Credit Information

Credit Card Traps: How To Spot Them On The Spot!


They arrive in your mail - a conspicuous looking mail piece from some "official looking" bank claiming that you have been Pre-Approved for a Mastercard or VISA credit card.

Of course, you don't have to have any credit. You can even have bad credit or have just filed bankruptcy or even be rated as a "slow payer."

It doesn't matter because these companies want to give you a second chance! These companies want to make it easy for you to obtain a credit card because they only want your money!

How the thing works is that you must send $35 to receive an application that provides you with a name and address listing of banks willing to give you a VISA and/or Mastercard without any credit approval.

That's a stiff price to pay for a sheet of paper, don't you think?

The instructions that come with the application will let you know how the scheme works.

You must open up a bank account with the bank once that bank approves you.

Big deal!

They make it appear that you have won some contest or something and people will feel "good inside" that someone has approved them.

But that's not all....

The minimum amount you must deposit is $200 but you can deposit as much as you want.

In return, you get a Mastercard or VISA credit card with a credit limit up to the amount you deposit.

Wow!

What a great honor!

This is no break! Think about it. If a stranger gave you $200 to hold for him until Friday wouldn't you feel safe in granting them a $200 loan? I mean it's their own money you've got. If they default, you've got the full amount to pay off the loan. It takes a twisted mind to take $200 from you, grant you $200 credit with your own money plus charge you astronomical interest rates just to take the money from your hand and give it back to you.

That's insane!

Of course, to combat this insanity, the great and wonderful banks claim to help fix your credit report. They say that if you maintain payments in a correct fashion, this information will be reported to the credit bureau.

Yea, right!

When Shell calls the credit bureau to check your credit for a gas credit card, your report shows 47 defaulted loans and a bankruptcy.

However, there is one company that you make payments to on-time. Big deal. Don't you think the rest of your bad credit will still be the deciding factor in Shell's final decision. You bet you bottom dollar!

Look at this: the bank makes money from the interest of your deposit.

The bank also makes money by charging you 18% to 22% interest for the right to use their Mastercard or VISA. Plus the bank is guaranteed their money because if you don't pay on time, they take the money out of the bank account you opened with them along with any interest you have accumulated.

Why would anyone with $200 to deposit want a credit card with a $200 limit?

If you have $200 and want to buy an item for $200, go out and purchase it. That way, you'll own it lock, stock and barrel. No interest, no payments, no hassle! Plus, you won't owe your soul to the company store sort-of speak.

Credit is ofcourse a wonderful thing if you use it intelligently.

I know people who charge $100 at the beginning of the month and use that $100 to make $300. It's free money for 30 days. Then, when the bill comes, they immediately pay the entire balance and come out smelling like a rose with $200 to the good.

Or how about the legendary direct marketing millionaire "Harv T. Eker", who used his credit card to buy a "near-bankrupt" business for $2000. Within a year, he turned that business around into a multi-million dollar company.

Now that's intelligence!

On the other hand, credit is also needed in certain circumstances for establishing clout. You can't call in a telephone order unless you can charge the purchase to your credit card. This delays you getting items you want now. I guess that's a bumer for some people out there with no credit cards.

Copyright © Andre Vas, Direct-Credit-Card.com, All Rights Reserved.

Here's a GREAT FREE resource with everything you'll EVER
need to know about credit/debt management, credit cards,
and applying for the BEST one:

==> http://www.Direct-Credit-Card.com


MORE RESOURCES:

AFP

Credit still tight as Europe scrambles, Fed boosts
The Associated Press - 1 hour ago
NEW YORK (AP) — The jammed credit markets barely budged Monday as European governments scrambled to prop up their failing banks and investors waited for ...
US urges global action on credit crisis Reuters
Treasuries Rally as Stocks Tumble, Company and Muni Bonds Fall Bloomberg
Fed ramps up year-end loans; global repsonse urged guardian.co.uk
Wall Street Journal Blogs - Examiner.com
all 434 news articles


The Associated Press

NABE: Credit Turmoil Tips US Into Recession
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY - 3 hours ago
Credit-market deterioration in the second half of September is enough to push the US economy into recession, forecasters for the National Association for ...
Credit Crisis to Deepen US Recession, Business Economists Say Bloomberg
Economists getting gloomier about outlook MSNBC
US to recover in spring, economists' group says MarketWatch
Reuters - The Associated Press
all 238 news articles


Credit Karma Launches New Credit Card Recommendation Service Based ...
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
The new service provides customized recommendations by credit score range using a computation of current credit card information and overall consumer card ...
the fake identity racket Sydney Morning Herald
all 135 news articles


WELT ONLINE

Investors expect volatility as credit woes persist
The Associated Press - 17 hours ago
Those steps are the latest sign that the troubles of US banks, which have all but paralyzed credit markets, are affecting the financial systems of other ...
Video: Stocks Decline on Unemployment, Factory Reports AssociatedPress
Stocks to struggle despite rescue plan Reuters
How the Credit Crunch is Hitting Home U.S. News & World Report
TheStreet.com - New York Times
all 3,179 news articles


Carmakers in the credit coal mine
CBC.ca, Canada - 3 hours ago
But Wall Street's high-profile collapse, and the related tightening of credit for all businesses, has made a difficult situation even worse — and stirred ...
Credit crisis adds to pressures on auto dealers The Associated Press
all 215 news articles


New York Times

Will Coal Be Cashing In On the New Tax Credit?
Wall Street Journal - 13 hours ago
The bill, signed into law Friday, makes alternative jet fuel made from liquefied coal eligible for the first time for a 50-cents-a-gallon tax credit. ...
Congress Extends Refined Coal Tax Credit Utility Products Magazine
Congress Passes Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Wisconsin Ag Connection
Arizona solar, wind officials buoyed by bailout passage, credit ... Bizjournals.com
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Bizjournals.com
all 499 news articles


Thanh Nien Daily

The Bailout, and a Keen Eye on Fixed Income
Barron's - 13 hours ago
For his views on the monumental plan to revive the credit markets, read on. Barron's: How important was passage of this bill? Fisher: Very important. ...
Why This 'Credit Crisis' Hits Everyone Wall Street Journal
Check credit market to see if bailout works San Francisco Chronicle
Sinking Rapidly Into Depression Money and Markets
CNNMoney.com - CNN
all 1,029 news articles


The Canadian Press

Bush: Bailout plan will take some time
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 55 minutes ago
Bush said the purpose of the package was to unlock the nation's credit freeze "to get money moving again." But, he added: "We don't want to rush into the ...
Bush: Financial rescue plan will take some time The Associated Press
all 623 news articles


Yahoo

US STOCKS-Credit worry set to sink Wall St at open
guardian.co.uk, UK - 3 hours ago
By Ellis Mnyandu NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) - US stocks headed for a slide at the open on Monday as concerns about the widening fallout from the credit ...
Stocks stumble at open CNN
all 15 news articles


Sydney Morning Herald

The great credit card swindle
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 3 hours ago
AUSTRALIANS lost more than half a billion dollars in credit card fraud last year, and security experts warn that banks are not doing enough to protect ...
Security you can bank on still elusive Sydney Morning Herald
all 258 news articles

Credit - Google News

home | site map
© 2006