AOPA credit card --- WARNING.

"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

Well, maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I do (did anyway) use quadratic
equations and significant other math in my day job. However, I
understand and agree with your point. I'm not against history or
advanced math, but I do think teaching a little more basics on personal
financial management would help a lot of young folks as they start out on
their own. I had a pretty good grounding growing up, but also read a lot
of financial books very early in my college and working career and it
helped tremendously.

You are so very clever.

And you're obviously not.

Your opinion does not count (at least, not to anyone other than yourself)

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:Y0cqd.98323$V41.97674@attbi_s52...

We are now in the middle of "the paper chase" with VISA -- but I guarantee
we will lose the battle even though we followed standard procedure to the
letter.

Do you have any other legal recourse to this noshow? Would it be worthwhile
for a collection agency to get involved?

Mike V. wrote:
"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...

Well, maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I do (did anyway) use quadratic
equations and significant other math in my day job. However, I
understand and agree with your point. I'm not against history or
advanced math, but I do think teaching a little more basics on personal
financial management would help a lot of young folks as they start out on
their own. I had a pretty good grounding growing up, but also read a lot
of financial books very early in my college and working career and it
helped tremendously.

You are so very clever.

And you're obviously not.


Your opinion does not count (at least, not to anyone other than yourself)

Actually, I get paid rather well for my opinions.

Matt

"Jay Honeck" writes:


Amex had nothing to do with it. You just found a hotel that unscrupulously
overbooks, but still has a conscience about doing so.

I disagree. It's my understanding tha AMEX really holds the
line on denied rooms; the original hotel eats the cost of
the replacement room, or they lose their merchant account.

Of course, it's possible that likely everything else about Amex;
this is now watered down, and/or not the case at all any more.

[There was a time Amex was really useful -- they got me a new card
the same day, in Guatemala City, on a US holiday.]

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

"Jay Honeck" writes:


American Express is dying -- and Diner's Club barely exists. 92% of our
guests use Visa/Mastercard (they really *are* the same, BTW), 4% use
Discover, and 4% pay cash.

At one point, DC had the USGovt. account, but I think they are long
out of it.

In some cities, the major eateries rebelled against Amex; and they
cut their tax.
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 14:06:42 -0500, Matt Whiting
wrote:

Rich wrote:
Yes... basic values used to be taught at home by parents and family.
Since they are not (in general), it sure seems they should be taught in
school.

It always puzzled me that there is emphasis on learning that the "Battle
of Hastings was fought in 1066" and how to solve quadratic equations
(When will you EVER use this information in real life?) and nothing
taught about REAL life skills kids lack and really need.

Well, maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I do (did anyway) use quadratic
equations and significant other math in my day job. However, I

I find I use a lot of trig, but I don't think I've ever used the
Quadratic since graduation, nor have I used any of that Calculus.
Well... I did use it in grad school, but I never had to use it in
software design like I did in college.

Even with a minor in math I sure don't miss the stuff.

understand and agree with your point. I'm not against history or
advanced math, but I do think teaching a little more basics on personal
financial management would help a lot of young folks as they start out

The local high schools are doing that now. I could have used it back
when I was in high school. At least when I was in college they had
developed "Writing across the curriculum", meaning you wrote at least
three or four papers in each class, not just English.

Had they taught even basics in finance along with investing I think
we'd be far better off today.

24 years ago I had just gotten out of a marriage, owed so much money I
thought I'd never get out of debt and still managed to get my daughter
through college and number one son out on his own. (I got the kids)

on their own. I had a pretty good grounding growing up, but also read a
lot of financial books very early in my college and working career and
it helped tremendously.

Thanks to the level headedness of my folks I have a pretty good head
for finances. I was raised on a small farm and actually farmed long
enough after high school I knew that was not for me. It took me 29
years to get back into college, but I did well. Started on my masters,
but quit for a good job. Worked 7 years and retired. It'd be nice if
retirement paid a bit better, but my wife and I can do most of the
things we like. We don't drive new cars. We pretty much drive them
till the wheels are ready to fall off although my TA had a bit of help
from a GMC. Even then the wheels didn't fall off, but the front ones
ended up under the dash.

I firmly believe if the youth of today were given a good education in
finances, learned to conserve while young, were willing to wait a few
years before starting a family, were willing to settle for an economy
car instead of a big truck or SUV, and put every cent allowed into
their company's CAP (or invested it wisely) they could retire
millionaires. Giving up a little early one can pay really big later
on in life.

There will always be those who don't make it, or get caught, but if
they are willing to move and hunt for the good jobs, save early on
while planning ahead *most* will do well.


Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Matt

On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 22:21:43 GMT, "RS" wrote:

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:3Lspd.391816$wV.73568@attbi_s54...
But tell me, what will you do when home, auto and commercial proprerty
loan companies hike their rates just because they feel like it? Even if
you pay on time, every time. All they need to do is lobby hard enough to
put it into law and you are totally screwed.

What then, Mr Clever Guy?

I'm not following you. If you pay "on time, every time" -- credit card
companies CAN'T charge you any interest.

What would you do if they hiked the APR on your auto or home loan just
because they felt like it, even if you had a perfect payment history? Well,

Does the phrase; Adjustable Rate Mortgage ring a bell.

that's what the credit card companys are doing now - they are changing the
rules mid-stream. Credit is credit - regardless what it is for. You guys on
your high moral horses about paying credit cards off every month do not
impress me (unless you have zero credit - no home, auto, commercial loans at
all).

That doesn't quite make sense.
They are not changing the rules. They are there in B & W (color in
some cases). In every card I've had over the last 10 years they have
stated they could change the rates at any time they deemed necessary.

The point is: If you really need to borrow, which nearly every one
does at one time or another, do it sensibly.

Like the checks they offer at very low interest rates. Is there a
catch? Generally the answer is yes.

Move your loans to our card and pay only 3%? Look in the fine print
and that may only be good for a couple of months and then the rates go
to 18% APR, or even higher. Have enough equity to cover them? Take
out a second mortgage to pay them off. Most likely the rates will
only be about a third of that of the CC. Then cut up every card
except one and limit its use to absolutely necessary items only.

OTOH car and home loans get bought and sold just like any other
commodity. Some have some pretty high penalties for paying off early.

*IF* I need money I can write checks against the equity in our home
loan. I could get a signature loan. The interest is only slightly
higher than the mortgage which is a small fraction of what a credit
card would charge. It's also treated as a separate loan and doesn't go
against the home loan... unless we'd default.

For the person who has 3 or 4 credit cards, finding one company with a
low introductory APR for 6 months might be their way out of a deep
hole that's been getting deeper.

You have to be careful about changing CC companies though as each
credit check goes against your rating.

Be it a CC or bank loan they have to tell you up front, just what it's
going to cost. Be skeptical of the TV adds. Take time to read the
fine print no matter how restless the loan officer gets. :-)) Those
companies are going to get their money one way or another

Credit card companies usually make a fixed amount off every sale.
Probably on the order of 5%. You can say the merchant pays that, but
who isn't going to pass it on to the customer?
When the CC companies start pushing the rates up it is for one of two
reasons. General rates are going up, and/or they have a lot of
customers defaulting on payments. CC rates are so high because there
are so many defaulting on payments.


Credit cards are the easiest way to borrow money. They are also the
most expensive/poorest way, with maybe the exception of the local
loan sharks.

I don't know if the law has changed, but at one time the credit card
companies could charge at least double what an individual could for a
loan.

BTW, every since the checking account has existed, people have
depended on the time for a check to clear. That is coming to an end
as are the jobs flying canceled checks. In the not too distant
future, when you write a check, it will be debited against your
account and credited to the payee almost instantly. It's this way in
some areas now, but it's becoming universal.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

"Jay Honeck" writes:


Amex had nothing to do with it. You just found a hotel that unscrupulously
overbooks, but still has a conscience about doing so.

It's my understanding that AMEX really holds the line on denied
rooms; the original hotel eats the cost of the replacement room, or
they lose their merchant account.

Of course, it's possible that like everything else about Amex; this
is now watered down, and/or not the case at all any more.

[There was an era when Amex was really useful -- they got me a new
card the same day, in Guatemala City, on a US holiday.]

--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

Do you have any other legal recourse to this noshow? Would it be
worthwhile for a collection agency to get involved?

In my experience, collection agencies are not the kind of organizations we
want representing us.

Sometimes we just have to realize that the world is full of scum, and a few
of these low-lifes will stay at our inn.

(Or, as in this case, WON'T stay at our inn.... ;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In a previous article, David Lesher said:
[There was an era when Amex was really useful -- they got me a new
card the same day, in Guatemala City, on a US holiday.]

Yeah, I got a corporate AMEX delivered to my hotel room in Madrid when I
told my company that I couldn't pay a $250/day hotel room bill (times 60
days) on my own personal credit card.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
Of course, I also got weird looks when I said that, as a kid, I watched the
toast brown in a toaster to see whether it browned at a linear or exponential
rate. -- Jeff Davis