Category Archives: Credit Cards Articles

3 Lessons from 2011 Tax Filing Delays – Don’t Rely on Your Tax Return Money!

March 11, 2011   Daniel Murphy   No comments

Did you file your taxes early this year hoping to receive a refund in the mail pronto, only to be disappointed?

Many people filed early and were unable to receive their refunds before February due to recent tax law changes forcing the IRS to update their systems at the beginning of the year.

Maybe it’s the death of the rapid return option; I’m not sure. But I do know that I watched many of my friends and co-workers become wide-eyed with panic because they weren’t getting their refund as quickly as expected. Perhaps they had already spent their estimated tax return money with the expectation that they would receive the reimbursement early in 2011. Or ma

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  Tags: Tax, Tax Return

How to Make the Most Out of Your Car Purchase

March 05, 2011   Daniel Murphy   No comments

When you think about the first “big” purchases of your lifetime, a car is usually is one of them.

But, cars, like all other “big” purchases, come with a big price tag.

So, what can you do to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck when it comes to your wheels?

Ask yourself the following four simple questions.

1) New or Used?

If you are working with a tight budget, don’t get your heart set on a new car… and don’t get too upset about a used car either!

It is actually more logical to purchase a used car, since new cars depreciate in value within the first year. Look at cars th Read the full post

  Tags: Purchase

Your Spring Financial To-Dos

February 27, 2011   Daniel Murphy   No comments

Every season, we bring you the top to-dos to get your financial life in order. The snow is starting to melt, the flowers are beginning to bloom, and your finances are ready for a rebirth. Here are the key items on your spring to-do list:

Reassess Your Budget. Deadline: March 1.

Our lives aren’t the same as they were a few months ago, so our budgets shouldn’t be, either. Go to the LV Budgeting Tool to make sure you’re sticking to your current budget, or create a new one if your lifestyle has changed.

Check Your Credit Score. Deadl

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  Tags: Financial, Financial Todos

Fresh Changes to Credit Reports – Your Rent Payment Matters Too

February 22, 2011   Daniel Murphy   No comments

A change is gonna come… and if you are a renter, it could be great news for your credit report.

Experian, one of the big three credit bureaus, began including rental payment data on consumer credit reports in January, and will affect the Experian credit score and VantageScore. It’ll be a good addition to most consumers’ credit toolbox, but as with all big changes, there could be a downside.

Right now, Experian has gathered rent payment history from large property managers of approximately 8 million residents nationwide, but reporting rental data could easily become a more widespread practice amongst credit bureaus. Getti

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  Tags: Payment, Payment Matters

A New Graduate’s Financial Tips for Joining the Real World

February 17, 2011   Daniel Murphy   No comments

While college was meant to prepare us for the real world, recent graduates have to come to terms with a new reality: we are crippled with student loan debt, job-hunting in a jobless economy, competing for interviews with others just like us (plus the still-unemployed graduates of last year), and sometimes must consider moving back in with parents to make ends meet.

Interestingly enough, according to Sallie Mae, about 84% of undergrads have at least one credit card. If you fall into this percentile, congratulations–you are establishing your credit! B

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  Tags: Real World, World

A College Student’s Tips On Your First Credit Card

February 11, 2011   Daniel Murphy   No comments

Credit card language is scary for the first-time cardholders like me.

Principal? Fixed Rate of Interest? Default rate? Oh my!

Yet these mysterious terms can be mastered and the average young person, like myself, can become a king or queen of credit! Or at the very least, new-to-credit consumers and college students need to be responsible users of credit.

At first, I didn’t see the difference between a debit card and credit card. I mean, it seemed that the same machine swipes either debit or credit in stores. B

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  Tags: Card, Credit Card
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