Elle Spektor
Articles by Elle Spektor
August 16, 2011
It may, at first, seem like a godsend: to be presented with an opportunity to open up a line of credit with a card that would be used exclusively to pay for a medical or dental procedure, especially if a low introductory rate is advertised. But what may not be clear to the frazzled individual filling out forms in the waiting room are the terms involved.
August 16, 2011
It´s a fairly well known fact that, politically speaking, President Obama and billionaire businessman Warren Buffet are "in bed" together. And it sounds like, these days, much of their pillow talk is dedicated to discussing America´s economic crisis and how to balance the country´s budget.
August 10, 2011
With the U. S. government still smarting from their first-ever credit rating downgrade from AAA to AA+, ever-expanding economy China is adding further insult to injury by chiding American for its "addiction to debt," the Huffington Press reports.
August 04, 2011
Traditionally when the competition for the consumer dollar is high, the consumer usually walks away the winner; such is the case these days with credit cards. After a bout of withholding issuance of new credit cards, and canceling low-activity credit cards a few years back, the banks are back and the plastic offers are plentiful.
August 05, 2011
Playing the credit game can be a little like casino gambling: the house always wins. When the concept of 0% APR cards were introduced, people flocked to them to save money on interest payments, only to find they were now saddled with these pesky balance transfer fees. They can also come in the form of a flat fee, or a minimum balance transfer fee. Banks know money, and they know how to get you coming and going. We all know about late fees and overdraft fees, but there are a myriad of fees of which you may not be aware.
August 02, 2011
While the smoke is still settling on the great Debt Ceiling Debate, it´s hard to see which side is left standing. In fact, it´s hard to understand not only what the outcome is, but how we got so deeply in debt in the first place? Like every answer in Washington, it depends on which side you ask. Put simply: The Democrats blame the Republican´s refusal to raise taxes on who they define as the rich; the Republicans blame the Democrat´s for throwing all our money away on social programs. There has been yelling, arguing, and today, everyone´s generally in a bitter consensus. But like most two-sided stories, the truth most likely falls somewhere in the middle.
July 25, 2011
Last March, American Express launched their digital payment platform Serve. This easy-to-use platform can unite online, offline and mobile payment options into a single account funded by a bank account, debit or credit card.
July 27, 2011
The thought of a child´s identity being stolen, even before they begin establishing their own sense of self, seems particularly upsetting. However, the disturbing truth is that more and more children are becoming victims of identity theft. Javelin Strategy & Research released an identity theft and fraud protection report, in February of this year, which indicated that over 8.1 million identities were stolen in 2010.