Jul 23, 2019

Cash back is king for credit card perks

Reproduced from a CreditCards.com report; Chart: Axios Visuals

A new survey from CreditCards.com finds that in addition to being the most sought after credit cards, ones that offer cash back were the most likely to be redeemed (88% did so at least once).

The big picture: "The math says that transferable travel rewards are the most valuable, but it takes time and effort to maximize them, whereas cash back offers simplicity and universal appeal," Ted Rossman, industry analyst at CreditCards.com, said in a statement.

Go deeper ... Warning: Signs of credit crisis grow

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Ursula Perano

What to do if you're a Capital One customer whose info was hacked

Photo: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Approximately 100 million Capital One customers in the U.S. and Canada are caught up in a data hack that the bank claims happened in March. If you think you're among them, here are a few steps you can take.

Where to start: The bank says it will notify all affected customers, including 140,000 whose social security numbers were compromised, and offer identify protection services and credit monitoring. Both are worth taking advantage of.

Go deeperJul 30, 2019

Dion Rabouin

Delinquencies spike with record-high credit card interest rates

Data: St. Louis Federal Reserve; Chart: Axios Visuals

Since 2014, credit card interest rates have risen 4.4 percentage points, representing a 35% increase in costs for consumers, data from NerdWallet shows, despite the fact that U.S. interest rates remain at historical lows.

Context: Though the rate remains historically low, delinquencies are up 22% since 2015.

Go deeperJul 31, 2019

Orion Rummler

How to file a claim over Equifax's data breach

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

If you're one of the 147 million-plus people who had their data exposed by Equifax's massive 2017 data breach, you can file a claim for cash or free credit monitoring, courtesy of Equifax's recent settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

Details: If you lost up to $500 from the Equifax breach, filing for a "time spent" cash payment requires the least amount of paperwork and supporting documents. The deadline for all claims is January 22, per the FTC, and benefits will not be sent until January 23 at the earliest.

Go deeperJul 25, 2019