The Sun’s Financial Diary

Just a reminder if you are still using your Citi Dividend card. The downgraded version of the reward program starts today, October 13th. From now on, you will earn:

2% cash back on purchases made at supermarket, drugstores, and gas station;
2% cash back or more at convenience stores and for electricity, gas, water supply, refuse [...]

in paying your credit card bills.
According to a Reuters article, The General Accountability Office (GAO)’s report released today found that the average financial charge for a late credit card payment jumped from $13 in 1995 to $34 in 2005, an increase of 115%, and the highest charge is $39. The fees for over the limit [...]

In addition to the 1GB Nano, Bank of America has a credit card offer that also include

$50 Statement Credit after qualifying transaction(s)
0% balance transfer for one year

To receive the free iPod, you have to
use your new account within 90 days of the date the account is opened by Bank of America to make any [...]

I applied a Discover Mills Card back in July, which offers 12,000 bonus miles, fee-free 0% balance transfer for one year, and additional 1,000 monthly bonus miles for 12 months with any purchase charged with the card (BTW, the offer is still valid). Immediately after receiving the card, I called Discover to confirm the one-year [...]

Time to put your Discover card in use!
Discover card has a new promotion from October to December for 5% cashback on restaurants and movies (good for both tickets and rentals).
Making the deal more attractive, you can also earn 5% cashback from the following retailers: (both online and in-store):

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
Borders
Circuit City
Crutchfield
Napster
Waldenbooks

The promotion, however, has a [...]

Received in the mail tonight, starting October 13th, the new Citi Dividend Reward program works as follows:

2% cash back on purchases made at supermarket, drugstores, and gas station;
2% cash back or more at convenience stores and for electricity, gas, water supply, refuse services, excluding phone services;
1% cash back on all other purchases;
1% cash back on [...]

If you are an AT&T customer, by now you probably have already been informed. Otherwise, here’s the story.
USAToday reported that hackers accessed credit cards and other personal information of AT&T’s nearly 19,000 customers over the weekend. As a result, AT&T shut down its online store and notified credit card companies of those customers being affected. [...]

The rumor is out that Citibank will terminate the 5% cashback program of its Dividend Platinum Select Cash Back Rewards credit card (When I checked the Citi’s web site today, I couldn’t even find the Dividend card.) Currently, the card gives 5% cashback on purchases made at gas stations, grocery stores, and supermarkets. Beginning in [...]

I have three Chase credit cards, and since some time last year, I got 0% balance transfer offers from all three cards almost at the same time every month. The terms however are little different from those that came with new cards. Those offers were usually valid only for no longer than half a [...]

And upgrades fees for some cards.
If you have an AMEX card and have been a happy member of its Membership Rewards program, chances are you are not going to enjoy the double rewards points program any longer.
Recent news reported on CNNMoney.com said that AMEX will eliminate some double rewards points program while raising annual fees [...]