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Credit Cards

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How to choose your first credit card. Also in the news: Creating a secret financial goal number, unnecessary purchases that are killing your budget, and how to decide between a bank or a credit union.

You’re Finally Getting Your First Credit Card: How to Choose
Finding the card that best suits your needs.

Create a “Secret Number” to Make Your Financial Goal More Specific
Having a personalized number will help keep your goal in sight.

10 Unnecessary Purchases That Are Eating Up Your Budget
Small everyday purchases can add up to big bucks.

The Pros and Cons of a Credit Union Versus a Bank
Which one is right for you?

5 New Year’s Resolutions to Save on Taxes
How to keep more money in your pocket instead of the government’s.

Q&A: Using a separate credit card for online purchases and automatic payments

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Dear Liz: I saw your recent column from the couple upset about the inconvenience of having to reset the automatic payments when their credit card was reissued due to fraud. We had the same problem (our credit card has been reissued six times now!) and got some great advice I’d like to share. We got a separate credit card that is used for nothing but automatic payments and online purchases. It has never been hacked like our other card that we use constantly in the community because we earn airline miles. The last two times our regular card had to be replaced was in the Target and Home Depot hacking, but the other card has been fine so far. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Our issuer has now given us a chip card to replace the constantly hacked one, so I hope we have better luck going forward with both credit cards.

Answer: Several other readers wrote to say they do something similar by using different cards for different purposes, including devoting one to making automatic charges.

It might be wise to have a separate card just for online purchases, however, since the incidence of “card not present” fraud (including online and phone transactions) is higher than that for transactions where the card is physically presented to the merchant.

Tuesday’s need-to-know money news

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321562-data-breachesToday’s top story: The big security threats headed our way in the new year. Also in the news: How to beef up your savings, what millennials should discuss before marriage, and tips on managing your credit cards in the new year.

The Big Scams & Security Threats to Watch Out for in 2015
If you thought 2014 was bad…

7 Ways to Beef Up Your Savings
Give your savings a workout.

4 Financial Issues Millennials Need to Discuss Before Marriage
Putting everything out in the open.

10 Tips for Managing Credit Cards in 2015
How to do a better job in the new year.

How Will You Keep Your Financial Resolutions?
You must commit.

Monday’s need-to-know money news

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Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: How to give yourself a gift without breaking your holiday budget. Also in the news: What you need to ask before buying a winter home, the big tax changes ahead for 2015, and how to avoid going into debt with your first credit card.

How to Treat Yourself Without Breaking Your Christmas Budget
Who knows what you want for Christmas better than you?

5 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Winter Home
Can you truly afford to become a snowbird?

The Biggest Tax Changes for 2015
Get ready.

First Credit Card: Tips to Avoid Going Into Debt
Don’t start off on the wrong foot.

Track Your Mileage to Save Money on Insurance
Using a mileage tracker provided by your insurer could save you big bucks.

Q&A: Credit card fraud and automatic payments

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Dear Liz: We’ve had three cases of credit card fraud. Each time, the credit card company issued new cards with new numbers and canceled the old ones (along with the fraudulent charges). We had nine monthly auto-payment authorizations set up, and we seethed at the fact that the card company would not offer to authorize our auto-payments via the new numbers. We eventually received late-payment notices and charges, since the old numbers were still on the record with payees. Are there companies that offer updates to payees when cards are canceled, and new ones issued, in such fraud situations?

Answer: Given all the database breaches lately, automatic updates to auto-payments might come in handy.

But it seems you’re on your own. Your agreements with your billers typically state that you’re required to update them whenever a card expires or its number changes. Many billers will alert you when an expiration date is near or if a charge doesn’t go through, but ultimately it’s your responsibility to keep track.

It’s a good idea to keep a list of your auto-payments so you don’t forget to update them all when this happens again. If you don’t have a list, simply checking your past statements should remind you which accounts are on auto-pay.

Flight delays? Lost luggage? Your credit card may help

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Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailHundreds of flights have already been cancelled on this busy travel day, with more cancellations and delays likely to come as a winter storm rolls through the East Coast. If you used the right credit card to book your trip, though, you may be entitled to some compensation.

Most cards offer some kind of travel protection, but some of the policies are pretty weak, even for high-end cards. Some only offer compensation for lost baggage, while others offer hundreds of dollars in compensation for trip delays–and thousands for trip cancellations.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card, for example, is justifiably famous among savvy travelers for its generous delay and cancellation protection: If your trip is canceled or cut short by illness, severe weather and “other covered situations,” can can be reimbursed up to $10,000 for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses. You can get up to $500 for trip delays and a whopping $3,000 for lost luggage. (Many other cards limit lost luggage reimbursement to $500.) Other high-end Chase cards, along with The United Explorer Visa Platinum Card, offer similar top-drawer benefits.

Citi recently stepped up its game, and now offers card members refunds for trip expenses if unforeseen events like severe weather, jury duty or even previously unannounced strikes cause trip cancellations. The coverage is limited to $1,500 for most cardholders, though some get up to $5,000. Those with ThankYou Premier or Citi Prestige can get up to $500 to buy clothes and toiletries if their bags are delayed. If a trip is delayed, these travel rewards card members also can get up to $500 for unplanned expenses such as hotel rooms, ground transportation and meals.

Travel cards that you think would have pretty good protection–such as American Express or Capital One Venture–unfortunately don’t. Amex offers travel protection for an extra cost and CapOne covers just lost or stolen luggage (although the limit is $3,000).

If you’re affected this weekend by travel hassles, call and ask the credit card company that you used to book the trip what your options might be. If you don’t like what you hear, start looking for a better alternative for your next trip.