Taxpayer-owned Lloyds Banking Group is pulling out of the charity credit cards market, because it says that offering cards that donate to good causes is “no longer cost-effective”. 
The company has been offering these cards for over 23 years, but has written to customers informing them that their charity cards will be replaced by standard credit cards that do not offer a charity donation.
The charities hit by the withdrawal include Cancer Research UK, which has received over £15m from the credit cards. as well as the NSPCC and the Scottish SPCA. Lloyds said it had offered to help each charity find a new issuer “should that be the route they wish to pursue in the future”.
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Early action of enforcement by federal bureaucrats may have stopped the collapse of five corporate credit unions, so says a brand new study by the Government Accountability Office.
The congressional investigation department recently undertook an investigation into the practices of the National Credit Union Administration during a time when most other regulatory bodies focused their interest on the countrys biggest banks, credit card issuers and mortgage lenders.
According to a report published in the Wall Street journal and Credit Union Times, GAO researchers examined the failure of these five corporate credit unions and up to eighty-five retail credit unions between January 2008 and June 2011.
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British embassies in the eurozone have been told to draw up plans to help British expats through the collapse of the single currency, amid new fears for Italy and Spain.
A senior minister has now revealed the extent of the Government’s concern, saying that Britain is now planning on the basis that a euro collapse is now just a matter of time.
“It’s in our interests that they keep playing for time because that gives us more time to prepare,” the minister told the Daily Telegraph.
Recent Foreign and Commonwealth Office instructions to embassies and consulates request contingency planning for extreme scenarios including rioting and social unrest.
A senior minister has now revealed the extent of the Government’s concern, saying that Britain is now planning on the basis that a euro collapse is now just a matter of time.
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Average credit card spend has fallen four per cent over the past 12 months, according to new analysis of customer spend data by Santander Credit Cards. The data reveals that while the total number of transactions made per regular card user has increased by one per cent over that time period, the value of transactions per card user has decreased.
The majority of the retail sector has seen decreases in the value of spend, resulting in an average reduction of 5 per cent per card user over the year. Sports and toy spending has been worst hit, with a massive 24 per cent reduction in the value of card spend per user over this period and clothes stores with a 6 per cent decrease.
Customer card spend on holidays also has decreased, with the amount spent on travel agencies down 13 per cent year on year, airlines down 9 per cent and hotels down 4 per cent.
By contrast, people are still spending on little luxuries like eating out – restaurants and bars have seen a 4 per cent increase in value of spend per user. Mail order is also defying the downturn with the biggest increase in card expenditure of all, showing a 22 per cent uplift in the number of transactions per card user and an 8 per cent increase in the value of spend in this sector.
Callum Gibson, Managing Director at Santander Cards, commented: “During times of austerity, youd expect cut-backs to hit non-essential items like holidays and clothes, and our customer data supports this. How
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Credit card debts have almost become a part of everyday life of most Americans. This is due to the uncontrolled spending habits that most people exert. What adds to the trouble is that there are a number of credit card companies that are giving credit cards without too many conditions. Thus most people have at least 4 to 5 credit cards which they use to their heart’s content while making purchases most of which they wouldn’t even need. The bill, therefore keeps mounting up and very obviously you don’t have the financial competence to return it all back within the billing cycle. Thus interest rates start getting charged and you debt amount keeps on increasing. As a Read more…
One of the most important reasons to read your credit card billing statement is so you can quickly spot any unauthorized charges. The longer it takes to recognize and report unauthorized credit card charges, the less likely it is that your credit card issuer will remove the charges from your statement. If you report these charges quickly, i.e. in less than 60 days, your liability is legally reduced to $50 or less. However, if you wait longer than that, you may end up liable for the charges.Make sure you know the right way to handle unauthorized credit card charges.
The only foolproof way to avoid unauthorized charges is to not have a credit card.
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Verizon Wireless has announced plans to implement a charge for customers who choose to pay wireless bills via debit or credit card over the internet using Verizon bill pay or phone.
The new $2 “convenience charge” instituted by the nation’s largest wireless company will go into effect on Jan. 15.
Verizon Wireless Credit Card Fee
According to Verizon Wireless, the new convenience charge is meant to address an issue that the wireless provider has with costs incurred during single bill payment options.
When a customer makes a one-time payment, rather than allowing for a recurring billing option, the company says it suffers greater losses. In a s
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Diners at some of New York’s most popular restaurants had their credit card details stolen by waiters working for gangs who targetted American Express black cards then spent millions of dollars on luxury clothes and vintage wine, it is alleged. 
By Jon Swaine, Washington
10:42PM GMT 20 Nov 2011
The cards of wealthy customers at Smith and Wollensky’s, Capital Grille and Wolfgang’s steakhouses were allegedly “skimmed” and used to buy Rolex watches, Jimmy Choo shoes and Chanel handbags.
Almost 30 people have been charged with crimes including racketeering, conspiracy and grand larceny, after the alleged fraud ring was broken by police in Manhattan.
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A recent research project carried out by Discover Card shows that the majority of American consumers will be expecting to add a few dollars – equal to the cost of a box of chocolates or a fancy bath product – to their budget this Christmas.
The estimated budget for the average household is $748 this year, a small increase on last years budget of $730.
The study polled 500 men and 500 women about the plans they had made for holiday shopping. The study also showed that despite plans to spend more money this year, most consumers are hoping to stretch their budget further by employing discount websites such as LivingSocial or Groupon.
Over half of the respondents were also planning to make the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and were keen to find online retailers with free shipping.
The survey also highlighted a growing amount of consumer awareness in regard to credit card rewards and cash back programs. One
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