JohnnyD 0 #1 December 9, 2004 Make sure you take a good look at your bill. My interest rate went up this month. Probably because most people wouldn't catch it and people are buying stuff for Xmas. Edit: They said variable rate cards (read USPA) would increase through the current billing cycle and would return to regular rates plus 1% on December 29th. I am transferring my balance and cutting this card up as we speak. Merry Christmas from MBNA and the USPA. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #2 December 9, 2004 Huh...the USPA strikes again huh? I knew there was a reason why I didn't get that card.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyD 0 #3 December 9, 2004 QuoteHuh...the USPA strikes again huh? I knew there was a reason why I didn't get that card. Its not so much the USPA as it is the credit card company they chose to have their name associated with. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #4 December 9, 2004 Yes, I know... Dry humor strikes again.--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Layton 0 #5 December 9, 2004 i have zero credit cards and zero credit card debt.we got into trouble and borrowed from our 401k and paid ourselves interest and didnt get back into debt.we now have 3 builders putting together bids for a new house.i will never have another credit card ever.***get out and hang on where ya can Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CrazyIvan 0 #6 December 9, 2004 Credit cards are evil.__________________________________________ Blue Skies and May the Force be with you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christoofar 0 #7 December 9, 2004 QuoteMake sure you take a good look at your bill. My interest rate went up this month. Probably because most people wouldn't catch it and people are buying stuff for Xmas. Edit: They said variable rate cards (read USPA) would increase through the current billing cycle and would return to regular rates plus 1% on December 29th. I am transferring my balance and cutting this card up as we speak. Merry Christmas from MBNA and the USPA. I wish the USPA would talk to USAA about getting a named card. USAA has a good credit card division and is very eager to get new business. Hell quite a few jumpers are also military, I'm sure USAA would be interested. But then again, I used to work for USAA and they rarely listen to their members. Ooops did I say that! ____________________________________________________________ I'm RICK JAMES! Fo shizzle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #8 December 9, 2004 I got an offer, a really good offer, on a branded credit card from The University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. In today's climate of budget cuts, I was willing to get the card to help my school out. Was. WAS. That is, until I saw the MBNA logo on the paper. Tore that fucker up right there.It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bob.dino 1 #9 December 9, 2004 Only if you can't control your spending. I use them a) when I need purchase protection, and b) when I'm ordering over the 'net. I never keep a balance on them - mine is set up to pay off the full balance by direct debit every month. It's just fucking stupid to use them as a form of borrowing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,346 #10 December 9, 2004 I wrote this little diddy a little over a year ago... http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=741309;search_string=USPA%20visa;#741309Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WFFC 1 #11 December 9, 2004 Quotei have zero credit cards and zero credit card debt.we got into trouble and borrowed from our 401k and paid ourselves interest and didnt get back into debt.we now have 3 builders putting together bids for a new house.i will never have another credit card ever. Read this book: http://www.38mistakes.com/. Having a credit card is part of your whole credit picture. They want to see how you use credit wisely and such. If you have no credit other than your house and your car payment, you may have difficulty getting financing for that new TV you're looking at. For a while, it was all about the score, now they're going back and looking at the score and the things that they used to look at in the past (i.e. how have you done historically). Want to know what your score is? Check out myfico.com...----- ~~~Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cloudseeker2001 0 #12 December 9, 2004 I joined a credit union and I freakin love it. Got a car loan, bank accounts and a credit card with a kickass rate all in one day! And they let me roll other credit cards into the car loan! "Some call it heavenly in it's brilliance, others mean and rueful of the western dream" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slug 1 #13 December 9, 2004 QuoteCredit cards are evil. I think credit cards are a great tool as long as you (have the force with you) know how to use them like any tool. We use ours like a debit card, IOW don't use it unless you can afford to pay off the balance every month. One CC company offers 1 frequent flyer mile/$1 charged. Another CC sponsered by GM offers $05/$1 charged that goes to the purchase of a new GM product. R.I.P. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #14 December 9, 2004 QuoteOnly if you can't control your spending. I use them a) when I need purchase protection, and b) when I'm ordering over the 'net. I never keep a balance on them - mine is set up to pay off the full balance by direct debit every month. It's just fucking stupid to use them as a form of borrowing. Ditto...and actually they save me money because I get cards with no annual fee, with cash back bonuses, and that integrate with banking software so I can budget and categorize all my expenses. But as you said, you can't use them to borrow, use them instead of cash but make sure you have the cash available to pay them off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Layton 0 #15 December 9, 2004 we have already been to the bank for the financing for the new house.my credit rating was 735 and my wife's was a 790.we had a combined score of 740.we did have credit card debt but paid them all off and closed the accounts.so i at least paid them off and have a good credit score. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WFFC 1 #16 December 10, 2004 Quotewe have already been to the bank for the financing for the new house.my credit rating was 735 and my wife's was a 790.we had a combined score of 740.we did have credit card debt but paid them all off and closed the accounts.so i at least paid them off and have a good credit score. That's very cool. Too many people don't really understand what that number means to them. Always watch it and keep it high and you'll pretty much get anything that you want.----- ~~~Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #17 December 10, 2004 ...and then there's me and my wife. We have our house, and want nothing more, for the most part. That number is almost meaningless to us.It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brenthutch 444 #18 December 10, 2004 Credit cards are powerful medicine. Use too much and it can hurt you. On the other hand, you can use them to your advantage. Get a points card and run all of your monthly expenses through it, (food, gas, utilities, entertainment) pay it off in full every month, pay no interest, generate points, get a record of where your money goes via monthly statements, on-line tracking and year-end summaries. I have generated enough points for a flight to anywhere in the lower 48 in less than one year. Don't ever get into the "If I can afford the minimum monthly payment I can afford the purchase" mindset. This will kill you. If you got a 30-year mortgage for $200,000 and put $7,500 on a credit card at the same time and made minimum payments on both, your mortgage will be paid off well before your credit card. Even the interest rate is not so bad if you use your card correctly. For example: If you say to yourself (like I did this summer at the WFFC) "Is it worth the $35 of finance charges I will have to pay in order to buy this xaos-27 98 now, instead of in three months when I will be able to save up for it?" The answer to that question for me was yes. Guns don’t kill people. People do. Credit cards don’t ruin credit. People do. Credit card companies are no different that other companies, their sole purpose is to separate you from your money. It is up to you to not let them do it. Be a wise consumer. BTW in the interest of full discloser, I do work for a bank. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #19 December 10, 2004 Sounds like me. I have a house, and my van. If I want anything else I wait till I have the money. I do have one CC that if I use it, I pay it off ASAP.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AggieDave 6 #20 December 10, 2004 Quote Sounds like me. I have a house, and my van. You know, I've seen you a few times and never saw a house, only a van...Hmmmmm...is your "house" "down by the river?" (Actually a house in CO, its probably really nice with a really cool view.)--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #21 December 10, 2004 I financed my car because I needed to. Had the cash at the time but figured I needed something nice on my credit since I haven't financed anything in a LONG time. When I figure out a place that I will stay for more than 2 years I'll finance a house. Mostly......if I can't pay cash......I don't buy it. My work credit card is a pain in the ass enough. I have one personal credit card with a $500 limit. Don't need anything else! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #22 December 10, 2004 My house is my vanMay your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RevJim 0 #23 December 10, 2004 QuoteGet a points card Nah, my wife and I sell a bunch of shit from time to time on Ebay. We've been paypal preferred for a looooong time, and use their Mastercard Debit card quite often. It costs us nothing to transfer $$$ from our bank to PayPal, and PayPal pays us 1.5% back on EVERYTHING we use the card for. Needless to say, it gets used for the gas bill, the electricity bill, the water bill, the garbage bill.... You get the idea. We, at the end of the month, end up with 30-50 dollars more than if we wrote checks, or even used the bank's card. Zero finance charges, and we get payed to use it, IMMEDIATLY. It's not a credit card though, so if we don't have it, we can't spend it (which is EXACTLY the way I want it).It's your life, live it! Karma RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
