Leadpile’s Blog

As if consumers do not have enough financial stress to worry about, the credit card companies are decreasing credit limits and increasing annual percentage rates. Due to the high number of people without jobs and suffering financial hardship, the credit card companies have had billions of dollars worth of losses. To attempt to fill in the gap, the card companies are making changes effecting card holders who are behind in payments in addition to card holders who have always paid their bills on time and have a perfect history. Credit cards have in the past always been issued to people with an interest rate and credit limit based on their specific risk to default.
With the economy in the state that is has been and many people with additional debt, consumers have been forced to use their credit limits, now faced with paying off balances with interest rates that have doubled or tripled.
According to msnbc.com we are entering a new “era” for credit cards. Previously as many of us experienced, credit card offers would appear daily in your mailbox, each with enormous credit limits and interest rates that were so competitive that it made applying for the card hard to resist. Many people who “couldn’t resist” are now paying for it with the increase in interest.
Possible changes in the near future…The new Credit Card Bill of Rights. The American Bankers association has stated that the new law will limit the amount of credit that is available and it will come attached to a higher price tag. In theory, consumers will have a better idea of long term costs and terms with the new law and will allow them to make more educated decisions.
LeadPile currently helps match consumers with unsecured debt such as credit card debt with debt settlement and debt consolidation companies, but what will change in the future of credit card debt if there is a “credit card bill of rights” that gets passed? Will it really affect anything? Who will feel it the most?

With the holidays finally over and a week into January, it is about time that we get that one last present from the credit card company. What might that present be you ask? A nice fat bill. Whether you did your holiday shopping in the stores or at the comfort of your home online, so many of us just go swipe, swipe, swipe all season long. It really is the the fastest and most convenient way to make a purchase. Sometimes you do not even realize how much you have racked up until it is all down on paper. More times then not, individuals will not be able to pay off the whole bill in one lump sum by the time that the bill is due.
Below are some helpful suggestion for when you realize you have bit off more than you can chew:

1. Use credit cards that offer cash back for purchases – You can put the money you get back towards your credit card bill.
2. Know your interest rate and try to use the card with the lowest interest rate.
3. Do not just pay the minimum balance due – Often that minimum payment will only cover the interest that was charged that month.
4. Get a balance transfer – transfer to a card that offers you a lower interest rate/reward programs.
5. Create a feasible payment plan and stick to it.

In some instances where you find that you are getting into too much debt, try to not feel overwhelmed and that there is no way of getting out of it. There are several options out there to get you back on your feet. For example, debt consolidation or debt settlement might be the perfect solution. Everyday at LeadPile we are matching consumers to debt professionals who are there to help you get the professional advice that you may need. Maybe consider getting help if none of the above options really worked out for you.

It seems that we have a new winner on the highest credit card interest rate to potentially charge a consumer…….. 79.9%! It appears that First Premier Bank has a credit card available to subprime consumers, however the potential interest rate can exceed 79%. It seems that there are fees being charged to the consumer that were more than the allowed balance (first year fees of $256 and the maximum line of credit is $250).
Does this mean that since there are a lot more credit challenged people these days, that this sort of credit card is going to be their only option? On the other hand if someone is not able to get any money elsewhere and really needs to start establishing their credit, then this could be their only option. I am sure giving out money to those that can not get credit anywhere else is a risk in itself to First Premier Bank, and charging higher than normal interest rate is something that have to do, but really 79+%? I think having a credit card interest rate this high, just seems a little excessive. Pat on the back to those that are willing to lend and give money to those that can not get credit elsewhere, but can’t you be a little nicer than 79.9%?

This past June many card companies such as First Third Bank decided they are now charging their customers $19.00 for not using their credit card. They added this fee to help increase their revenue, and a way to “encourage” their customers to use and manage their credit card accounts. With the amount of credit card debt and late payments, is this the only option of increasing revenue? Probably not. A lot of credit card companies such as Amex and Discover will simply send you a notice that your account will be closed if you do not start using the card. This seems much more reasonable than charging your customers for inactivity.
Climbing your way out of debt is hard enough, but fixing your credit score can be even more challenging. When an individual finally pays off their credit card, the first reaction might be to close the card so you do not get yourself into that situation again. However, depending on your debt to credit ratio it can actually lower your credit even more. So what is the best to do? Close your account and potentially lower your credit or leave the account open but get a fee for non use? This really puts people in a pickle.
One option for the consumer is to charge only one or two small items on the card a month. This will keep the card active without getting a fee or affecting your credit in a negative way. If you are one of the many that are in debt, debt consolidation/settlement maybe something worth looking into. Everyday at LeadPile, we match lenders with consumers to try and help with their debt needs, but each person needs to know the basics about their own credit/creditors. Knowledge is power!

With everything that has happened in the financial market in the last few years, many question if the responsibility falls on the consumer or the lenders (or both)? Is the responsibility of the lender to make sure the customer 100% know what they are signing, or it is the responsibility of the customer to ask questions if they do understand what they are signing? There are advocates on both sides, however the government now feels it needs to step in. NPR is reporting that Congress has drafted legislation that would allow the government to oversee all consumer financial products such as credit cards, mortgage loans and payday loans. This measure would prevent consumers from getting any sort of “loan” that they did not fully understand what they were signing. I am not quit sure how something like this can be regulated, but the government wants to step in and try to protect consumers in these sorts of situations. Many legislatures feel that the past behavior of our banks was that they would shop around till they found a lender that would take on their “unique” client situation. Unfortunately, what this caused was those “unique” consumers to then fall behind on their mortgages because they really can’t afford that mortgage.
No matter what, if you agree with government intervention in our financial market or not, the bottom line is our country needs something to change. The right answer is not always that easy to figure out, however one thing I do know is that to change our financial market there needs to be a combination of many people/groups that need to come together to protect customers…and sometimes protect the lenders (the good ones).

Credit Cards

Liz Pulliam Weston really knocked it “out of the park” with her article entitled “The Truth about Credit card debt. This may be the best article written on Credit Card Debt and its statistical manipulation ever.

Nice job Liz! And thanks for making it available to me…

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Banking/creditcardsmarts/P74808.asp

Thursday the House of Representatives passed a bill that has potential to protect consumers from the credit card companies. It appears this potential law could pretty much affect all credit card holders. The good news is some of this could be implemented within 90 days if the law makes it through the Senate and our nation’s president. The Associated Press points out some of the details of this new bill. The bill would prevent retroactive rate increases and prevent credit card companies from giving credit cards to anyone under the age of 18. “This is a unique opportunity to end abusive practices that afflict millions of families across the nation, to contribute to our economic recovery, and to take a stand for American consumers,” Sen. Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and the bill’s primary sponsor, said after the House vote. “Now it is the Senate’s turn to act.”

With our nation’s auto makers, mortgage companies and financial institutions getting a “bail out”, it is kinda nice to see the government lending a helping hand to consumers when it comes to their credit cards.

I have to share a great website that I was recently introduced to.  Mint.com is a great site for anyone looking to manage their bills & finances all in ONE place.

According to the website, “We download, categorize and graph all of your finances automatically every day, so you know where you’re spending, without spending any effort.”  With consumers going through trying to manage their credit cards and really seeing where they are spending their money, this site will allow people to do that without the high cost of hiring someone.  I went through the process myself just to see how long it took, and I have to say it took only minutes and it is a secure site.  Making sure you are entering your account information on a secure website (HTTPS) is very important when working with personal information on the internet.  I have to say I am a little nervous of entering my personal information online, however I did proceed forward with it. Working at Leadpile Lead Exchange has helped to educate me on knowing what to pay attention to when surfing the net, and this website appears to be a great trusted site for EVERYONE to look into.  The other question I was wondering was, “how does this website make money, because this service is FREE?” After searching more and more, I found lead generation is what this company is doing.  They are offering “pertinent” financial services to consumers throughout the process.  Check it out… you might learn something about your own financial portfolio.

Every time you check out at a retail store, do you recognize the statement, “would you like to save 10% on today’s purchase?”

You are getting asked this at all your favorite retails stores, because they are looking to have you open a new store credit card.  This is something that is enticing you to potentially save some money on that current purchase.  Who doesn’t want to save money, so many consumers choose to accept the offer.  However, do you know when you answer “yes”, that is giving that company to pull your credit and potentially affecting your credit score?

Any time anyone applies for new credit it affects your credit and it also affects your overall outstanding bills you are now going to have to pay.  Are these things that you think of when making that split second decision to say, “yes I would like to save 10% with that new credit card?”  According to bankrate.com, there are some pros and cons to retail credit cards.

Pros
• Promotions, discounts and other perks.
• Helps build credit history.

Cons
• High interest rates.
• Low credit limits.
• Lowers your credit score.
• Another spending temptation.

Once consumers have these sorts of credit cards and all other types of credit cards, it creates a potential financial hardship if there is a life changing event (ie- job loss, pay reduction, loss of spouse etc) that could put a consumer in a tough situation. Debt consolidation and debt settlement companies are great services to look into if you are buried in the debt. Leadpile Lead Exchange works a lot with these lead types, and I have to say in recent months there has been a lot more activity in those verticals. This tells me that too many people said “yes I would like to save 10% on this purchase”. Think before getting that next new credit card!

Remember those days when you could pick out all the items you want, and then pay for them each week at your local store?  Okay, maybe not everyone did that, but I remember doing this sort of thing when wanting to buy some “big” ticket items.  Those days seem to be back.  Sears announced it is rolling out layaway!  You shop for what you want and then make a small down payment, then you are done.  Layaway is not a common thing these days, however with the economy retailers are doing whatever it is they can do to get consumers in their stores for the holidays

What happened to layaway and why did it pretty much disappear?  According to creditcards.com, the rise in credit cards being issued erased the high demand for layaway.  Now with consumers having maxed out credit cards, delinquent mortgages, and jobs disappearing, retailers are trying to come up with ideas on how to get that limited amount of consumers in THEIR stores.  Other stores that I found offer layaway are:  Burlington Coat Factory, TJ Maxx, and also take a look at elayaway.com, because this website offers a layaway service.
So, why would Leadpile Lead Exchange be writing about “layaway”? As I have stated in previous posts, we see consumers that are in all sorts of financial situations. Seeing stories such as retailers rolling out an old idea in this tough economy, gives me optimism that there is possibly some light at the end of the tunnel. Every little piece will help those consumers and the economy get headed in the right direction!

According to an article in CNNmoney, there are more types of loans that are concerning experts besides just the subprime mortgages.  Many feel that that industry has almost hit “bottom”, however there are other types of loans that are starting to see higher delinquencies – auto loans, prime mortgages and credit cards are all facing problems in this financial crunch.

Home equity loans and credit card accounts are falling more behind than even the auto loans.  Is that maybe because people are wanting to pay their car notes first, because they know they will need that car to get to work each day?  Are consumers having to prioritize what delinquent debt to pay first?

Bottom line is there is not one industry out there that is not somehow being affected by this credit crunch. Grocery stores, lenders, fast food chains, retail stores to resorts and hotel chains.  To add fuel to the fire, gas prices have even been rising and rising to a level that some can not afford to drive.  Employers are negotiating alternative schedules to allow employees to do a 4 day work week or paying a certain amount towards their employees gas expense.  As an employer, you must decide to make adjustments to your work force or suffer the possibility of them not being able to come to work? 

So how does this specifically impact the lead generation industry?  Consumers looking for debt assistance in some manner is going to continue to grow in popularity AND consumers wanting information about loan modification will become more demanded. These are lead types that will become even more in demand because the number of consumers needing the help is increasing EVERY day.  On a downside, lead types such as vacation, life insurance and maybe even luxuries like security system leads will be less in demand. Lead generation companies must successfully adjust to what is happening with our nations economy to remain in business.