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CardCommentary for Consumers
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year Unless you snagged a cheap loan this year, 2001 will go down in history as a year that sucked; online households have peaked, giving way to Internet marketing tricks and traps; PayPal rules, but picks up some serious competition; the FTC shuts down a credit card ripoff, and a sub-prime issuers settles with the OCC; and school lunch money via credit cards. (Dec 01) Commentary En Espanol	No Ho Ho Ho The economy has tanked and holiday spending will be way-off; anthrax is scaring credit card offers away from the mail system and driving cardholders online; Target unleashes a smart VISA; Chrysler revs up a garage full of reward VISA cards; and gift cards are busting out as Hooters and others jump on the bandwagon. (Nov 01) Commentary En Espanol
Waving The Flag Patriotic credit cards emerge in the wake of the terrorism enhanced recession, but you mighty not want to use these cards overseas; American Express and others count the cost of September 11th; and Providian, once the mighty tower in sub-prime credit cards, has fallen. (Oct 01) Commentary En Espanol	C'mon Guys All Americans are hurting and need a break this month from credit card late fees; cashless rides are coming to the Big Apple; a techno-savvy smart card is here; abuse of the bankruptcy system continues to plague the country; and if you want to double dip or get triple miles this fall - VISA and MasterCard have got you covered. (Sept 01) Commentary En Espanol
CardLess Society The "cashless society" is here but the "cardless society" is not far off; smart cards gather momentum; BofA settles cardholder suit with itself; Bill Gates has a credibility problem; sub-prime consumers now on the radar screen; and four of ten college students carry credit cards this fall. (Aug 01) Commentary En Espanol	PIN PONG The debit card PIN battle between merchants and banks is heating up with consumers in the middle; MBNA hires the FBI's #1 guy and gives him keys to the executive wash room; merchants are bedazzled with tons of card fees; and consumers file suits over credit card insurance, late fees and mystery charges. (Jul 01) Commentary En Espanol
LOW BLOW Low rates, some with low blows hit the market; Sexy, techno smart cards; Beaming TV to smart cards; Jenna & Tonic solution; Savvy student card ambassadors; and late fees on retail cards. (Jun 01)	SMART CARD PUSH Smart cards take off in the USA; VISA incents merchants, issuers and computer manufacturers to help push smart cards; the Navy rides the smart card wave; American Express puts some music and power into smart Blue; and Providian gets real smart. (May 01)
CREDIT ED 2001 April is "Financial Literacy for Youth Month"; CardWeb.com releases a credit management book and links up to an award-winning student credit education Web site; the U.S. credit card market consolidates while an expansion takes hold overseas; and the latest pulse on consumer Internet fears.(Apr 01)	CARDS 2002 This year will be the transition period for credit cards as wireless access and smart cards take hold; online credit card marketing beats offline response; VISA approaches $2 trillion while the top ten issuers approach $1 trillion; consumers downshift on card debt; and more cardholder lawsuits are in the wings. (Mar 01)
Card Swap USA American Express is forcing its cards down the throat of Hawaiian consumers while retailers across the USA are trying to force PINs down the throat of all consumers; Diners Club is revitalizing itself as Discover pulls out a new rewards twist; the Navy is riding the smart card wave while smart cards are finding their way into the prison system. (Feb 01)	2001 Keywords This might be a new year but it might also be a "R" year; some consumers are already getting "F" ed this year; before long we will get to "P" off a credit card transaction; and other keywords for 2001 that might save you big bucks or give you big rewards. (Jan 01)