Link du Jour: Card Data Breached, Firm Says

A forum elsewhere asks if we can live without credit cards. Right now I am not prepared to live without them. I am thankful that the Appliance vendor took a personal check: I didn't want to give Bank of America any transaction fee revenue from my credit cards, but I think that, although I will have mostly cash with me on my Osaka trip, credit cards will be useful for my hotel stays. What was I supposed to do: get $800 from the ATM and say to the vendor 'uh, whatever clothes dryer I buy has to be less than the cash I have on me right now. I forgot to have $800 kicking around for when my appliances go kaput unexpectedly.'

After that, maybe not so much credit card use, except for the gym membership. I have fraud alert on some accounts.

Think of it:
Bank of America doesn't want me to use its cards. They'd have kept my 25-day grace period and improved the terms and conditions as my credit score rose.

Credit card processor companies who don't adequately protect their data don't want me to use credit cards. With cybercrime rising, I just don't see where this will do me any good.

I do have a fraud alert. Maybe that'll help.

update: Bank of America removed my 0% + 3.00% no-cap transaction fee offer and replaced it with a 1.99% + 3.00% no-cap transaction fee offer. Sounds like BAC REALLY wants my business!

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Link Bonus: Expensive things that save money -- I am vindicated! Dig the plug for cast iron and enamel cookware, fresh local organic produce, and energy-efficient appliances!

Girlfriend, this Action Plan is divine overness. And refreshingly low in calories, don't you know. It's so simple.
I do get tempted to pay off the HELOC tout de suite, but rather, I should just build that emergency fund (pie!) higher. Build the pie higher!

Then when inflation strikes and the 3% HELOC escalates, the emergency fund can take care of at least some of it. In fact, perhaps my savings should be prioritized post-Japan as:

1. Emergency Fund
2. Prepay mortgage (hey, it's the debt with the highest APR. Is there not a budget guru who advises paying off debts, highest APR first?)
3. HELOC
4. Roth
5. Everything else.

Here's the Goal for 2009. Decide how much you can afford to deposit. Now add 20% to that amount. ..in 2009 you cannot afford to be laid back and do what is easy.
You must push yourself as hard as possible to build your security as quickly as possible.

Indeed.