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I’m a Credit Card Deadbeat: You Can Be One Too!

Posted by admin | Posted in Finance | Posted on 23-12-2011-05-2008

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Stephanie Andrews asked:




I am delighted to say that I am a credit card deadbeat! In fact, some of you might already be credit card deadbeats too, if so, I commend you for your excellent work! Now, as for those who don’t know what a credit card deadbeat is, before you start thinking I have a screw loose, you may want to continue reading!

When I say that I am a credit card deadbeat, I don’t mean that I avoid my credit card bills. To the contrary, a credit card deadbeat is the insider term used by credit card company executives and refers to all of the credit card users who pay off their bill each month promptly; in doing so, such customers pay no interest and prevent the creditor from making any profit! That’s me! I love being a credit card deadbeat!

The alternative to being a credit card deadbeat is what credit card executives call a revolver. A revolver is a credit card user that constantly carries a balance and is charged regular, monthly interest on their charges. Credit card companies love revolvers because they, in essence, increase the bottom line for the credit card company and make them a nice profit. Further, from an insider perspective, the best customers not only carry a balance, but also make their payments late, triggering extra fees and a higher interest rate.

Okay, so I’ve been a credit card deadbeat for awhile now, but last year I went even further in improved my deadbeat ways. Not only did I hang onto my hard earned cash by refusing to line the wallets of the credit card companies, but I also happily lined my own wallet with their money, to the tune of $1,402. Yes, that’s right, they paid me $1,402 to use their cards; continue reading to find out how!

Cash Back Credit Card

First, I applied online for a Cash Back Credit Card and I was instantly approved. My new cash back credit card arrived to my house the following week ready for me to use. This card offered me 0% APR for 12 months and carried no annual fee; With it, I made all of my gas purchases, as well as grocery and drugstore purchases and earned 5% back cash back on the gas purchases and 1% back on all other purchases. I have a family of four and the gas purchases included gas for my spouse’s car as well. My average monthly purchases and cash back earnings were as follows:

Monthly Gas Purchases $325 x .05 = $16.25

Monthly Grocery Bill $1,200 x .01 =$12.00

Monthly Drugstore Purchases $160 x .01 = 1.60

Total Cash Back Earnings From Credit Card $ 29.85 x 12 = $358.20

Airline Rewards Credit Card

I also applied for an airline rewards credit card and again was instantly approved online. Like the cash back credit card, my new airline rewards credit card arrived the following week, came with a 0% introductory APR for 12 months and had no annual fee. This credit card earns 1 frequent flyer mile for every $1 charged.

I charged many of my miscellaneous expenses, including major purchases and business expenses, on my new Airline Rewards Credit Card. As a result, the qualified expenses came to an average of $2,250 monthly or $27,000 for the year, earning 27,000 frequent flyer miles, more than enough for an airline ticket to Hawaii: a $500 value!

0% Introductory APR for 12 Months

Now here’s the kicker. Since both credit cards came with a 0% introductory APR for 12 months, I paid only the minimum payments on each card and placed the money for my purchases into a savings account earning 2.5% (rates have gone up since). Using averages for simplicity, I made 12 monthly deposits of $3,935 into a savings account earning 2.5% interest compounded monthly. By the end of the year, I earned $544 in interest!

My Total Credit Card Earnings for the Year

So here is my total earnings from the cash back credit card, airline rewards card, and interest earned.

Cash Back 12 x 29.85 = $358

Free Airline Ticket $500

Savings Account Interest $544

Total Earned $1,402

Just to make sure I maintain my deadbeat ways, now that the 0% introductory rate has expired, I’ve paid off my balance from the money I deposited into my savings account during the year. To be a credit card deadbeat you need persistence, determination, and discipline. I did it, and so can you!

Randall Richards

Advanta Custom Credit Card Review

Posted by admin | Posted in Finance | Posted on 18-12-2011-05-2008

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Panah C Rad asked:




Advanta is a niche credit card provider that provides small businesses with credit offers to fit their everyday needs. Unlike many other card issuers, Advanta does not provide any offers for consumers, but consumers can indeed apply for Advanta credit cards as no EIN is required in the credit card application.

The company has offered the custom cards for quite a long time. The custom card is unique as it allows small business owners to put their business logo the face of their cards. You can also put your business name on the face of your credit card in addition to your logo. Capital One offers a similar feature through their build your own card program, but this card seems to be the better choice for small businesses.

The logo card comes with competitive features as well. The balance transfer APR is 0% for 15 months. In addition, Advanta offers a low APR after the introductory period is over (currently 7.99%). The purchase APR is also quite competitive (7.99% at the time of writing).

Like most business credit card issuers, Advanta offers a rich set of rewards with the logo card. Small business owners will receive unlimited rewards in form of cash back, travel, and merchandise rewards. You can earn 1 point per every dollar in purchases, and there are no blackout dates on air travel. Unlike most other business cards, Advanta does not charge an annual fee with the logo credit card, and there are no limits on points that one can earn.

Advanta credit card is designed for small businesses and offers free employee cards with no monthly spending limit per user. In addition, the custom card comes with $0 fraud liability, which is a must have feature for small businesses.

The custom card is not perfect. The rewards can be improved in comparison to rewards offered by American Express, Chase, and Discover. The card is designed for small businesses that have a very good credit history (700 credit score), which means not all businesses qualify for this card.The logo feature is a plus, but you should read the terms and conditions to find out if Advanta Customized card is right for your business.

Judy Turner

How high can my credit score climb if I have only credit cards in my credit history?

Posted by admin | Posted in Green Living | Posted on 14-12-2011-05-2008

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Layton asked:


My current credit score is 745 and I’ve built it solely by using credit cards and paying on time (but never had any loans). Somebody told me that the abscence of installement-paid loan will prevent my score from climbing much higher. Is it true? Should I take some consumer loan to boost my credit score since I am planning to apply for a mortgage in the near future?