Financial Fellow

Written by J.P. Wicklein

     Yesterday I glanced at my credit card statement and saw a $12 charge from “Reservation Rewards”. I had no idea what it was for so I called my credit card company. The customer service rep said, “We see those all the time. It can happen when you make a purchase online.” What!? That didn’t make any sense to me so I did a bit of digging…

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Written by J.P. Wicklein

Here’s the latest batch of five interesting and useful financial articles I’ve come across lately:

1. My Money Blog relayed a story last week about Zecco’s April Fool’s Day joke. What would you do if your online stock broker accidentally updated your account with millions of dollars in buying power – on April 1st?

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Written by J.P. Wicklein

     This week, Discover Financial Services announced an extension of their $50 promotion through their “Discover More Card”. Here are the highlights:

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Written by J.P. Wicklein

     Lately, I’ve heard financial talking heads throwing around the “D” word…Depression.  It’s still too early to tell if we are officially in a depression. Without question, though, things are ugly and getting uglier each day. This week, five stories about the recession caught my attention:

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Written by J.P. Wicklein

     Visa recently launched its exclusive Black Card.  The credit card has an annual fee of $495. The obvious question is, “What do I get for $495?”

· A celebrity factor: The Black Card touts an exclusive membership and is only available to 1% of U.S. residents.

· 24-Hour Concierge Service: Cardholders can contact their concierge via email or phone for entertainment planning, business services, travel assistance, information, gift arrangements, or specialty services.

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………………..Written by J.P. Wicklein…………………………………..Photo by Waffler

…..Throughout the course of my adult life I’ve made smart financial decisions. On occasion, though, I’ve made some mistakes. With that in mind here are my biggest financial blunders:

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Written by J.P. Wicklein

     We are becoming an increasingly cashless society.  Several years ago if you paid for your lunch at Subway with a credit card you’d get strange looks. Now, when I go to lunch at Subway it seems like half the people in line opt to pay with plastic instead of cash. It appears to have become just as acceptable to pay for $5 - $10 purchases with a credit or debit card as it is to use cash. Further, it’s becoming increasingly rare for me to see anyone paying cash for more expensive purchases. Why is this?

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Written by J.P. Wicklein

     Periodically, I take a look at recent credit card offers and write a brief summary of a good promotion when I see it. Discover Financial Services is offering a not too shabby, $50 promotion through their “Discover More Card”. Here are the highlights:

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