Yay! Way to go Jars!

Go Jars! Congrats!

I don't know what to tell you, Raq. I'm out of ideas myself, which is why we had pizza last night and will probably do some form of takeout tonight. I imagine you probably have less access to that, though.

Something of a PSA:

Many credit card issuers to double minimum monthly payments

So far the bank that holds all three of our cards where we're carrying a balance (Chase) isn't among the ones who've announced plans to do it. But if they do? The point when they start is when I'll absolutely have to be in a job. Because we're paying more than the minimum now, but nowhere near double the minimum.

Argh.

Chase recently bought Bank One. I have to get used to them being my bank. This'll be the third bank name on our main account.

In some cases, minimum payments are composed only of interest, not principal. Pay that amount, and the debt never gets paid off. The regulatory agencies want credit-card minimums to cover interest, fees and a reasonable amount of principal, said OCC spokesman Dean DeBuck.

Yeah, the fact that some credit card companies' minimum payments just cover interest has been controversial for some time.

Personally, I think the law's a bad idea, as you can always pay more than the minimum amount, but sometimes when you're low on money it's nice to only pay a smaller minimum, even if you're just covering interest. But if that's all you ever do then you're screwed. So this is pretty much an attempt to legislate common sense.

Perkins, I bet the Neptune Society send a receipt type thing to people's next of kin when the contract is signed.

I wondered about that, but this was from my parents' home address.

I think, in the long run, it is a good idea. People often keep charging, as long as they can swing the minimum. Then something happens, and they're screwed, because they've been paying all this money out for yonks, and the principle has never been touched. But in the shortrun, it's going to hit a lot of people, really hard.

Yup. If my calculations are correct, if worst came to worst and Chase ups their minimums before I find a job, I could temp, and the typical local pay rate for a highly skilled clerical temp would be just enough to cover Annabel's day care and the increase in the minimum balances. But most households don't have a spare skilled worker sitting around who just needs to find the right job to get them out of paycheck-to-paycheck land.

I wondered about that, but this was from my parents' home address.

Oh. Hm. Maybe they just thought you should know and didn't think to put in a note? I've gotten stuff from my parents that way, though not funeral arrangements. So far.

My dad did show us what Yosemite meadow he wants us to illegally scatter his ashes in last time we were there. I should probably write that down somewhere.

Link marked.

Bleah. I forgot about Chase buying out Bank One. I really, really loathe Chase and I don't want one fucking penny of my money to enrich its coffers, ever -- like a good little lefty, I cancelled my card with them a few weeks after the Zapatista uprising in Mexico, when the CEO of Chase wrote a personal letter to the president of Mexico, promising him Chase's financial assistance to any amount necessary to quash the unpleasantness with those whiny Indians (okay, those weren't his exact words, but they were sure as hell the gist).

But I like my Bank 1 card; decent rates, special offers, and in the years I've had it I've gotten a couple of free flights and a metric assload of upgrades to business or first class, and I just like it. I like everything about it, except for the fuckholes who now own it and will be pocketing my interest fees and doing God knows what with them.