| Playing the credit card benefits game
Michael Cheng and his wife, Nicole, each have four credit cards in their wallets. A Post-it note on the top left corner of each card lets them know which one to use for what. The Chase rewards card is for groceries, gasoline and drugstore purchases. The Chase business card is for gas stations, home improvement and office-supply stores and restaurants. The Discover card is for restaurants and movies. The Farm Bureau Bank card is for everything else. In return for their purchases, they get checks or gift cards: 5 percent cash back from the Chase rewards card, 3 percent from Chase business, 5 percent from Discover and an amount equal to 1 percent from the Farm Bureau. The Chengs, who have a stack of other cards, keep track of the cash rewards on a spreadsheet: They made $1,121 in 2006 and $1,093 so far this year.
Delphi Corp. files another Ch. 11 exit plan
WASHINGTON -- Delphi Corp. again has revised its plan of reorganization, following sharp criticism from its creditors and shareholders. Among the changes: Delphi now will reduce its payment to its former parent by $100 million. The plan changes reflect Delphi's weakened borrowing ability amid a tightening global credit market. .
Deer Hunters Asked To Help Eliminate Swine
LANSING, Mich. -- As the firearms deer season gets under way, state officials are inviting hunters to take aim at feral swine. The free-ranging pigs are fair game in 50 counties for deer hunters with valid hunting licenses. Feral swine can weigh upwards of 300 pounds and they often have tusks. The Department of Natural Resources said feral swine damage crops, carry diseases that threaten the health of domestic swine and wildlife, and can be dangerous to people. Sam Hines is executive vice president of the Michigan Pork Producers Association. He warned that feral swine present a risk to the state's $700 million domestic swine industry. .
Peer review: Stafford loan is best bet
Q I am attending graduate school and need to apply for a student loan this year to help pay for the costs. I've received a list of student-loan providers from my school. I'm trying to decide whether a fixed or variable interest rate is best. My mom is pushing the fixed rate -- is that almost always best in these changing times?SARA (25) WOODBURYA You raise an issue that a lot of students are seeing these days regarding fixed and variable rates on student loans. The first loan I recommend you consider is the Stafford loan (sometimes called a FFEL loan). This is a federal program that allows you to borrow up to $20,500 per year as a graduate student. The loans have a fixed rate of 6.8 percent and will likely be easier to get than student loans from private lenders. The rates on the private loans, whether fixed or variable, likely will be higher than the Stafford.
|
