http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:12:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The payments industry is going through some growing pains. With both MasterCard and Visa throwing their weight behind the chip-and-PIN payment systems already popular in Europe, magnetic stripe cards will likely soon fall by the wayside in the U.S. Meanwhile, the success of online shopping and mobile payments have also become ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/business/payments-industry-braces-big-1268/ Dear Erica, I want to have my boyfriend (whom I’ve lived with for three years) added to my employer’s group health benefits as a domestic partner. I have to show several forms of proof that we’re financially dependent on one another. One way to prove that is opening a joint credit ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/erica/joining-financial-marriage-2564/ For those with patience and time to spare, there are many ways to maximize credit card rewards earnings. Whether you are a cash back aficionado or a travel rewards card freak, getting the most out of your card does take a little planning. Here are eight strategies for super-sizing your ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/cash/maximize-cash-earnings/ Dear Erica, This month, we are unable to pay our credit card bills for the first time. We have no more money to give, after paying for our house and food. My husband has been out of a job for eight months, and I am working at Target, which supplies us ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/erica/late-payment-ding-credit-2564/ Hi Eva, I’m 30, and I’ve had the same credit card since I graduated from college. It has a $3,500 limit, and I charge one big purchase (like an airplane ticket or my rent) on it a month and pay the balance off immediately online. Keeping track of finances stresses me ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/credit-smarts/rewards-cards-dont-high-maintenance-5141/ With Valentine’s Day just weeks away, those ready for commitment but short on cash may be sweating the cost of getting an engagement ring in time for a Feb. 14 proposal. According to wedding industry research company The Wedding Report, the average cost of an engagement ring in 2011 was just ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/credit-cards-general/5-tips-buying-engagement-ring-1365/ Dear Erica, I am the breadwinner for my family of four. My husband is on Social Security disability, He gets $982 per month. He has to pay $200 for a truck note, $110 for a couch rental from a rental center and, until April, $185 a month for a cash advance. I have to pay ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/erica/struggling-breadwinner-budget-cuts-2564/ For anyone looking at retiring within the next five to 10 years, credit card debt could be a red flag that you need to course correct. “A mortgage or a car payment is understandable as they may be necessities for many,” says Nancy Anderson, a certified financial planner and think tank ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/credit-cards-general/retire-debt-free-1365/ Dear Erica, My 20-year-old son needs a co-signer for the house he wants to rent with his friend. He asked me, but I’m not sure how this will affect my credit if they don’t pay rent on time. Will late payments ding my credit score? What if my son pays his ... http://www.creditcardguide.com/creditcards/erica/signing-childs-lease-2564/