Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Credit Card Use and Reviews

Credit cards can be a gateway to debt but can also be a powerful personal finance tool. See articles that will teach you about credit cards,keep you up to date on credit card rules, show you the best credit cards, as well as show you reviews.

The Discover it Card Review – An All-Around Card That’s Fair to the Consumer

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Would you like a credit card that didn’t hit you with a ton of fees?  

Maybe even a card that was fair to its users? How about a card with generous cash back?  Let’s add in customer service from a company known for its customer loyalty?

Oh, and keeping track of your FICO® credit score would be awesome too, right?

Mix that all together and you get the Discover it® card.

Discover set out to make an all-in-one card made up of the best qualities that consumers are looking for.  They created an all new line of cards: the Discover it card.

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A Trip to Target May Have Left You With Credit Card Fraud – What You Need to Know About The Target Credit Card Breach

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You head out to Target to pick up a few things.

Maybe you were taking advantage of some great Black Friday sales.  Perhaps you needed to re-stock after Thanksgiving.  You could have been doing your holiday gift shopping.

Nothing out of the ordinary, right?

Except if you used your credit or debit card then your credit or debit account may have been breached!

You may have heard on the news how Target was… well the target of hackers that compromised the Target credit and debit card database.

Keep reading and I’ll fill you in on what happened, whether you need to be concerned, and what you should do about it.

Everything You Need to Know About the Target Credit Card Data Breach

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Chase Ultimate Rewards Holiday Promotion 2013 – Gifts Cards, Bonus Points, and Savings

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Chase’s program — Ultimate Rewards — is back this year to offer up holiday promotions and provide value and and extra rewards to their customers.

From the beginning of November through the end of the year, card holders of Chase’s Chase Freedom®, Chase Sapphire(SM), and Chase Ink cards (those with Ultimate Rewards) will be eligible for the holiday promotions.

Here’s a rundown of the Chase Ultimate Rewards Holiday Promotion and what it’s offering customers this holiday season:

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Your Guide to Balance Transfer Credit Cards and The Best 0% Offers

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I was drowning in debt.

I managed to finally get my head on straight and start to really take care of my finances.  This after I already dug a hole with thousands in credit card debt.

I tried to do the right thing and pay off more than my minimum balance and tried to pay my cards (yes, more than one) on time every month.

I was living paycheck-to-paycheck in NYC in a small studio apartment.  Even though the place was small it took up a nice chunk of my monthly income.  I remember writing out those checks to the different credit card companies (this was before paying online was so easily available).

The beginning of the month would come and I’d pay my rent.  Then I’d get to the card bills.  I paid what I could over the minimum, with enough to still eat some kind of food, but it was killing me.  I was paying so much every month to my credit card bills but I was barely, if at all, putting a dent in my debt (my debt was earning some nice interest against me for the card companies).

Keep in mind I take full responsibility for my debt.  I made the purchases and dug the hole all by myself.

So I kept at it.  As my credit improved I started to see offers in the mail for credit cards.  One of them had a 0% balance transfer interest rate.  I applied and transferred over a balance.
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Review: Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

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Are you looking for an incredible travel rewards credit card that allows you to earn free nights at high-end hotels and resorts AND can be used towards airline miles programs?

How about a card that, besides rewards, comes with additional travel benefits, purchase protections, and more?

Then look no further than the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.

Starpoint® Rewards Program

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