Jordan Goodman is the author of Everyone's Money Book, available at 888-201-6300. This is the third edition of the book. You can also visit his Web site at www.moneyanswers.com. He talks with us on Thursday mornings.

February 28, 2002

"The Latest In Credit Card Perks"

Host: I actually counted once -- and I got 17 unsolicited credit card applications in a single month. Annoying, yes, but personal finance expert Jordan Goodman says if you're careful, there's more out here than just frequent flier miles to get you going.

People have gotten so used to getting frequent flier miles on their credit cards that now companies have come out with a whole new wave of strange rebate programs. Here are some of the more intriguing ones:

1. The E-Duction Mastercard allows employees to "e-duct" regular purchases from their future paychecks and spread payments out over 2 to 6 months interest-free. The card offers a credit line based on your salary -- up to 2.5 percent of your annual gross -- directly linked to your paycheck. Visa offers a version that is a prepaid debit card set up by your employer. Watch out for annual membership fees for these programs. Also, if you leave your job, any balance left over will be deducted in a lump sum. For more on this look at www.e-duction.com .

Brought to you exclusively through your employer e-Duction is an employee benefit that lets you put your next paycheck to work for you. It's a MasterCard that automatically deducts your payments from future paychecks. Plus, it can be used at 22 million locations worldwide. All of your purchases are interest-free, saving you hundreds of dollars each year in interest charges. Best of all, since payments are automatically deducted from your paycheck, there are no monthly checks to write and no missed due dates. And, there's 0 percent interest.

• Discounts and Special Offers
• Online Account Accessibility
• 24 hour Customer Service

2. The Stockback Mastercard from Chase offers stock instead of cash back. The size of the rebate you get depends on the participating merchant, but you can earn as much as 12 percent back. The money goes into the Stockback Mutual fund, managed by Merrill Lynch. Get up to 10 percent back when you shop with participating merchants and 1 percent back for every purchase you make. For more information, visit them online at www.stockback.com.

You'll get a low fixed 2.99 percent introductory APR for the first six months -- and, after that, you'll get a variable rate that can be as low as Prime plus 5.49 percent.

Your credit line will be based on your credit history and income. In addition, Chase will periodically review your account to determine if you are eligible for a credit line increase.

When you use your Stockback MasterCard for your online purchases, you will not be liable for any unauthorized charges.

As a Chase cardmember, you get a full array of valuable benefits and services -- at no additional cost to you. These benefits include free additional cards for authorized users, Chase Convenience Checks, balance consolidation savings and travel assistance.

3. The Dinnerguest Program offers a prepaid VISA gift card that can be used anywhere Visa is accepted. It acts like a gift certificate, and you use -- or lose it -- when it expires. The Dinnerguest Card can be sent in any denomination from $25 to $250. The order can be shipped to you, or directly to your recipient. A $6.00 shipping and handling fee per card includes personalization, order processing, U.S. mail shipping, and a 24/7 toll-free customer service hotline. Orders are guaranteed to arrive within 7-10 business days. Express shipping is also available for an extra charge. Your recipient may use the entire value on their cards all at once, or on several occasions. Find out more at www.dinnerguest.com.

The Dinnerguest(tm) Card and Dinnerguest Affiliate Cards are the only universal gift certificates that are accepted at any restaurant in the world -- provided they accept VISA.

The Company markets the Dinnerguest card through three primary sections:

1. Family & Friends - a gift of choice for a friend, or loved one, when you want to give them the option.
2. Small Business Corporate Gifting Programs - a gift of choice for one to 50 either employees saying thanks for a job well done, or for key clients as an appreciation type gift.
3. Large Corporate Gifting programs - large volumes of gifts for hundreds or thousands of employees.

4. You can link any credit card to the Babymint program at www.babymint.com, where you get rebates of as much as 15 percent, put into a tax-free Section 529 plan for your child's education. You can donate money to the school of your choice with the General Mills Box Tops for Education program. GM has teamed with First USA to donate 1 percent of all qualifying purchases to the school you choose, up to a maximum of $10,000 per year. This money goes to the school for its budget -- not to pay your child's tuition. For more information, visit look www.boxtopsforeducation.com The Box Tops Visa card lets you support your school every time you shop.

For a complete list of all the best rebate programs, call 877-666-6399 for a copy of the Credit Card Optimizer Kit for $5.95.

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