Citi Dividends World Mastercard Review

We first applied for and received our Citi Dividends World Mastercard card more than 6 years ago. At the time we applied it was the Citi Diamond Preferred card, but it has since been upgraded. Since owning the rewards credit card we’ve had excellent customer service and received several hundred dollars back on our purchases.

One of the most memorable customer service experiences we’ve had with this card was right before we got married. My fiancé and I had made arrangements to stay a beautiful Bed and Breakfast (or so we thought from the online advertisements). They required a credit card number to secure the reservation so we gave them our info and got everything taken care of. Two days before we were supposed to stay there we decided to go and check it out in person just to see what it was like. When we arrived the place was a disaster; peeling paint, stained carpet, everything a mess. Long story short we canceled our reservation but the practitioner still charged our card for the full stay even though we never stayed there. After two phone calls to Citi they promised to take care of everything. Sure enough within a few weeks we received a call saying that our account had been credited for the full amount and everything had been resolved.
Matt S.

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Chase Credit Card Review

Chase Credit Card Review from user:

We originally opened up a Chase Platinum Visa account to help out a friend who needed some quick cash and was willing to pay the cash advance fees. We held onto the card because we needed a buffer while I was attending school and didn’t have a regular full-time job. From our limited experience with Chase, we are relatively pleased. Their customer service is friendly and easy to reach. We have had no problems when interest rate changes, or we needed a balance transferred, or a limit increased/decreased. Overall, it is just a regular credit card that provides the normal, expected service.
Stephen W.

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Pay Your College Tuition With Your Credit Card

Let me share a little secret with you. Pay your college tuition with your credit card. Seem a little scary? You have to be careful, but this can be a great benefit to you, especially while you are still in school. My husband and I have paid our tuition with our credit cards since we got married. I’ll tell you how we do it.

For some reason, my husband and I have never qualified for federal education grants. I guess the government thinks we make too much, but I’d like to see where that money goes. Anyways, since we don’t qualify for grants, we have always put our college tuition on our credit card. We were paying over $4,000 per semester before I graduated. We put both tuitions and all of our books on our credit card and it has benefited us so much.

We have a reward credit card and have redeemed so many points because we do this. By putting our tuition on our credit cards, we have really racked up the points. And, we have racked them up fast. We have been able to get so many free products this way. In fact, we paid for almost our entire Christmas last year by just using our points - it only takes money management and common sense to be able to enjoy your money!. That includes the gifts we got for our families and friends. That was quite a feat, considering we are still students.

Are you really scared thinking that my husband and I are in debt over our heads? Actually, other than our home and one car, we don’t have any debt at all. We have been extremely careful as we pay for college with our credit card. At the beginning of the semester, we use our reward credit card to pay our tuition. We make extra payments on the card every time we get paid, so we pay off the high balance before it accrues too much interest. Basically, we were looking for any sort of relief from paying so much in tuition. We found the solution by paying for our tuition with our reward credit card.

Yes, we have paid a lot in tuition with our credit card. But on the other hand, we haven’t had to pay for other products that we needed. We got these products for free because we redeemed the points we had earned. Make a plan before you put your college tuition on your credit card. Be careful to pay it off the next month, or certainly before another semester starts. You’ll be so glad you paid your college tuition with your credit card. We are.

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10 Ways to Help Your College Student Get Out of Debt

With school starting for many, and it being right around the corner for others I wanted to talk about 10 Ways to Help Your College Student Get Out of Debt. I really am passionate about this subject because I think it is vital to not get yourself so in debt during college that you are a slave to your bills once you graduate.

Borrowing money has become the “norm” for college students. They take out student loans to help pay for tuition, books and living expenses. It can be difficult to not let these loans get out of hand. They need to understand that they can’t live outside of their means, especially while still in school. There are ways that you can help your student get out of debt while they are still in college.

1. A Job. Encourage your student to get a job. The pressures of school can be overwhelming at times, but it is important that they take responsibility for their choices. Help them understand that getting even a part time job will make a huge difference in getting out of debt.

2. Make a Budget. Sit down and make a budget with your child. Encourage them to stick to a personal budget on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

3. Hide the Credit Cards. Once you have the budget figured out, help them hide their credit cards. They won’t need a credit card if they are sticking to their budget. Make sure they still have the credit card in case of emergencies, but they need to understand the importance of using their budget, not their card.

4. Debt Payoff Plan. Set up a plan for your child to pay off their debt. Tier the payments so they pay off the debt with the highest interest rate first. Make sure you help them make a plan. Don’t do it for them.

5. Payment Plans. Have your child call their creditors and set up a payment plan with them. The creditors will work with them if they are honest and sincere about paying off their debt.

6. Pay More. Help them understand the danger in paying only the minimum payment. Explain that minimum payments don’t help you pay off the debt, they help you stay in debt longer.

7. Lower the Interest Rate. If your child has good credit and hasn’t been late on any payments for over a year, they can actually call the creditor and get a lower interest rate. Have them call and negotiate the rate down to where they won’t be paying as much in interest.

8. Settlements. Some creditors will let them negotiate a settlement. The creditors will actually settle on a smaller amount in exchange for a quicker payment. This will save your student money in the long run because they won’t have to keep paying interest.

9. Financial advisor. Have your student meet with a financial advisor at their college or university. Often times, the advisor can help them apply for federal grants. If the receive a grant, they will be able to free up some of their money and use it to get out of debt.

10. Don’t do it. It is tempting to fix your child’s problems for them. Make sure you help them get out of debt, but don’t do it for them. They need to get out of debt on their own so they don’t expect you to help them late down the road.

There are many things you can do to help your college student get out of debt. Sit down with them and figure out what will work best for their individual circumstances. Being their for advice, not just money, will help them understand the importance of debt free living.

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4 Things A High School Kid Can Do To Establish Credit

I often get asked the question - What Can a High School Kid Do To Establish Credit? I want to explore some options, and am thankful for the opportunity to guest post today.

You are only 16 years old. You don’t need to worry about having good credit. Right? Wrong. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about establishing good credit. If you want good credit for the rest of your life, you need to start now. Make sure you make good decisions and are careful about how you spend your money. Follow these simple steps and you’ll be on your way to great credit.

1. Get a job. I know, I know…You need to focus on getting good grades, not making a million dollars. While that is true, no one is expecting you to work full-time right now. Many employers actually look for high school kids to work part-time. You can be a great asset to someone’s business; you just need to find the right one. Start off only working a few hours a week. This will get you used to having a job and also being in school. Be careful not to work so much that you can’t get those straight A’s anymore. Good credit starts with having a strong work history. The longer you have a job, the better your credit will be.

2. Get an account. You’ll need somewhere to put all that extra money. You aren’t going to cash your check every payday and stash the money under your bed, right? Probably not. Get a savings account, and a checking account too, if you can. You may need to ask your parents to be on the account too with you for a while. Talk to your bank or credit union to see what you qualify for on your own. These accounts will prove that you are responsible with your money, even at such a young age.

3. Ask your parents. If your parents have good credit, ask them to add you to their credit card as an authorized user. This is a great way to piggyback on your parents credit and credit card (while you build your own) and show everyone how responsible you are. It will work out great for your parents too. You’ll be able to pick up a gallon of milk for your mom, without having to make her get out of the car (or even leave your home)!

4. Auto loan. If you can afford it, try to get a small car loan. You may need your parents to co-sign with you. Make sure they know how responsible you will be by making the payments on time. Remember you are still in high school, so you won’t need anything too fancy or expensive. Talk to your parents and your bank/creidt union and see how much you can afford.

There are several things you can do while still in high school to build good credit. The earlier you start thinking about having good credit, the more beneficial it will be to your credit history. You’ll also get in the habit of making responsible decisions. You’ll be well on your way to having great credit in no time.

Jason Skinrood is the owner of Plastic Rewards and our guest blogger today!

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Top 10 Ways A Student Can Build Credit

Still in school? Need to build your credit? No problem. There are steps that even a student can take to build their credit while still in school.

Check your report. Just because you think you don’t have credit, check it anyway. Get into the habit now of checking your report on a regular basis. This will also help you correct mistakes, if any.

Understand what it means. What exactly is credit? What is considered good credit? Why do people look at your credit? These are all very important to understand when starting to build your credit. Having a good understanding of the basic idea of credit will go a long ways in your quest for good credit.

Get out and work. If you think you have too many assignments and tests to get a part-time job, you’re wrong! Building a work history is an important thing that helps you build credit. I know it’s hard to work full-time while still in school. For some this is not even an option; for others, it is essential. Many employers are willing to work with school schedules. Take advantage of this easy way to build you credit and make some extra money too!

Get a checking/savings account. You can easily get a free checking and savings account now. These accounts show stability and responsibility. You’d be surprised how much they affect your credit.

Put bills in your name. No matter where you live, you’ll need electricity, gas and water, right? Put these bills in your name. These utility companies are actually creditors that report to the credit bureaus. Make sure you constantly pay your bills on time. This is an easy way to boost that credit score.

Co-Sign on an auto loan. This step may take a little extra finagling. Talk to your parents and see if they are willing to co-sign on an auto loan with you. Make sure whoever you co-sign with is responsible and trust-worthy. The last thing you’d want is to get into a car loan with someone who either won’t make the payments, or who will ruin your new credit!

Get a joint account. This idea is along the same lines as the car loan. Ask your co-signer if you could be added as a joint owner on one of their accounts. Although their name may the primary, the account will help to establish your credit as well.

Sign up for a student credit card. OK, be careful with this one. A student credit card is not meant for shopping sprees before you even finish school. Purchases on this should be kept at a minimum or only an amount that you can quickly pay off. The idea here is to pay the balance off each month. This is an easy way to establish your credit.

Do it now. You are considered less of a risk now while you are still in school than once you graduate. Lenders suspect that if you get yourself into credit trouble now, your parents will come to your rescue. Take advantage of their thinking now before you graduate and are considered officially “on your own.”

Mix it up. To get the best credit score, you need a mixture of credit types. These types are considered either revolving or installment. The revolving accounts include credit cards and lines of credit. Installment accounts are mortgages, auto loans, personal loans, etc. Make sure not to go overboard. Start out with only one of each. As your credit increases, slowly add each type of account.

These are basic steps that you can use while still in school. Make sure to do your credit score homework and you will be well on your way to building good credit.

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