Best Credit Cards for You!

Credit card rewards programs have been around for years but now that they are more established, different providers are coming up with new ways to add value to their cards.

Whether it is frequent flyer points, provider reward programs or even cash back offers, there are a range of different rewards people can choose from to add value to using their credit card.

To give you an idea of how valuable a rewards card could be, here is a look at three of the best cards for earning and redeeming rewards.

American Express Platinum Edge

Credit cards from American Express tend to have the highest earning potential for points and a wide range of redemption options, as well as additional card benefits.

While other premium rewards cards could have annual fees well over $200, the Platinum Edge credit card is $149 per year and gives cardholders access to Membership Rewards with the following 3-2-1 earning rates:

• 3 points at major supermarkets
• 2 points at major petrol stations
• 1 point for every dollar spent on all other purchases

This tiered point program allows people to earn points quickly and easily almost every time they use their card.

The Platinum Edge also offers one free domestic economy return flight every year and up to four supplementary cards without any additional fees, adding even more value to this rewards card.

Emirates Citibank Platinum Card

Citibank has taken advantage of the relatively limited frequent flyer card options through a partnership with international airline Emirates.

New cardholders can earn a massive four points for every $1 spent on the card, up to 50,000 points – enough to book a return flight to south-east Asia – and a competitive ongoing rate of 1.5 points per $1 spent.

This card also provides complimentary Emirates lounge access, a chauffer driver to or from the airport, international travel insurance and a personal concierge service, so this card could be the ideal rewards option for people with an eye on travel outside of Australia.

HSBC Platinum Qantas Credit Card

While there are a number of different credit cards directly linked to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, the HSBC Platinum Qantas card is one of the only ones that will earn points for purchases made overseas.

In fact, cardholders can earn two points per $1 on purchases made overseas and one point for every $1 spent on purchases in Australia, which makes it a great asset for people who travel and frequently use their card overseas.

Reward cards are constantly being updated and changed to keep up with the competition and cardholder preferences, which makes it incredibly important to compare a few cards before making a choice.

But considering cards like the three above will help you get a better idea of what is out there and find a rewards option that will really work for you.

Tags: Card, Credit Card

Both consumers who qualified for the joint account are responsible for payment.  An authorized user is not responsible for payment, but can use the account. So, what happens if the surviving spouse wants to use the joint and/or authorized user accounts? Its not as simple as just using the card

Authorized User Accounts

If the surviving spouse is listed as the authorized user, they will probably have to apply for the card under their name using their own credit. The creditor will let them know if they can continue to use the account.  When they apply for individual credit, they should ask the creditor to consider the credit history of accounts reported in the deceased spouse’s name, as well as those reported in their name. The creditor must consider this information, if the surviving spouse can prove it reflects positively and accurately on their ability to manage credit.

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Tags: Happens, Happens When

The number of people filing for bankruptcy protection in retirement has soared in recent years — even before the recession.

In fact, people 65 and older are the fastest-growing segment of the population seeking bankruptcy protection, according to a recent study from the University of Michigan Law School.

The problem is simple math, said Johanna Sweaney Salt, a CPA with Kaufman, Schmid, Gray & Salt in Claremont, Calif. Their medical expenses, taxes and other costs keep going up, while their income is going down. Social Security hasnt had a cost-of-living adjustment in a long time and pensions and retirement accounts took a huge hit during the recession. Reverse mortgages and other alternatives presented to them as solutions often just dig them further in the hole.

Most people think Oh, I have Medicare — Im covered, said Jean Setzfand, director of financial security at the AARP.

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Tags: Retirement, Retirement Good

Victims of criminal identity theft rarely know they are victims until they learn that there is a warrant out for their arrest or are arrested. Fortunately, court systems and police departments are aware that this type of identity theft occurs, making it possible for victims to clear their names.

Criminal identity theft occurs when an individual gives another person’s name and personal information to law enforcement authorities during a criminal investigation or at the time of arrest. Personal information includes a date of birth and social security number. This type of identity theft usually transpires when local authorities issue traffic or misdemeanor violations, but can also happen when an individual is arrested for financial identity theft, such as the misuse of credit cards.

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Tags: Criminal Identity, Criminal Identity Theft, Identity Theft, Theft

Credit card reward programs can be a great way to get everyday and travel rewards but transferring points to a frequent flyer program is often a tricky process.

Many credit card providers, including ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank, Citibank and Suncorp, have their own rewards program so that cardholders can choose from a wide range of redemption options.

Unfortunately these kinds of cards are not usually favoured by people planning to use points for flights, especially not with so many frequent flyer reward cards available.

But Suncorp is one credit card provider that is bridging the gap between general and frequent flyer cards, giving reward cardholders the opportunity to transfer points to the Qantas Frequent Flyer program, Singapore Airline’s KrisFlyer rewards or Virgin’s Velocity Rewards program.

With a Suncorp rewards card on hand people can earn one point per $1 on most purchases and make redemptions once 5000 points are accumulated.

Suncorp also makes it easier to earn points by allowing people to set up automatic bill payments from their card, so if you had $250 worth of bills in a month you would earn 250 points by simply paying for necessities.

To transfer these reward points to a frequent flyer program, cardholders will need to follow the steps below:

1. Log onto the Suncorp Internet Banking site
2. Select the credit card account
3. Check the points balance
4. Choose the “redeem” option; and
5. Select the redemption partner you would like to transfer points to

For people who want to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points, this process can not be used for other airline rewards, but the benefit is that platinum cardholders will be able to earn one Frequent Flyer point per $1 spent.

KrisFlyer and Virgin points, on the other hand, are offered at a lower rate when using the points transfer option, with 2 Suncorp Rewards points equalling one airline reward point.

The variety of rewards and redemptions available can make credit cards with provider rewards a lot more appealing than specific frequent flyer cards, but if airline points are something being considered it is good to look into different point transfer methods.

With a Suncorp rewards card on hand it should be easy for anyone to get as much value out of rewards as possible and save up for flights or everyday rewards whenever they want.

Tags: Credit, Points Credit