Some would say this is cheating, others would consider it “bluffing.” Where do you stand? Credit: TikTok – finalroundai
Never hurts to ask: Some credit cards offer extended warranties on anything you buy with the card. If your expensive vacuum or laptop craps out, it’s worth asking Amex or Chase if they’ll pay to repair or replace it.
Lock your credit files immediately
Another huge data breach — 2.9 billion records exposed, including Social Security numbers. Here are the quick steps you need to take right now to protect yourself.
🚨 Comcast and Truist Bank data breach: Both used Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS) to collect unpaid debts on their behalf. Around 7.4 million FBCS customers had their full name, SSN, DOB, driver’s license number or ID card, and other personal data breached. You know the drill — freeze your credit and watch out for phishing scams, texts and phone calls.
You might think electric cars are new. Nope! Who gets credit for inventing the first electric vehicle? This is a tough one. Was it … A.) Thomas Edison in 1893, B.) Nikola Tesla in 1923, C.) Thomas Davenport in 1834 or D.) Karl Benz in 1941?
No Apple Pay? Try 'palm pay'
If you forget your credit card or don’t want to carry anything, this would be pretty dang handy.
🅿️ Thieves are slapping fake QR codes on parking meters: The stickers are placed over the originals to look legit but redirect you to sketchy links or phony websites. Pay directly at the meter or look for a kiosk. If scanning a code is the only way, use a credit card and scan the site for spelling errors, blurry images or strange logos.
EVs are cheap right now: You can score the Hyundai Ioniq 5 for $259 a month or lease a Nissan Leaf for just $20 a month (paywall link). How the heck? Dealer incentives. Leased EVs are classified as “commercial vehicles,” qualifying them for a full $7,500 tax credit, which gets passed on to you.
🌭 Skip the line: Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” tech is hitting more NFL stadiums and college campuses this fall. Just tap or insert a credit card when you enter a retailer, grab what you want, and you’re automatically charged when you leave. At Lumen Field in Seattle, where the program rolled out in 2022, vendors reported 85% more transactions per game in 2023 and a total sales increase of 112%. I’d say it’s working!
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🔒 They’ll thank you later: Identity theft for kids under 19 is skyrocketing. Parents, create and lock or freeze your children’s credit ASAP so thieves can’t use their info for loans or credit cards. When they’re older, you can help them unfreeze it.
🚨 Wookie mistake: You’ve probably heard about the recent National Public Data breach, which exposed the deets of 2.9 billion people. Now, a sister site with access to the same consumer records as NPD accidentally published passwords in a publicly accessible file. Nutso. It was available until Aug. 19. If you haven’t yet, I strongly advise you to freeze your credit.
Don't cancel this after a loved one dies
It’s typical to cancel credit cards, utilities, and subscriptions after someone passes. But a common mistake is pulling the plug on this too soon.
🚨 I told you about this already: It’s finally hit mainstream news that hackers leaked 2.7 billion records from National Public Data. Translation: Every American (and residents in the U.K. and Canada) may have their full name, address, date of birth, phone number and Social Security number up for grabs. Protect yourself and freeze your credit today!
Witch parking – All others will be toad: Scammers are leaving fake parking tickets on windshields. They look like the real deal but have a bogus payment website at the bottom ready and waiting for your credit card details. Always go directly to your city’s or town’s website to pay a parking ticket.
New Amazon scam spreading: In triangulation fraud, a scammer lists a product at a crazy-low price, gets payment from an unsuspecting buyer and then uses a stolen credit card to buy the product from a real retailer. The scammer ships the product off to the buyer, the fraudulent charge is reversed, and the jerk is long gone with the money. Incredibly low prices are always a red flag.
No more credit card offers in the mail: Visit optoutprescreen.com to stop financial junk mail you later have to shred. Choose to opt out for five years or forever. Opting out permanently? You’ll have to use snail mail, but it’s worth it. Print, sign and mail a confirmation form. I did it.
💳 Don’t fall for it: Scammers pretending to be bank employees are phoning and texting with fake account fraud warnings. They’ll tell you to cut up your credit cards, leaving the chip inside intact. They then send someone to pick it up. With just that chip, they duplicate your card. A friend of mine started chanting in Latin the last time a scammer called. The man screamed, “No, don’t put a curse on my family!”
The biggest heist in history
What’s the backbone of chatbots like Gemini or ChatGPT? It’s the art, science, and hard work of real humans — humans who may never get credit or compensation.
If you haven’t so far this year … Get your free credit report. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-FACTACT (1-877-322-8228). And tell everyone you know to stop paying for this!
$2M a year to live forever
Don’t die. That’s 46-year-old Bryan Johnson’s main goal in life. Bryan made $400 million when he sold his credit card processing company to eBay. Today, he lives in Los Angeles as a self-proclaimed “rejuvenation athlete” and spends his time and money trying to turn back the clock.