RECENT ARTICLE

Bend it like plastic

money in the hand
Money Saver:  Soccer fans around the world are avidly watching the FIFA 2010 World Cup, which kicked off June 11 in South Africa. To commemorate the event, Visa launched an online financial soccer game in Canada as part of a worldwide effort to improve financial literacy among 20 million consumers in the next three years. Visa developed the game with football's international federation, FIFA, and plans to roll out the game in 10 languages across 30 countries. Of course, some might wonder what kicking a black and white ball around a field has to do with money management. Financial Soccer is a free online ...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES

Credit Card Delinquency Rates Continue to Fall

rates
Card Insider:  Credit card delinquency and default rates continued their general decline in May, cheering investors and signaling overall economic improvement. Despite banking industry concerns about a new wave of government regulations that could limit profits, easing of 30-day late accounts and charge-offs helped credit credit card issuers retain more revenue compared to the previous month. Capital One reported that only 4.8% of its cardholders fell more than 30 days behind on minimum payments during May. Chase reported a similar delinquency rate of 4.22%, and Discover's 30-day-late percentage fell belo...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES

Government Benefits to Require Prepaid Debit Card or Direct Deposit by 2013

Prepaid Debit Card
Card Insider:  Millions of Americans will join the ranks of prepaid debit card users over the next few years, as government officials announced plans to eliminate most Treasury check payments by 2013. According to the Office of Management and Budget, current recipients of government benefit checks will have eighteen months to prepare for the switch. After March 1, 2011, Americans who apply for new assistance programs, including unemployment and disaster relief disbursements, will no longer have the option to receive paper checks. The change comes at a critical time for a financial industry that has forced...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES

Debit Card Issuers Report Continued Consumer Acceptance

debit
Card Insider:  Merchant debit card acceptance has driven consumers' use of the cards to all time highs, according to debit processing network PULSE. For the 2010 Debit Issuer Study, PULSE commissioned global consulting firm Oliver Wyman to survey sixty-four leading financial institutions about their customers' use of debit cards. According to study respondents, roughly two out of three American consumers with access to debit cards use them on a regular basis. Although market penetration remains relatively stable, more cardholders have discovered more ways to use their cards. New merchant point-of-sale ter...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES

Chicago Transit Prepares to Accept Credit Cards on City Buses

city bus
Card Insider:  Chicago transit officials joined their peers from New York in a quest to replace coins with credit cards on city-operated trains and buses. The Chicago Tribune reported the Chicago Transit Authority's decision to pilot multiple credit card acceptance technologies after studying potential cost savings and ridership improvements from the move. According to the CTA's research, a cash transaction on a typical bus route requires 25 seconds. Those seconds can turn into minutes if even a handful of riders at a busy stop decide to pay with paper money. Alternatively, a credit card swipe transaction...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES

Are You Debit Smart?

smart
Best Cards:  DebitFacts.org, the only online educational resource focused exclusively on debit, kicks off the "Are You Debit Smart?" video contest, inviting consumers across the U.S. to share success stories related to using a debit card as their preferred form of payment. By simply submitting a short video, consumers could win up to $5,000 on a prepaid Discover Card, as well as a money-management session with a financial counselor. Beginning today and continuing through July 4, 2010, DebitFacts.org will accept video submissions. Entries will be judged by a panel of experts from the financial and creative ...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES

Credit Card Fraud

fraud
Card Insider:  In Wilmington, NC a resident discovered for the second time that she had become the victim of debit and credit card fraud. The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, said the thief was able to access her debit card information without having the card in their hands. The victim doesn't know how the thief got a hold of her debit card information, but does know there are dozens of other debit and credit card theft victims in the Cape Fear area. The victim's bank is BB&T; however, both Wachovia and Sun Trust have reported dozens of debit and credit card thefts in the area. The victim learned ...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES

Moody Reports The Worst Is Over

moody
Card Insider:  According to the most recent release from Moody's Investors Service, the worst is over for credit card companies and cardholders. The current trend shows that card losses continue to decline. Being labeled a trend is important because the data must be rising or falling greater than the typical average over a specified period of time. In the case of card delinquencies and defaults most experts would require three months. Moody's Credit Card Index indicates that 10.71 percent of securitized credit card loans were written off as uncollectable in May. Securitized loans are those accounts with cred...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES

Debit card growth fueled by small ticket transactions

debit card
Card Insider:  The days of weekly ATM withdrawals may be coming to a close as consumers turn to their debit cards to pay for both big and small everyday expenses. During the heavy hit to the economy over the past two years, American consumers have turned to debit cards over other forms of payment at an increasing rate, according to the 2010 Debit Issuer Study funded by ATM/debit network PULSE. The growth rate from 2008 to 2009 was largely fueled by small-ticket transactions. "The results of this year's Debit Issuer Study highlight the increasingly important role debit is playing in helping consumers ma...

on June 28, 2010 0

Share |
ALL ARTICLES