Simply charge things as you normally would, make the minimum payments, put the difference in a high yield online savings account, and collect the interest for the better part of a year. Just be sure to pay it off before the promo period expires, or you could wind up with a nasty surprise.

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To qualify, visit this holiday promotion page to initiate your reservation. Just be sure that “Hampton Holidays 08” is selected in the “Special Offers” pulldown menu on the left side of the 2nd page (after you submit your desired dates/location). Then, simply enter “VISA” for your promo code prior to finalizing your reservation. You should receive your card within 7-10 days after your stay is completed.

While $10 probably isn’t enough to make you go out of your way to stay at a Hampton Inn, you might as well grab it if you’re already planning on staying at one sometime between now and early January.

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You should receive the notification of the rate increase along with your November statement. If you receive an electronic statement, then the notification will be sent to you in a separate mailing. The good news here is that you can opt out:

Citigroup cardholders will then have until the end of January to turn down the higher interest rates. If they decline the rate increase, they will pay down the balances on their accounts under the old pricing terms and will be able to continue to make charges until their credit cards expire.

After that, however, customers will have to reapply for a card or find a different lender.

So… Be on the lookout for

Source: NY Times via The Consumerist

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• What’s the introductory rate?
• How long does the introductory rate last?
• Are there any balance transfer fees?
• Does the card have an annual fee?
• What happens to the APR after the intro rate expires?
• Does the intro rate cover both purchases and balance transfers?

Ideally, you should be looking for a 0% balance transfer credit card whose intro rate runs for at least 12 months. On top of that, you should try to avoid paying balance transfer fees. Unfortunately, it’s getting increasingly difficult to find these two things together.

Virtually all of the no fee 0% balance transfer offers that are out there today run for six months. If you want a 12-15 month 0% period, you’ll likely have to pay a fee. In this case, be aware that a 3% fee is standard, but that some issuers cap their fees at $75 or $90, whereas others do not.

While we’re on the topic of fees, you may have noticed that I didn’t mention late fees. The reason for this is that virtually every credit card issuer will sock you with exorbitant late fees if you don’t pay on time. While there might be minor differences in the magnitude of the fees, it’s pretty much the same everywhere you go. Automate your payments so you won’t have to worry about it.

One fee that you should definitely try to avoid, however, is the annual fee. There are a ton of options out there that don’t charge an annual fee, so don’t throw your money away.

The issue of what happens to the APR after the intro rate expires is important, it’s not a top priority. If the APR will jump dramatically after the introductory period (and almost all of them do), you can simply transfer your balance to a new card before the promo period expires.

Finally, while it would be great to find a card that offers 0% on purchases as well as balance transfers, this shouldn’t be viewed as a deal-breaker. If your card of choice offers 0% on purchases, great. If not, just execute the balance transfer and then put the card away until you pay it off.

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It looks like Discover is on a roll… Earlier this week I wrote about the $50 signup bonus for the Discover More card, as well as Discover’s holiday promo where you get $20 off $200 in purchases at participating malls (up to $100 total). And now this…

Discover has brought back the $100 signup bonus on the Discover Business card. Simply apply for the card and spend a total of $1000 within the first three months to qualify for the bonus. Other attractive features of this card include:

» 0% APR on purchases for 12 months
» Up to 5% cash back on select purchases
» No annual fee

Keep in mind that anyone can apply for a business credit card. Simply enter your SSN if they ask for a taxpayer ID, and use your personal name as your business name.

For more hot deals, check out this list of credit card bonus offers.

Previously: $100 Discover Business Card Signup Bonus

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In late October, Liberty Media said third-quarter profits dropped at its QVC home-shopping unit as the credit crunch slowed consumer spending and more customers missed payments on QVC-issued credit cards.

Some 27 percent of QVC sales are paid for with the company-issued credit cards, [Mike George, QVC's president and CEO] said.

“People are struggling,” George said. “QVC will be more careful, more conservative when opening up new Q-Card accounts.”

Say it ain’t so! They’re tightening down on Q-Card approvals. What is this world coming to? Perhaps QVC should re-organize as a bank and apply for bailout funds.

Apparently they’re laying off 900 workers in a jewelry distribution center, but adding 200 positions at a new distribution center elsewhere. The net loss of 700 workers repesents just under 6% of their total workforce.

Source: Daily Local via The Consumerist

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This structure has helped shield Amex from delinquencies while still receiving the lion’s share of the merchant fees. Unfortunately, the market for credit card-backed securities has dried up, leaving Amex with more debt than they can easily manage.

As a result of all of this, Amex has asked the Federal Reserve for permission to become a “bank holding company,” which qualifies them for help under the economic bailout. According to reports, they’re seeking a $3.5 billion investment under the terms of the bailout plan. Perhaps this is why they’ve been reducing credit limits so aggressively.

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Here’s a quick bit of math: Start by applying for the Discover More card. Once you have it, go to one of the malls participating in their holiday promo and spend $500. At that point, you’ll qualify for the $50 signup bonus. You can then take your receipts to mall customer service and trade them in for $40 worth of gift cards. That works out to $90 in rewards on $500 in spending, or 18% cash back.

If you really want to make the most of this deal, spending an extra $100 will qualify you for another $20 gift card. That works out to $110 in rewards on $600 in spending, or 18.3% cash back. Not too shabby.

Hat Tip: Blueprint for Financial Prosperity

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Here are the details:

• Visit a participating mall
• Spend at least $200
• Present your receipts at mall customer service
• Get a $20 gift card per $200 spent
• Limit 5 gift cards per account

If you don’t already have a Discover card, you can get an even sweeter deal by taking advantage of their $50 signup bonus (details).

Hat Tip: Stop Buying Crap

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Guess what? Discover has brought back the $50 signup bonus on the Discover More Card. Simply apply for the card, get approved, and make $50 in purchases (within the first three months) to get your bonus.

In case you’re not familiar with the Discover More card, it’s one of the best cash back reward credit cards, offering up to 5% cash back on purchases. In addition to the $50 signup bonus, other attractive features of this card include a 12 month 0% balance transfer, 0% APR on purchases for six months, and no annual fee.

Previously: $50 Signup Bonus From Discover More Card

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