The future is looking like a mixed bag. Consumer optimism about the economic future has rebounded seven points since August, with 48% of Americans expecting local business conditions to improve over the next 12 months. However, just 26% of consumers believe the economic downturn has reached its bottom while 69% of Americans believe we have not yet hit bottom. Meanwhile, 59% of consumers believe America can regain its status as a global economic leader and 20% believe America has permanently lost its place as an economic leader. On the other hand, according to Citibank research, 22% of Americans rate their local economy as good while 77% rate their local business conditions as either only fair or poor, nearly identical to levels in January and August.
Additionally, 19% are coming up short on monthly income, 39% are just getting by and 40% are making enough to save, while 63% say it is very or extremely important that the United States be the world’s economic leader, although just 16% currently view it as such, 59% believe America has lost this status but can regain it in the future and 69% believe it is very or extremely important to be the world leader in technology and innovation.
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Consumer Optimism, Optimism
We’ve done it again. On the heels of our latest free feature, My Accounts, we’re now offering our best product yet: Free Credit Monitoring.
Using Credit Karma to manage your credit health just got easier with Free Credit Monitoring, which proactively monitors your TransUnion credit report every day and notifies you of significant changes to your report.
It’s a great way to stay on top of what’s happening with your credit and protect your identity from fraudulent accounts.
Monitoring your credit with Credit Karma is completely free, just like the rest of Credit Karma. There are no trial subscriptions or monthly fees. Some people pay up to $180 each year to monitor their credit, but Credit Karma provides it free of charge. Sign up for truly free credit monitoring, and you’ll be on your way to better credit health!
Credit Monitoring, Free Credit, Free Credit Monitoring, Monitoring
Are you curious about the real meaning of the instant approval credit cards and whether you should apply for one right away?
You might have seen offers in your junk mail for online credit companies offering instant approval cards or loans when you fill the application through their website. When you apply for these, you are granted a limited amount of credit that you can use right away for online purchases.
If you have reached the limit on your credit card and there is something you need to buy online (or want to buy online) you might apply for an instant approval card to make that purchase. In this consumer society, a maxed out credit card is not unusual. If you use your current card for a purchase that puts you over the credit line of the account, the purchase might go through without a problem.
However, you would have a healthy over limit fee added to your balance. Applying for instant approval on a new account might be a better solution. To apply, you only need to enter the information requested.
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Approval Credit, Approval Credit Cards, Cards, Credit Cards
Listen up Target Shoppers; the “American Express for Target” reloadable prepaid card is here! With no monthly or maintenance fees and available at more than 1,000 U.S. Target stores, your funds can be loaded at the register using multiple loading options. You can also reload online or by phone. Additionally, the “American Express for Target Card” can be used at any U.S. merchants that accept American Express Cards. Costs include a $3 initial load fee and each subsequent in-store reload at participating Target stores and a $3 per ATM withdrawal with the first ATM withdrawal per month free, but no fees for monthly usage, balance inquiries, alerts or Card replacement. Also, online tools let you see real-time transaction history and monitor spending; receive email or text alerts about low funds; and disable/enable ATM access.
American Express, Target
Most all of us rely on credit at some point in our lives. While you may already know your credit is checked when applying for a loan or credit card, it may have also been checked when you signed up for a new cell phone plan, applied for a new apartment, or opened an account at a credit union.
Since credit affects so much of our adult lives, it’s important to know what factors go into your credit score, including open credit card utilization, percentage of on-time payments, number of derogatory marks, average age of open credit lines, total number of accounts and total hard credit inquiries. (Read more about these six factors here.)
It’s also important to understand what’s not in your credit score, especially since there are many misconceptions. Here’s a quick run-down of the factors that don’t affect your credit:
Isn’t it comforting to know that your creditors can’t discriminate against you due to your race or gender? And that they
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Credit
There are few things you should know before you apply for secured credit cards. In my opinion the most important thing to remember is that secured credit cards are ‘secure’ because they are backed by your cash.
In other words, by keeping cash in an account you have opened with the lender, you maintain a balance that provides security for that lender.
The limit available to spend on your secure credit cards depends on how much money you have in the account and may range between 50% – 100% of those funds. As you might notice, these cards aren’t really credit cards and in practice, they are often used more as debit cards.
Why would you apply for secured credit cards? Well, as you already know, credit debt is a big problem in our society today. This is in part due to simple over shopping and over charging by people who haven’t grasped personal money management facts.
Increasingly, credit debt is causing real problems for those who have lost their jobs and used available credit to pay their daily expenses.
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Cards, Credit Cards, Secured Credit, Secured Credit Cards