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The It Gets Better Project is Headed to MTV and Logo

Holly — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:20:24 +0000

The It Gets Better Project was created by syndicated columnist, author, and LGBT activist Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller in September 2010 as an inspirational response to anti-gay bullying and the hike in (publicized) LGBT teen suicides. Since then, more than 30,000 touching and motivational videos have been created by countless celebrities, public figures, and regular people like you and me with one resounding message to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens who are being bullied and facing discrimination, intolerance, and hate today: It Gets Better.

This project has achieved amazing success; by just the end of 2010, it raised over $100,000 from $2,500+ grassroots contributors that has gone to increase support and resources available to teenagers in the LGBT community through the project’s affiliation with the Trevor Project suicide hotline, GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), and the ACLU LGBT Project. By the end of this month, the It Gets Better Project will reach an even wider audience with the premiere of the It Gets Better special that will air on both MTV and Logo on Tuesday, February 21st at 11:00 p.m. ET.

The 60-minute special will be anchored by Dan Savage and will follow the lives of three young people at pivotal and emotional moments in their lives: a young man struggling to tell his family and friends that he is gay; a lesbian fighting for parental acceptance; and a transgender man preparing to get married. In additional to these stories, the special will also include video messages full of hope and support from very well-known people, including Adam Levine, Zachary Quinto, Margaret Cho, Chaz Bono, Tim Mcllarth and Brandon Barnes of Rise Against, Vinny Guadagnino, Dave Holmes, Sia and Jake Shears.

Check out the following clip from the It Gets Better special featuring Vanessa who is talking to her mother about her personal fight for acceptance:

This project came at a very crucial moment in time and this special is also very much needed in our society. Simply put, kids are dying. Every day, LGBT youth are being bullied by their peers as well as by adults and authority figures in their communities. They are paying attention to the 2012 political race to the White House and hearing from politicians that everything they are is what is wrong with society. They are being discriminated against, told that they are less-than, rejected and ostracized by their own families, and being cast out for no other reason than being who they are. The statistics are tragic: 9 out of 10 LGBT students have experienced harassment at school; LGBT teens are bullied 2 to 3 times as much as straight teens; LGBT youth with “highly rejecting” families are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than those whose families accept them; more than 1/3 of LGBT youth have attempted suicide.

Kids are dying and the most important thing that we can do, that anyone can do, is accept everyone for who they are because that is enough.

When speaking about the It Gets Better special, Dan Savage said:

“The lives of these three young people will resonate with millions of teens–gay and straight–who are being bullied for simply being themselves. It’s so important they know that things get better and that living openly and honestly and being who you are makes it better. They have so many great moments ahead of them and they will do things they never thought possible–so long as they keep fighting, stay positive, and stay with us.”

The It Gets Better special is the second Dan Savage-centric announcement to come from MTV as of late; he will also be seen this spring in Savage U with Lauren Hutchinson, a show that will follow the duo as they travel to college campuses across the country offering a crash course to students on relationships, responsibility, sex, love, and life.

First Look at Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin and Ed Harris as John McCain in “Game Change” Trailer [Video]

Holly — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:56 +0000

We first heard about Julianne Moore portraying Sarah Palin in the HBO film Game Change nearly a year ago. Sarah Palin could only muster up sarcasm when talking about the movie, which isn’t surprising considering that it is an adaptation of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s 2008 presidential election tell-all book that portrays Palin in a terrible and uninformed light.

A year later, and the film’s cast has only grown more impressive. Ed Harris plays an exhausted John McCain whose own campaign ran away without him once Sarah Palin was introduced to the American public, and Woody Harrelson plays adviser Steve Schmidt who tried to cover up Palin’s inexperience, limited scope of foreign policy knowledge, and incompetence by banking on her charisma to carry her through the campaign.

Check out the following trailer for Game Change; the film premieres on March 10th at 9 p.m. on HBO.

Acura Super Bowl Commercial: Jerry Seinfeld vs. Jay Leno for the First NSX [Video]

Holly — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:04 +0000

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and if you’re like me, you just may tune in for the commercials alone. This is the only time when commercials are not just welcome, but anticipated, so why wait to see what is sure to be one of the hottest ad spots this year during the big game? We just saw Acura’s newest commercial that will air during the Super Bowl and couldn’t wait to share it with you.

High-end sports car aficionados Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno star in this spot for Acura where they are pitted against each other, competing to be the very first person in the world to have the yet-to-be-released Acura NSX. The commercial is hilarious and also features one of the most beloved characters from the show Seinfeld, the Soup Nazi.

Another Swipe Fee Battle Unfolding

Bill Hardekopf — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:00:18 +0000

Another major dispute on interchange fees could take place, and this one may have new, painful consequences on consumers. This time, the battle centers around the swipe fee that retailers pay on credit card transactions.

According to CNBC, there is an antitrust suit between five million retailers and Visa, MasterCard, and 13 large banks, including Citi, Bank of America, Chase, Capital One, U.S. Bancorp, and Wells Fargo. Retailers claim that banks and the payment systems have unfairly worked together to increase the amount of the interchange fee retailers pay on credit card transactions.

The amount that each retailer pays as a swipe fee varies widely but the industry average is approximately 2%. This antitrust suit could cut that figure by three-quarters down to 0.5%. That would be one more devastating revenue blow to the banks as well as Visa and MasterCard, leading to billions of dollars in lost income.

Last year, the Durbin Amendment went into effect on October 1, cutting the interchange fee on debit card transactions from an average of 44 cents to no more than 21 cents (plus 0.05% of the transaction, with the possibility of an additional cent if banks comply with fraud prevention procedures). Banks tried to make up for this lost revenue by implementing a monthly debit card fee which led to consumer outrage. Banks eventually rescinded this monthly fee.

If the retailers win this antitrust suit, it could have a significant impact on consumers:

Banks will lose billions of dollars at a time when they have already suffered significant cutbacks in revenue. Whenever banks lose revenue in one area, they try to make up for it in another area and that always comes at the expense of the consumer. An increase in existing fees, the introduction of new fees, and an increase in the credit card interest rates are changes that could be pushed by banks.
A significant decrease in credit card reward programs. The lucrative cash back and airline mile rewards will likely decline. Most banks eliminated debit card rewards when the Durbin Amendment passed. The same could happen with credit card programs if retailers win this suit.
A likely decrease in attractive balance transfer offers. Currently, credit card issuers are offering 0% interest rates for extended periods of time in order to lure customers from their competitors. The Citi Platinum Select card offers 0% for 21 months; the Discover More card offers 0% for 18 months; and the Slate from Chase card offers 0% for 12 months with no balance transfer fee. If retailers win this antitrust suit, look for credit card issuers to scale back these balance transfer offers.
On the positive side, a possible decrease in prices at store level. Retailers claimed the passage of the Durbin Amendment could lead to a decrease in prices since they would no longer have to pay high swipe fees on debit card transactions. It is difficult to see if this actually took place. However, retailers may face more pressure from consumer groups to cut prices if the interchange fee is also slashed on credit card purchases.

Photo by Helcim

Donate Your Jeans at Any Aéropostale Store to Help Homeless Teens

Holly — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:00:37 +0000

I woke up yesterday morning to a familiar winter chill filling the air. The kind of chill that makes its way into your home regardless of how high the heat is turned up and immediately consumes you before you even open your eyes. The kind of chill that becomes a part of you if you have always lived in a place where it snows, as I have, where as soon as you feel it, you know that while you were sleeping, nature was busy transforming every inch of outside space as far as you can see into the distance a beautiful, pristine white.

Whenever I wake up to newly-fallen snow, I get the same feeling: complete and utter excitement followed by a list of all the ways I could spend my day. You see, a day of snow still makes me feel like I have a personal snow day to take advantage of. It’s a sort of mental health day as commanded by the snow; nature’s little gift to the child in me.

When I look back on these days that I have spent doing very little besides playing video games, watching movies or old episodes of my favorite television shows, or reading a book and drinking freshly-brewed coffee, I realize that I really am lucky. There are a lot of people out there who can’t take that one day in the dead of winter and spend it doing only what they feel like doing. There are millions of people living in this country alone who do not have a home to keep them warm and protected throughout the winter season, and 1 out of every 3 homeless people are under the age of 18.

For the fifth consecutive year, DoSomething.org has teamed up with Aéropostale and P.S. stores for the Teens for Jeans drive.

From now until February 12th, collect your gently worn jeans, any brand, and drop them off at your local Aéropostale or P.S. store. Your jeans will be donated to local homeless shelters and charities that will directly impact a homeless teen’s life. So if you’ve been putting off cleaning out your closet, or if you’re still holding on to jeans that are either too small or too big, give them a new home with someone who will greatly benefit from your contribution. When you drop off your old jeans, you will also receive 25% off a new pair of Aéropostale jeans!

In four years of the Teens for Jeans drive, over 1.5 million pairs of jeans have been collected. To help and motivate youth to have an even bigger impact this year, DoSomething.org has some amazing prizes available for schools who sign up to host a Teens for Jeans drive. As of this writing, over 7,500 schools have signed up and the school that collects the most jeans will win new Aéropostale jeans for every student, a party for their entire school, and $5,000.

Visit Teens for Jeans to sign up your school (make sure it’s okay with your school principal first!), or donate your old jeans on your own at your local Aéropostale or P.S. store and get 25% off a new pair of jeans.

Stop Internet Censorship!

Holly — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:34:47 +0000

Today, some of your favorite websites will not be displaying or functioning fully. They will not be at our collective disposal with just a click of a button, and their content will not be there, ready to entertain us, or inform us, or make us better citizens of the world. Instead, these websites will be dark or possess very little other than a message of protest against proposed U.S. legislation that threatens internet freedom: the Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA).

As it stands today, the U.S. has laws in place to fight online piracy and copyright infringement. You see this in action every time you go to watch a YouTube video and instead of the video, you see a notice that it has been taken down due to some form of copyright infringement of [insert big name corporation here]. SOPA/PIPA would do surprisingly little to actually put an end to online piracy and copyright infringement. What it would do, however, is give the federal government the authority to censor and shut down entire websites on a media company’s say-so and put innovation, creativity, and freedom of expression severely at risk.

The U.S. legal system is held up by a fundamental idea: that people are innocent until proven guilty. The passing of SOPA/PIPA would make it so that those who own and operate websites would not be protected by this same right, as their websites could be taken down based on accusation alone and without due process.

Woman Tribune will not go dark today because as much as I support this protest and every single person doing everything they can to raise awareness about how much damage can and will likely be done with the passing of these pieces of legislation, I cannot afford for the ads you see on this website to go down for the day. And that is really the point, isn’t it?

I Work For the Internet. I have been blogging since I was 13 years old–nearly half my life–and exactly four years and one day ago, I published the first post on this website. While I love writing more than doing anything else in life, I did not start Woman Tribune because of my love of writing; I started my other blog, Menstrual Poetry, because of that. I created Woman Tribune with the hope that it would become a stable, full-time job. As a person who lives with clinical depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and a debilitating disease that started as minor dental issues that has over the years caused my body to start attacking itself, I am not what one would call a reliable employee under normal, society-approved circumstances. It is because of the internet and its accessibility that I have been able to make a living by writing, editing, and freelancing as a web designer and developer. Without it, I would very likely have had little to no other options, and honestly, I have no idea where I would be today. If widespread censorship of the internet were to become an everyday reality, people who live in this country who rely on their blogs and internet businesses to keep them alive could lose everything.

Our society has been heavily influenced by the tech industry; how so many of us work and live has been strengthened by the tools and the platforms that have been made available to us because of the creativity and innovation that has been fostered through this industry. By having any aspect of that forcibly oppressed, we would all be affected.

Take action against SOPA and PIPA. Educate yourself about these two bills and what their passing would mean for every single person who goes on the internet every day. On January 24th, Congress will vote to pass internet censorship in the Senate. Until then, write and call your lawmakers and make sure your voice of opposition is heard.

If you run a WordPress-powered blog and want to participate in the internet blackout today, there are numerous SOPA blackout plugins to choose from. If you don’t use WordPress, there are other apps and codes you can use. You can also follow news about the strike on Twitter using the hashtag #sopastrike.

Photo by SOPA Strike

Suze Orman Introduces Prepaid Card

Bill Hardekopf — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:53 +0000

It didn’t work for the Kardashians. Perhaps it will for Suze Orman.

Orman is the latest celebrity to jump into the prepaid card market. As a well-known financial adviser with a strong following, she just may have the clout to capture a significant portion of the market.

Prepaid cards have historically targeted consumers with poor credit who could not qualify for a standard credit card. These cards were easy to get, but were loaded with exorbitant fees. That began to change last year when American Express introduced its own prepaid card with fewer fees.

There are some nice advantages to Orman’s Approved Card. It has fewer fees than most prepaid cards: there are no loading fees, no fee to transfer money to another card, and no fee to make electronic bill payments. The card comes with free identity theft protection and also gives the cardholder unlimited credit reports and scores from TransUnion, one of the three credit reporting agencies.

As with any card, consumers need to read the fine print to be aware of the fees that will be charged.

The Approved Card costs $3 to purchase and then has a monthly fee after the first month of $3. ATM withdrawals are free each month as long as they are made from the Allpoint network and you make a direct deposit of at least $20 each month. Otherwise, the ATM withdrawals will cost $2 per transaction.

If you get cash back when making a purchase at a retail store, that will cost you $2.

Your first call each month to a customer service representative will be free, but subsequent calls will be $2.

The opportunity to receive unlimited credit reports and scores from TransUnion can be beneficial for consumers, especially those trying to build their credit. However, the score that will be available will be the TransUnion score, not the FICO score that most banks use when deciding a consumer’s credit worthiness. Orman says TransUnion plans to collect Approved Card user data to determine if it should include prepaid card data on its credit reports in the future.

“A debit card linked to your checking account is much better than a prepaid card for most consumers. A debit card will not have the monthly or usage fees that are common with prepaid cards, even this new one from Suze Orman,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. “But for people who don’t have a bank account, or may have some credit problems, her card may be a good alternative.”

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The 10 Most Successful Female CEOs of All Time

Guest Contributor — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:12:14 +0000

This is a guest post by Business Insurance Quotes, providing top notch resources for businesses of all sizes for over 20 years.

Women have slowly but surely made their way into the corporate world over the last few decades. Still, only 18 women are running Fortune 500 companies. These female CEOs have broken the gender barriers in business, but not without many years of hard work, rejections, and slow promotions. Here are the 10 most successful female CEOs of all time.

Patricia Woertz

Patricia Woertz is the CEO of Archer Daniels Midland, a Fortune 500 food production company that operates hundreds of plants used to process crops into food, agricultural, and industrial products. In addition to being the CEO, Woertz also holds the title of president and chairman of the board of directors. Although Woertz has described herself as an “outsider” at ADM, she has managed to help the company achieve record financial results and improve their sourcing, transportation, and processing networks with strategic investments and planning. Woertz’s powerful visions and never-ending list of achievements have earned her a spot in Fortune magazine as the third most powerful woman in 2010.

Laura Sen

Laura Sen is the current CEO at BJ’s Wholesale Club, a membership-only warehouse club chain on the east coast and in the state of Ohio. Sen spent 14 years working for BJ’s before she was promoted to executive vice president and was considered for the position of CEO. After an unexpected firing and reworking of the company, Sen was asked to come back to BJ’s and was appointed to be executive vice president again. Within two years of her return, Sen was promoted to president and chief operating officer. The next year, she became CEO. Since then, Sen has taken the company to new levels of success and efficiency. Her unique management style and accessibility to all workers has made her a true success in the business world.

Ellen J. Kullman

Ellen J. Kullman is the CEO and chair of the board of DuPont, the third largest chemical company in the world. Kullman joined DuPont in 1988 and worked as the marketing manager in the medical imaging business before being promoted to executive vice president. During this time, she managed four of DuPont’s business platforms and shifted the company’s focus on international markets. As CEO, Kullman has revolutionized the company’s customer relations and overall innovation by focusing on what customers need and letting that drive their decision-making. Kullman’s innovative leadership and keen industry knowledge has made her own of the most successful female CEOs of all time.

Gracia C. Martore

Gracia C. Martore is the current CEO of Gannett, a media and marketing solutions company. Martore came to Gannett in 1985 and worked as the assistant treasurer before acquiring the position as vice president in the treasury group in the ’90s. She went on to become the treasurer and vice president/investor relations and later the senior vice president of finance. Martore worked her way up the ladder to become the executive vice president and chief financial officer in 2006, and was later named president and chief operating officer. She was finally appointed to the position of CEO on October 6, 2011. Martore’s rise to success was a symbol of achievement for female CEOs everywhere. Her accomplishments and dedication to Gannett have made her a true success story.

Margaret Whitman

Margaret Whitman is the former CEO of eBay and the current chief executive of Hewlett-Packard. In September 2011, Whitman became CEO of the giant tech corporation after the two former leaders failed to meet the company’s expectations. Whitman has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to HP. While at eBay, Whitman helped the online retailer grow from a small start-up to a global giant. Whitman plans to focus on the internal development of HP and provide data management services to other corporations. She also hopes to improve HP’s finances by limiting big acquisitions and scaling back on budget cuts. Whitman’s innovative ideas, strong leadership, and past successes as CEO will certainly shake things up for HP and the technology market in general.

Indra K. Nooyi

Indra K. Nooyi is one of the most well-known and successful businesswomen in the world. Nooyi has served as the CEO of PepsiCo for five years, where she has helped change the face of the giant food and beverage business. Nooyi’s innovative ideas and modern advertising strategies have increased PepsiCo’s exposure and global strengths. She is credited for helping PepsiCo expand its brand options by including healthy products like Tropicana and Quaker Oats. Nooyi’s bold business moves and strong leadership skills make her a successful and idolized CEO.

Irene B. Rosenfeld

Irene B. Rosenfeld has spent many years working in the food and beverage industry, but her biggest career accomplishment to date would be working as the current CEO and chairman of Kraft Foods. Since 2006, Rosenfeld has managed Kraft Foods, bringing many innovative ideas and collaborative efforts to the company. Rosenfeld has also helped restructure the business and improve earnings in the U.S. and international markets. Rosenfeld’s strong work ethic and collaborative attitude have made her a strong leader at Kraft and one of the most influential CEOs of all time.

Carol Meyrowitz

Carol Meyrowitz is the current CEO of TJX Companies Inc., a leading discount retailer of apparel and home goods, which includes T.J. Maxx, Marshall’s, Winners, HomeGoods, T.K. Maxx, and other stores. Meyrowitz has been with TJX Companies for 28 years, where she was able to pursue new job opportunities and become a strong leader with every promotion. Meyrowitz’s longtime experience with TJX and deep understanding of off-price retail has made her an expert in the industry. Her company loyalty and strong leadership skills have earned her a spot as one of the most successful female CEOs of all time.

Beth Mooney

Beth Mooney is the CEO and chairman of KeyCorp, a bank-based financial service company headquartered in Cleveland. Here, she oversees about 15,000 employees and nearly $90 billion in assets. KeyCorp has fought through one of the worst financial crises in U.S. history and has managed to return to profitability with Mooney’s strong leadership. Mooney’s dedication and personal rise to success have inspired many businesswomen and non-businesswomen alike to work hard for their dreams.

Ursula M. Burns

Ursula M. Burns is the current CEO and chairman of Xerox Corporation. Not only is Burns the first woman to succeed another woman as head of a Fortune 500 company, but she is also the first African American woman CEO to run a Fortune 500 company. Burns got her start at Xerox in 1980 as a mechanical engineering intern and later worked in product development and planning. Burns climbed the corporate ladder, assuming new roles as senior vice president and later president. More than 25 years later, Burns was finally promoted to CEO in 2009. Burns has already faced many challenges trying to improve sales and get customers buying again. Burns’ industry knowledge and business smarts have helped Xerox tackle some of these issues and prepare for the future of printing.

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Gift Cards — Use Them Before You Lose Them

Bill Hardekopf — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:02:22 +0000

The holiday presents have been unwrapped and most of us received at least one gift card. Now is the time to shop with these cards while they are still fresh in our hands.

The National Retail Federation predicts that 80% of people have purchased gift cards this holiday season and shoppers will spend an average of $43.23 per card. Total holiday spending on gift cards in 2011 reached $27.8 billion. That number grows each year because gift cards are the easiest present to give, saving time and shopping stress for the giver.

Surprisingly, it is also a present that goes unused. Last year, 113 million Americans received gift cards during the holidays, but at the start of the 2011 holiday shopping season, a quarter of recipients still had an unused gift card from last year.

“For some reason, gift cards aren’t spent as quickly as a cash gift,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. “We slide them into a wallet or drop them in a drawer, lose them, or forget about them. We let that money waste away. The best time to use a gift card is soon after you receive it. Use them before you lose them.”

What happens to unused gift cards? The Securities and Exchange Commission allows companies to count unused gift card money as income once they can reasonably say the card won’t be redeemed. However, some states require unused gift cards to go to an unclaimed funds account. Those states can then use the unclaimed funds for general purposes until someone claims it.

Consumer Tips for Using Gift Cards

Use them before they expire. Merchant and bank-issued gift cards must now be good for five years, thanks to the CARD Act provisions. Reloadable cards can expire five years after the money was last added.
Research the fees. Some cards, like bank-issued cards, also charge fees, such as a monthly fee after 12 months of inactivity.
If you will not use the card, or would prefer to have the cash, you can resell the card. There are several sites, such as Plastic Jungle or Cardpool, that are a marketplace to buy, sell, or exchange gift cards. You may receive as much as 80-90% back for your gift card. Some cards are worth more than others and the price can vary between sites.
Turn your gift card into cash for investing or saving. GoalMine trades unused gift cards for cash to fund your GoalMine account. Receive 150% of the initial $50 of card value on your first card if you’re opening a new account, and market value for the rest.
Donate your gift card to charity and get a tax deduction. Many national charities and foundations, like the Kidney & Urology Foundation of America, accept gift card donations.

Photo by jpmarth

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Credit Report Data Getting More Personal

Bill Hardekopf — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:00:52 +0000

Credit reporting is a booming business. Agencies now sell data about how much you make, how much you owe, even predicting if you will take your medication. Taking care of what you credit report says about you should be a financial resolution for 2012.

Credit agencies are finding new ways to collect and assemble data on individual consumers. Credit reports can now reveal evictions, applications for payday loans, even if you are behind on your homeowner’s association dues. Agencies analyze and sell this data to lenders, employers, insurers and renters who use these reports to make judgments about you.

Credit agency CoreLogic will soon provide credit files that dig deeper than the three traditional credit bureaus–Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. According to the New York Times, this will include property tax liens, if more is owed on a house than it is worth, or if someone is behind on homeowner’s association dues. It may also include payment history for utility and cell phone bills. This data will be available in March for mortgage and home equity lenders, but it could eventually be developed for other types of credit. CoreLogic combined property and mortgage information; legal, parcel and geospatial data; motor vehicle records; criminal background records; national coverage eviction information; payday lending records; credit information; and tax records.

In February 2011, Experian purchased RentBureau, a credit bureau that allows apartment owners and managers to share rental payment history. These rental payment histories are now factored into Experian’s consumer credit reports.

“As agencies add more information to credit reports, there is a greater chance for negative entries and black marks to show up on your credit report,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. “Extended reporting could be bad news for households that are already living on the edge and struggling to pay the bills each month. A missed payment here and a late payment there can add up. Unfortunately, there is no loan officer to look at the whole story. Financial histories and futures could now be judged by algorithms.”

Having a good credit report means access to loans with lower interest rates; lower interest rates translate into smaller monthly payments and keeping more money in your pocket. A good credit report can also help you qualify for a job, insurance or an apartment. A bad credit report can lead to higher interest rates, housing rejections and a more difficult job search.

Tips for Building a Better Credit Report

Review your credit report and make sure all of the debts are accurate. Each year you can get a free credit report from the three credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) through AnnualCreditReport.com.
Know your rights. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, both the credit reporting company and the information provider are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. Tell the credit reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate. Include copies (you keep originals) of documents that support your position. Credit reporting companies must investigate the items in question unless they consider your dispute frivolous. When the investigation is complete, the credit reporting company must give you the written results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. If the negative information in your report is accurate, you must wait out the time for its removal. A credit reporting company can report most negative information for seven years and bankruptcy information for 10 years.
Pay all your bills on time. Late payments, the most common piece of negative information appearing on credit reports, are often responsible for significant drops in credit scores. Make at least the minimum payments on your credit cards and loans on time each and every month. If you have a good payment history but slip up with a random late payment, ask your lender to erase the late payment from your credit history.
If your have a good credit card, keep it. Maintaining a card and building a good payment history looks good on your credit report and helps build your credit score. Creditors want you to have a long, dependable credit history.
If you are just getting started, don’t open several new accounts all at once because that will lower your average account age. Opening too many accounts during a short period could indicate you are desperate for money and are a credit risk.
Pay off your debt. High balances and high debt ratios can drag down your credit score. If you are having trouble paying your bills, contact your creditors to work out a payment plan or see a legitimate credit counselor. This will help you manage your credit and improve your score over time. A good place to start is the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
Get a checking and a savings account.

Photo by mikezenero

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Hillary Clinton Delivers Historic LGBT Rights Speech in Celebration of International Human Rights Day

Holly — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:00:16 +0000

On December 10, 1948, after a nearly-two year process of drafting, revising, and rewriting, forty-eight nations voted in favor of adopting one of the most important texts to human beings everywhere–the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This text proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. It is a simple, yet extraordinarily powerful idea, and one that in the past 63 years has led many nations to instill lasting change benefiting the citizens of their collective countries. However, this has not been enough to protect all human beings based on the simple fact that they are human beings. Even in the United States today, countless people are affected by broad injustice, discrimination, and intolerance.

Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a profound speech to a packed auditorium in Geneva where hundreds of human rights activists have gathered for International Human Rights Day, which will take place worldwide this Saturday. In the 30-minute speech, Clinton mentioned the uphill battles that have been fought and won through tireless activism and perseverance throughout history; battles such as repealing and abolishing racist laws, no longer accepting the notion that women should be treated as second-class citizens, and fighting for the ability of religious minorities to practice their faith freely and without prejudice. While success has come with these battles, much work remains for those who hope to see a world in which discrimination no longer plays a role in the daily lives of minorities or those who have been cast out as “others.” One group of those who are still being denied their basic fundamental human rights in large parts of the world, including in the United States, are those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender–the LGBT community. This community was the topic of Secretary of State Clinton’s speech, which is being heralded as a modern day “I Have a Dream” speech and after watching video of it twice now, I can definitely see why.

You can watch Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s International Human Rights Day speech below, followed by a full transcript:

Transcript:

Good evening, and let me express my deep honor and pleasure at being here. I want to thank Director General Tokayev and Ms. Wyden along with other ministers, ambassadors, excellencies, and UN partners. This weekend, we will celebrate Human Rights Day, the anniversary of one of the great accomplishments of the last century.

Beginning in 1947, delegates from six continents devoted themselves to drafting a declaration that would enshrine the fundamental rights and freedoms of people everywhere. In the aftermath of World War II, many nations pressed for a statement of this kind to help ensure that we would prevent future atrocities and protect the inherent humanity and dignity of all people. And so the delegates went to work. They discussed, they wrote, they revisited, revised, rewrote, for thousands of hours. And they incorporated suggestions and revisions from governments, organizations, and individuals around the world.

At three o’clock in the morning on December 10th, 1948, after nearly two years of drafting and one last long night of debate, the president of the UN General Assembly called for a vote on the final text. Forty-eight nations voted in favor; eight abstained; none dissented. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. It proclaims a simple, powerful idea: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. And with the declaration, it was made clear that rights are not conferred by government; they are the birthright of all people. It does not matter what country we live in, who our leaders are, or even who we are. Because we are human, we therefore have rights. And because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them.

In the 63 years since the declaration was adopted, many nations have made great progress in making human rights a human reality. Step by step, barriers that once prevented people from enjoying the full measure of liberty, the full experience of dignity, and the full benefits of humanity have fallen away. In many places, racist laws have been repealed, legal and social practices that relegated women to second-class status have been abolished, the ability of religious minorities to practice their faith freely has been secured.

In most cases, this progress was not easily won. People fought and organized and campaigned in public squares and private spaces to change not only laws, but hearts and minds. And thanks to that work of generations, for millions of individuals whose lives were once narrowed by injustice, they are now able to live more freely and to participate more fully in the political, economic, and social lives of their communities.

Now, there is still, as you all know, much more to be done to secure that commitment, that reality, and progress for all people. Today, I want to talk about the work we have left to do to protect one group of people whose human rights are still denied in too many parts of the world today. In many ways, they are an invisible minority. They are arrested, beaten, terrorized, even executed. Many are treated with contempt and violence by their fellow citizens while authorities empowered to protect them look the other way or, too often, even join in the abuse. They are denied opportunities to work and learn, driven from their homes and countries, and forced to suppress or deny who they are to protect themselves from harm.

I am talking about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, human beings born free and given bestowed equality and dignity, who have a right to claim that, which is now one of the remaining human rights challenges of our time. I speak about this subject knowing that my own country’s record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect. Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home.

Now, raising this issue, I know, is sensitive for many people and that the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights of LGBT people rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural, and religious beliefs. So I come here before you with respect, understanding, and humility. Even though progress on this front is not easy, we cannot delay acting. So in that spirit, I want to talk about the difficult and important issues we must address together to reach a global consensus that recognizes the human rights of LGBT citizens everywhere.

The first issue goes to the heart of the matter. Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct; but, in fact, they are one and the same. Now, of course, 60 years ago, the governments that drafted and passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were not thinking about how it applied to the LGBT community. They also weren’t thinking about how it applied to indigenous people or children or people with disabilities or other marginalized groups. Yet in the past 60 years, we have come to recognize that members of these groups are entitled to the full measure of dignity and rights, because, like all people, they share a common humanity.

This recognition did not occur all at once. It evolved over time. And as it did, we understood that we were honoring rights that people always had, rather than creating new or special rights for them. Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.

It is violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave. It is a violation of human rights when governments declare it illegal to be gay, or allow those who harm gay people to go unpunished. It is a violation of human rights when lesbian or transgendered women are subjected to so-called corrective rape, or forcibly subjected to hormone treatments, or when people are murdered after public calls for violence toward gays, or when they are forced to flee their nations and seek asylum in other lands to save their lives. And it is a violation of human rights when life-saving care is withheld from people because they are gay, or equal access to justice is denied to people because they are gay, or public spaces are out of bounds to people because they are gay. No matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we are, we are all equally entitled to our human rights and dignity.

The second issue is a question of whether homosexuality arises from a particular part of the world. Some seem to believe it is a Western phenomenon, and therefore people outside the West have grounds to reject it. Well, in reality, gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths; they are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes; and whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbors.

Being gay is not a Western invention; it is a human reality. And protecting the human rights of all people, gay or straight, is not something that only Western governments do. South Africa’s constitution, written in the aftermath of Apartheid, protects the equality of all citizens, including gay people. In Colombia and Argentina, the rights of gays are also legally protected. In Nepal, the supreme court has ruled that equal rights apply to LGBT citizens. The Government of Mongolia has committed to pursue new legislation that will tackle anti-gay discrimination.

Now, some worry that protecting the human rights of the LGBT community is a luxury that only wealthy nations can afford. But in fact, in all countries, there are costs to not protecting these rights, in both gay and straight lives lost to disease and violence, and the silencing of voices and views that would strengthen communities, in ideas never pursued by entrepreneurs who happen to be gay. Costs are incurred whenever any group is treated as lesser or the other, whether they are women, racial, or religious minorities, or the LGBT. Former President Mogae of Botswana pointed out recently that for as long as LGBT people are kept in the shadows, there cannot be an effective public health program to tackle HIV and AIDS. Well, that holds true for other challenges as well.

The third, and perhaps most challenging, issue arises when people cite religious or cultural values as a reason to violate or not to protect the human rights of LGBT citizens. This is not unlike the justification offered for violent practices towards women like honor killings, widow burning, or female genital mutilation. Some people still defend those practices as part of a cultural tradition. But violence toward women isn’t cultural; it’s criminal. Likewise with slavery, what was once justified as sanctioned by God is now properly reviled as an unconscionable violation of human rights.

In each of these cases, we came to learn that no practice or tradition trumps the human rights that belong to all of us. And this holds true for inflicting violence on LGBT people, criminalizing their status or behavior, expelling them from their families and communities, or tacitly or explicitly accepting their killing.

Of course, it bears noting that rarely are cultural and religious traditions and teachings actually in conflict with the protection of human rights. Indeed, our religion and our culture are sources of compassion and inspiration toward our fellow human beings. It was not only those who’ve justified slavery who leaned on religion, it was also those who sought to abolish it. And let us keep in mind that our commitments to protect the freedom of religion and to defend the dignity of LGBT people emanate from a common source. For many of us, religious belief and practice is a vital source of meaning and identity, and fundamental to who we are as people. And likewise, for most of us, the bonds of love and family that we forge are also vital sources of meaning and identity. And caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human. It is because the human experience is universal that human rights are universal and cut across all religions and cultures.

The fourth issue is what history teaches us about how we make progress towards rights for all. Progress starts with honest discussion. Now, there are some who say and believe that all gay people are pedophiles, that homosexuality is a disease that can be caught or cured, or that gays recruit others to become gay. Well, these notions are simply not true. They are also unlikely to disappear if those who promote or accept them are dismissed out of hand rather than invited to share their fears and concerns. No one has ever abandoned a belief because he was forced to do so.

Universal human rights include freedom of expression and freedom of belief, even if our words or beliefs denigrate the humanity of others. Yet, while we are each free to believe whatever we choose, we cannot do whatever we choose, not in a world where we protect the human rights of all.

Reaching understanding of these issues takes more than speech. It does take a conversation. In fact, it takes a constellation of conversations in places big and small. And it takes a willingness to see stark differences in belief as a reason to begin the conversation, not to avoid it.

But progress comes from changes in laws. In many places, including my own country, legal protections have preceded, not followed, broader recognition of rights. Laws have a teaching effect. Laws that discriminate validate other kinds of discrimination. Laws that require equal protections reinforce the moral imperative of equality. And practically speaking, it is often the case that laws must change before fears about change dissipate.

Many in my country thought that President Truman was making a grave error when he ordered the racial desegregation of our military. They argued that it would undermine unit cohesion. And it wasn’t until he went ahead and did it that we saw how it strengthened our social fabric in ways even the supporters of the policy could not foresee. Likewise, some worried in my country that the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would have a negative effect on our armed forces. Now, the Marine Corps Commandant, who was one of the strongest voices against the repeal, says that his concerns were unfounded and that the Marines have embraced the change.

Finally, progress comes from being willing to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. We need to ask ourselves, “How would it feel if it were a crime to love the person I love? How would it feel to be discriminated against for something about myself that I cannot change?” This challenge applies to all of us as we reflect upon deeply held beliefs, as we work to embrace tolerance and respect for the dignity of all persons, and as we engage humbly with those with whom we disagree in the hope of creating greater understanding.

A fifth and final question is how we do our part to bring the world to embrace human rights for all people including LGBT people. Yes, LGBT people must help lead this effort, as so many of you are. Their knowledge and experiences are invaluable and their courage inspirational. We know the names of brave LGBT activists who have literally given their lives for this cause, and there are many more whose names we will never know. But often those who are denied rights are least empowered to bring about the changes they seek. Acting alone, minorities can never achieve the majorities necessary for political change.

So when any part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines. Every time a barrier to progress has fallen, it has taken a cooperative effort from those on both sides of the barrier. In the fight for women’s rights, the support of men remains crucial. The fight for racial equality has relied on contributions from people of all races. Combating Islamaphobia or anti-Semitism is a task for people of all faiths. And the same is true with this struggle for equality.

Conversely, when we see denials and abuses of human rights and fail to act, that sends the message to those deniers and abusers that they won’t suffer any consequences for their actions, and so they carry on. But when we do act, we send a powerful moral message. Right here in Geneva, the international community acted this year to strengthen a global consensus around the human rights of LGBT people. At the Human Rights Council in March, 85 countries from all regions supported a statement calling for an end to criminalization and violence against people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

At the following session of the Council in June, South Africa took the lead on a resolution about violence against LGBT people. The delegation from South Africa spoke eloquently about their own experience and struggle for human equality and its indivisibility. When the measure passed, it became the first-ever UN resolution recognizing the human rights of gay people worldwide. In the Organization of American States this year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights created a unit on the rights of LGBT people, a step toward what we hope will be the creation of a special rapporteur.

Now, we must go further and work here and in every region of the world to galvanize more support for the human rights of the LGBT community. To the leaders of those countries where people are jailed, beaten, or executed for being gay, I ask you to consider this: Leadership, by definition, means being out in front of your people when it is called for. It means standing up for the dignity of all your citizens and persuading your people to do the same. It also means ensuring that all citizens are treated as equals under your laws, because let me be clear – I am not saying that gay people can’t or don’t commit crimes. They can and they do, just like straight people. And when they do, they should be held accountable, but it should never be a crime to be gay.

And to people of all nations, I say supporting human rights is your responsibility too. The lives of gay people are shaped not only by laws, but by the treatment they receive every day from their families, from their neighbors. Eleanor Roosevelt, who did so much to advance human rights worldwide, said that these rights begin in the small places close to home – the streets where people live, the schools they attend, the factories, farms, and offices where they work. These places are your domain. The actions you take, the ideals that you advocate, can determine whether human rights flourish where you are.

And finally, to LGBT men and women worldwide, let me say this: Wherever you live and whatever the circumstances of your life, whether you are connected to a network of support or feel isolated and vulnerable, please know that you are not alone. People around the globe are working hard to support you and to bring an end to the injustices and dangers you face. That is certainly true for my country. And you have an ally in the United States of America and you have millions of friends among the American people.

The Obama Administration defends the human rights of LGBT people as part of our comprehensive human rights policy and as a priority of our foreign policy. In our embassies, our diplomats are raising concerns about specific cases and laws, and working with a range of partners to strengthen human rights protections for all. In Washington, we have created a task force at the State Department to support and coordinate this work. And in the coming months, we will provide every embassy with a toolkit to help improve their efforts. And we have created a program that offers emergency support to defenders of human rights for LGBT people.

This morning, back in Washington, President Obama put into place the first U.S. Government strategy dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad. Building on efforts already underway at the State Department and across the government, the President has directed all U.S. Government agencies engaged overseas to combat the criminalization of LGBT status and conduct, to enhance efforts to protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, to ensure that our foreign assistance promotes the protection of LGBT rights, to enlist international organizations in the fight against discrimination, and to respond swiftly to abuses against LGBT persons.

I am also pleased to announce that we are launching a new Global Equality Fund that will support the work of civil society organizations working on these issues around the world. This fund will help them record facts so they can target their advocacy, learn how to use the law as a tool, manage their budgets, train their staffs, and forge partnerships with women’s organizations and other human rights groups. We have committed more than $3 million to start this fund, and we have hope that others will join us in supporting it.

The women and men who advocate for human rights for the LGBT community in hostile places, some of whom are here today with us, are brave and dedicated, and deserve all the help we can give them. We know the road ahead will not be easy. A great deal of work lies before us. But many of us have seen firsthand how quickly change can come. In our lifetimes, attitudes toward gay people in many places have been transformed. Many people, including myself, have experienced a deepening of our own convictions on this topic over the years, as we have devoted more thought to it, engaged in dialogues and debates, and established personal and professional relationships with people who are gay.

This evolution is evident in many places. To highlight one example, the Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality in India two years ago, writing, and I quote, “If there is one tenet that can be said to be an underlying theme of the Indian constitution, it is inclusiveness.” There is little doubt in my mind that support for LGBT human rights will continue to climb. Because for many young people, this is simple: All people deserve to be treated with dignity and have their human rights respected, no matter who they are or whom they love.

There is a phrase that people in the United States invoke when urging others to support human rights: “Be on the right side of history.” The story of the United States is the story of a nation that has repeatedly grappled with intolerance and inequality. We fought a brutal civil war over slavery. People from coast to coast joined in campaigns to recognize the rights of women, indigenous peoples, racial minorities, children, people with disabilities, immigrants, workers, and on and on. And the march toward equality and justice has continued. Those who advocate for expanding the circle of human rights were and are on the right side of history, and history honors them. Those who tried to constrict human rights were wrong, and history reflects that as well.

I know that the thoughts I’ve shared today involve questions on which opinions are still evolving. As it has happened so many times before, opinion will converge once again with the truth, the immutable truth, that all persons are created free and equal in dignity and rights. We are called once more to make real the words of the Universal Declaration. Let us answer that call. Let us be on the right side of history, for our people, our nations, and future generations, whose lives will be shaped by the work we do today. I come before you with great hope and confidence that no matter how long the road ahead, we will travel it successfully together. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

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Another Protest Scheduled Against Big Banks

Bill Hardekopf — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:00:11 +0000

The outrage toward large banks continues.

Fresh off the heels of consumer protests over monthly debit card fees and “Bank Transfer Day” is a new movement that speaks out against high credit card rates.

December 11 has been deemed “Balance Transfer Day” where consumers are encouraged to switch from high interest credit cards to lower or zero rate cards.

The Balance Transfer Day’s Manifesto statement on Facebook encourages consumers to “demand the same 0% interest rate that banks receive from the federal government” and “create our own bailouts by using a balance transfer as a means to bail ourselves out of credit card debt.”

“Criticizing high interest rates is a fair point, and encouraging cardholders to transfer balances to a card with a lower rate can help save them money in interest payments. This is a good reminder to shop around at other banks and credit unions to see if you can get a better deal, especially as you start the new year with resolutions to improve your finances,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com and author of The Credit Card Guidebook. “However, getting a lower credit card rate may not be as easy as transferring your account to another bank. The rates you receive are based on your credit score. If your score is low, then your interest rates are going to be higher and you are going to have fewer options. The only real way to pay 0% interest on a credit card is to pay off the entire balance each month.”

Tips When Transferring a Credit Card Balance

Balance transfers are usually not free. Most come with a balance transfer fee, typically 3% or 4% of the total amount you transfer. However, Chase is currently offering a special balance transfer offer on the Slate card where there is no transfer fee. Before you apply for any balance transfer card, do the math to see if the amount of interest payments you save with the introductory offer is more than the balance transfer fee that has to be paid immediately.
If you feel you will be unable to pay off the entire balance during the introductory period, pay attention to the interest rate that you will pay after the introductory rate expires. In this case, a low APR for the long-term could be more important than the length of the introductory period.
If you currently have a low credit score, you may not receive the introductory offer that is advertised. The ongoing APR you receive may be higher or your introductory period may be shorter. Or you may not be able to transfer your total balance.
If you do transfer your balance, you must pay your credit card bill on time every month. If you have a late payment, your introductory period will likely end and you will be assessed the ongoing APR on the transferred balance.
The introductory rate may only be applicable for the amount you transferred. Unless the introductory offer specifically includes new purchases, any purchase made with the new card will be at the ongoing interest rate.
If the offer you receive does not meet your needs, decline the card. Limit the number of applications because multiple credit applications are a red flag on your credit report and can lower your credit score.
The new issuer pays the amount of the balance directly to the old issuer and the amount you owe them will be reduced by the amount you transferred. The available credit on your new account will be reduced, as if you had made a purchase.
It takes about four weeks for the balance to be transferred. Continue to make all required payments until you confirm that the balance transfers were made. Transferring a balance does not automatically close your old account. If you want to close that old account, contact the issuer immediately.

Attractive Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Slate from Chase–Limited Time No Balance Transfer Fee
No balance transfer fee for the first 30 days of account opening, a 0% introductory APR for up to 12 months on transfers and purchases, and no annual fee. The ongoing APR is 11.99-21.99%.
Citi Platinum Select
This card offers 0% interest rate for 21 months on both the balance transfer and new purchases. The balance transfer fee is 3%. The ongoing APR is 11.99-20.99%.
Discover More
This special Discover More offer is for 0% interest on balance transfers for 18 months. Consumers also receive 0% on purchases for 6 months. The balance transfer fee is 3% and the ongoing APR is 11.99-20.99%.
Capital One Platinum Prestige
Consumers receive 0% interest until February 2013 on both purchases and balance transfers. The balance transfer fee is 3%. The APR is 10.90-18.90%.

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Is it Gender or Skills that Make a Good Social Media Marketer?

Liz — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:00:32 +0000

Ten years ago I started working for my husband providing marketing services for his software business. At the time, we were not married and he lived in another state therefore most of our communication was done over the phone. He didn’t have any background in marketing, and figured since I had taken some college courses related to marketing I could turn his business around.

How I wish social media was then what it is today. We were lucky to at least have Instant Messenger.

According to ComScore 2010 US Digital Year in Review women spend more time social networking than men. Women spent approximately 16.8% on social sites in December of 2010 while men spent only 12%.

Today, social media tools are just as much associated with businesses as well as personal lives. Some researchers claim women are better with social media while others say men are. To confuse matters further, the LinkedIn research team suggests that women are better communicators in male industries and men are better at marketing in female industries (here is the report).

However, is this a real gender issue–or is it more about the skills needed to get the job done?

In this article, I address specific skills which are necessary to have in order to effectively and efficiently work with these tools. A few are listed below.

Communication and Relationships

To be fair, men can be great communicators in the work place where they are required to communicate information related to their expertise. My brother is a perfect example. He is a doctor and is known for his warm old fashioned bedside manner with his patients. He is patient, takes his time explaining technical diagnoses in simple-to-understand terms. His patients love him. However, as his sister, I find his personal communication skills stink (for lack of a better word) and could use drastic improvement.

On the other hand, women stereotypically speaking are natural communicators. We innately desire more emotional components in our relationships, from the personal sexual aspect to the professional relationships we build in the workplace.

Having worked for nearly a decade from a home office, transitioning to a new job in an office location with other women was something I wasn’t too crazy about at first as I’m quite content minding my own when I work. However, it wasn’t before long I started finding the need to get up out of my chair just to see what was going on with others and start a little friendly chit chat.

While working at home, I had my husband to chat with throughout the day or at lunch. In the office in my new job at the time, I still needed that interactivity–I never knew how innate it actually was in my own life.

Organization and Strategy

Another skill a person who wants to be successful at social marketing must have is the ability to be strategically organized. This means planning campaigns and following through. My husband is a big picture thinker and visionary. He comes up with an idea and yet doesn’t have a clue how to strategically implement it. Just throw it out there and see what happens.

Yes, I know some women are like this too, but I’m talking in general–and yes based on stereotypes. In my current job, I just wrote a press release about our sip solutions for encryption. Sip service or trunking is another term for VoIP, but for business. I created a list of all the places I would need to post a link or reference to this press release. No point in posting it online at our website only to not tell anyone about it–what a waste of time! So, I organized a list of all the places and how to spread the word. I also wrote a blog post on the topic, creating additional internal linking and relevant content.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, website, blogs, and newsletters–all these had to be strategically worded and sent out. I had to figure out not only what day to send it out, but what time of day in order to be most effective. Even though my male boss said it was fine to send it out on the weekend, I knew I’d be better off waiting for Monday daytime at the earliest. My efforts proved right.

To do well at social media is not about sending tweets at 2AM announcing a random new promo. It’s much more than that. It’s engaging with your audience in a deliberate and well managed and thought out process.

Intuition–Women Tend to Be Better at It

When dealing with social media, the tone of communication used for one company may be different than another. Learning to discern what is appropriate is an important aspect of communicating–it calls for intuition, something women tend to have a knack for.

For example, when working with my husband’s small business in sales, I knew many of our customers were from the art industry and not Corporate America. Many in our industry were mom and pop stores and having a personal touch is what worked for them.

Today, I work with a corporation, where my interactions may not be as personal–but the level of communication skill is–as long as it’s in an appropriate manner. For example, my role may be to ask a lot of industry specific questions to instigate a stronger degree of interaction and debate by those in my circles.

In the end, when dealing with social media tools, does it really matter if the role belongs to a man or woman? My answer is no, as long as the candidate has the proper interpersonal and relational skills needed for that particular job and industry. If they don’t, are they able to adapt and change?

Organization, strategy, intuition, and the ability to communicate effectively with the target audience–these are the skills which an individual who wants to be successful in the social media marketing world must either already possess or show an ability to learn an attain. If they cannot listen, learn and be trained–find someone who can!

Photo by Internet Marketing1

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New Credit Card Rule May Hurt Stay-at-Home Parents

Bill Hardekopf — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:00:15 +0000

December and January are the biggest months of the year for credit card applications. This is the time that consumers look for cards with better rewards or cards with lower rates to get their finances in shape.

However, new federal regulations that went into effect on October 1 may prevent some people, like stay-at-home parents, from getting their own credit card.

The new rule is part of the CARD Act and says credit card issuers must only consider the applicant’s own salary or other income. Any person that applies for a card must be able to make his or her own payments. Household income or combined income is no longer considered in the approval process. This means a stay-at-home parent who has no outside income will find it very difficult to get approved for a credit card.

“The intent of limiting credit cards to individuals who can afford them is a good idea, but just like many regulations, there are unintended consequences,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. “This is a bigger problem than just the name on a piece of plastic. Credit card payment history is an important component in a credit score. If you aren’t building a good history with a credit card in your own name, this could drag your credit score and may cause higher rates with future loans or become a reason for rejection during job interviews.”

Before the regulation, a person could get a credit card account based on the income of another family member. The stay-at-home spouse could get a credit card in his or her own name based on the salary of the working spouse.

This new income requirement only applies to new accounts. It does not affect existing credit card accounts.

Other Credit Options

Secured Cards
If you don’t qualify for a credit card in your own name, you may want to consider a secured card. The credit limit will be the amount of your deposit. But cards like Capital One’s Secured MasterCard may give credit line increases based on your payment and credit history.

“Secured cards can be a good place to start when you can’t get a credit card,” says Hardekopf. “Make sure the card reports to all three credit bureaus so you get credit for a good payment history. If you carry a balance, you will still have to pay interest, so pay off the card each month. Many secured cards have higher interest rates than standard credit cards.”
Authorized User
You can also become an authorized user on your spouse’s credit card. Your name will appear on the credit card and you will have full charging privileges, but you are not the owner of the account. The lender will report the credit information of both you and your spouse to the credit bureaus. FICO includes authorized accounts in its score calculation and if your spouse has a good payment history, this can boost your credit score. Vantage Score does not use authorized user accounts in its formula.

“Keep in mind that there are some risks to authorized accounts,” says Hardekopf. “If your spouse already has a low credit score, it won’t improve your score. If they have a late payment, or a high balance, this can also drag down your score.”

Photo via debtcovered

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Using Reward Credit Cards for Holiday Shopping

Bill Hardekopf — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:00:12 +0000

Throughout 2011, credit card issuers have sweetened reward card offers to attract more consumers. Since most consumers spend so much additional money during the holidays, this is a great time to take advantage of these offers and quickly earn some extra cash or miles.

6 Tips for Using Reward Credit Cards to Maximize Your Holiday Shopping

Use your rewards points. These can be used to buy gift cards with many retailers. An example: you can use American Express Membership Reward points to shop at Amazon.com to pay in full or for part of your purchase.
Pay attention to partner programs. Most credit card issuers have a partner program that offers discounts or bonuses for online purchases with certain companies. The program varies by issuer, but the partners could be stores where you already shop. Discover turns $20 rewards into $25 gift cards. Citi gives you an additional 1%-5% cash back when you shop at their online partners. Capital One is adding bonus rewards for purchases made from November 25-28 with some retail partners in its online shopping portal, Perk Central. Some retailers include Lands End (100% rewards increase), Macy’s (40% rewards increase), Lego (100% rewards increase) and Gamestop (40% rewards increase).
Look for 5% rotating cash back offers. Chase Freedom, Discover More and Citi Platinum Select offer an attractive 5% back on the spending on designated categories for a specific amount of time. The October-December bonus categories for these issuers focus on shopping and entertainment. If you have these cards, remember to sign up for these attractive rebate offers each quarter since enrollment is not automatic.
Check for spending bonus opportunities. Chase Freedom offers $200 spending bonuses for new applicants who reach a set spending limit–$500 within three months. Holiday shopping is the best time to quickly reach these limits and then use the bonus to pay off your balance.
Pay attention to reward limits. Some cards, like Discover More (5% cash back on up to $300 in purchases each quarter), place a limit on the bonus. After you reach the limit, switch to another bonus card.

Best Reward Cards for Holiday Shopping

Capital One Cash
Offers 1% cash back on every day purchases and a 50% anniversary bonus on cash earned on purchases in the previous year. It also gives a one-time $100 bonus once you spend $500 in the first three months. No annual fee.
Chase Freedom $200 Cash Back Bonus
Get $200 cash back after you spend $500 in your first three months. Earn 5% cash back on dining, department stores, movie theaters, and charitable giving. No annual fee.
Discover More
0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. Earn 5% Cashback Bonus on up to $300 in purchases at department stores, clothing stores and restaurants and 1% on all other purchases. No annual fee.
Citi Thank You Preferred
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Photo by S.A. Young

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Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner Brand Immersion Weekend in New York City

Holly — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:15:49 +0000

Throughout the past few months we have been discussing what dinner is like in our home (along with providing a few helpful tips and recipes) in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in the Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner program. It is through that program that in mid-September I was able to travel to New York City for two days to take part in a full Ragu Brand Immersion Day along with several other ambassadors at the offices and kitchens of Unilever, the name behind Ragu and numerous other brands.

This was only the second time I had ever been to New York City, which is a statement I would be less ashamed to make if I didn’t live just over two hours away. My reaction to the city was very much the same reaction I had the first time I had been there years earlier: Complete awe. Everything amazed me; the buildings, the people, the atmosphere, the energy. The energy in the streets of New York City can damn near sweep you off your feet and the good thing about New York City is that hardly anyone will notice you as you walk outside and just stand there, taking everything in and appreciating everything going on around you and never wanting that excitement dancing around in your chest to end. So you just stand there.

That night we stayed at the Gansevoort Park Avenue, an absolutely beautiful hotel with rooftop bar and home of Asellina restaurant. My room was gorgeous and promptly after opening the door and putting my bags down, I could not help but take several pictures of all of its stunning features. Here are some of them:

The next day, we all headed to the Unilever offices and kitchens in New Jersey where during the day, we were given the inside scoop on just about everything involved in conceptualizing a new sauce (or improving upon an old one) and getting that product made and on grocery store shelves. It was an insightful day packed full of interesting and useful information.

Naturally, the first thing we had the opportunity to learn about upon arriving at Unilever was how the Mom’s the Word on Dinner campaign came to be and what Ragu wanted to accomplish with it. We’ve all seen countless brands attempt to speak the language of parents in their advertisements and pretty much every one of those advertisements ends with how life would be much easier or we would be happier or less stressed if we just bought their product. I appreciate that Ragu did not approach the Mom’s the Word on Dinner program in this way, which is why this is the first full-on ambassadorship that I have said yes to in the nearly-four years that Woman Tribune has been in operation.

Ragu’s main focus with the Mom’s the Word on Dinner campaign is to start a dialogue between their brand and their consumers, between bloggers and their readers, between parents and other parents. It’s a really simple concept–like most good ideas are–and it’s a conversation that anyone who has experienced dinnertime dilemmas can’t help but want to participate, and sometimes yes, commiserate in. And that’s where the magic of this campaign happens.

We also had the chance to hear just what goes into getting a Ragu sauce made, from conceptualization-to-jar, and then getting that jar on the shelves of your local grocery store. We learned that Ragu sauces begin with a recipe that is then perfected by Unilever chefs following the Gold Standard until they have created what they believe is the perfect sauce. Yes, chefs. It is so important to emphasize this because when I had first told my partner that I would be visiting Unilever and would have the chance to see how Ragu sauce is made, one of the first things he said was, “You know you’re going to a lab, right?” He was so wrong! There are no labs; instead, there are kitchens. Unilever has a series of kitchen stations in the middle of the Ragu space where there are chefs working hard to create sauces as well as new recipes that utilize their sauces as well as other Unilever-named brands. The most interesting aspect of the Unilever kitchen is that there are a series of stations equipped with only the appliances and tools that the average household has available. Because of this, the chefs are able to create recipes that they know regular families will be able to make and enjoy.

Annually, we have seen the statistics of serious health issues plaguing young people continue to rise. Thanks to the amount of research that has been done on this topic within the last handful of years, we have more information now than ever before to help us make the most informed, healthy choices about what is being put on our dinner tables. Ragu has also taken the initiative toward feeding our families better by dramatically reducing the amount of sodium in their sauce. The original Ragu sauce contained 780mg of sodium; as of 2010, they were able to bring that sodium level down to 480mg while also adding two servings of vegetables to each serving of Ragu and keeping the great, full flavor that their customers love.

Click to enlarge

Ragu has an impressive and mighty vault of delicious recipes. We have spotlighted some of their most budget-friendly recipes not too long ago, and I have plans of sharing a few others with you in the coming weeks from my kitchen. It would have most likely been difficult to decide on which recipes I wanted to make in my kitchen and share here if it weren’t for that Brand Immersion Day. Towards the end of the day, we were treated to quite the spread made by the Unilever chefs. Most notably, I really have to say that if you don’t try the Easy Mexican Pasta Salad, No Frying Chicken Parmesan, and No Boiling Lasagna, you are really missing out. They were delicious! I love the last two recipes because they are “skip-a-step” recipes, which literally means that you are skipping a step. With the Chicken Parmesan, you aren’t frying the chicken (or cleaning up the typical mess that comes with it) and with the Lasagna, you aren’t boiling the pasta noodles. These are easy dinners to make with efficiency, taste, and value in mind. All the important stuff! Also, I’m not so great in the kitchen and skip-a-step recipes leave an even smaller margin for error for me which is a great bonus!

I really learned a lot during the Ragu Brand Immersion Day. It was a great experience to see from the inside what goes into creating and distributing a product that I have already been purchasing on my own for years.

Here is a video further encompassing what I and the other Ragu Mom’s the Word on Dinner Ambassadors experienced that day:

Disclosure: This event occurred in connection with my appointment as an Ambassador in the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program. Visit www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

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Got Cash? You Better

Odysseas — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:00:10 +0000

Got ten bucks? In light of a new law, your answer to that question should now never be “no.” Tucked into page 698 of the 848-page Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, was a provision that legally legitimizes the often-witnessed practice of small merchants prohibiting credit card use for purchases under $10.

According to the law, which took effect in July of this year, credit card networks can no longer force merchants to accept credit cards for purchases of less than $10 as long as they don’t discriminate based on card network or issuer in doing so.

Credit card networks had previously prohibited the practice for fear that is would diminish the ubiquity of their brand names. For example, Visa cards would no longer take you “everywhere you want to be.” What’s more, it would simply cost them money, given that each time a credit card is swiped at a merchant location, the merchant has to pay interchange fees to both the bank that issued the card (i.e. Chase, Capital One, etc.) and the credit card network itself (e.g. Visa, MasterCard and Discover). However, since these fees disproportionally affect the profit margins of small purchases, merchants would often simply ignore card network rules.

To help formally alleviate these burdensome fees and provide a measure of financial relief to small business owners, Congress stepped in. So, one question you may be asking yourself is: Why haven’t we heard much about this part of the Dodd-Frank Act?

The answer is simple: because of interchange fees…debit card interchange fees, that is. The Dodd-Frank Act also gave the Federal Reserve power to regulate debit card interchange fees, and this consumed so much attention that little was left for lesser aspects of the law. Banks and merchants argued fervently about the Fed’s proposed interchange fee cap, which would wipe out around $9 billion in interchange fees annually, according to Card Hub.

To consumers, this rule is a potential hassle and definitely something to get used to. To merchants, it lowers costs and decreases the control card networks have over them. But the real question is: Is this a good law?

In short, yes, but more needs to be done. While a good first step, allowing merchants free will in choosing when to accept credit cards is only a half measure in terms of creating a truly competitive payments industry. A better move would be to allow merchants to do exactly what the new law says they can’t: discriminate based on card network. Give merchants the ability to set prices based on the method of payment used (i.e. give discounts and assess surcharges depending on the interchange fee being charged), and card networks will lower the fixed costs associated with payment processing so as to prevent their products from becoming irrelevant. The more competition, the better for everyone.

This article was written by our friends at Card Hub, a leading credit card comparison website and marketplace for selling unwanted gift cards.

Photo by Emad Seyadali

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How to Become a Healthy Work-at-Home Family – 5 Helpful Tips

Melissa — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:55:38 +0000

There has been an abundance of parents choosing to have a career so they can work from home, and for just as many reasons it seems. Perhaps that’s the reason there are so many advertisements for ‘working at home’ plans and programs, because they are well aware of the public’s desire for it. For some, it’s not a desire, but an actual necessity.

One reason a parent might choose this path is because of the exorbitant cost of daycare. By working from home, a family can save thousands of dollars a year just by not having to place their kids in daycare.

I have heard of a family who wanted to stay home with their disabled child. They couldn’t find a place to provide attentive and individualized care for their child, without having to take out a second mortgage. The mom found a way to work from home, and have help from the extended family and a hired aide for a few hours a week.

For me, it was an easy choice. I’m a freelance writer and didn’t need a traditional brick and mortar office, so I knew this was a path for our family. Attending our kid’s events and activities is an important goal for me. So, having a flexible schedule and office allows me the luxury of being able to be involved, and still help provide for the family.

The Pitfalls of Working from Home

I learned early on that working from home is not as easy as it sounds. If I hadn’t learned early on, it could have been an actual disaster, because it’s not necessarily the healthiest, both physically and mentally, to work from home.

It’s so easy to succumb to the dangers of staying home all day, even if you are working. The refrigerator is just a short distance away, as is the ‘treat drawer’. At times, it just might be the only exercise…walking back and forth to get a snack. I’m sure you see the dilemma.

Combining the ease of grabbing a snack, along with the idle position a freelancer has sitting at a desk all day, leads to a less than desirable result. However, it’s not just about your clothes feeling a little snug, or feeling mentally drained.

A sedentary lifestyle, combined with extra pounds, can lead to some serious complications. Back problems, sleep disorders, diabetes, and even heart ailments are all conditions that can be brought on, or worsened by an idle life with weight gain.

I knew that if I didn’t get this new habit of sitting and grazing under control, before it controlled me, I would have sabotaged the sole reason for wanting to work from home to begin with. I wouldn’t have the energy to spend quality time with my kids, or go to their events.

I needed to get control over it all, from the snacking to the lack of exercise. So, I did. Planning menus, exercising, and even investing in equipment such as the Bowflex 552 Dumbbells, went a long way in providing a healthy environment. But, I wanted it for my family as well.

5 Tips to Get the Family Involved and Healthy

I knew that in order to keep myself on track, I needed to integrate my entire family into the plan. Besides, a healthy lifestyle is just as good for them, as it is anyone else. So, I came up with some ideas that worked for all of us.

Walking
I scheduled a break in the day for my kids and me to walk. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, but enough to get our heart pumping a little faster. We could even incorporate a little scavenger hunt in the walk, such as looking for certain leaves, animals, or colors. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we choose another activity such as dancing.
Cooking
I found that my kids actually like to help with preparing a meal. So, I make it a challenge for them to find the ingredients, and to learn how to tell the difference between a healthy and fresh ingredient, over a processed one. Grocery shopping is also educational at times, if they come along.
Water
It’s common knowledge that drinking plenty of water is good for you. However, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to accomplish with kids. I have heard of someone who makes it a challenge, or contest. They keep track of how much water they drink on a weekly basis, and the one who drinks the most gets to choose one physical activity for the family to do on the weekend. I haven’t done this yet, but it’s on my list if drinking water becomes a problem for us.
Charting
Keeping a chart of all the intake for the family has been a real eye-opening experience. When marking down all the calories, carbohydrates, and fat, it makes you think twice before over indulging.
Exercise
Exercising is a great way to get, and stay healthy. It’s also fun to do as a family, and can be a simple game of tag in the yard, or a structured and intense workout program. I found a great one that I can do on my own, or with the family, through reviews for P90X. The best part is that I don’t have to take time away from the family to go to a gym, and it saves money.

I believe that a healthy environment is extremely important to have a successful and productive career at home. It doesn’t matter what your reason for wanting to work from home is, just that you don’t allow the pitfalls to control you. I hope I was able to provide some helpful information, and that you will prosper in work, health, and play.

Photo by rmolnar7

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Weekly Credit Card Update from LowCards.com: Debit Fee Retreat Complete (and More!)

Bill Hardekopf — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:23:35 +0000

Miss important financial news over the past week? Enter: The Weekly Credit Card Update from LowCards.com, a roundup of all the top credit card stories to make sure you’re up-to-date on all the finance news that may affect your life.

Debit Fee Retreat Complete

The banking industry’s brief experiment with charging customers to use their debit cards appears to be over. The about-face concluded on Tuesday when Bank of America Corp. dropped plans to charge customers $5 a month for using their debit cards to make purchases. Bank of America was the last major bank to back away from the fees, representing a swift retreat in an industry that is at times known for its lumbering decision-making. More fees are expected. Banks have already eliminated the free checking accounts that had been in place since the 1980s and dismantled rewards programs for debit cards. Banks now may raise existing fees on checking accounts, find new places for additional charges and institute more internal cost-cutting.

Photo by Bravo Six Niner Delta

Economy Top Concern Among Shoppers at Start of Holiday Season

As we approach the 2011 winter holidays, Americans remain fixated on finances: their own and that of the nation. Four in 10 of those surveyed by Consumer Reports said their biggest concern going into the holidays was the state of the economy and having enough money in their own pockets. Last year, more than half–53%–of Americans paid for some or all of their purchases with plastic, charging $433, on average, worth of gifts. That’s slightly higher than the percentage that relied on credit the previous year. However, heavy credit card users have mended their ways at least somewhat. The percentage of shoppers who charged $1,000 or more dropped in 2010 to 16%, down from 23% in 2009. Unfortunately, too many consumers still carry too much debt for too long. As of this month, 6% of Americans–around 14 million people–were still paying off their credit card purchases from the 2010 holidays.

Photo by S.A. Young

U.S. Banks to Push Prepaid Credit Cards

U.S. banks that have lost debit card processing revenue due to new caps on fees will likely push customers into prepaid and credit cards and other types of account fees. Executives for regional banks–including BB&T, SunTrust, Fifth Third Bancorp and Sovereign Bank–said at an industry conference that there is no one solution for recovering as much as $8 billion in lost revenue under new caps on what banks can charge merchants for processing debit card transactions. But lenders will charge customers fees for their overall banking accounts, rather than just debit card use, and push the use of prepaid and credit cards not covered by new debit card rules.

Photo by Orbitgal

Watch Out for These Five Credit Card Gotchas

Credit card issuers are back to inundating consumers with offers, many of them featuring low teaser rates, but be sure to read the fine print before signing on. Consumer Reports did just that, analyzing dozens of credit card offers. Here are some typical gotchas to be aware of: seasonal savings, spending tiers, expiration dates, hidden caps, missed payment penalties. More consumers are being approved for new credit cards; only 14% were denied a card in 2011, compared with 24% last year, according to new survey data from the Consumer Reports National Research Center. But 35% of respondents also reported experiencing at least one credit card problem, such as a new annual fee, higher interest rate, lower credit limit, or limits on rewards.

Photo via debtcovered

A Program that Rewards Not Spending

For years, credit cards have been offering rewards to consumers who spend. Now, a new company does just the opposite: it rewards consumers who save. And the prizes are eye popping: a trip to Hawaii, a Toyota Prius, a $50,000 college scholarship. The catch? Good luck getting them. SaveUp rewards consumers who pay down their debt or put more cash into their bank accounts. Here’s how it works: consumers link their debts (including credit cards, car and student loans, mortgages etc.) and bank accounts from pretty much any U.S. bank to their SaveUp account. The site automatically awards 1 credit for every dollar saved or every dollar of debt paid off. Not only is it encouraging healthy financial behavior, but consumers can rack up rewards points much faster than when they swipe their credit card. Most credit cards give just one to three cents back on every dollar a consumer spends. And there’s no cost to using SaveUp–it’s free to all consumers. At SaveUp, on the other hand, all that’s guaranteed is a chance to win the big prizes in a kind of lottery drawing. Consumers can use their points to play games–like scratch offs, drawings and jackpots–for a shot at prizes. Each game, no matter the prize, costs 10 credits, which is equal to $10 that a consumer has saved or paid down in debt.

Equifax Says Consumer Debt is Rising Again

Consumer debt has reached pre-recession levels, according to the Equifax National Credit Trends Report. Consumer debt is now $11.2 trillion, almost the same as the $11.1 posted in 2006, before the recession began. This may be a sign that some consumers are again taking on too much debt and are a higher risk of default in the future. Other findings from the report: new consumer credit (auto loans, credit cards, consumer finance loans, home equity lines, and student loans) originated between January-July 2011, was $436 billion, the highest total for that period in three years. In addition, consumers are beginning to use credit cards more, and as a result, balances increased from June-September 2011.

Photo by Collection Agency

LowCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report

Based on the 1000+ cards in the LowCards.com Complete Credit Card Index, the average advertised APR for credit cards is 14.12%, a slight decrease from 14.16% last week. Six months ago, the average was 14.01%. One year ago, the average was 13.79%.

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Bank of America Cancels Planned Debit Card Fee

Bill Hardekopf — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:00:02 +0000

Bank of America has scrapped plans to charge debit card consumers a $5 per month fee.

This follows a flurry of activity during the last few days from other banks that also dropped a debit card fee.

Yesterday, two banks that had already instituted the fee reversed their decisions. Regions Financial Corp ended their $4 monthly charges that had started October 1. SunTrust dropped their $5 per month fee which began in June. Both banks said they will reimburse their customers.

Last Friday, Chase and Wells Fargo announced they were ending the monthly debit card fees they were testing in various states.

“This is great news for consumers, but this is not the end of new fees,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com. “Banks are still losing billions of dollars in revenue from the interchange fee regulations. They will find more subtle ways to make up for this lost revenue, increases that may fly under the radar. Banks may increase existing fees or raise the introductory interest rates on credit cards. They will find some way to increase their revenue, and it’s always the consumer that will end up paying for these increases.”

Photo by Bravo Six Niner Delta

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The Micro Community of Occupy Wall Street [Video]

Holly — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:00:13 +0000

The Occupy Wall Street movement is well into its second month. Thousands of people have joined together in New York City’s financial district to hold Wall Street and the corporate forces of the world accountable for their corrupt business practices and profiting from mass injustice made possible by severe income inequality.

Occupy Wall Street exemplifies what a real grassroots movement is and how it can thrive within our society that relies heavily on technology and social media. It is because of this that I have been able to diligently follow Occupy Wall Street on Twitter as well as watch the events unfolding within and around the peaceful protests on the ground via Livestream on multiple channels. It has been amazing to me to witness the thousands who have gathered in New York City and the countless people all over the rest of the country and throughout the world who have created their own events in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The message and mission of Occupy Wall Street has been targeted by multiple mainstream media sources as being convoluted despite the fact that they have released official statements and their own newspaper. The Occupy Wall Street protesters have been condemned as being “unorganized”, but when I saw the nearly-seven-minute documentary by Alex Mallis of the micro community that has emerged in Zuccotti Park, unorganized was by far the last word I could ever think to describe these people or this movement.

I have read more articles and have watched more minutes of video on Occupy Wall Street than I can possibly count and still, after nearly a month after first seeing this video, I can’t help but keep going back to it.

Photo by an0nyc

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Weekly Credit Card Update from LowCards.com: Card Tricks Win Big Rewards for Some Travelers (and More!)

Bill Hardekopf — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:00:45 +0000

Card Tricks Win Big Rewards for Some Travelers

Want a free trip to Paris? Just sign up. Hardcore collectors of frequent flier miles are turning credit card sign up bonus offers into vast stashes of miles, points and expensive trips by opening new card accounts by the dozen. Some practitioners call it travel hacking, and at a time when travelers are frustrated by declining service and growing airline fees and fares, it represents a rare travel bonanza. Most new cards are free since issuers typically waive annual fees for the first year. Sign up bonuses come with requirements to charge $1,000 or so on the card within the first few months. People who churn cards say it’s important to meet these requirements and pay off balances to avoid hefty finance charges. They also typically check their credit ratings regularly. Credit experts say opening and closing card accounts can hurt your credit score, but the degradation is usually small and recovers within a few months.

Photo by davipt

Bank of America Loses Title as Biggest in U.S.

For Bank of America, it is the end of an era. With the bank shrinking its balance sheet and selling off assets, the company surrendered its title as the country’s biggest bank Tuesday, another sign of how a money-losing giant assembled over decades is being reshaped into a smaller and, investors hope, more profitable institution. Bank of America, with $2.22 trillion in assets reported Tuesday in its third-quarter earnings, is now second to JPMorgan Chase, which has $2.29 trillion assets. It also ranks second to JPMorgan Chase in terms of branches and total deposits.

Photo by Bravo Six Niner Delta

U.S. to Require Travel Declarations of Value Cards

International travelers would have to file reports when carrying prepaid access cards and devices loaded with large amounts of money in or out of the United States, under a U.S. Treasury proposal made under pressure from Congress. The rule, unveiled on Wednesday, is not expected to have a substantial impact on ordinary travelers, many of whom use debit or credit cards when overseas. The rule represents an effort to get ahead of what law enforcement officials and others fear could be significant new digital tactics in international money laundering by drug dealers, militant groups and others. The proposal would add prepaid devices–such as prepaid cards, gift cards, and potentially cell phones–to the list of “monetary instruments” whose value must be aggregated. When the total exceeds $10,000, the traveler would have to file a Currency and Monetary Instrument Report CMIR.L under the Bank Secrecy Act, a U.S. law aimed at combating money laundering and tax evasion.

Photo by jpmarth

ATM Suit Against Visa, MasterCard Latest Tussle Over Card Fees

The National ATM Council Inc., a group that represents independent operators of automated teller machines, on Wednesday filed a suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking national class-action status accusing Visa and MasterCard of anticompetitive practices. The group argues that rules by Visa and MasterCard requiring ATM operators to charge equal fees to access the credit card companies’ processing networks amount to price-fixing. The group’s members want the ability to charge consumers lower fees if their ATM transactions are completed over smaller processing networks that compete with Visa and MasterCard. Many banks that issue Visa- and MasterCard-branded debit cards also equip their cards with other networks. The inability to charge different prices results in “fees that inflate the retail price of ATM services and discourage consumers from consuming them,” the suit said.

Photo by lawrence_thefourth

Major Credit Card Issuers Report Growth in Delinquencies

Credit card delinquencies, defined as payments late by at least 30 days, increased slightly for five of the top six card issuers in September. While these increases were relatively small, it broke the trend of declining delinquency rates that the industry had recently experienced. It could be a signal that consumers are again struggling to pay down credit card debt and are a higher risk for default in the future. The growth in late payments may lead banks to set aside more money to prepare for future losses. On a positive note, all six major credit card issuers reported further declines in the default or charge-off rates.

Photo via debtcovered

Citi’s Move to Keep Credit Portfolio Latest Boost for Card Industry

Citigroup Inc.’s decision to retain rather than sell a portfolio of retail credit cards is the latest boost of confidence for the card industry. Citi’s portfolio includes credit cards issued on behalf of the merchants including Sears, Home Depot and Zale. Besieged by high loan loss rates and a stagnant economy, many lenders that specialized in so-called partnerships cards turned their backs on such programs during the recession to get their portfolios in order. But store cards have experienced a resurgence of sorts in the last year as the performance of many lenders has improved, with Citi’s announcement Monday the latest sign of a comeback. Since putting the retail card portfolios in Citi Holdings, the bank has worked to improve its marketing of the programs to ensure it and its partners are targeting the most ideal borrowers.

Photo by Andres Rueda

In Battling Merchants, Banks Still Hope to Overturn Durbin Rules

The Durbin Amendment–the legislation that limits the fees banks can earn for debit card transactions to a scale that is “reasonable and proportional”–was signed into law more than a year ago. It survived the financial sector’s strong objections to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive first swing at regulating those fees, as well as subsequent efforts in Congress to delay adoption of the new rules. Those new rules, which were eventually watered down in a compromise that left advocates fuming, took effect October 1. Even so, opponents persist. Last week they rallied behind a pair of junior representatives, one Republican and one Democrat, who on Tuesday introduced a bill to turn the clock back on interchange fees.

Photo by Helcim

Bank of America’s $5 Debit Card Fee is a Tax on the Disloyal

Just think of Bank of America’s controversial $5 monthly debit card fee as a surcharge for unfaithfulness. When asked about the fee on a recent conference call, CEO Brian Moynihan said “a lot” of customers will be able to avoid it by keeping most of their business with the bank. But the level of business needed, either a very wealthy account, mortgage or other big relationship is out of many customers’ reach. Moynihan apparently cares only for near-exclusive relationships.

Photo by MoneyBlogNewz

Consumers Will Switch Banks Over Debit Fees, Survey Finds

About 30% of U.S. consumers said they’d leave their banks over fees for using their debit cards, according to a survey by the Research Intelligence Group. About 43% said they’d switch to paying cash or credit cards if their bank implemented charges, while 13% said they’d pee the fee if it was “reasonable,” according to the survey. The survey comes as the largest of banks, including Bank of America, are testing or planning to start charging fees of as much as $5 a month for consumers who have a debit card or use one for purchases. Low- to middle-income consumers are more likely to pay the fees, according to the survey. About 22% of those consumers, defined as those households earning $35,000 to $49,000 a year, would be willing to pay the fee, compared with the 14% of consumers whose households earn $100,000 or more.

Photo by Zuuply

LowCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report

Based on the 1000+ cards in the LowCards.com Complete Credit Card Index, the average advertised APR for credit cards is 14.26%, a slight decrease from 14.29% last week. Six months ago, the average was 14.13%. One year ago, the average was 13.80%.

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Women at Work: The Most Irritating Office Behaviors

Bethany — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:14:36 +0000

Whether it’s the coworker that can’t seem to keep herself from shouting on the phone or the obnoxious office gossip, we’ve all been there. Stuck on a project with a lazy coworker, or even worse, sharing a cubicle with a coworker who just can’t mind her business. Sound familiar?

Take a gander at these top five irritating office behaviors to see if there are any bad habits that you need to break in the workplace:

Not responding to e-mails. There is nothing more annoying than a coworker who simply won’t respond to an e-mail, especially regarding an important matter. Is this coworker too busy to shoot an e-mail back as a simple response? Or maybe this coworker lacks the organizational skills to keep her e-mail inbox clean? Either way, don’t commit this cardinal sin. If you don’t have an answer for someone, respond back anyway to tell them when they can expect an answer back from you.
Going long on meetings. Going over on a meeting will throw every employee’s schedule out of whack. If you happen to be running a meeting, try to stick to your schedule as much as possible. Remember, shorter is always better. There’s no reason to waste time going on and on about a subject that could be covered in an office-wide memo.
Constantly complaining. If you become dissatisfied with your job, it’s easy to catch yourself complaining behind your boss’s back. But no one wants to spend time with a constant complainer, especially since it could ruin their workplace reputation. Keep complaining to a minimum–and save it for the right time and place, preferably outside of work.
Not cleaning up the breakroom. If you use something, put it away, plain and simple. Didn’t we learn these rules in elementary school? If one employee is constantly causing a mess, consider putting up a sign in the breakroom to ask all employees to clean up dishes and trash before returning to work.
Not taking responsibility for a mistake. This is the most infuriating bad office habit of all! If an employee has made a mistake that has derailed a project, it can be frustrating if she doesn’t take responsibility for her actions. Do your part by trying to set a good example. If you make a mistake, fess up to it. This is a much better tactic than trying to hide your error and worrying that you will be found out.

Photo by uhhey

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Weekly Credit Card Update from LowCards.com: Banks Hope Credit Card Usage Increases Due to New Debit Card Fees (and More!)

Bill Hardekopf — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:00:02 +0000

Banks Hope Credit Card Usage Increases Due to New Debit Card Fees

Consumers are outraged that banks are now charging monthly fees if they use their debit cards. Regions and SunTrust have already levied this monthly fee; Bank of America will begin charging a fee in 2012; and Chase (one state) and Wells Fargo (five states) are testing this fee in various areas. The common explanation from banks is that they are losing billions of dollars in revenue from the Durbin Amendment which basically cut the interchange fee on debit card transactions in half. Banks feel they need to make up for this loss of revenue, and charging customers to use their debit card is one way to generate revenue. But could there be another reason for a monthly charge on debit cards? Are banks trying to indirectly force consumers to use credit cards because credit cards are much more profitable to these financial institutions? If consumers choose to now go without a debit card in order to avoid these monthly fees, consumers will turn to other forms of payment, and credit card usage could increase dramatically. That would be great news for banks because credit cards are a much greater profit center for two reasons.

Photo via debtcovered

The Math Behind Bank of America’s $5 Fee

Why $5 a month? Because that’s a reasonable amount to assume the bank will lose per customer under the new [interchange] fee structure. The old fee was 44 cents per transaction and the new maximum fee is 24 cents, making for a loss of 20 cents per transaction per customer. Assuming the average customer makes 25 debit card transactions each month, that’s $5 per customer that Bank of America is losing under the new swipe fee. Charging each customer who uses a debit card to make a purchase an extra $5 a month, the bank makes up for the lost revenue. Interestingly, the $5 fee will not be charged to customers who have a debit card and use it only at ATMs. ATMs have their own set of fees, not affected by the new swipe fee rule.

Photo by Bravo Six Niner Delta

The Dick Durbin Bank Fees

Conceived of as a narrow special interest giveaway to large retailers, the Durbin Amendment will have long-term consequences for the consumer banking system. Wealthier consumers will be able to avoid the pinch of higher banking fees by increasing their use of credit cards. Many low income consumers will not. Banking will become less innovative and consumer-friendly. As many as one million individuals will drop out of the mainstream banking system and turn to check cashers, pawn shops and high-fee prepaid cards. Consumers will also be encouraged to shift from debit cards to more profitable alternatives such as credit cards, which remain outside the Durbin Amendment’s price controls. Prepaid cards, also exempt from the Durbin Amendment’s price controls, may also become a more attractive alternative to debit cards for many consumers. These cards were once the province of low income consumers without bank accounts, but over the summer American Express rolled out a new prepaid card aimed at higher-income consumers looking for alternatives to debit cards.

Photo by Orbitgal

Banking on a New Generation of Credit Alternatives

Financial institutions, which tend to ratchet up their fees across a wide swath of their customer base to make up for lost income, have always banked on the “stickiness” of their customers. While customers may have been “stuck” several years ago, that is no longer the case. Companies such as Google, PayPal and Square are not offering a wide range of alternative payment mechanisms that could finally mean lower transaction costs for consumers. Instead of competing with smaller community banks, the largest financial institutions will be forced to contend with new technology options that enable consumers to make payments at the point of sale, often without the need for a debit or credit card. (Google Wallet enables prepaid cards) This is exciting stuff if you’re a customer, and downright frightening if you’re a financial institution. It’s one thing to compete with a sleepy community bank for your business, it’s another thing entirely to compete with Google. When customers feel at home using tablets and smart phones to make payments, they have less inclination to pull a piece of plastic out of a leather wallet. For now, these payment alternatives have a significant amount of ground to make up before they truly represent a threat to financial institutions and the old way of doing business. It may be too early now to talk about the Law of Unintended Consequences, but years from now, we may owe a debt to reforms like Dodd-Frank for finally weaning us off the physical wallet and encouraging us to experiment with the new technologies helping to create the Digital Wallet. Why carry around a wallet full of plastic when your smart phone or tablet can do the same thing? Better yet, why pay higher fees for financial services when technology will soon make it possible to get a similar service at a cheaper rate?

Chase’s Card Chief Rebuilds Business Part By Part

Gordon Smith, credit card chief of JPMorgan Chase, is applying several lessons taken from the consumer finance industry’s play book; improving customer service, combining many rewards programs into one and shedding cards that are not profitable enough. Along the way, he is spending hundreds of millions of dollars mailing card offers. Step back and look at what Smith is building, and it looks a lot like American Express: a business that caters to rich clients and relies increasingly on processing fees to make money. Chase starts with some big disadvantages. Although it Paymentech processes transactions for merchants, it does not run the Visa or MasterCard global networks that accept its cards and influence how much it can charge for credit card transactions. Chase’s credit card business is second in size only to American Express, and contributed 12% of JPMorgan’s $17.4 billion of profits last year. If Smith pulls off the transformation, the rewards could be handsome. Smith is making progress. Profits have recovered under his watch. He’s improved the bank’s customer service rankings for credit cards, and he is getting ahead of competitors who also issue MasterCard and Visa cards.

Photo by Neubie

Credit Card Company Stocks Charge Ahead

An unexpected group of defensive stocks is emerging from the chaos of the stock market: credit card companies. Stocks of MasterCard and Visa, which run the processing networks for credit card transactions, are charging ahead, climbing 40% and 21%, respectively, this year. They have far outpaced typical defensive sectors such as utilities, up 4.2%, and consumer staples, up 0.5%. Credit card companies typically aren’t considered defensive plays due to the cyclical nature of the financial sector. Profits also have increased. In the most recent period, MasterCard reported a 33% climb in earnings and Visa jumped 40%. Discover’s profit more than doubled, and American Express’s profit rose 31%. Discover said its late-payment rate dropped to a 25-year low, a trend generally experienced by other lenders. Customers also are starting to increase outstanding credit card balances, garnering bigger interest income.

Photo by Kate – Collective Contemplations

LowCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report

Based on the 1000+ cards in the LowCards.com Complete Credit Card Index, the average advertised APR for credit cards is 14.27%, a slight decrease from 14.28% last week. Six months ago, the average was 14.17%. One year ago, the average was 13.72%.

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