Banks Hike Up ATM Fees

I hate ATM fees. They are just about my biggest day-to-day annoyances with banks, and according to the Huffington Post, they are only getting worse.

HSBC currently charges $3 for using non-HSBC ATMs, and in Illinois and Texas, JPMorgan Chase is charging $5 and $4 respectively. On the lower end, TD Bank and PNC Bank are charging $2 for every use of another bank's ATM. PNC customers can avoid these fees by paying a $25 monthly fee, but seriously, who wants to pay that?

Banks claim that these ATM fee increases are making up for their losses from the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill. Before these increases, the banks were making billions of dollars off of ATM fees. Last year alone, they made $7.1 billion, and they are set to make even more this year.

This story is the perfect example of why financial reform isn't really working out the way it should. As soon as the federal government has outlawed one practice, the banks and credit card companies have come up with 10 more ways to get more money out of their customers.

If you want to avoid ATM fees, I recommend sticking to your bank's ATMs, and if there aren't any in your neighborhood, go to a local grocery store and buy a soda or a pack of gum. Use your debit card, and request cash back.

To learn more about responsible credit card use, check out http://blog.mycreditspecialist.com, and go to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com.

Millionaire Dentist Steals Credit Card, Buys Pizza

In this blog, we have covered a lot of weird stories involving credit card theft. There was the businessman who stole from Peter Jackson to save his company, the woman who wanted some liposuction and a boob job, and the CVS cashier who just wanted some booze and cigarettes. For the first time, however, I am stumped, all thanks to a dentist from Michigan who apparently wanted some free pizza.

This strange story begins with a college student Harrun Majeed accidentally dropping his credit card in a grocery store parking lot. The card was found by Richard Lewis Ludwig, the aforementioned dentist, who was in the area for his son's baseball tournament. Instead of turning in the card to the authorities, Ludwig stopped in at a nearby pizzeria and placed an order for two large pizzas with extra olives. He was still waiting for the pizza when the police arrived to arrest him.

My initial thought was that maybe the guy was just hungry and short on cash. Perhaps his dental practice had fallen on hard times, and he had several small hungry children at home who really liked olives on their pizza. Well, as it turns out, Ludwig had absolutely no excuse for his actions beyond that he wanted some free pizza. When the police took him in, he had $250 in his wallet, and according to Ludwig himself, his net worth is about $4 million.

There is nothing else to say but to give Richard Lewis Ludwig of Michigan the Navin R. Johnson Award for credit card theft stupidity. You had $250 in your pocket, and you used a poor college student's credit card to cover a $40 pizza bill. You are a moron.

To learn more about responsible credit card use, check out http://blog.mycreditspecialist.com, and go to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com to sign up for a free credit evaluation today.

GameStop Sued for Storing Customer Information

Gamers, beware! You might want to think twice about picking up Crysis 2 or the new Lego Star Wars at GameStop.

Recently, there was a class action suit filed against the popular video game retail store claiming the store is in violation of California Civil Code section 1747.08. According to the law, corporations like GameStop are not allowed to ask credit card users to provide and record their PII, or personal identification information.

The suit was filed by Melissa Archehiga, and in the suit, she says that GameStop requested her personal identification information while she was making a purchase. The employee did not tell Ms. Archehiga that she was not required to give them her personal information. After that, the employee entered her information into the electronic cash register, scanned her credit card, and then did not delete her information from the electronic cash register.

If Ms. Archehiga is successful, she and other plaintiffs could get up to $1,000 for each violation from GameStop. While I'm sure that GameStop will be more diligent in making sure a situation like this does not happen again, I'm glad that this story has brought attention to consumer rights. You do not have to provide personal information while making a purchase, and stores do not have the right to keep that information without your knowledge. Read up on your state's laws, and know your rights as a consumer!

To learn more about responsible credit card use, check out http://blog.mycreditspecialist.com, and go to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com to sign up for a free credit evaluation.

Bride Runs Wild with Father-in-Law's Credit Card

The merging of two families in the midst of a wedding can sometimes be tense, contentious, and high-stress. New in-laws can't agree on place settings at the reception or the menu for the rehearsal dinner. It is rare, however, when the drama before a wedding includes the bride turning into a credit card thief.

Montana bride Brittany Marie Lanaghan was upset because she had paid for gas for her future in-laws' cars and had not been reimbursed. She decided to get a little revenge by charging $5,776 to her soon-to-be father-in-law's credit card. Most of the 55 charges were wedding related, in particular a $1,609 charge to the motel where the wedding, but she also purchased diapers and a laptop computer as well as paying for her cell phone and satellite TV bills.

Lanaghan has been charged with deceptive practices by common scheme. She has officially plead not guilty, and she is currently free without bond.

Now, I got married last December, so the stresses of wedding planning are still fresh in my mind. While planning a wedding, people are going to clash and get into arguments. There is no avoiding it. Honestly, though, Lanaghan overreacted in the worst way. She didn't get reimbursed for gas, so she decided to steal her future father-in-law's credit card. Before her marriage has barely begun, she has destroyed any trust with her in-laws and her husband as well. What will stop her from running wild on her husband's credit card when she gets upset or doesn't get her way?

For stealing from her in-laws, I am awarding the Navin R. Johnson award to Brittany Marie Lanaghan. Really, Brittany, did you think you wouldn't get caught?

To learn more about responsible credit card use and protecting your identity, check out http://blog.mycreditspecialist.com, and go to http://www.mycreditspecialist.com to sign up for a free credit evaluation.