When the economy or personal issues and problems result in a high credit card debt, we often find our debt spread over three or four or more cards. So you may have a Visa, several MasterCards, a Discover card and a Capital One card and maybe many more each carrying several thousands of dollars of debt. The result is an ugly parade of bills from each company each needing a minimum payment that pays the interest and takes just a small amount off of your debt.

If it seems that the debt mountain never seems to go down, that’s not an illusion. The situation is not designed to help you get that debt down. It’s a cruel mixed message the credit industry sends us because if you have high credit card debt, your credit rating goes down. But even if you have too much debt, the credit card companies just keep raising your credit ceiling and sending more and more credit card offers to lure you into more debt.

The instinct is to keep taking out more accounts and transferring money to those deceptive zero percent offers that expire in a matter of months and leave you with yet another bill to pay that only makes managing that debt even more impossible. If you do get a little money ahead, the instinct is also to pay more down on the debts that have the highest interest rates to try to slow the erosion of your finances due to high rates.

But there is another approach to handling this debt that goes completely opposite your instincts and gives more control to you to begin seeing headway against those debts. But to use this approach, you will have to think with your head, not your emotions and not panic but think about how to get as much principle paid down as possible. This inside out approach to paying down your credit cards is simple and gives you a roadmap to freedom from debt.

First of all, stop taking out more accounts. That only gives another credit card company access to your money. They can charge you membership fees and try to lure you with credit insurance. If you have three or more credit resources already, that’s plenty.

Second, use short term offers wisely. If one of your existing accounts offers you a zero percent deal for a few months, take it but transfer a small amount to that account. Then you can focus on paying off that transferred amount and see 100% of your payment go against principle which is the fastest way out of debt.

Third, pick a card and pay it off. It might be the card with the lowest balance which is one you might give the least to so you can respond to the higher level debts. But if you pay that card off, that is one less bill coming in each month and it gives you a great feeling to know you are slowly killing off the monster of credit card debt one card at time.

That brings us to the cornerstone of the inside out method. Instead of paying on the card with the highest interest rate, pay them the minimum payment and put your excess funds against the cards with the lowest rate. In this way you are getting the most bang for your buck with the small amount of extra funds you may have to pay on the debt. That debt will go down more quickly and then you can attack the bigger accounts and begin to whittle away at them too. And by using a smart approach to the credit card debt you have, you take control of the problem and put it on a program to go away. And that will be the greatest feeling of them all.

Something too few tourists will ask before coming to Guanajuato, Mexico, for a visit is, “Can I use my ATM and credit card for everything or anything?” I have seen many a display of the Ugly American Syndrome in many restaurants and shops over this very issue.

So, to avoid the temptation of reinforcing the Ugly American Syndrome stereotype here in Guanajuato, let’s have a go at this topic.

The truth is that while you might be able to use your credit card in most of the typical tourist resort areas, I would not count on being able to use it here in Guanajuato. In some of the bigger, two-hundred-dollar a night hotels in this Colonial Mexican town, you can use your credit card. The hotels that have restaurants will usually take your credit card. However, outside the confines of your hotel, I wouldn’t bet the farm on being able to use your card.

The automatic teller machines are plentiful in Guanajauto and will dispense the local currency. You can get cash with different limits depending on the local bank. One of the banks will not dispense more than $3,000 pesos a day while others will dispense almost three times that amount.

There will be fees involved. Before traveling to Guanajuato, you need to check with the bank that issued your credit or ATM card to see what fees they charge. Some will charge for the use of foreign ATM or those outside their network. Make sure you tell them that you are going to be in Mexico and ask if your PIN will work in Mexico (some don’t work outside the USA). I would even go to your bank and talk with someone in person rather than call on the phone.

Banks in Mexico charge a fee for you to use their ATMs. So, you are going to have fees upon fees. Be sure you know this ahead of time to prevent yourself from going into shock. Currently, we are charged about 75 cents for using our American ATM card here in Mexico. We keep accounts in both the U.S. and Mexico.
You will be charged extra fees at any Mexican ATM. There is no avoiding it so be prepared and do not let something like this ruin your trip. You might be able to find banks in the U.S. that do not charge a fee for using an “alien” ATM in another country. Check around but this might be more of a hassle than it is worth.

Try to ask around to see what local Guanajuato banks will permit the biggest ATM withdrawls. Then, to avoid too many ATM fees, take out the maximum amount of pesos you can each day. This will keep you from incurring ATM fees each day.

In the state in which I live, but so far not in my city, there have been some ATM thieves that attach a false computer front to the ATM machine. It will have a slide mechanism for your card. This false front will tell you that there is no cash in the ATM while it recorded your account number and password.

Then these nasty characters clean out your account. The lesson is always go to the ATM’s where you have to insert rather than slide your card.

Local merchants, and there are very few, that do accept credit cards, seem very nervous when completing a transaction. This could be for several reasons. I always pay for everything in cash so as to avoid hassles. Even travelers checks are rarely accepted in the city. With your passport, you can go to most banks to cash these. But the banks have certain hours that they do this, so check before you get too low on cash.

A lot of gringos who want to see more of Mexico than the beach resorts have a difficult time adjusting to the differences. This credit and ATM card business seems radically different than it is in the coastal resorts. Too many fly into the costal resorts, spend a little time, then bus from the coast to central Mexico where one finds a different kind of tourism.

If the coastal areas take your credit card without a hitch, do not expect that in central Mexico. It is almost entirely a cash based society here. Pay with cash. It is so safe here compared with the resorts that you can walk around with larger sums of money than in other areas.

I’ve been in line in the bank when men, women, and children, yes kids, withdraw large sums of pesos. They fold it up, put it in a pocket or purse. They’re done.

You can do it too!

ATM Debit Cards

ATM debit cards have certainly made life a lot easier. For many people, carrying around a checkbook is a thing of the past. My debit card has been used so much I can barely see the numbers on it anymore. The downside, of course, is inevitably you will lose the card. For the unlucky, the card may even be stolen. If this occurs, you need to act quickly to cut off liability for any of the charges.

ATM debit cards are not credit cards for legal purposes. With a credit card, your liability is limited to $50 so long as you let the credit card company know about fraudulent charges when you get your statement. The laws governing ATM debit cards provide much less protection.

If you report an ATM debit card missing, you cannot be held liable for any subsequent withdrawals or charges. However, the rules are different if the unauthorized charges happen before you report the card missing:

1. You are responsible for losses up to $50 if you report the card missing or stolen within two business days of unauthorized charges occurring.

2. If you report the card lost or stolen after two business days have passed, you could be on the hook for up to $500 in unauthorized charges.

3. If you fail to report the lost or stolen card within 60 days of receiving a bank statement with unauthorized charges, you are totally and completely liable for all charges.

While these laws may see unfair at first, they really aren’t. I procrastinate as much as the next person, but even I wouldn’t wait 60 days to report a stolen or lost debit card. At some point, you simply have to take responsibility for your life. Heck, I don’t think I could survive two days without a debit card.

If you suffer a lost or stolen ATM debit card, contact your banking institution immediately. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

ATMs or Automated Teller Machines, are an essential part of modern life.

In many families both the adults work, making it impossible to reach the bank to withdraw cash. ATMs do make this possible.

ATMs are of two basic types, hole in the wall machines set into a reinforced bunker, and retailer cash machines, standing in shops and other premises. Retailer cash machines may be front or rear-loading.

Why are there so many ATMs?

Retailers want one in their premises. ATMs attract customers and over half of the money withdrawn from a retailer ATM is spent on the premises. There are some costs involved, with the retailer paying for phone line costs and power consumption of the ATM, so there has to be substantial benefits for so many retailers to be clamoring for an ATM.

Retailers have several choices. They can choose which bank network the ATM is connected, though the ATM will process transactions from customers of all banks.

The retailer can also choose to load the ATM with their own cash takings, saving bank charges and loading charges from Cash in Transit companies. This depends on the retailer having sufficient high quality notes to load the ATM once or twice each week, few people want to be doing this on a daily basis because it must be done with the premises in a secure condition and out of opening hours.

As an alternative to loading their own cash, retailers are increasingly asking the ATM providers to organize cash loading. A security company will survey the site, talk to the retailer about what is required in terms of security procedures, and assume responsibility for loading the machine. The security company may require a secure room, like an office, where the can work on the cash cassettes.

Retailers have a choice between front and rear loading machines. Rear loaders have to be accessible from front and rear, so are usually inserted in a solid wall, with an office or store room at the rear. The safe opens at the rear and they are loaded from the rear, so the store can stay open while the ATM is being loaded. Rear loaders are much more secure, from a cash loading perspective.

Front loading ATMs take up less space, but the security procedures when the ATM is being loaded are more intrusive. Some security companies will insist on shutters being down and the shop empty while the Cash in Transit crew are on the premises. Other companies will only insist on this while the ATM safe is only actually open.

The retailer must balance the inconvenience of locking the store while the security company are working, against the alternative inconvenience and security concerns of doing the job themselves before or after normal opening hours.Visit to - http://atmwatch.co.uk

The following article covers the liabilities of fraudulent activities for credit cards, ATM cards and debit cards.

Many people find it easy and convenient to use credit cards and ATM or debit cards. The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) offer procedures for you to use if your cards are lost or stolen.

Limiting Your Financial Loss

It is faster and easier to process financial help transactions today than ever before. Thanks to the electronic age, check cards, debit cards, and ATM cards give us instant access to funds on deposit at the local bank or a financial institution miles away. This also provides an avenue of opportunity for thieves and scam artists to rapidly deplete our financial reserves as well.

There are laws in place that provide a measure of protection from total financial ruination, but you need to be aware of your rights and responsibilities should your cards be stolen or appropriated for mischief. The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) are two laws implemented on a federal level that can assist individuals targeted by the criminal element. For the laws to work properly, however, you need to invoke the protective measures by doing certain things if your cards are lost or stolen such as reporting the loss or theft promptly to the issuers.

Limit Your Financial Loss

As soon as you discover the loss or possible theft of your credit cards and your ATM or debit cards you must immediately notify the companies that issued the cards so they will have that fact on record and can monitor the cards for unusual activities. You can usually find toll-free numbers for the 24 hour help line on the back of the card or on your billing statement. It is a good idea to make a list of your cards, along with the account identification and the toll-free numbers, for reporting their loss. When you travel be sure to keep this information separate from the cards so you will have access to the information should you have a need to make a report while away from home.

Keep a record of the companies you notified. Follow up the phone call with a letter that includes all of the pertinent information such as account number, when you noticed your card was missing, and the date you first reported the loss.

As a side note, you might want to check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if it covers the liability amount you are responsible for in the case of theft. If you do not currently have such coverage, you might want to contact your insurer to include this protection in your policy.

Under the Credit Card Loss or Fraudulent Charges (FCBA) act, the maximum liability for illegal use of your credit card is $50 per card. If you report the loss before any unauthorized charges are posted you cannot be held liable for any of the charges. If the charges are made using your account number, but not the card itself, you will not be held responsible for any of the charges. The FCBA specifically says the card issuer cannot hold you responsible for any unauthorized charges and limits your loss to $50 of the charges made on the cards prior to you reporting them lost or stolen.

You should always review your card billing statements for errors, but following the loss or theft of the cards you should be even more diligent. If you notice anything amiss in the statement, send a letter to the card issuer along with a description of the questionable charge. Remind them of the phone call you made and the letter you previously sent notifying them of the loss or theft of the cards. There is usually a separate address on the statement to which you will direct billing errors. Do not send the letter along with your payment unless you are directed to do so by the card company.

The Electronic Fraudulent Transfer Act (EFTA) also protects you from fraudulent use of your bankcards. Federal protection from loss due to unauthorized use of your ATM or debit card depends on how quickly you report the loss. For example, if you report the loss before the card is used, the EFTA protects you from any loss. If the report is made within two business days after noticing the loss you will not be responsible for more than $50 on each card.

If you fail to make a report within two business days after you discover the loss, you could be held responsible for up to $500. If you wait more than 60 days after you receive a billing statement reflecting fraudulent activity to make a report, you risk unlimited loss. For example, if you do not file a timely report on the theft of the cards, you could lose not only all of the money in the account, but also be held liable for the amount of overdraft protection you are granted. You must report unauthorized use, loss, or theft of the cards within 60 days of the mailing of your card statement or face unlimited loss. You are liable for charges made between the date of loss and the date the loss was reported. If the thief only uses your account number and not the card itself, however, you will not be held accountable for those charges.

Protecting Your Cards

To protect yourself against fraudulent use of your cards, you should know where they are at all times and keep them safe and secure. If your card requires a password or personal identification number (PIN), don’t write the number down so the thieves will get the code along with your cards. Do not use your address, birth date, phone or Social Security number as the PIN. Commit the pass code to memory and don’t share the information with anyone.

In addition, the following suggestions may help you protect your credit card and ATM or debit card accounts.

For Credit and ATM or Debit Cards:

* Do not reveal your account number over the phone unless you know you’re dealing with a reputable company.
* Never put your account number on the outside of an envelope or on a postcard.
* Draw a line through blank spaces on charge or debit slips above the total so the amount cannot be changed.
* Don’t sign a blank charge or debit slip.
* Tear up carbons and save your receipts to check against your monthly statements.
* Cut up old cards – cutting through the account number – before disposing of them.
* Open monthly statements promptly and compare them with your receipts. Report mistakes or discrepancies as soon as possible to the special address listed on your statement for inquiries. (For more information on the federal laws regarding FCBA and EFTA, click here)
* Keep a record – in a safe place separate from your cards – of your account numbers, expiration dates, and the telephone numbers of each card issuer so you can report a loss quickly.
* Carry with you only those cards that you anticipate you’ll need.

For ATM or debit cards:

* Don’t carry your PIN in your wallet or purse or write it on your ATM or debit card.
* Never write your PIN on the outside of a deposit slip, an envelope, or other papers that could be easily lost or seen.
* Carefully check ATM or debit card transactions before you enter the PIN or before you sign the receipt; the funds for this item will be fairly quickly transferred out of your checking or other deposit account.
* Periodically check your account activity. This is particularly important if you bank online. Compare the current balance and recent withdrawals or transfers to those you’ve recorded, including your current ATM and debit card withdrawals and purchases and your recent checks. If you notice transactions you didn’t make, or if your balance has dropped suddenly without activity by you, immediately report the problem to your card issuer. Someone may have co-opted your account information to commit fraud.

Paying For A Registration Service

There are service providers who, for an annual fee, will contact all of your credit card and ATM bank card issuers in the case of theft or loss of your cards. This service will notify the issuers and request new cards for you, but other than allowing you to make one phone call and saving you from making numerous phone calls yourself, you do not need this service.

The FCBA and the EFTA allows you to contact your card issuers’ customer service department directly to notify them of the theft, loss or unauthorized use of your cards. If however, you would enjoy the convenience of a notification service to make the calls for you, be sure to compare the companies’ offer versus the fees they charge. Be sure your card issuer will work with such a service and find out if the service pays any fees if they fail to notify the card company in a timely manner and you incur charges on your card.

If you decide to purchase service from a registration company, compare offers. Carefully read the contract to determine the company’s obligations and your liability. For example, will the company reimburse you if it fails to notify card issuers promptly once you’ve called in the loss to the service? If not, you could be liable for unauthorized charges or transfers . Get Personal Finance.

If you’re reading this article, then the answer is probably yes, but before we get ahead of ourselves. You need to ask yourself a few questions regarding the actual location you plan on placing your new ATM machine.

1. Do you have customers asking for the location of the nearest ATM machine?
2. Do you have at least 200 people a day visiting your location?

If you answered yes to both of these ATM related questions. Then I’m about to show you why you need to buy an ATM machine and how your going to make a great profit with little or no effort.

The key to being successful in the ATM business is to find ATM placement locations that will make you money. ATM sales are based on traffic count, so let’s figure out how many people will use your new ATM machine on a daily basis. The formula I am about to show you is the same formula that is used by every ATM dealer and ATM distributor in the country when placing ATM machines. Trust me when I tell you this formula is tried and true.

ATM dealers and ATM distributors look at one thing when deciding weather or not to place an ATM machine at a particular location. The rule of thumb goes like this. 3% – 5% of the foot traffic that actually sees the ATM machine will use the ATM. So let’s figure that you have a total of 300 people a day coming through your doors, and let’s say that you are charging a $2.25 surcharge per valid withdrawal. If you take the middle road that 4% of the people that see the ATM machine will use it. Then you can count on your new automated teller machine to generate you a minimum of 360 transactions per month at $2.25 per valid withdrawal. That comes out to $810 per month or a total of $9,720 per year. All that from one ATM machine at one location.

The next question is how much will your new ATM machine cost. This question is a little harder to answer simply because there are so many ATM machines to choose from. Such as Class 1 Armored ATM machines, Indoor ATM machines like the Triton 9100 ATM machine, Through-The-Wall ATM machines, Scrip ATMS, etc. But one thing I can tell you is that 75% of the ATM machines used in non-bank locations are non-armored ATM machines. A good non-armored ATM machine is the Triton 9100 ATM machine. The Triton 9100 ATM can be purchased from either an ATM dealer or an ATM distributor servicing your area. The price for the 9100 should range between $2,950 and $3,800 depending on what options you choose.

So there you have it, if you have customers that are currently asking you for the closest ATM, or if you have a large amount of foot traffic coming in or walking by your location on a daily basis. Then you will most definitely profit from owning your very own ATM machine.

The first thing you’ll need to decide when choosing your credit card, is why you need one in the first place. Some people choose to get a credit card for cash flow purposes. With a credit card, you can make purchases and buy things, leaving your paycheck or other source of income in your bank account to draw interest. This way, your money will continue to grow while you continue to buy the things you need. Then at the end of the month, simply pay your bill.

Others will choose to get a credit card and use it for instant cash purposes. This way, they can use their credit card at an ATM and get instant cash, which is great for travel or going on a long and extended vacation. If this is why you want a credit card, you should look for one that has the lowest rate possible for instant cash transactions.

With a credit card, you’ll also need to think about the payments. You’ll need to decide if you want to pay the balance in full each month, or only the required amount. When you select your credit card, you should look at the introductory rates, balance transfer rates, and other offers that may apply to new credit cards and new holders. Some will offer you truly amazing deals, especially if you have good credit.

Another important area to look at when choosing your credit card is the incentives. There are several cards out there that will give you incentives, such as reward points and even cash back with purchases that you can use towards paying back what you owe. There are several incentives out there with credit cards, all you have to do is look around and compare.

The key area you’ll need to look at and compare is the APR (Annual Percentage Rate). The APR is what you will pay on what you purchase when the incentive period runs out. APR rates will vary among credit cards, so it is always in your best interest to compare and shop around. The lower APR rate you get, the better off you’ll be.

Another concern with choosing your credit card is the minimum payment amount. Most minimum payment balances will start around 3%, although some can be lower while others tend to be quite a bit higher. The interest free period is a concern as well, as you will obviously want to choose the longest period that you can keep the payments down.

When you make that final decision and choose your credit card, you should always make sure that you know exactly what you are getting. Credit cards are great to have, although they can lead to a downfall if you don’t choose them carefully. If you put some time and research into choosing your credit card, you’ll find the best one for you. As long as you take care of your credit card and pay the bill on time, you’ll help raise your credit and eventually be able to purchase even bigger things – such as a car or even a house.