Category Archives: Credit cards

PenFed lost $2,300 of my money

In an earlier post, I recommended the PenFed cash-back credit card for people who spend a lot on gas. Well, PenFed just lost $2,300 of my money. Shortly after receiving an email saying that my credit card statement was ready, … Continue reading

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Make $1,000 a year with just two cash-back credit cards

Our family of four makes nearly all our purchases with credit cards, spending about $4,000 a month (but we pay them off every month). Getting an average of 2% in cash back lets us save $1,000 a year, and thus … Continue reading

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The best credit card

In a different post, I argued that it’s a good idea not to carry balances on credit cards, and to get cash back rewards instead. But which card is the best? Online services such as CreditCards.com, Mint.com and BillShrink claim … Continue reading

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Credit cards are good and bad

You can use credit cards in one of two ways: using the credit facility to borrow money and carry a balance from month to month, or using them like debit cards and paying off your balance every month. Dirty little … Continue reading

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Avoid the credit card tax

Merchants who accept credit cards typically have to pay between 2 and 5% of the value of each transaction in fees to Visa, MasterCard and the banks involved, adding up to $600 per household per year. To cover their costs, … Continue reading

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