too.
Credit Card Horror Tales: 5 Ways Bad Plastic Kills Your Finances
The credit card market remains plagued by cards built to kill your savings, despite the consumer-friendly reforms of the CARD Act and record-low interest rates for most loans. Here are the five most common ways the worst credit cards prey on unsuspecting consumers.
How High Credit Card Rates Could Be Good News for You
Despite ultra-low mortgage and savings interest rates, the average credit card rate is still high, and has barely budged over the past year. That's not so lucky for you as a spender -- but it could guide you to a windfall as an investor.
Stay-at-Home Spouses Will Once Again Get the Credit They Deserve
The consumer-friendly CARD Act is saving credit card holders hundreds of millions of dollars and almost as many headaches, but it has some flaws. For example, it made life more difficult for roughly 5 million stay-at-home spouses by making it hard for them to get credit. That's going to change soon.
Where Does Your Spouse's Credit Card Debt Go When They Die?
When a husband or wife dies, it's not just the emotional issues that can be overwhelming; the financial issues can be, too. Here are three important financial actions no widow or widower should delay taking -- and the answer to the pressing question in the headline above.
Parents Cutting Back on College Spending, Says Sallie Mae
Families are implementing more cost-saving strategies to cut college spending, choosing less expensive schools and finding more economical ways for students to attend, according to a study from Sallie Mae, the country's largest student lender.
Credit Card Banks Complain About Consumer Complaint Database
On Tuesday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau launched its public Consumer Complaint Database, an open forum for consumers to call out credit card providers for their ill behaviors. the banks' response: Hey, no fair!
Stay-At-Home Mom Fights New Credit Card Rule
The Card Act was passed in 2009 to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices. But some stay-at-home parents complain that one part of the law has made it harder for them to get credit cards.
State of the Ecomony: 3 Things Obama Will Focus On
In tonight's State of the Union, President Obama faces a tough crowd: Millions of Americans unsure about whether he should keep his job. He'll be aiming to win hearts and minds, and at least part of that will be an appeal to our wallets. With that in mind, here are three key points that he is likely to hammer home tonight:
The Latest Credit Card Trap: No Limits, Just 'Access'
Now that consumer protection laws have pushed back against some of the methods banks devised to make excessive profits at your expense, the financial institutions are trying new techniques. Here's one that at first glance seems like a benefit: Taking away your credit limit.
Transfer Your Credit Card Balance Right Now
Cheap credit is making a comeback, at least for some people: Credit card companies' fierce competition for new, low-risk customers has them ramping up their 0% interest rate offers again, and offering those teaser rates for longer. So if you have the FICO score to qualify, it's time to take advantage.
Less Need Now to Read Your Credit Card's Fine Print
It appears that complaints from consumers and regulators about the lack of credit card transparency at banks have not fallen on deaf ears. According to CardHub.com's 2011 Credit Card Application Study, the 10 biggest issuers of plastic have significantly improved transparency this year.
