ANCHOR LEAD
IF YOU'VE GOTTEN ANY CREDIT CARD OFFERS IN THE MAIL RECENTLY... AND WHO HASN'T... YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE HOT TREND RIGHT NOW. REWARDS. IT MIGHT BE MONEY BACK ON YOUR PURCHASE OR FREE AIRLINE MILES. TODAY... MORE THAN HALF OF ALL CREDIT CARD OFFERS HAVE A REWARD PROGRAM ATTACHED. BUT THERE ARE THREE PITFALLS YOU NEED TO AVOID BEFORE YOU SIGN UP. SCOTT HANSON HAS OUR HEADS UP REPORT.

TRACK ONE Length: 10
WHEN MARLENE SCOBELL ("skoh-BELL") FIRST FIRED UP HER NEW BIG SCREEN TV... SHE KNEW SHE WAS A LITTLE CLOSER TO HER DREAM VACATION. WHY? THE CREDIT CARD SHE USED TO BUY IT.

SOT
KEY@: 12 Marlene Scobell, Rewards Card User
"For every dollar I spent I get one mile good toward the purchase of an airline ticket."

TRACK TWO Length: 12
THE TV... HER FURNITURE... ALL HER BIG PURCHASES NOW GO ON THAT CARD... SO SHE CAN GET THE MILES.
BUT CREDIT COUNSELOR ANTOWANNA BLOUT ("ANN-toe-WAHN-uh BLUNT") SEES MANY PEOPLE WITH REWARDS CARDS THAT ARE MAXED OUT... AND NEED TO BE CUT UP.

NAT SOT Length: 01
(cards going in jar)

SOT
KEY@: 28 Antowanna Blount Consumer Credit Counseling Services
"It kind of provokes you to go spend spend spend."

TRACK THREE Length: 15
SHE SAYS SHOPPING WITH A REWARDS CARD CAN BE SMART IF YOU AVOID THREE PITFALLS. THE FIRST-TOO MANY CARDS. SAY YOU HAVE THREE REWARDS CARDS WITH A TOTAL OF 25-THOUSAND DOLLARS YOU COULD SPEND. EVEN IF THEY'RE UNUSED... YOU COULD HURT YOUR CREDIT.

SOT
KEY@:47 Antowanna Blount Consumer Credit Counseling Services
"A creditor will see that you have the potential of borrowing $25,000 even though you have not borrowed that amount of money on the credit card."

TRACK FOUR Length: 09
THE SECOND PITFALL-MAXING OUT YOUR CARD TO GET THE MOST REWARDS. SMALL PURCHASES AT THE MARKET DON'T HURT CREDIT. BUT MAKING BIG PURCHASES COULD.

SOT
KEY@: 56 Antowanna Blount, Consumer Credit Counseling Services
"If you're maxing it out, it will hurt your credit score."

TRACK FIVE Length: 07
THE FINAL PITFALL... THE LATE RATE. EVEN IF YOU'RE A LITTLE LATE WITH A SINGLE PAYMENT...YOUR INTEREST RATE COULD SKYROCKET.

SOT
KEY@: 1:15 Antowanna Blount Consumer Credit Counseling Services
"They could up your interest rate to 24,25 percent."

TRACK SIX Length: 07
MARLENE ONLY HAS ONE CARD... AND SHE PAYS IT OFF MONTHLY... ON TIME. THAT DISCIPLINE HAS HER FLYING HIGH.

SOT
KEY@: 1:23 Marlene Scobell Rewards Card user
"I do have a free ticket, for Aruba."

STAND- UP CLOSE
BE SURE TO READ THE BACK OF ANY CARD OFFER. WATCH FOR THE PHRASE "DEFAULT CLAUSE". THAT WILL EXPLAIN HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR BILL... BEFORE YOUR RATE GOES UP. FOR HEADS UP... I'M SCOTT HANSON.

ANCHOR TAG
ONE OTHER WORD OF CAUTION. YOU MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO TAKE A CASH ADVANCE ON A REWARDS CARD TO GET EVEN MORE DISCOUNTS OR AIRLINE MILES. TROUBLE IS... CASH ADVANCES OFTEN INCLUDE STIFF FEES... HIGHER INTEREST RATES... AND NO GRACE PERIOD. JUST BE SURE TO KNOW THE RULES OF YOUR CARD.

SOURCES

Antowanna Blount
Consumer Credit Counseling Services
Raleigh, NC
919-821-1771 ext. 314

Ms. Blount counsels people with consumer credit issues, many of them credit card related.