Now that oil prices skyrocketed and the country is trying to cope with financial crisis, car owners find ways to lower the costs of car maintenance. Quite a number of banks introduce co-branded credit offers for making purchases at gas stations and other car related spending. Using an auto rewards card, a customer can earn points redeemable for rebates at gas stations, for purchasing new or used car, auto parts, etc. Besides, you can considerably save on paying for car service, provided that you choose a card co-branded with your automobile manufacturer.
As you see, automobile rewards cards work like any other rewards plastic. Some of them provide cash back and rebates, others imply point accumulation programs.

Many people travel by air on the regular basis - on business or for pleasure. This is why plastics for traveling are very popular, being in more demand than cash back credit cards. Consumers reportingly prefer using plastics with hotel or airmile rewards to regular cash rewards cards because travelling rewards are more satisfactory.
It is a well-known fact that credit cards with hotel and frequent flyer rewards are available for consumers with good and excellent credit history. These people can choose among numbers of bank offers in order to find the most beneficial credit card. A wise consumer who wants to keep his high credit score and save his money, knows the importance of choosing the right card.

The lucky visitors of the next Olympics'2012 in London are going to be twice as lucky because they will not have to carry money with them! Visa, the official credit card provider for the next Olympics, promises that all the purchases will be cashless in the Olympic village. What is more, Visa company announced they will issue quite a number of contactless credit cards which need only swiping over a reader. Thus, a transaction will take no more than a few seconds. Credit cards for quick and safe purchases are going to be used on public transport and will work as entrance cards for different events.

It is no secret that consumers today are terrified by regular reports of ID fraud cases. Every day you come across information about unauthorized charges on credit cards, card losses or phishing via e-mail or phone. Once being a victim of ID thieves, a consumer can spend years on repairing the damage of both credit history and finances. However, there are serious measures taken by credit issuing companies. It is quite understandable, because fraudulent activity also results in the significant losses that banks incur.
A group of lenders from Canada and the USA in cooperation with Visa Inc. started a new program for protecting customers from credit card fraud. The program basically provides real time alerts about all suspicious transactions with your credit cards. Thus, the service widely known as fraud alert has become more convenient and fast.

Many consumers have noticed that now they receive less credit card offers in the mail. And not without reason. As the recent research shows, there has been 8% decrease in credit and loan direct mailings since the first quarter of 2008.
Generally, since the 3rd quarter of 2007 direct mail had been falling steadily. In the last year the volume of credit card ads sent by mail was 1.86 million while now this number reduced to 1.54 million. Are there any sound reasons for this 17% decline?

If you are a regular airplane traveler, you are supposed to know how necessary a credit card is during a trip. Today, many air carriers started to take credit cards for purchases during the flight. It is not only a matter of convenience, but also security. Pick pocketing is not a rare thing in airports, this change in airline payment policy is going to save the passengers' money. Many people also underline the fact that paying with plastics is a good way to track the expenses and plan the budget.

An entrepreneur searching for his first credit card for business can often be confused by ads promoting business plastics as bank products for good credit history only. As a rule, business credit cards are unsecured type of plastics which requires the applicant to have enough income and credit score. This means only a part of business owners have the opportunity to finance their enterprise with a credit card and receive the useful rewards.

College students are constantly bombarded with credit card offers. Banks are becoming more creative and persistent in their efforts to snag new customers. They send hundreds of pre-approved letters or offer gifts like T-shirts, Frisbees, pizza and even iPods just for filling out a student credit card application. But sometimes credit cards can become dangerous. College students, who don't have sufficient financial experience and money management skills, can accumulate large debt. That can hurt them after graduation: as a result, many seniors are postponing marriage, home ownership or having kids.

Scientists and analysts do not stop studying the effects of recession on American economy and the life of people. In 2007 over a million of people made a filing for bankruptcy, according to the study of AARP's Public Policy Institute. Professors of the Harvard Law School used this study to make further analysis and found out the striking fact that the number of older people (of age 65 and above) who filed for bankruptcy has become twice as more since 1991.

Fans of rock and country music were thrilled this summer by the reports of Roots of Rock promo campaign by MasterCard. The credit card company announced that consumers using MasterCard credit card between July, 1 and August, 31 of the current year have chances to win participation in a unique program with three music idols involved. Legendary Eric Clapton, Jon Bon Jovi and Kenny Chesney will give you fabulous experience and introduce you to the fancy world of music and drive.