Credit Cards For Less Than Perfect Credit

Dear Erica, I paid off my credit card debt, but I continue to receive RUDE solicitation calls. How do I remove myself from the source list where they are obtaining my information? Or, how long will it take for me to fall off their prospecting lists? Thanks! Ron

Dear Ron, I must say that I’m curious about the rudeness. Do the callers become irate when you say, “Thanks, but I’m not interested in another credit card?” Do they insult and swear at you? I’m not saying they don’t, just that it’s an interesting conversation to think about.

Before I explain how to stop the solicitations (there are a couple pretty simple ways), I’d like to take a moment to consider the people on the other end of the receiver. Let’s face it,

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Almost half of college seniors graduating this year don’t have a credit card, according to a recent Capital One survey. That’s a steep increase compared to the 22 percent of graduates from 2008 to 2010 who also didnt have a card.

There are good reasons to not get a credit card while in college. Most students don’t have a lot of money and having easy access to credit makes it all too easy to accumulate excessive credit card debt. However, students who don’t get a card while in college might find it harder to qualify for the best credit cards once they graduate – particularly if they don’t yet have a job.

This was the case for Mary, a recent college graduate and current credit card novice. “My parents

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Hi Erica, How can I stop my mom from buying more stuff than she needs on credit? She is 81, lives alone on Social Security and is homebound. She shops from TV and orders a lot of junk that she doesnt need or even have room for. I know she must be using all of her money and must have a lot of debt now, but she won’t talk to anyone about it, including me. How do I stop the banks or stores from allowing her to do this? Jena

Dear Jena, It’s pretty hard to prevent a full-grown adult from doing what is well within her rights to do. And at her age, your mother is most certainly in the position to do as she pleases with her money and credit cards. Tha

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How well you are protected from credit card fraud may depend on which credit card you carry in your wallet, according to a recent study by Javelin Strategy and Research.

The June 2011 study found that while most banks have excellent strategies in place for taking care of fraud once it occurs, most programs are less adept at preventing fraud in the first place.

“Prevention is the granddaddy of all fraud protection, but it is also the hardest thing to do,” says Phillip Blank, Managing Director for Security, Risk and Fraud at Javelin. “But the reality is that prevention has the biggest payback. It pr

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Dear Erica, Im working on repairing my credit. It had been ages since I received solicitation letters for credit cards; but over the past few months I began receiving them. I recently applied for a card, and I was actually approved! Now that I have it, Im afraid to use it. I want to, but my fear is that I’ll fall into the trap again of getting into debt. It’s difficult to live on only a debit card. Why are these card companies soliciting my business again? All advice is appreciated. Ned

Dead Ned, I’m so glad you are on your way to a new and improved relationship with plastic! Here are the two basic ways to repair credit wounds:

1. Wait

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