There are several key considerations when it comes to choosing whether to use a debit or credit card to pay. Credit cards provide many perks and benefits that debit cards do not. These benefits may be especially useful when shopping or traveling. For the most part, as long as you are a responsible spender, using a credit card is usually a better option than using your debit card.
7 Reasons to use a Credit Card Instead of a Debit Card
Put Your Finances in a Good Place with Network for Good
With the end of the year approaching, people are starting to think about the holidays and how to spend their money wisely during the busy gift giving season. But this year, consider giving to not only your friends and loved ones, but charitable organizations and non-profits as well. A good portion of the funds that support their good work throughout the year are collected during the holiday season.
Save and Make Money with Wimdu
It’s a dream for many people to travel to amazing places without spending a ton of money – especially those who are on a budget. It’s even more of a dream to think that you could make money on the side while you’re exploring the world. With Wimdu, you can make those dreams come true as you beef up your bank account while you’re on the road. Wimdu is a home and apartment sharing site, offering accommodations around the world. Much like rivals Airbnb and HomeAway, Wimdu’s platform allows owners to rent out their homes. Meanwhile, travelers can book rooms at a low cost, making it a financially-winning proposition for both traveler and host.
The Best Ways to Consolidate Credit Cards to Save Money
Having credit card debt is stressful enough. Debt across multiple credit cards from different issuers compounds this stress and makes tracking your progress towards a debt free life even more difficult.
Plus, credit card debt is expensive. Chances are, you’re paying an interest rate near 25%, a level high enough to easily keep you in debt for years.
Thankfully, there are tactics you can take to consolidate your debt. But some consolidation methods are better than others.
5 Reasons to Never Miss a Monthly Credit Card Payment
Missing a credit card payment is not something to take lightly. Whether you truly can’t afford to make the payment or you simply forgot about it, the financial consequences can be pretty hefty.
Know the Ins and Outs of Taxes to Protect Your Financial Future
Many Americans and American businesses would love to save more money and pay less taxes. The issue is heightened even further, as the Trump Administration and Congress considers making significant changes to the US tax code. Plus, the end of the year is nearly upon us, so many taxpayers are making last minute plans to put themselves in the most financially-prudent position ahead of next year’s tax filing deadline.
Four Ways to Use the Right Combination of Points, Miles, and Money to Save on Airfare
Airfare sales happen every day but not necessarily from your home airport. In order to take advantage of some of the best deals out there, you might have to get a bit creative. There are plenty of options available to help reduce the cost of airfare. You may save money by positioning yourself to nearby airports or by using your frequent flyer miles like cash to reduce the cost of a ticket. If you’re earning points on a credit card you will want to access their travel portals to see if your points have greater value there. Additionally, using a combination of award tickets and purchased tickets for securing your airfare may result in paying less. Try these combinations to find the best deal.
Shopkick: A Rewards App That Helps People Save Money on Shopping
Whether you count shopping among your favorite hobbies or dread spending money in any form, the free Shopkick app can make all of your purchases more fun. Based in Redwood City, California, and founded in 2009, Shopkick is on a mission to reward consumers for the shopping they already do as well as drive sales for retailers without the use of coupons or discounts.
Why do Credit Cards Expire?
You may know a lot about the rewards and benefits that are included with your credit card, but you may not have considered those all-important four digits on the front of your card: the expiration date. It’s almost impossible to complete an online purchase without that data point, but what is the expiration date really used for? Banks have several reasons for including it. Read on to find out more.
Can Award Tickets Earn Miles?
As a general rule that award tickets do not earn frequent flyer miles since they are paid for with miles, the same way you do not earn
With that being said, there are a few exceptions or situations when award tickets might earn you miles after.
CommonBond: Affordable Student Loans and Education Loan Refinancing
Student loans are big business. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, more than 44 million borrowers now carry more than $1.4 trillion in education loan debt with the average debt per student borrower at $27,857. These are numbers that will continue to grow as the cost of tuition rises along with interest rates on federal and private student loans. In July, the interest rates on new federal loans increased to 4.45 percent. The average variable rate on private student loans grew to 7.81 percent, while the average fixed rate stood at 9.66 percent.
Why You Should Pay More Than the Monthly Minimum on Your Credit Card
It happens to everyone who has a credit card at one point or another. You overspend. And you often don’t realize it until your statement rolls in. Then you see it. The minimum payment option. Surely you’ll have more money next month to pay off the balance. It’s tempting to just take the easy out and carry the balance for another month or two or three. But this is why you shouldn’t do that. Ever.
Slangit: Simple Definitions for Technology Newbies and Confused Parents
Do you know what CMOS, GPIO, Microkernel and Boot Sector to 411, Beast Mode, FTW and PHAT mean? The online world is full of technical terms, slang phrases, acronyms and abbreviations that sometimes only make sense to computer programmers, IT professionals and teens—until now.
Thanks to Sharpened Productions’ TechTerms and Slangit dictionaries, even those of us who are less than technologically savvy or long past our teenage years can now decipher the often-confusing jargon we may encounter in tech blogs and software manuals as well as on our children’s mobile devices.
Six Common Business Credit Card Myths
When an entrepreneur first starts a business, cash flow is crucial. Many will get loans to fund the initial effort. Some will seek out help from family and friends. Others will turn to credit cards as a way to pay for the expenses that come with a new business. There are some common myths about using
How to Determine Where to Credit Paid Flights
While we all love award flights, we certainly pay for a ticket occasionally–or even frequently for some. After all, even though flying may not always be the best way to accrue miles anymore, it is still a good way. But should you focus your earning by choosing a preferred carrier and frequent flyer program or do you need more than one?
Segmint: Marketing Technology Driven by Data
Segmint offers a technology platform that leverages actual consumer data to help marketers send relevant messages at the precise moment they’re considering a purchase.
“It’s like looking at your credit or bank statement, and making sense of all of that data,” according to Rob Heiser, co-founder, president and CEO of Segmint.
3 Big Credit Card Mistakes
Mismanaging your credit cards can result in lasting financial difficulties – especially if you have big goals with your money – like buying a home or car.
Let’s explore three of the most serious credit card blunders.
Digital Assets In a Digital World
The cryptocurrency ecosystem is changing, thanks to companies like ShapeShift that are giving individuals the power to digitally exchange assets quickly and without possessing an account. The company vows that a user will never have to create a password, submit an email address or sign up in a lengthy process. ShapeShift’s goal is to be the fastest, most private and most convenient way to swap digital currencies.
Top 5 Programs for Aspirational Redemptions
With so many frequent flyer programs out there, it’s tough to choose which program or programs to focus on. Depending on what your travel goals are, some programs might be better choices than others, so we’ll helped you narrow it down. Here are the top 5 frequent flyer programs for aspirational redemptions.
Boxcryptor: Cloud Security for Everyone
If you routinely store files somewhere other than your computer’s hard drive, you are probably saving them to the cloud—the network of servers that essentially make up the Internet. While some cloud servers host services—such as Adobe’s Creative Suite or Gmail—others store a variety of data and are becoming increasing popular with business and individual users alike. Dropbox has over 500 million users. Google Drive boasts more than a million paid customers, and millions more who subscribe to Microsoft’s Office 365 use OneDrive to store their documents, photos and videos remotely.