Opinion by Steve Bucci : Credit card for wedding a lousy way to start off

Q My fiancee and I would like to get a new credit card for wedding expenses. She has a higher FICO score than I do (hers is in the 720-730 area; mine is in the mid-600s), but I make considerably more money than she does ($60,000 versus $20,000). The credit card we would be applying for would normally require a score like hers. I want to know if it would be wise for us to apply for the card jointly, or if she should apply for the card by herself.

A How do I get your attention without using a two-by-four? Why is your credit score in the 600s? Why haven't you saved for the wedding? Why are you using a credit card, of all things, to finance what should be one of the happiest days of your lives? How much of a limit are you looking for, anyway?

Is your fiancee in such a state of bliss that she doesn't realize that by financing the wedding on a card in her name she will be solely responsible for the debt?

These and other questions come to my mind immediately. That they haven't come to either of yours concerns me.

My advice is not to finance your futures, especially with a variable interest rate loan. A better idea is to save for the wedding expenses for which you would be using a credit card. If you want or need to get married before you are able to save the money, cut back on the expenses for the wedding so you don't need to charge anything.

I also endorse letting your parents contribute.

If you are not wildly optimistic about your futures now, you probably never will be. So, if you want to know how to do things your way, here goes:

It is not a good idea for either one of you to get stuck with the bill for the wedding if you part ways before the tab is paid. So, why not take an egalitarian approach: Apply for two credit cards, one in each of your names, and split the costs based on your respective incomes.

It is important for you each to have credit in your own names, and the financial responsibility would be shared equally. I know, I know, you are getting married and will be sharing everything quite willingly. Do this for the protection of both of you.

Now to the part that no one wants to discuss — paying off the balance. I would hope you are charging no more than what you can pay off in nine months or less.

Debt Adviser

Credit Card Mergers Do Not Affect Card Usage, Says Cardbeat

WESTBURY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In the past few years, the credit card industry has witnessed landmark
mergers between issuers such as Bank of America and MBNA, JPMorgan Chase
and Bank One, and Barclays and Juniper Bank, among numerous others.
Two-thirds of cardholders whose issuers have been a part of a merger
have not changed the ways they use their credit cards post-merger,
according to research recently published in Cardbeat®,
the syndicated market research report by Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG).

“These consumers were pleased with the
customer service, card pricing and rewards of their credit cards, and
chose to continue using them because the products and features did not
change after the merger,” says Megan
Bramlette, managing editor of Cardbeat.

Overall, consumers are neutral on bank mergers, with 68% expecting
little change to their opinion of their credit card company if their
card issuer was bought or sold.

“Consumers care less about the bank that
issues their card and monthly statements than the benefits they receive
from that relationship,” Bramlette says.
Falloff in activity occurs when card rewards are not as rich post-merger
as they were before, or when interest rates and account fees on the
portfolio rise.

“Merging banks need to consider how consumers
will react to their products post-merger,” she
continues. “Our research shows that most
consumers are confident about the ongoing independence of their current
credit card issuers and have made it clear that they will remain loyal,
even after a merger, as long as cardholder benefits and service levels
remain the same.”

The information in this release includes data from 401 credit card users
surveyed in February 2007. The findings were originally published in the
February 2007 issue of Cardbeat.

ACG is a management consulting firm in the payments and lending
industry. Cardbeat is a syndicated market research study from ACG that
provides insight into how consumer perceptions impact credit card
acquisition and usage.