Using 10-10s to call internationally can be a bargain if you are careful about monthly fees. Many of the pre-subscribed international calling plans offered to residential customers by primary carriers have somewhat higher rates and charge a monthly fee. |
We feel the penalty rates are assessed too fast, often after just one late payment. It's not just people in financial difficulty. Anybody can be caught in this web, say by going on vacation and missing a payment. |
We see a shift in the industry toward cards that give something back, because industry research shows that reward cardholders make more purchases, tend to use their rewards cards exclusively and are less likely to jump ship for lower-rate cards. |
We've found that many people neglect to renew their anti-virus when an upgrade comes around, because they think they can do without it. This education effort is aimed at showing them the little steps they can take to protect themselves. |
When a customer is actually at the point of completely defaulting, there may have been some signs before that time that the company could've picked up on and dealt with in a more humane fashion than [what] most credit card companies seem to be doing at this point. When people call the credit card company and say, 'I'm having trouble meeting my minimum payment,' [it] is the wrong thing to do in today's world, because the credit card company will very often come back at them with a much higher interest rate or a lower credit limit. |
You don't want to be lackadaisical about checking your bill. |
You may have to contact the issuer two or three times, but keep plugging away until your credit report shows that the card has been closed. |
You may not realize it, but paying your mortgage late could trigger a penalty rate on your credit card, |
You might also want to unlink your debit card from accounts that you won't need access to before you go, since a thief could do a lot of damage. |