March 12th, 2010
Credit Karma To Talk Money At SXSW Conference Panel
Anyone who is anyone on the cutting-edge of new technologies—whether they are fans of it or part of the industry—will be following the ultra-cool South By Southwest (SXSW) Music+Film+Interactive Conferences in Austin, Texas. Which is exactly why Credit Karma is on a panel for this year’s conference to talk about fresh innovations in money, banking, and personal finance.
Credit Karma is sharing the floor with fellow leaders and visionaries of the personal finance world such as Lending Club, SmartyPig, and Mint. This panel fits right into SXSW Interactive, which hosts presentations and products on the latest products, trends, and issues surrounding new technologies and innovations. It’s the ultimate cool geek event that showcases the convergence of intelligent design and exciting creativity.
March 8th, 2010
REVIEW: Newest Additions To Capital One’s Credit Card Family – Venture and VentureOne
Capital One recently rebranded two great travel rewards credit cards, the Capital One’s No Hassle Miles Excellent and No Hassle Miles Ultra for Professionals, into the new benefits and sleek look of the Venture Rewards Card and VentureOne Rewards Card.
The Venture Rewards Credit Card is replacing the No Hassle Miles Ultra for Professional while the VenureOne Credit Card replaces the No Hassle Miles Excellent. The two preceding No Hassle cards that have long been one of the best value travel rewards cards, so what can we expect with its chic changes?
March 3rd, 2010
Review: Prosper’s Talk About The Taboo Campaign
If people will divulge the ups and downs of their love life via Facebook and Tweet about their breakfast, Prosper’s Talk About The Taboo campaign hopes America will be as eager to open up and talk about what’s in their wallets.
Prosper, a peer-to-peer lending site, boldly goes where financial companies haven’t ventured before to bring taboo topics about personal finance into consumers’ everyday conversations.
March 1st, 2010
Offer: $600 free from WTDirect — Sign Up Now!
If you were thinking about opening a high-yield savings account with a large deposit, you’ve hit the jackpot with this generous offer from WT Direct that earns you a substantial amount of money while you squirrel it away. Credit Karma teams up with WTDirect to bring Credit Karma members a very exclusive offer to open an 1.26% APY on high-yield online savings account that can earn up to $600 cash. That’s right, $600 cash!
February 28th, 2010
Favorite Product Picks for February
Every month, Credit Karma hunts through the top financial products to bring you our favorite picks, what we loved about them, and why you should give them a try too.
In February, we are focusing on offers that have the Best Service and came up with three that we just can’t stop raving about. If you want to treat yourself to a little TLC in your personal finance life, the following picks are sure to deliver.
February 22nd, 2010
Review: Blippy — The Whole Wide World Knows What You Are Buying
New site Blippy.com is all about divulging the private and provocative details of your financial life online. Think of Blippy as Twitter meets Mint.com, in which you link your credit card accounts to Blippy so transactions show up automatically for others to view and comment on. Everything from your $13.00 Lady Gaga CD purchased on iTunes.com to your $600 Playstation 3 from Best Buy will be posted on Blippy’s homepage for viewers to track. But, how will this be helpful to your financial life? Believe or not, Blippy acts as a shopper’s conscience and a deal-hunter’s best friend.
Blippy has a simple, straight forward registration, which– did I mention?– is free. Users link their credit card or online accounts, such as Netflix or iTunes, to Blippy.com and every time you make a transaction, the amount and location of the purchase shows up right on the homepage. You can comment on purchases, such as thoughts on a music choice or favorite dish at a local restaurant. Users can also hide purchases so only select friends can see.
February 15th, 2010
Compare And Choose An Online Savings Account
Americans’ renewed sense to save money is the silver lining of this rough recession. The personal savings rate averaged nearly 4.6% in 2009, while for most of the decade it barely reached 2.5%, reports the U.S Department of Commerce. As more and more consumers make their savings accounts a priority in their personal finances, the key features of online savings accounts will determine what the best-fit piggybank is for each individual.
Do you need a long-term hold on your money, or the ability to move money rapidly? Do you demand excellent customer service, or are you more concerned with restrictions on your account? Online savings accounts aren’t one size fits all; check out the following chart to learn more about which provider meets your needs.
February 10th, 2010
Consumers Without Credit Can Get Kwedit Instead!
New start-up Kwedit aims to give credit-less consumers the opportunity to buy virtual goods at social gaming websites with a “play now, pay later” platform using alternative ways to purchase without using credit or debit cards. Under the “Kwedit Promise,” users log-on a social gaming site like Farmville and receive digital content, such as virtual acreage or farming tools, and pledge to pay back later.
Kwedit runs on the same principles as real-world credit; users can buy online and pay later. The differences between real-life credit and virtual Kwedit are the payment process and the consequences of responsible Kwedit use. Users can pay back Kwedit via mailing cash or check, pay at a 7-Eleven, or have another person pay with a credit card; this is particularly useful for young teenage consumers without a credit card to make online purchases with.
February 8th, 2010
Ally Bank’s New Interest Checking Account & 2-Year CD Upgrade
Ally Bank, the fastest growing online bank in the country, has recently expanded its financial products to include an online checking account as well as an upgrade to their 2 Year Certificate of Deposit (CD). As consumers and the federal government continue to dole out criticism on brick-and-mortar banks’ excessive fees and punitive penalties, Ally challenges other financial institutions by ensuring a consumer-friendly approach and focusing on offering solid products with superior customer service. Check out Ally Bank’s latest:
February 1st, 2010
Review: Retirement Rewards Credit Cards
The next wave of rewards card programs is flooding the market, offering what’s termed “retirement rewards”. These rewards offer consumers the opportunity to turn points into cash to be invested in their retirement fund. The more familiar, traditional rewards programs of airline miles and cashback offers will have to move over for the innovative programs issuers have been rolling out to interest new customers and keep loyal ones: programs to donate to charities, pay off taxes, manage finances, and now, build up a nest egg.
As you are credit card shopping for retirement rewards, it’s crucial that you go beyond the following chart and make sure to read the fine print for each card and understand the fees and services before applying. Most of the following cards require no annual fee and some have no limit to how many points you can earn and redeem. Also, all cards, except for the NestEggz Visa, require that consumers have a retirement account at the participating financial company in order to redeem rewards for retirement dollars.
