Do Colleges Profit from Credit Card Marketing on Campus? - Episode #47
Many colleges have programs with credit card issuers, as well as other vendors, for exclusive rights to market their products to college students. Just a quick Google search, shows a bevy of exclusive agreements that colleges have. My alma mater has deals with Adidas [for athletic gear], PNC Bank [for ATMs at the stadium], and our alumni association received at least $50,000 through a one-year marketing agreement with Chase Bank to market Chase loans.
Florida State University is getting paid over $10MM to market credit cards for Bank of America. The contract is a little unusual though as it’s being done through a booster organization.
Many students say they don’t want credit cards marketed on college campuses. Public Interest Research Group [PIRG] did a study on students and credit cards, 50% have a balance on their credit cards, 25% have late fees.
Can Using the Public Library Help My Credit Score? - Episode #45
Using the library can save you money and that can help your credit score. We discussed how it can hurt your score earlier, but you can use the library to save money.
The public library system has really benefited from the evolution of the internet. Email alerts, DVDs, cds, and networked branches are just a few of the key features.
In the video, I walk through the San Francisco public library’s website. The site is a bit slow, but it is completely searchable and features books, cds and dvds. If something is anywhere in the San Francisco library system, I can order it and it will be shipped to my nearest branch. I get notices when it’s arrived at my branch and they hold it for a few days. I can even request an item for a specific date range, so my requests don’t come all at once. I get notices when I’m about to be late, not when I’m late, when I’m about to be late. Imagine that. For adults 64 and under the fine is 10¢ per day per book or CD; except for videos/DVDs which are $1.00 per day. For adults 65 or older, the fine is 5¢ per day per book or CD; except for videos/DVDs which are $1.00 per day. There is a maximum fine of $5.00 on any item.
If you are like me, and you hadn’t checked out your public library in over 10 or 20 years, it’s time to check it out.