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<div>I use my credit card as a charge card and have the full balance
deducted from my bank account every month. I've also had an
arrangement to have the minimum payment deducted every month so I'd
never be late, and then had some discretion over how much of the rest
to send in. </div>
<div><br></div>
<div>But I agree with everyone else- it is a very expensive way to
finance your purchases.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I recently wanted to close a mileage credit card I have had for
10 years- for the reasons everyone has mentioned. Then I was
advised that the credit history associated with that card would
disappear if I did. It also helped that the bank waived the fee
for another year. But I feel a little trapped.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Also, it is possible to stem the tide of credit card offers in
your mail box. There are plenty of ways to put a lock on your
credit record. I can forward info if anyone is interested in
that.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Good luck,</div>
<div>Grace</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>At 5:22 PM -0700 3/25/08, Isabelle Pawlik wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Palak,
Congratulations for being offered an unsecured card -
your mailbox will be overflowing soon with offers once you get
approved for one. I remember how overwhelming the search was for me.
Just remember to stick to one or two cards you can manage to pay back
as Deep said :). It is tempting to spend more here.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Agree - it really depends what features
in a card you need, so shop around. I also had really bad experience
with mileage cards (especially United is a pain!).</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>So, two years ago I came across one card
the Citi Premier Pass card which is much more flexible in my eyes as
you accumulate points in the Citi Thank you Network.
You can then choose which reward you want - statement credit,
gift certificates for basically every store you can think of or
flights (you can purchase tickets on all airlines as they work with
expedia) or you can even come up with a wish. I do fly a lot
internationally and they offer great features like a free companion
ticket a year and you accumulate points for the purchase price of your
ticket (1 point/dollar) and the flight miles flown (which you get
in addition to the mileage program you belong to). So you basically
get double the miles. Purchases on certain retailers give you
2x to 10x the points. I know I sound like a salesperson, but
I've had a really good experience with it so far (it does have a
monthly fee though - $75/year). Check out the following link <a
href="https://www.thankyou.com/welcome.jspx"
>https://www.thankyou.com/welcome.jspx</a></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I understand there is a similar program
called World Points that Bank of America offers if you don't wanna go
with Citibank</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a
href=
"https://wwwn.managerewardsonline.com/RMSapp/Ctl/link?eid=800B3F7A"
>https://wwwn.managerewardsonline.com/RMSapp/Ctl/link?eid=800B3F7A</a><br
>
<br>
Hope this helps.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Isabelle</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>On 3/25/08,<b> O'Brien, Chris</b> <<a
href="mailto:COBrien@mercurynews.com">COBrien@mercurynews.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote>We are switching from mileage cards to an REI card. For
the reasons<br>
Randall noted below: Just too much of a pain to use the miles, too
many<br>
restrictions. But we always can use more thermal underwear.<br>
<br>
Chris O'Brien<br>
San Jose Mercury News<br>
415-298-0207<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: <a
href="mailto:social-bounces@lists.deeptrouble.com"
>social-bounces@lists.deeptrouble.com</a><br>
[mailto:<a
href="mailto:social-bounces@lists.deeptrouble.com"
>social-bounces@lists.deeptrouble.com</a>] On Behalf Of Randall
Isaac<br>
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 4:18 PM<br>
To: Social Social<br>
Subject: Re: SOCIAL: credit card<br>
<br>
<br>
I agree with Deep, it depends on what you want.<br>
<br>
I shy away from mileage cards because it's getting damn near
impossible<br>
to redeem the miles for tickets you can actually use. Also,
many of the<br>
airline cards charge $60 annual fees after the first year.<br>
<br>
My favorite reward card is the Amazon VISA. No annual fee
and you get a<br>
$30 Amazon credit just for getting the card, and get a $25 Amazon
gift<br>
certificate for every $2500 you spend (i.e. a 1% return, 3% on
Amazon<br>
purchases). Since I buy a crapload of stuff on Amazon it's
a good deal<br>
for me.<br>
<br>
Randall</blockquote>
<blockquote><br>
Amandeep Jawa wrote:<br>
> Hi Palak -<br>
><br>
> I have a United card & it gives me miles on it which is
nice. I'm<br>
> glad you are not a big fan of credit cards - they are very useful
and<br>
> very helpful - but many many people get carried away when they
first<br>
> get one & end up in real trouble (I did!) - so it is good to
make sure<br>
<br>
> you always pay them.<br>
><br>
> The basic rules are something like this:<br>
> - If you think you will always pay them
back, get whichever one<br>
> has features you like (like miles) - but make sure you pay them
back<br>
on time!<br>
> - If you think you will mostly pay them
back, but some times may<br>
> slip, or could slip for months at a time - get ne with the
lowest<br>
> interest rate you can find & ignore special features<br>
> - If you don't think you will pay it back
on time very often at<br>
> all, get a different type of loan!<br>
><br>
> Anybody else have good advice?<br>
><br>
> 'deep<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> On Mar 25, 2008, at 11:26 AM, palak joshi wrote:<br>
><br>
>> Dear Social,<br>
>><br>
>> I am looking to get a unsecured credit card now that I can. I
am not<br>
>> a big fan of credit cards but i need to have atleast one. I
was<br>
>> thinking due to my ok score i can get a good one. Have been
going<br>
>> back and forth between rewards and miles and cash back and
this and<br>
>> that. I am feeling very small to venture out in this world of
credit<br>
>> cards all by myself so i am looking to get some advice from
you<br>
>> folks. I am very disciplined to paying back and stuff just
dont know<br>
>> which ones to get its a big cc world out there!<br>
>><br>
>> Do you have credit cards that you recommend and more
importantly do<br>
>> not recommend? if you want to send me direct emails at<br>
>> <a
href="mailto:palak.joshi@gmail.com">palak.joshi@gmail.com</a> it would
be fine or to the group, whatever you<br>
>> feel comfortable doing.<br>
>><br>
>> thanks and have a good day.<br>
>> palak.<br>
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><br>
><br>
><br>
> ----------------------------------<br>
> Amandeep Jawa<br>
> ----------------------------------<br>
> deep AT deeptrouble DOT com<br>
> 937 Valencia St.<br>
> San Francisco, CA 94110-2320<br>
><br>
> Home: 415 255 6257 (ALL MALP)<br>
><br>
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href="http://www.deeptrouble.com">http://www.deeptrouble.com</a><br>
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