| Illinois' Bright Start(R) 529 College Savings Program Announces a New ...
SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illinois Bright Start College Savings Program announced today the availability of the Bright Start Futuretrust MasterCard, available nationwide. For the first time, holders of a 529-linked credit card will automatically receive a $25 contribution to their Bright Start account after the first use of their Bright Start Futuretrust MasterCard. Participating account owners will also earn a minimum of 1% every time they make a purchase with the Bright Start Futuretrust MasterCard. In addition, members earn up to 15% in additional college savings when they shop at thousands of partners in the Futuretrust Preferred Merchant Network consisting of major retail chains, catalogs, restaurants and on-line merchants. For every $25 of rebates accumulated, the money will automatically be invested into a linked Bright Start 529 account.
Connected: Credit card receipts can leave a paper trail
On a recent business trip to Albany, my associate and I decided to go to a restaurant to relax after a hard day. After our meal, I paid with my credit card, and in the usual manner, the waiter returned two copies of the receipt -- one for me as a record and one for the restaurant -- which needed to be signed. I signed the receipt and, despite my associate's request to leave the restaurant, stayed until I could find an appropriate person to whom I could hand the restaurant's copy of the charge slip. Unlike most restaurants, this local establishment was still printing the full credit card number on the receipt, so I refused to leave it on our table for the next person to view -- and perhaps steal my credit card number. It's not a new concern to me. I've refused to leave behind my charge receipts for years -- perhaps before most people even realized it was a threat.
Competition in Definition
DirecTV is really banking on HDTV as a strategy for retention, to keep the more than 16 million subscribers it has now, according to analyst Bruce Leichtman. Although it's pricey to upgrade existing subscribers to new HD digital recorders, these are customers who pay their bills and spend a lot for services. DirecTV doesn't want to lose them. "The reality is it's about retention," said Leichtman, president of Leichtman Research Group. "It's not as much about acquisition. It's about keeping your high-end subscribers." Greater Definition Satellite, cable and telephone companies are all trying to claim superiority for their high-definition TV offerings. .
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