Best Credit Cards for You!

For the fourth year in a row, American Express has topped the charts in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study.

Released last week, the study indicates that AmEx received a customer service ranking of 769 on a 1,000 point scale, which was 12 points higher than the runner up—Discover Card. In addition, AmEx was the only credit issuer to receive five out of five J.D. Power.com Power Circles. Bringing up the rear for the ten major credit issuers analyzed in the study was HSBC, which received a ranking a 686 and just two out of five power circles.

I can’t say I’m surprised to see American Express at the top of the list again. In the credit card world, AmEx has always been a brand that’s stood for the highest level of customer service. In my personal opinion, they more than deserve this title.

I’ve been an AmEx customer ever since I was eligible to have my own credit card.

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Tags: Amex, Amex Reigns

Simple living is great. Avoiding shopping malls in favor of clothing swaps, cooking meals at home with your spouse, holding a music jam with friends instead of shelling out big bucks for a concert — all these activities not only save you money, but they also connect you more deeply with what you love.

In a sense, they make you more alive. Which is what getting rich is ultimately about: not simply achieving material wealth, but living a rich life.

Pay now, save later Some things just shouldn’t be scrimped on, though. There are expenses that save you money down the line. Some also save you time and improve your quality of life. It might be tempting to cut corners on this stuff, but the truly frugal person knows that laying out cash up front will pay off in savings later.

Consider these expenses an investment in your life.

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Another complaint of ATM fraud has been made by three more victims to the cyber crime investigation cell (CCIC) of UT police.

The three victims claimt of money being withdrawn from their accounts. They got to know of this through their mini statements.

In another case, Rs 1.11 lakh was taken out from the accounts of three other customers using cloned ATM cards. All the cases have occured with SBI customers.

Indirect or direct role of bank employees in this scam is also being considered. The police says that several faults in the functioning of SBI in relation to closed circuit television cameras and deployment of security guards for ATMs has been detected.

According to police, the phishers had installed skimmer machines in the ATMs which copied the PIN number and account details of the customers.

CCTVs have also been found to be of low resolution. Also, in one case, the culprit had covered the CCTV with a cloth before the fraud.

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Tags: Atm, Atm Cloning

Making jam makes me happy. Okay, that’s only partly true. I’m also happy making jelly, preserves, and syrups — and I’m pretty darn pleased with conserves, marmalades, and most things pickled. No matter that I could never eat everything I make — even with J.D.’s help — the mere process is somehow satisfying to me. So, I madly preserve whatever I can lay my hands on each summer, then spend hours inventorying and organizing the jars, finally doling them out like precious jewels on special occasions to friends and family.

• 3 pounds apricots, pitted and chopped (about 24)
• 1/2 cup canned apricot nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh or bottled lemon juice

Puree the pitted fruit in a food processor. In a non-aluminum 8-quart pot, combine fruit, nectar, and butter.

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The country’s largest lender, State Bank of India and other public sector banks have been given permission to collect income tax (I-T) dues in both cash and cheque.

The public accounts department (PAD) of the Reserve Bank of India has announced that assessees can make optimum utilization of all the arrangements so made.

The names of all bank branches which will be offering the service has been put at the office of RBI.

Tags: Permission, Permission Accept