Ugh Best Buy MC

[moi621 (imported)]

Think of a "credit" card as a "charge" card.

Kind of like a deferred payment debit card.

Make sure you ALWAYS pay the balance down to zero every month.

Some cards, on some purchases, provide insurance, extended warranty.

Some cards provide you with points that you can use for cash back or merchandise. Take the cash.

If a merchant screws you with no product or bad product, you can often times get the charge reversed back to them.

Then there are the retail store cards (not MC or VISA) where you can buy products, make minimum payments, and pay NO interest for a year or more.

When I use this method I always make automatic payments every two weeks so that there are no glitches. If you miss a payment, you will pay for the FULL deferred interest. Ouch.

Good point.

Charging on a card does provide extra security.

When Sear's Homelife store went belly up, those who charged it on credit got near instant refunds and those who paid by check had to wait over a year for the foreclosure process. I learned the hard way. There were articles about this discrepancy in the newspapers.

Still, how often does one make such purchases.

Gasoline, groceries, costs of daily life - Moi recommends cash.

AND keep a surplus balance in the Credit Card account. If you can't afford it now, y'think y'really can in a month?

Moi

[nullorchis (imported)]

I experimented with a credit balance on one of my credit cards; think it was Visa. I thought if I am on a vacation, racking up charges, and am unable to, or forget to make a payment, there would be no payment due since my charges would offset the credit.

Instead, the credit card company mailed me a check to clear out the credit balance. I was astonished. Never heard of any capitalistic venture sending you back money that you did not owe.

But, no problem. You can set up your accounts on line to automatically withdraw (debit) your checking account for the minimum payment due, or full amount due. I set them all up to pay full amount due, every month, and never incur any penalties or interest. I also attempt to make big purchases right after the billing close date so that I get to use their money for almost 60 days without having to make a payment. Little things all add up over time. in the long run it really is worth the hassle. (of course now that there is hardly any way to make interest or dividends on your money, and with inflation looming, spending cash now is understandable)

[Uncle Flo (imported)]

One of the provisions of the recent regulations governing credit card accounts requires that refunds of excess payments be made "promptly". --FLO--

[A-1 (imported)]

"CREDIT" is quickly becoming the nationalized version of the Coal Mine Operators' COMPANY STORE.

[KimiRhoze (imported)]

For one advantage of having a set hanging from pick 'em up truck click...

H

ERE! (http://www.bullsballs.com/testimon/

hootersballs.jpg)

..mmm no squeeze too hard, now...



Wonder if those give a squishy pop noise when you get rear-ended

[A-1 (imported)]

For one advantage of having a set hanging from pick 'em up truck click...
[/

quote]

H
estimon/

hootersballs.jpg)

..mmm no squeeze too hard, now...



Wonder if those give a squishy pop noise when you get rear-ended

Don't get me started again...

...but seriously, you can scroll down and look at the website closely and buy the BRASS ones that they hung off of that bull in front of Wall Street...

I think that most of the banking industry in America is equipped with those.

I DO believe I know where Obama can get a nice torch, though, if not a Plasma Arc Cutter...

[KimiRhoze (imported)]

Don't get me started again...

...but seriously, you can scroll down and look at the website closely and buy the BRASS ones that they hung off of that bull in front of Wall Street...

I think that most of the banking industry in America is equipped with those.

I DO believe I know where Obama can get a nice torch, though, if not a Plasma Arc Cutter...

That reminded me of Leprechaun 3

There was an old man of Madras, whose balls were made of fine brass. So in stormy weather, they both clanged together, and sparks flew out of his ass!

[moi621 (imported)]

Every now and then VISA does send me an over payment check.

So it is important to have a balance owing every few months.

I just do not like debit card concept or automatic payment.

Anyone who says they cannot afford to may their credit card an over payment, should not be using a credit card PERIOD.

Moi

[Losethem (imported)]

I use my credit card as if I were using cash and at the end of the month I write a check to pay it off. I use a financial program on my computer to keep track of everything and update it MANUALLY. While that might leave room for some errors, I do not like leaving my personal finances in an accounting program linked to my actual bank accounts.

Basically if you have a budget you can do things this way. Avoid debit cards entirely, they've figured out how to rape you repeatedly with those. The only way they can rape you on a credit card is if you fail to pay it off monthly. You also get consumer protections against merchants of most types if you use credit instead of debit cards. It's easier to resolve disputes with a credit card.

I would NEVER again open a store credit card. Since I treat everything as a cash purchase and pay the card bill monthly, it won't matter if I'm using a major card or a store card, but I can use the major card nearly anywhere and the store card I'm pretty much stuck with that merchant.

As for debit cards, I've only ever used them at ATM's to get cash, both at home and in foreign countries. I always let my credit and debit/atm card company know when I'm traveling outside of the US and to what countries so they know not to lock-up my card if they see a transaction coming from somewhere strange like Swaziland (yes, I've been there). I've heard too many stories about people traveling abroad and finding themselves suddenly without funds because of some overzealous bank freezing their cards for abnormal activity.

Back to the original point, credit cards of fine if you use them like cash and don't treat them as free money.

--LT

[A-1 (imported)]

That reminded me of Leprechaun 3

There was an old man of Madras, whose balls were made of fine brass. So in stormy weather, they both clanged together, and sparks flew out of his ass!

A cabin boy on an old clipper,

Grew steadily flipper and flipper,

He filled up his ass

With fragments of glass,

And thus circumcised his old skipper.



...as I said, don't get me started...