How to Control Yourself For Credit Card Offer

February 13, 2010 – 2:33 pm

Many people use credit cards in their lives everyday because of the credit card is easy and convenient to use and carry, and now many banks or financial companies that offer various types of credit cards with a variety of promotional programs for customers to use their credit cards.

It is good when credit card offer promotional programs that own benefits for the users especially when they can use credit cards right and responsibly, but as long as they can not use the credit card responsibly, after that it is excellent if they don’t apply a new credit card because no benefits to be gained but the crisis can be obtained, because they do not pay off the bill in credit card usage.

And when you are also tempted to start a new credit card because of the diversity of offers from credit card companies with promising variety of promotional programs that attract, then below are several tips that are able to aid you to be more cautious in accepting the offer of a credit card namely:

1. A

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Offers for credit cards sent through snail mail increase in 4Q of last year

February 13, 2010 – 11:49 am

Though some consumers may be trying to avoid using their credit cards, a recent report indicates they may have also been more likely to get an offer for an account at the end of last year.

According to Synovate, a market research firm, providers of credit cards increased mailings by 46 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. In all, mailings amounted to 398.5 million offers, an increase from the 272.5 million seen the quarter prior.

Though the numbers of mailings were up in the last quarter of 2009, they are still lower when compared to the year before. Read more…

American Express Extended Warranty Review

February 13, 2010 – 12:33 am

If you’re like me, you’re vaguely aware that you can get some sort of additional warranty coverage from your credit card, but not interested enough to carefully read those little brochures with the tiny print that come in the mail. Today a fellow named Joe sent me a story about his broken Roomba which describes his experience with American Express when his beloved vacuum broke after 18 months, which was 6 months past the manufacturer’s 1-year warranty. It’s a bit long-winded, but in the end AmEx did refund his original $300 purchase price. After r

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Mortgage brokers made how much?

February 12, 2010 – 10:31 pm

The WBUR.org story: After The Crash, Former Mortgage Brokers Find New Meaning In New Ventures interviews some former mortgage brokers to see how they are now earning a living in the post-easy-money economy:

A year ago, Souza started a company called Gold to Green Parties. Homeowners invite their friends and neighbors over to sell unwanted jewelry. Gold is fetching premium prices right now, and Souza’s company is expanding fast. She’s hired 20 people, many of them former mortgage brokers.

“We’re basically riding a gold bubble that came after a housing bubble,” Souza says, “and when this is done, I have no idea what’s going to be next. But I’m ridin

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Emerging Markets ETFs: EEM vs. VWO Comparison

February 12, 2010 – 12:04 pm

One of the hottest asset classes in 2009 by far was Emerging Markets, which includes stocks from developing markets like China, Brazil, Korea, Taiwan, India, and South Africa. Two of the most popular ETFs in this category are the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEM) and the Vanguard Emerging Markets ETF (VWO).

Which one should you choose?

Similarities. Both are primarily passively-managed and based on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. EEM has been around longer but both currently have similar levels of assets, with $40B for EEM and $34B for VWO.

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4 dividend plays in emerging markets

February 12, 2010 – 12:24 am

When emerging stock markets hand you lemons, make lemonade.

Specifically, dividend-paying lemonade.

So far, 2010 hasn’t exactly been kind to emerging-market stocks. An index-tracking exchange-traded fund, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index (EEM, news, msgs), declined 6.4% from Dec. 31 through Feb. 8.

Individual emerging-market ETFs did even worse. The iShares MSCI Brazil Index ETF (EWZ, news, msgs) dropped 15.8% over the same period. The iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index ETF (FXI, news, msgs) fell 12%.

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