Rate Increases

[ALC Rail Writer]

The girl at the bank said that if I use the credit card on it, I'll get one point for every $2, but she didn't know how much a point was worth.

I'm wary of those "point per $" or "point per 2$" offers - UNLESS they go right into a frequent flyer account or AGR account! Otherwise, Those "points" or "miles" can ONLY be used by that company!

I happen to like my Chase debit rewards program. I get 4 for every dollar, have to pay a $25 fee, which seems odd-- but as long as you spend $200 a month using it as a credit card you get your money's worth. I go through way more than that.

You can use your points to "buy" things off an online catalogue. It's actually kind of nice-- no AGR points, but whatever. My credit isn't good enough to get any of the AGR cards...

As for being wary of ATM/Debit cards... Christ, you're worried about fear mongering. You just have to not be stupid. Of course you don't use it online... you should NEVER put any data about your banks and such online unless you're using your bank's online banking site and then, only if it is secure.

Fact of the matter is millions of Americans swipe debit cards every day, more than once per day, and 99.99% of them never have, and never will have a problem. Those that do are ones who have managed to give away more than that piece of plastic they've usually managed to give away their PIN or other account info which compromises them.

MOST of the time when a debit card is stolen all the thief has is the plastic. Sure he can drain your account, but only by using it as a CREDIT card in functionality because he doesn't have your PIN. IF that is the case then you are protected by federal law against unauthorized charges. If he has both plastic and PIN... then you're screwed. But think-- under what circumstance would a thief have access to your card info and your PIN? It happens... rarely. Getting BOTH of those pieces takes a lot of work, that is, unless you're stupid about where and how you store your data and use your card.

 

[AlanB]

MOST of the time when a debit card is stolen all the thief has is the plastic. Sure he can drain your account, but only by using it as a CREDIT card in functionality because he doesn't have your PIN. IF that is the case then you are protected by federal law against unauthorized charges. If he has both plastic and PIN... then you're screwed. But think-- under what circumstance would a thief have access to your card info and your PIN? It happens... rarely. Getting BOTH of those pieces takes a lot of work, that is, unless you're stupid about where and how you store your data and use your card.

Actually it happens far more often than you think, and in many cases the thief doesn't even have the actual "original" card. They'll put a skimmer on an ATM to capture the info from the card and either mount a small camera over the ATM or watch from across the way to see what you type in.

Then they go make a card with your info, put it into an ATM and type in your pin, and withdraw your money.

Which is why one should always try to use bank ATM's, and ATM's that are inside the bank, not on the outside of the bank. As well as taking great care to cover up the keypad with your other hand and positioning your body in front and as close as you can to the keypad.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

Actually it happens far more often than you think, and in many cases the thief doesn't even have the actual "original" card. They'll put a skimmer on an ATM to capture the info from the card and either mount a small camera over the ATM or watch from across the way to see what you type in.
Then they go make a card with your info, put it into an ATM and type in your pin, and withdraw your money.

Which is why one should always try to use bank ATM's, and ATM's that are inside the bank, not on the outside of the bank. As well as taking great care to cover up the keypad with your other hand and positioning your body in front and as close as you can to the keypad.

Happened to a friend of mine on a driving vacation. Stopped at a gas station, used his ATM/debit card at the pump. Next day tries to make a withdrawal and 'poof' money's all gone. :angry:

I've heard not to use ATM/debit cards at pumps, high risk of the above. h34r:

 

[Everydaymatters]

What? Are you all advising me to never use it as a Debit card for on-line purchases? That was my intention when I signed up for it. ?????????????

 

[Ryan]

What? Are you all advising me to never use it as a Debit card for on-line purchases? That was my intention when I signed up for it. ?????????????

I've never seen anywhere that allows you to use your debit card as a debit card online (entering your PIN). Everywhere online will treat your debit card as a credit card, and when someone gets ahold of that number and rings up a bunch of fraudulent charges you're going to have none of the protection that having an actual credit card provide.

 

[printman2000]

What? Are you all advising me to never use it as a Debit card for on-line purchases? That was my intention when I signed up for it. ?????????????

Me personally, I would not. As I said before, if someone steals your info, you are most likely going to get your money back. However, since the money comes out of your account as soon as it is used, that means you will not have whatever money was stolen until it is straightened out.

So yes, my advice is to use a credit card, not a debit card for online purchases. But that is just my humble advice.

Personally, I would use a credit card for everything, and pay it off.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I'll tempt 'fate'... -_-

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

As well as taking great care to cover up the keypad with your other hand and positioning your body in front and as close as you can to the keypad.

I find it very annoying that newer ATMs have larger keypads that make this more difficult.

 

[sechs]

but in my case i can't get a CC cause i don't have enough credit

The problem is that you can't get credit without credit. Which is why the secured credit card was invented.

 

[Upstate]

As well as taking great care to cover up the keypad with your other hand and positioning your body in front and as close as you can to the keypad.

I find it very annoying that newer ATMs have larger keypads that make this more difficult.

I just lay my palm on the keypad and use pressure from different fingers instead on poking every button with an outstretched index finger.

 

[Trogdor]

As well as taking great care to cover up the keypad with your other hand and positioning your body in front and as close as you can to the keypad.

I find it very annoying that newer ATMs have larger keypads that make this more difficult.

I just lay my palm on the keypad and use pressure from different fingers instead on poking every button with an outstretched index finger.

I cover the keypad with one hand and feel the keys with my other to enter my PIN...which is why Citibank's touch-screen ATMs annoyed the living hell out of me. Thankfully, those were recently replaced with ATMs that have keypads for the PIN.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

but in my case i can't get a CC cause i don't have enough credit

The problem is that you can't get credit without credit. Which is why the secured credit card was invented.

and just how do i get one. i tried applying for the AGR mastercard and they said i didn't have enough credit.

 

[the_traveler]

For one thing, you might want to start with a local bank and get their credit card (even a secured credit card), make small charges and pay them off in full every month. Do this month after month.

In no time, they will determine you are good enough for an AGR credit card!

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I'm not good enough I suppose. Been there, done that.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

For one thing, you might want to start with a local bank and get their credit card (even a secured credit card), make small charges and pay them off in full every month. Do this month after month.
In no time, they will determine you are good enough for an AGR credit card!

so one of these https://www.huntington.com/pas/HNB1500.htm

and even if i have no credit i can still get one.

 

[GG-1]

For one thing, you might want to start with a local bank and get their credit card (even a secured credit card), make small charges and pay them off in full every month. Do this month after month.
In no time, they will determine you are good enough for an AGR credit card!

so one of these https://www.huntington.com/pas/HNB1500.htm

and even if i have no credit i can still get one.

Aloha

I have no clue to the reputation of the link company, But I would suggest you approach one of the local banks in your area. Explain to the Credit manager What you want. Set up two accounts there, One a Small Credit line account, and one a Checking account with an automatic payment arrangement to the credit account. Then be sure that every time you use the credit account on the same day deposit the amount of the charge to the checking account. You will be surprised how fast you build standing.

 

[jackal]

For one thing, you might want to start with a local bank and get their credit card (even a secured credit card), make small charges and pay them off in full every month. Do this month after month.
In no time, they will determine you are good enough for an AGR credit card!

so one of these https://www.huntington.com/pas/HNB1500.htm

and even if i have no credit i can still get one.

I don't see a secured card at that link. I've also never heard of Huntington Bank, so like Eric, I can't attest to the quality of that product.

Here is a sample secured card from Bank of America. They have a good summary of what a secured card is:

http://www1.bankofamerica.com/creditcards/...p;router_flag=y

You deposit anywhere from $300 up to $10,000 into a Bank of America security deposit account. Your credit line will directly reflect the amount of your deposit....

Based on your credit and payment history with your secured card, you may qualify for an unsecured card at a later date.

Also check out Bankrate.com's 10 questions before getting a secured credit card:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-car...dit-card-1.aspx

For people new to credit, the only ways I can think of to build credit are the following:

• Secured credit cards
  
• Get someone with good credit to co-sign on a loan or card in your name (the other person REALLY has to trust you, though, since you can hurt their credit score if you default!)
  
• Some banks have entry-level student credit cards for full-time college students
  
• Some banks may have extremely low-limit, high-interest rate, high-fee cards for beginners (basically, they figure they'll make back any risk they expose themselves to in the form of finance charges and fees)
  

I did it the first way: when I turned 18, I went to the bank I'd had a checking account with since I was 14, transferred $500 into a savings account, and got a secured card with a $500 limit and used it for everything (paying it off literally every day--easy enough with online bank transfers). Six months later, I applied for an entry-level, low-limit Capitol One card and used that for about another six months or so, at which point I applied for and got an Alaska Airlines classic Visa card, which I then upgraded to Platinum and finally the Signature card. I had Alaska's top-tier credit card by age 21 (I had gotten the original classic Alaska card by age 19). So it's possible if you work the system correctly! (Just make sure you keep using credit responsibly...never charge more than you can pay off [preferably every few days!].)

 

[AAARGH!]

I don't see a secured card at that link. I've also never heard of Huntington Bank, so like Eric, I can't attest to the quality of that product.

Huntington is a mid-size regional bank in the midwest. It has a good reputation.

But for my money, National City (now a part of PNC) is a better bank. But of course I work for them, so I would think that.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I am a Huntington customer and have never had a problem. Their small size sometimes leads to better customer service than some of the bigger banks my friends and family have.

However I hold my primary accounts with Chase. I have found their service is always professional, and timely. They clearly state your rights as a customer and they offer a lot of customer support in understanding laws and regulations with use of their checking, savings, and credit accounts.

 

[Bigval109]

Do NOT, under any circumstances, use a debit card online. When the inevitable happens and someone gets ahold of that card number and makes fraudulent charges, instead of being able to "let it ride" on your CC statement while it gets investigated and adjudicated, you'll be out that money from your checking account. If they wipe out your account and cause a whole mess of overdraft fees, you'll have to live with the negative balance (and have no money to spend or pay other bills) until the entire mess gets sorted out.
10.9% and 11.9% are actually both pretty decent rates and no reason to protest anything.

I would have to concur. My card has been used fraudulently many times over the years, and I am VERY careful about where I use them online.

I had a simular problem when ever I used my credit card on EBay a couple of days later it was hacked. This happened 3 times. I tried to inform Ebay but they were not interested. So I just don't buy from them anymore.