The end of the school year frenzy of concerts, recitals, field trips, locker clean out, yearbooks, and promotion evokes in me the desire for a simple, peaceful existence, and I welcome the long, lazy days of summer with open arms.

Realizing the kids have reached a milestone and that summer is simply the transition to another stage in their lives, causes me to reflect and re-evaluate where I am and what my priorities are. And the desire to slow down a bit and simplify grows.

The sun, it seems, has burned away the hazy lack of focus resulting from too long a winter, and the energy to pursue my personal and financial goals more diligently has returned.

But, knowing myself, my family, and the speed with which we tend to get busy or get involved, I know that whatever means I choose to employ in achieving my financial goals needs to be easy and not take a lot of time not require a lot of difficult figuring.

One discovery I’ve made that will help set me on my way to personal financial freedom is the Citi Simplicity® Card. It’s perfect for me because, like summer, it’s a lot less complicated than any other card I’ve seen, and it gives me the freedom and flexibility I want in a credit card.

The Citi Simplicity® Card has some great features that fit my lifestyle, and that I can really take advantage of as I put my financial house in order.

The Citi Simplicity® Card has the most fantastic introductory offer I’ve seen in ages. For new account holders, the card offers 0% APR on purchases for 21 months. That’s almost 2 years…and almost unheard of anymore! AND the 21 months begins when you open the account. It’s not some offer that started 3 months ago where you would lose out on three of the 21 months. The 0% starts when I start, and I like that!

Not only is there 0% interest on purchases for 21 months, the same is true of account balance transfers. That’s also a thing of the past…to have 0% interest on both purchases and balances transfers for 21 months. Incredible! I feel like a low-budget, tv commercial because I have to say, “But wait! There’s more.” I have four months from the day of opening the account to complete my balance transfer and still take advantage of the zero percent. That means I don’t have to make all the financial decisions upon opening my new account. Citibank sure makes it simple!

Like most credit cards, the Citi Simplicity® Card does charge a fee for balance transfers – $5 or 3% of the amount of transfer, whichever is greater. Once the introductory 21 months is over, the standardAPR (Annual Percentage Rate) applies.

Besides the introductory rate, Citi Simplicity® Card does not charge an annual fee. (I’ve made it a policy not to apply for cards that charge an annual fee because there are so many credit cards out there that no longer do.) In addition, the Citi Simplicity® Card doesn’t charge late fees and won’t hike the interest rate if you miss a payment due date or go over your credit limit. Not that I intend to do either, but with summer comes family reunions and vacations, and, although it doesn’t happen often, I’ve been known to be late on payments if I’m traveling. The promise of no repercussion in the event that happens is another plus in my book.

Citi Simplicity® Card is simple. To qualify, I have to have an “excellent” credit score. There’s not a lot of red tape. There’s not a lot of fine print. I like that. And if there’s ever anything I don’t understand, Citi’s customer service is available 24/7 and is manned by people, not just a machine, so I know I can get my questions answered.

With the Citi Simplicity® Card, I’ll transfer my higher interest balances and then I’m set to kick back and enjoy the long, lazy days of summer while I work on paying down my debt over the next 21 months of zero percent interest! And I’ll enjoy our family trips more knowing that I can take some time paying off the expense of our vacation without incurring any additional costs.

There’s a lot that can be said for making things simple!

The company that developed the world’s most powerful and versatile search engine has teamed with Citi® MasterCard® , accepted world-wide, and Sprint™to put a world of power and choice into the hands of the people.

Google recently announced both the launch of “Google Wallet” in test markets this summer as well as plans for rapid expansion.

The new application is exactly what it’s name implies, a wallet. Its purpose is to make your life simpler and more organized. The Google Wallet application has the ability to store just about everything you would normally find in your wallet or that you would need for checkout at your favorite retail location, and that storage is much more compact and organized. Everything from credit cards to coupons can be stored and accessed through Google Wallet, and plans are that in the future Google Wallet will be doing even more, like storing tickets for sporting events or concerts.

Using your Android™ phone, initially a Nexus S 4G but soon to expand to more phones, it is possible to make purchases wherever MasterCard’s PayPass® technology is accepted by just tapping your phone on the point of sale terminal sensor. Not only is the near field technology (NFC) housed in your Android phone and accessed by the Google Wallet application able to combine and allow you to make purchases, but Google Wallet has the ability to allow you to use coupons, gift cards, and local savings offers. Imagine upon checkout from a retailer, accessing your special offers to receive valuable savings without having to search through a messy pile of paper coupons!

Besides Citi MasterCard, Google Wallet can immediately be used in conjunction with a pre-paid card offered by Google. The company plans to expand the ability to use other credit cards in the near future as more banks are brought on board. This, of course, will mean that even more retailer merchants will accept payments made suing Google Wallet.

Technology is great and sure makes our lives easier, but aren’t there risks involved with storing all your credit card or other sensitive information on your phone. The developers of Google Wallet have built in safety measures that include both an application specific PIN and a separate chip within your Android phone on which your encrypted information is stored. That means memory associated with the Google Wallet application is completely, physically separated from your phone’s memory for items such as contacts, messages, videos, photos, and the like.

Year after year, Google’s addition of exciting new options has continued to take the company way past the status of just being the world’s most powerful search engine. This summer’s addition of “Googling it” with Google Wallet gives you power to take care of purchases, bills, and other financial obligations in the most convenient and flexible way possible so you have more time to relax and enjoy the sunshine.

Thinking about a new credit card? Now is the time to check out Citi! Three great offers expire at the end of May so there’s no time to lose.

Although CitiBank Platinum Select® MasterCard®, Citi Diamond Preferred® Card, and Citi Dividend Platinum Select® MasterCard have some basic similarities, there are differences between them so you can choose a card tailor-made to fit your needs.

Here’s the breakdown.

Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard

• Excellent Credit Rating for Approval
• No Annual Fee
• Great 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months
• Amazing continuing cash back bonuses including 2% cash back bonus on all purchases made in the first 6 months and a 1% bonus on all purchase after that.
• Using the online Citi Bonus Cash Back Center, you can average 5% unlimited cash back on purchases from over 400 retailers.
• Cardholders can enroll in in a special, rotating category each quarter for a 5% cash back bonus. Until June 30, that category is home improvement, home furnishings, and home and garden stores. (Obviously, the perfect choice for the clean it up, fix it up, spruce it up time of year!)

Summary: Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard has great introductory 0% offer and a fantastic cash back program that continues as long as you use your card.

Citi Diamond Preferred Card

• Excellent Credit Rating for Approval
• No Annual Fee
• Incredible 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases for 21 months
• Private Pass offers cardholders special discounts and VIP packages for shows, dining, sporting events and other attractions.
• Cardholders have 24/7 access to concierge service that will book flights, hotel rooms, car rentals, as well as purchase event tickets and make restaurant reservations for you.

Summary: If you’ve got a busy life-style and love to travel, go to the opera, catch a play, or enjoy a nice, quiet dinner in a fine restaurant…or if you just need last minute help because you forgot to plan something for an anniversary or birthday…this is the card for you! The fantastic introductory 21 month 0% APR will allow you to take that dream vacation now!

CitiBank Platinum Select MasterCard

• Excellent Credit Rating for Approval
• No Annual Fee
• Incredible 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases for 21 months
• $0 liability for unauthorized purchases
• Automatic enrollment in the Citi Extra Cash program that credits you 10% of your total eligible purchases in “Extra Cash dollars.” Login to Citi’s Extra Cash Website to redeem your Extra Cash dollars for coupons for dining, shopping, or entertainment. You can also use the Extra Cash dollars for discounts on hotels, car rentals, cruises, and activities.
• Low Price Guarantee on purchases made through the Extra Cash site.

Summary: The outstanding introductory 0% APR offer for nearly two years is an excellent way to finance a large purchase such as new living room furniture or to pay down debt. Continuing to use the card for everyday purchases reaps benefits that are easy to take advantage of online at the Citi Extra Cash Website.

With three great offers that won’t last much longer, you’re sure to find one tailor-made to help you meet your financial goals and perhaps even achieve your dream be it a vacation, new furniture, an upgrade in your electronics, or a backyard makeover! Don’t wait to take advantage of CitiBank’s amazing credit card offers. The clock is ticking!

According to MSN Money, approximately 75% of Americans are receiving an income tax refund. The IRS states that the average refund is $3129, which is a much higher average than even a decade ago.

So what is the average American doing with all that extra cash? Surveys conducted by the banking industry indicate a good share of Americans plan to save their tax refund while a smaller percentage will use their refund to pay off debt. The majority of Americans, however, tend to view their income tax refund checks as a sort of windfall and plan on spending the cash.

Considering the depressed, or a least extremely recessed, economy of the last few years, it’s not surprising that many Americans are contemplating sticking a little cash away for a rainy day. In fact, many financial gurus suggest that every family should establish an emergency fund with enough easily accessible cash to cover at least three to six months of living expenses. Investing in short term CDs or a money market account would make the funds available should an emergency arise. A refund check for over $3000 would be a good beginning to establishing an emergency fund and significant peace of mind just in case the economy is not out of the woods yet.

Some Americans aren’t ready to put their refund checks into savings just yet. Having been hit hard by job loss or job reduction or other economy driven factors, a sizable percent of the American population has racked up more consumer debt than any previous time in history. The banking industry survey indicates that 19% of Americans intend to use their tax refunds to address debt. A loud cheer went up from financial advisors across the country at this news!

Financial counseling centers suggest one of the best approaches to establishing or re-establishing firm financial footing is a systematic approach to paying off debt. Although people may be tempted to spread that tax refund out to pay part of the doctor bills, part of a loan, and part of a couple credit card bills, many advisors, say the most effective way to get out of debt is to focus all of your additional payments on paying off your smallest bill first. Then take the normal monthly payment from that paid debt and add it to the normal monthly payment of the next smallest debt, continuing in that pattern until you are debt free. Addressing the smallest outstanding balances with a 2010 income tax refund is a great way to get a jump start on being debt free!

Surprisingly, a large number of people electing to spend their refund rather than save it or use it to pay bills have also cited the recent economic conditions as the motivation behind their decision. Tired of the tightening the belt posture, these Americans tend to view the refund check as a kind of bonus money. Projects that have been put on hold until times are better or larger purchases that have been too expensive for the normal budget are likely targets on which to use the cash returned by the IRS. Other Americans are tempted to take a break on a vacation that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to take.

If you are one of the majority of Americans planning on spending that nice refund check, a little research could help that money go a bit farther. Now might be the time to consider applying for a rewards card that will stretch your refund. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or plan to hire a contractor to start that remodel, add on a new deck, construct a shed, or build a pergola in the backyard, check out credit card offers that have a additional cash back on special categories that rotate throughout the year. Discover® Card, Citi® Platinum Select® Dividend MasterCard®, and Citi ThankYou℠ Card are all offering 5% cashback on purchases from home improvement or lawn and garden stores through the end of June.

In addition, many card companies offer from 5 to 20% additional cash back incentives when you connect to retailers through the card’s website. For instance, Chase Freedom® Visa does as do some cards offered by Discover Card or by Citi. Most card companies offering online shopping have over 600 participating retailers. Not only can you order home improvement materials, this is a great way to purchase new computers or other electronic equipment or upgrade the systems you already own.

If you’re planning to use your 2010 income tax refund to get away on a much deserved and needed vacation, Delta has teamed up with American Express to offer new customers some pretty enticing incentives. Along with other benefits, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express® gives customers the opportunity to earn 15,000 bonus points within the first three months of opening an account, and with the Delta Reserve Credit Card, you can earn 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles with your first purchase. Delta SkyMiles can be used to purchase airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals and more, allowing you to play just a little longer!

Perhaps the biggest ‘between the lines’ news in America’s response to the question, “What do you plan to do with your refund?” is that, in general, people are beginning to feel more positive and hopeful about the economy both now and in the months ahead. So go ahead and enjoy that “bonus money” whether you decide to save a little, pay a little debt, or spend a little!

Average Credit Card Debt By City & State

PlasticRewards presents an infographic of the average credit card debt by city and state. See where your city and state rank nationwide.

Spring has finally sprung, and if you are itching to shake off those winter blues with a little bit of travel, you definitely will want to check out the new British Airways Visa Card offered by Chase Bank.

Never had a Chase credit card before? You won’t want to pass this one up! Not only does the British Airways Signature Visa credit card offer incredible reward miles normally, it’s extremely easy for the first time account holder to earn enough bonus miles in the first three months to receive two free transatlantic flights – roundtrip, of course!

If you apply by May 6, Chase is offering 50,000 bonus miles for your first purchase with the British Airways Visa Signature Card and another 50,0000 miles after $2,500 worth of transactions within the first three months. That’s on top of the normal 2.5 British Airways miles you earn for every $1 you spend on British Airways purchases and the 1.25 BA miles you earn whenever you use the card on anything else. Plus, applying for a new card will automatically enroll you in British Airway’s Executive Club, allowing you to significantly increase the number of frequent flyer miles you earn based on their three-tiered program.

In addition to the regular British Airways miles you earn, every year you spend $30,000, you will receive a companion travel voucher that will allow you to anyone with you on the same flight in the same class of service you are flying in. Thirty thousand dollars seems like a lot, but if you run everything like utilities, gas, phone service, and groceries through your British Airways Signature Visa, it adds up fairly quickly. Two free roundtrip tickets to Europe, one from British Airways miles and the other with the companion voucher, makes transatlantic travel extremely do-able.

Concerned about the inconvenience of international travel? British Airways has teamed up with American Airlines and Iberia to give the consumer more: more than 400 destinations, more convenient connections, and more schedule options. In addition, British Airways Visa Signature cardholders are eligible for BA miles on American Airlines, Iberia, and 9 other “Oneworld Airline Partners.”

Once you’ve reached your overseas destination, use the Chase British Airways Visa card without worry because there are no foreign transaction fees that consumers are often surprised by after using other credit cards while traveling internationally.

Chase Bank’s newest Visa card does have an annual fee of $95. Its 14.24% variable APR is on the high side of average, but the benefits offered seem to outweigh the annual fee by, well, the value of at least two roundtrip tickets to Europe.

If you have excellent credit and travel frequently or want to begin traveling more, the British Airways Signature Visa card has great travel rewards, and the new cardholder incentives are definitely worth taking advantage of. Traveling internationally has never been so easy! Be sure to act before May 6, 2011 to take full advantage of this limited time offer.

It’s April, but there’s “No foolin” on great zero percent credit card offers through Discover® or CitiBank.

From now through April 30th, apply for one of four credit cards, transfer a balance, and get zero percent interest on that transfer in addition to zero percent on purchases. This limited time offer is for Discover More card, Citi Dividend Platinum Select® MasterCard®, Citi® Platinum Select MasterCard, or Citi Diamond Preferred® Card.

These incredible offers come just in time for the spring projects in the house and in the yard. The terms offered on balance transfers extend for a long enough period to save some major interest while making significant progress on paying down the balance you owe.

Besides the appealing terms on balance transfers, Discover and each of the Citibank MasterCards offer additional benefits to the new account holder. Those perks are compared below.

Zero Percent on Balance Transfers

• Discover Card – 24 months
• Citi Dividend Platinum Select – 15 months
• Citi Platinum Select – 21 months
• Citi Diamond Preferred – 21 months

Zero Percent on Purchases

• Discover – 6 months
• Citi Dividend Platinum Select – 15 months
• Citi Platinum Select – 21 months
• Citi Diamond Preferred – 21 months

No Annual Fee

• Discover
• Citi Dividend Platinum Select
• Citi Platinum Select
• Citi Diamond Preferred

Cash Back Rewards

• Discover – 5% on select categories quarterly; 1% on everything else
• Citi Dividend Platinum Select – $100 after $500 in purchases during first 3 months; 5% on select categories quarterly; 2% on everything else for first 12 months, then 1% thereafter

Online Shopping Cash Back Bonus

• Discover – 5% to 20% through Discover Shopping Mall
• Citi (All Cards) – 10 % “Extra Cash Dollars” on all purchases can be used for discounts through “Extra Cash by Citi” site.

Regular APR

• Discover – 11.99%-20.99% (Variable)
• Citi Dividend Platinum Select – 12.99%-20.99% (Variable)
• Citi Platinum Select – 11.99%-20.99% (Variable)
• Citi Diamond Preferred – 11.99%-20.99% (Variable)

So stop foolin’ around and take advantage of a great deal by selecting the card that’s best for you. Act today because after April 30, time’s up.

American Express announces that Serve, its digital payment platform or “virtual wallet”, is up and running in the U.S.

Freedom, flexibility, choice, and control seem to be the guiding principles behind the service that allows customers to make payments from their mobile phones, execute person-to-person money transfers online with anyone else having an active serve account, or make in-store or online purchases wherever American Express cards are accepted.

A company with 160 years of history and a reliable track record financially, American Express continues to remain on the cutting edge with Serve, a service that focuses on consumers’ needs to conduct transactions quickly, easily, and on the go. Mobile applications for iPhone®, iPod touch®, iPad®, and Android™ make that possible. Also, Serve accounts can be accessed easily on Serve.com and, of course, on Facebook.

Not only does Serve have built in flexibility as far as making payments, customers also have several options to choose from when it comes to funding their Serve account. Accounts can be funded through your bank account or your debit card. Credit cards may be the funding source, or funds can even be transferred by another user. American Express has also set up the option to have a debit or credit card linked to your Serve account as a back up or secondary source of funding so you will always have the freedom and control you need when it comes to purchases or payments.

With every Serve account established, with no additional paper work or forms to fill out, the account owner is eligible for a pre-paid plastic Serve card. The pre-paid Serve card can be used for withdrawals at ATM’s where American Express is accepted and can be used at any retail store front or online merchant that takes American Express. The Serve card is, of course, re-loadable.

Keeping the customer in mind, American Express has designed the Serve system with a sub-account feature. The sub-account feature allows the account holder the flexibility of establishing accounts for children or other family members while, if necessary, still maintaining control over where the funds in the sub-accounts are used or even establishing daily transaction limits for individual sub-accounts.

Celebrating the release of its innovative digital payment platform, American Express is offering customers an incentive to open a Serve account by waiving account fees for the first two months. Normally, there is no fee to set up an account or download the mobile application from either iTunes or the Android Market. Also, there’s no charge for loading funds through your bank account, but after the two month introductory period a there is a fee of 2.9% of the load amount plus $.30 per transaction for funding the Serve account through a credit card. There is also a $2.00 charge to use the Serve card in an ATM.

American Express boasts that Serve program has the most advanced encryption and multi-factor authentication to protect both the consumer’s monies and the consumer’s identity.

Flexible. Convenient. Giving the consumer the freedom he wants and the control he needs. Backed by a solid, long-standing reputation. Serve, by American Express, is a secure way to simplify your life while remaining on the cutting edge. Apply for your account today and take advantage of the “No Fees” introductory offer!

Looking for a way to earn mileage rewards faster? The Capital One Venture card may be just the ticket! Capital One has announced that when you are approved for a new Venture credit card it will match up to 100,000 miles you’ve already earned with another airline credit card rewards program.

The new program is called the “Venture Match My Miles Challenge,” and it’s for a limited time only.

The process to gain the matching miles is simple. Apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card. When you are approved, go online to register. Submit a document proving your airline miles earned with your other airline rewards card. Spend $1000 during the first three months you have your Venture card, and Capital One will match your miles. Plus, you get to keep the miles you already earned with your other card.

In addition to matching already earned miles, Capital One is throwing in a one-time bonus of 10,000 miles for new account holders when they spend $1000 within 90 days of opening their account.

Too good to be true? It gets better! The Capital One Venture Reward card usually has a $59 annual fee, but when you apply for a Venture card during the “Venture Match My Miles Challenge,” the first year’s annual fee will be waived.

If you have excellent credit, the Venture card is an excellent idea. Venture Reward card holders will find that it’s both easy to earn mileage and easy to use reward points. With the Venture Card, for every dollar spent, you earn two miles. That’s double the normal reward earnings. Capital One has the consumer in mind because there is no limit to the mileage you can earn, the mileage points you earn never expire, and you never have to worry about blackout dates when you use your Venture Rewards mileage. Venture Rewards miles can be redeemed for flights, hotels, car rentals, merchandise, or cash.

Capital One Venture card offers the flexibility you desire, the control you need, and the rewards you deserve.

Don’t wait to take advantage of the matching miles offered by Capital One. The “Venture Match My Miles Challenge” only lasts until May 13 or until Capital One gives away one billion miles.

VISA and MasterCard, along with many major banks such as J. P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, have announced not only their own monetary contributions to Japan’s disaster relief, but also have decided to waive the interchange fees on donations to major charities assisting in the relief efforts.

Waiving the interchange fees will make a significant difference in the total amount of monies received by the charities as interchange fees are the largest percentage of the fees collected by credit card companies.

Some of the banks and credit card issuing companies have placed a time-limit on fee waivers. VISA will not charge fees on donations to Japan relief funds through April 30 and MasterCard through May 15.

MasterCard and VISA, along with several of the banks, have created lists of charities not being charged interchange fees for donations to the disaster relief funds. The American Red Cross appears on every list. Other organizations eligible for the fee waivers often include World Vision, Save the Children, Americares, International Medical Corps, Doctors without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee. Check with your bank or credit card issuer to be sure the charity of your choice appears on their list. Several of the eligible charities for credit card donations have made it possible for convenient, on-line donations to aid the effort in Japan.

In addition to making it easy for customers to become personally involved in disaster relief, MasterCard has donated $250,000 and offered a matching incentive to employees by promising to double their giving. Likewise, Chase has donated $5 million to aid Japan and will match employee contributions up to $1 million.

Bank of America has donated $1.22 million to the relief effort in Japan, with about half of that going through the American Red Cross. In addition, Bank of America has stated that it will not limit it’s matching on employee donations.

Meanwhile, Wells Fargo Bank has already contributed $500,000 to the American Red Cross and has pledged to match employee contributions up to $500,000. For any donation to the American Red Cross through Wells Fargo, all fees will be waived ensuring that the Red Cross will receive 100% of the donation.

With television images of the recent disaster in Japan playing in our homes, we are, indeed, reminded of Walt Disney’s observation that “It’s a Small World After All.” Modern technology and the internet mean the average person half way around the globe can help in ways never before possible. Recent announcements from VISA and MasterCard, along with many major banks such as J. P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America, make it possible for one person to make a world of difference.