Fast Credit Card Application

Consumer confidence is up … but spending intentions remain flat, says the latest Discover U.S. Spending Monitor. The Monitor is a poll of 8,200 consumers which tracks confidence and spending intentions on a daily basis, with results released monthly.

The poll shows the highest level of consumer confidence (rated at 93.1) since November 2007. Yet, that’s not as optimistic as it looks at first glance. Only 10 % of consumers rate the economy as “good” or “excellent,” and more than half (51%) still rate it as “poor.” Thirty-seven percent of consumers polled say the economy is “fair,” a 3-point increase from last month.

Optimism Highest Amongst Middle Income Consumers

It’s the middle class, says the report, who are driving the optimistic statistics. Thirty-two percent of middle-income consumers (making between $40K and $75K annually) feel the economy is getting better; this number is up 7 points from December.

Meanwhile, 38% of middle income consumers says their finances are good or excellent. This number is up 6 points from December, which makes sense as people recover from their holiday spending. For individuals in sa

Read more…

Tags: Confidence, Consumer Confidence, Spending Monitor

With credit card companies desperately vying for the attention of prospective customers, there have never been more rewards credit card offers available on the market. Fortunately, the majority of rewards credit cards provide some form of benefit or discount which can be extremely advantageous when one is planning for or is enjoying a vacation. The following are five ways that a rewards credit card can save money on a vacation.

1. Gasoline Discounts

Some credit cards, commonly known as gas rewards cards, provide a specific rebate percentage for each gasoline purchase. At the end of the rewards period, a check or certificate is mailed to the cardholder for the total amount of all of the rebates applied to the account during that year. Other cards may provide these rewards in the form of a balance credit, while others may send out rebate checks on monthly basis rather than annually. Using one of these cards to purchase gasoline while on vacation can save anywhere from 3% to 10% of the total gas expense.

2. Airline Miles

Many airline companies partner with credit card issuers to provide airline miles reward cards.

Read more…

Tags: Card, Credit Card, Rewards Credit, Rewards Credit Card

Are you fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be on the move in 2011?  If the answer is yes then you’ll eventually have to consider whether or not you want to buy.  And if you don’t want to buy then is renting really the better option for you?  Here are just a few things to consider when making your decision…

- The Market is Still in Flux – The housing market is still a disaster and the end doesn’t appear to be in sight yet.  Seriously, is there ANY good newsing out of the housing market?  HAMP is a disaster, buyers are finding it hard to qualify, sellers can’t sell, short sales are destroying credit scores, and people are actually choosing to walk away from even affordable monthly payments because they realize they’re throwing good money after a bad investment.  Are we done falling or do we have more to go before we bottom out?  I think we’re still years from the true bottom of the market.

- Is Your Ie Secure – Can you afford a home?  Better yet, can you afford a home without a job?  Of course you can’t afford your home without a job.  But, in better times it was okay to buy a home and not give your job security much thought because you could sell your home fairly quickly and for pretty much what you needed to get out of it to cover your loans.  Those days are gone.

-Don’t Fall For Tax Incentives – It’s not a good idea to buy a home simply to take advantage of an incentive, such as the first time homebuyer tax credit.  Spend $200,000 to save $8,000…that math doesn’t make any sense, ever.  It’s even worse than cash for clunkers…buy or lease a $30,000 car and get a $4,000 tax credit.

According to Trulia, cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City, Memphis, San Diego, San Jose, and Boston are more affordable for renters than they are for buyers.  In cities like Atlanta, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Charlotte, Miami, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia it’s either affordable or very affordable to buy versus rent.

The problem, as I see it, isn’t just affordability…it’s the lack of portability.  Do you really want to lock yourself in and buy a home in Las Vegas where, according to personal finance expert Carmen Wong Ulrich, author of The Real Cost of Living, “At one point in 2009, 81% of all homes in Las Vegas, NV were underwater?”  Sure, it’s affordable to buy a home in Vegas but who in their right mind would choose to do so?  Wouldn’t you rather have the portability to walk away, clean and easy, after 12 months if you don’t want to be there any longer?

I recognize that in 30 years you may look back and say “I’m so glad I bought in Vegas in 2011” but that’s a very long time frame and most of us don’t stay put that long.  Plus, you might be spending the next 5-10 years (or longer) living without neighbors considering the number of homes that are bank owned foreclosures.  I avoid that market and others like it.

And finally, why buy while the market is still on the way down?  Why not wait until the market is on the way back up?  If you really think you can time the purchase of your home to be at the bottom of the market then you’re smarter than, well, everyone.  There is no indicator for a real estate market bottom and do you want to know why…because we haven’t seen a real estate market bottom in our lifetime.  But, we can tell when the market has recovered because we can track the price of homes, number of new loans, the employment rate, and the number of foreclosures.  Point being, it won’t be a secret when the market has recovered.

If you want my two cents…I rent!!

Tags: Buy, Buy Rent

By now, you probably know about your right to get a free credit report each year through AnnualCreditReport.com. Until this year, there was no law granting anyone a free credit score. Starting January 1, 2011, a new law will require some lenders to give free credit scores to consumers who are either turned down for a credit card or who are approved but with less favorable terms.

For now, lenders can choose to give a free credit score or to give another detailed notice about the negative decision. Come July, every lender will have to give a free credit score whenever your credit score is used in an adverse lending decision.

Read more about these new Risk-Based Pricing Notices to learn when you would receive a free credit score.

Tags: Free Credit, Year

ideeli is a members-only shopping site featuring limited-time sales of designer apparel, accessories, home, beauty, travel and kids products. Until March 2, 2011 or supplies run out, Citi is offering a free $25 credit at the site. It’s a chance to get something for free (as they stock some items at or under $25), or to purchase something more expensive at a nice discount.

()

Tags: 25 Credit, Ideeli