After reading the article about bankrate.com buying creditcardguide.com for $32 million cash plus $2 million in working capital, I wanted to do some research on creditcardguide.com to find out what secrets the website might have done to command such a price.

While searching through Google for sites that contain the text creditcardguide.com an interesting site popped up. The website is websiteoutlook.com and the direct link to credit card guide.com is http://www.websiteoutlook.com/www.creditcardguide.com. At the time of this writing the website is estimated to be worth $52,786.30. Well, it looks like the accuracy of this website is quite a bit off, unless it’s correct, and bankrate doesn’t know what they’re doing. No, I doubt that. So after seeing that, I thought I would check some more domain appraisals on the website credit card guide.com.
Here are some of the results

1. cubestat.com – $49,342.89


2. websitevaluecalculator.com – $119 (Note this is with them displaying a pr of 5 and over 3 million backlinks)


3. smartpagerank.com – $919

Obviously the value of the website cannot be judged by a simple instant online appraisal script, and probably not by a firm. With the traffic, back links, page rank, and length of the domain name, I don’t think there is a online appraisal company out there that would even pay $1 million for this domain name. So basically, an online appraisal company is more of a novelty and something that shouldn’t be taken seriously. Who knows your new website mynewwidgetwebsite.com might show up as being worth over $1 million someday, or he might be less than $100, either way all you website owners out there, good luck on your websites, and hopefully you’ll be the next big acquisition by a large corporation.

I see a lot of questions and popularity with the American Express Gift Card. With the holidays coming up, Christmas gift cards from American Express is a viable alternative to limiting someone to a particular store or restaurant, or risking sounding cash over the US Postal Service.

American Express Gift Card, in two formats. There is the American Express business gift card, and the American Express consumer gift card (for family and friends). Each American Express Gift Card has different features and applicable uses.

The American Express business gift card can be ordered with multiple cards totaling as high as $35,000. Business gift card from American Express are also an easy solution for rewards, promotions, and incentives. Large orders are also eligible for a possible discount.

The American Express consumer gift card can be ordered in ships within one to two days, allows the recipient to choose what they want to buy, multiple cards can be shipped with one package, and specialty cards are also available.

If you’re a business and you want some ideas for uses of the American Express business gift card, take these into consideration. You can use these American Express Gift Card for sales incentives for your top sales reps and distributors. You also might want to give out the Christmas bonus, or a birthday gift in the form of an American Express Gift Card. On the other hand, you might want to reward your consumers. For example you may offer a loyalty program where somebody who stays with you for six months to a year gets a free $50 American Express Gift Card.

As a consumer the beauty of the American Express Gift Card is they’re perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a birthday, graduation, holiday, or any other event. The gift card also comes with special offers, including additional savings that featured partners like Pier 1 Imports, KB toys and foot locker. They also offer a decent sized denomination range from $25-$500 per card. If the card becomes lost or stolen it can easily be replaced or refunded.

American Express recommends that when you receive your gift card you send a signature panel immediately, and also write down the gift card number and customer service phone number on a piece of paper so that if the card is lost or stolen you can call them immediately to have the card replaced or refund the money. There is also no expiration date, however after a certain amount of time American Express does begin to charge a service fee, and at the time of this writing is 365 days after the card has been purchased.

If your American Express Gift Card is lost or stolen the phone number to call is 1877 AXP-GIFT (1-877-297-4498).

American Express does not allow you to reload the gift card. Once the initial balance is depleted the card is worthless and should be cut up or destroyed.

Since the American Express Gift Card is treated like a regular credit card, only one name is allowed to be placed on the actual gift card. However when sending out the gift card to another person you are allowed to put more than one name on the note or notice that is sent along with the card.

One more final note, when using your American Express Gift Card or your American Express business gift card, there are a couple things that may become issues mainly at restaurants and gas stations. Many restaurants will request authorization for 10 to 15% even up to 20% higher than the actual tab to account for a tip. Your card could become declined if you have $50 on your card and your bill comes to $50 because if they were to add 10% to that authorization do actually be authorizing a $55 purchase. This doesn’t mean you will pay $55 but he basically puts a hold on the card. You can request a restaurant to put in a specific dollar amount but there are no guarantees that they will or can do this. Also at gas stations it is recommended that you pay inside versus paying at the pump because many gas station pay at the pump credit card terminals will automatically authorize $50-$75 which could cause a problem if you don’t have enough funds on your gift card. Therefore if you go inside and pay the exact amount there should be no issues.

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Looking for American Express Rewards Cards?

Low Interest credit cards are exactly what their name suggests. They charge low rates of interest (APR). The APR is calculated in the same way as with other credit cards; this facilitates an easy comparison for an individual who is planning to switch over to these cards. Low interest credit cards are favored by individuals who habitually carry their monthly credit card balance forward. Low interest rates can lead to significant savings on financial charges.

For the introductory period, most low interest credit cards offer 0% APR; however, most credit cards offer 0% APR only for select situations such as balance transfers and major purchases. The introductory period offer can be used for consolidating multiple credit cards that charge high rates into a single low APR credit card. This helps people to reduce the financial charges associated with credit card debts and pay off the existing balances quickly. Often, low interest rate credit card companies will waive the balance transfer fee upon a clients request. Thus, low interest rate cards with rates that can be up to 9 percentage points lower than those of other cards are a great way of saving for those inveterate shoppers who invariably end up with a monthly balance on their credit cards. It is also less taxing to take a cash advance with low interest credit cards. Individuals with poor credit scores may find themselves ineligible for low interest credit cards.

Low interest credit cards may or may not offer other advantages like cash back and travel insurance and should therefore be used with another card that does. This helps a card user to earn benefits from the other card which he may use when he does not intend to keep a balance; for other purchases, the low interest credit card can be used. It is advisable that the oldest extant credit card account that an individual has should not be closed for acquiring a low rate credit card; this is because maintaining credit accounts for long periods reflects well on the credit ratings.

There are several low interest credit cards available in the market. Individuals should do a thorough research to find a card that offers a perfect fit for their needs.

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Most people are aware that anytime they seek a loan, the lender will check their credit report to see if their credit history warrants such a loan. Along with the credit report, the lender will almost certainly check the borrower’s credit score. Also known as a FICO score, this score is a three-digit number, ranging from 300 to 850, that represents the borrower’s overall credit worthiness.

There are several factors that come into play in compiling a credit score. The score takes into account available credit, any past due payments, and the length of the borrower’s history, among other things. Also coming into play is the amount of available credit that the borrower has, along with the percentage of the available credit that is currently outstanding.

Borrowers often check their credit reports themselves prior to applying for a loan in order to look for possible errors. Often, they will see old accounts listed that they didn’t even know were active anymore, such as a department store credit card from a city in which they no longer live. The first response in this situation is usually to cancel the account, since it isn’t being used anymore. This could be a mistake, and could actually lower your credit score!

It is true that it may be a potential problem to have too much available credit. Lenders could have concerns that the borrower with ten credit cards might run out and max them all out. On the other hand, a very important component of the credit score is the length of the borrower’s credit history. The longer the better and those people with top credit scores usually have histories of thirty years or more. By canceling an old account, you could be reducing the length of your credit history, which will then consist only of newer accounts.

There are times when canceling unused accounts is a good idea. This is particularly true if the accounts are relatively new ones. But closing an old account, even if it isn’t being used, could do more harm than good for someone seeking a loan.

Credit cards take bigger bites now Users who keep high balances may be hit hard in coming bill

Gain Financial Freedom – Free Debt Help Quote – Get out of Debt in less than 4 years

The new year is bringing with it bad news for an untold number of Americans mired in credit-card debt.

Many of the banks that issue credit cards are raising their minimum required monthly payments this month—in some cases doubling them—as a result of pressure from federal regulators worried about U.S. consumers’ deepening debt and its potential effect on the financial system.

Though some banks began phasing in higher minimum payments as long as two years ago, when the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency first raised the issue, as much as 50 percent of the industry just made the change.

That means the higher minimums will show up for the first time on many people’s January card statements—in the middle of what for many is a post-holiday credit hangover.

"To some people, that may not seem like much, but when you don’t have a lot, an extra $100 a month is going to put a big strain" on your budget, said Michelle Smith, 39, a mother of three in St. Cloud who is wrestling with about $3,500 in debt on three cards. "I try to pay a little more than the minimum, but I don’t ever pay double. I use the money for things like car repairs, gas, groceries and other household needs."

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Bank of America notified its customers in October that its change in the minimum required payment was effective Dec. 1. The new minimum is at least 1 percent of the cardholder’s monthly balance plus any fees and finance charges. The old minimum payment was only $10 plus fees and finance charges.

Many other banks used to require a $15 minimum payment or 2 percent of the account’s balance—whichever was less.

Post-holiday hit

Consumer-finance experts have long encouraged people to avoid making just the minimum payment on a credit-card balance, because it can mean paying thousands of dollars in extra interest. But they are also worried that a sudden demand for larger payments could break many cash-strapped Americans who have come to rely on the historically low minimums of recent years.

"Sure, the idea is that people will pay down their debt quicker and save money," said Doug Neway, a consumer-bankruptcy lawyer in Orlando. "But it’s a shame that this is happening to people now, with all their holiday spending reflected in the January bill. It will be the highest [balance] most will have all year long."

It’s not clear how many Americans with credit-card debt pay only the minimum monthly payment. Estimates range from as low as 4 percent, according to the American Bankers Association, to as high as 45 percent, according to a survey by the Cambridge Consumer Credit Index.

Millions just pay minimum

About 167 million Americans have at least one credit card, according to the Nilson Report, an industry newsletter. By that measure, 6 million to 75 million cardholders are paying the required minimum or close to it.

Bankers say the effect of the larger minimum payments has been overstated by some consumer advocates.

Pre-paid MasterCard and Visa cards become an alternative to credit, debit cards

While credit cards and bank-machine cards have long been favoured by many shoppers because of their ease of use and wide acceptance among retailers, a new generation of cash alternatives is becoming available.

Affiliates of MasterCard and Visa have begun offering pre-paid cards that don’t provide you with credit or draw directly from your bank account but in other ways work much like the more familiar cards in your wallet.

While these payment methods do offer certain advantages over credit cards – no need to have an approved credit history, for instance – they also charge a variety of fees and come with certain restrictions that may limit their appeal.

The Visa Wired Plastic Card is a reloadable pre-paid card for purchases from merchants that take Visa/MasterCard. They can also do cash withdrawals from bank machines on the Cirrus network.

Unlike credit cards, however, the pre-paid cards don’t charge interest since you’re not borrowing money from the issuer. On the other hand, the money loaded onto the card doesn’t earn you interest either.

Check out these recommended pre-paid credit cards.

Vaya Prepaid Mastercard

Eufora Prepaid Mastercard

First Vineyard Prepaid Mastercard

Credit Cards … for the Bankrupt?
Is offering credit to bankrupt folks the right thing to do?

If you’ve spent any time in our eye-opening Credit Center, you probably realize that the credit card industry does everything it can to make money off people who carry plastic in their pockets. Grace periods? They’ve gotten shorter. Teaser rates? They don’t last too long. Annual fees charged on no-annual-fee cards? They’ve been known to appear.

So maybe you won’t be surprised to learn that credit card issuers are going after newly bankrupt Americans. That’s right. And right now, there are a heck of a lot of bankrupt Americans. According to The New York Times, the credit card industry spent $100 million over the past few years lobbying for changes in bankruptcy law. It got what it wanted, and before the new bank-friendly, not-so-consumer-friendly laws went into effect in mid-October, a record number of Americans had filed. In 2005, more than 2 million people have filed for bankruptcy.

Orchard Bank – The #1 Credit Card for Bankruptcy Filers

The Times reported that many of these folks are regularly getting tempting credit card offers in the mail. It might not seem to make sense, since these folks tend to be bad risks, but considering that the new laws make it much harder for people to get out from debilitating debt, it’s not so unreasonable for lenders. (Although we might imagine that most people in steep credit card debt are there because of irresponsible spending, many actually end up there from life’s hardships, such as costly illnesses or job losses.)

If you are newly bankrupt and interested in rebuilding your credit, the following credit cards are recommended.

• Orchard Bank


• Tribute Mastercard


• Continental Finance Gold Mastercard

Introduces Suite of Products, Providing Credit Card Essentials, Worldwide

Acceptance and No-Fee Extras

Citibank® and American Express® announce today that they will offer consumers Citibank premium benefits and customer service through cards that are accepted wherever American Express is welcome. Plus, many of the new Citi American Express Cards
reward cardmembers for doing what they already do, like making purchases at grocery and drug stores, or putting gas in the car.

“We’re excited by this new relationship, and the prospect of providing our customers and prospective customers with the superior benefits and services these new cards will have,” says Vik Atal, Chairman and CEO, Citi Cards North America. “As always, we’re committed to exceptional customer service, and by
issuing some of our most popular card products on the American Express Network, we’re offering customers many of the features and benefits they want in a credit card.” Peter Godfrey, President of American Express Global Network Services adds, “This partnership brings together two highly successful and internationally recognized brands for the benefit of all cardmembers looking for high quality products and service. We are delighted that Citibank is providing consumers
with a credit card on the American Express Network that allows them to experience the best of both worlds.” The Citi American Express Cards offer value, rewards and cash-back benefits. The initial offerings will begin later this month, and the full suite of card products will be available to consumers as of January 15, 2006: * The Citi® Platinum American Express® Card, a no-annual fee card, offers points on purchases through ThankYou Network, Citi’s no-fee rewards program featuring a variety of merchandise, travel and gift cards at leading retailers and restaurants. Cardmembers will enjoy services to source hard-to-find tickets to shows, concerts and sporting events along with direct access to a live customer service representative 24 hours a day. A special 12 month introductory offer provides a 0% APR on eligible balance transfers. * The Citi® Dividend American Express® Card enables cardmembers to earn 5% cash back on purchases at supermarkets, drug stores and gas stations; 1% cash back on other purchases and eligible cash advances; and cash back on eligible balance transfers. Cardmembers also pay no annual fee. * The Citi® / AAdvantage® American Express® Card allows cardmembers to earn one American Airlines AAdvantage® mile for every dollar they spend on purchases—up to 60,000 miles per calendar year. * The Citi PremierPass® American Express® Card, with no-annual fee, offers cardmembers one ThankYou Point for every three miles flown on any airline and one ThankYou Point for every dollar spent on purchases—up to 100,000 ThankYou Points per year, up to 50,000 of which can be earned for miles flown. * The Citi® Diamond Preferred Rewards American Express® Card offers cardmembers five ThankYou Points on purchases made at supermarkets, drug stores and gas stations and one ThankYou Point for every dollar spent on other purchases during their first year of cardmembership. Thereafter, cardmembers will earn one ThankYou Point on all eligible purchases. Other benefits of the Citi American Express suite of cards include: * $0 Liability on unauthorized purchases * 24/7 customer service * Citi Identity Theft Solutions and Fraud Early Warning * Pay over time or pay in full * Worldwide Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance * 24-hour Emergency Assistance Services * Worldwide Travel Accident Insurance * Access to more than 2,200 American Express Travel Services locations * Price Protection, Retail Protection and Extended Warranty * Deals and discounts * Worldwide acceptance of American Express

Bank of America and American
Express have both offered what’s called “spend to save” cards. They deposit a small portion of each card purchase into a separate savings account.

“I want to get a card like that,” said a credit card user. “I’m not a very good saver, so I probably would do that.”

Most Americans are not very good savers, so the new cards sound attractive.

But be sure and read the fine print of the contracts. Annual fees and any charges for debit transactions could wipe out your new savings.

Other credit card companies are trying to entice consumers tired of paying high fees.

Citi Group’s “Simplicity” card has no annual fee and waives the $39 late fee so long as you use the card at least once a month. That’s a plus if you have a hard time paying on time.

But it can also backfire on you. The fine print says if you miss a payment or fail to use the card at least once a month, your interest rate will shoot up and you’ll pay penalties.

Still, increasing competition among the card companies can mean real benefits.

“I’m more interested in frequent flier miles,” said a credit card user.

Just be sure to choose a card that meets your needs, so you don’t end up not getting what you pay for.