Storms Create Deja Vu

We just had a bad line of squall storms pass through here. Very short and with lots of rain. And with a big crack of lightning. Nothing unusual here in Florida, except this time the next door neighbor now has a gaping hole in the roof of the house and no phone line and my daughter is a victim of lightning shock.

She was stirring a pot of soup when the lightning hit next door. The shock traveled in our wiring and into her arm through the stove, much like when it happened to me twenty some odd years ago in the same house (see the chicken patty incident). She seems to be okay though, but I'll be watching her for a bit.

This should be a cautionary tale! Do not use the stove during thunderstorms! I didn't know she was stirring soup, but Grandma was cooking! And lightning does strike the same place twice!

The Joys of Childhood.....And Motherhood!

My youngest told me yesterday that she wasn't going to college. No way, not ever! I asked her why? She said, "because I'll never leave you Mommy!" Of course, you won't, darling! Never, ever....we'll see when she's sixteen! But I said, "you can stay with me forever!" And she smiled...the joys of motherhood!

Chase Has Sucky Credit Card Consumer Practices Afoot

Yes, I know my title could be better, but it's true! We just received a nasty little surprise from the Chase credit card folks. We've been cardholders for a number of years now, with never a late payment. We had been enjoying a very nice interest rate for a number of years and now they decided to increase it to the usurious level of 19.49%. In reading the notice mailed to us, it said they had used credit bureau information to increase our interest rate over 13% from it's prior level, effective in January 2008. I immediately checked our credit bureau and found nothing amiss. We have paid perfectly to everyone, every time.

I then went to Chase's website, hoping to find out more. That's where I found this little gem of a press release waiting:

"Chase Will No Longer Increase Rates Based on Credit-Bureau Information
WILMINGTON, DE (November 19, 2007) - Today, Chase Card Services announced the expansion of Chase Clear & Simple, an ongoing program designed to help Chase customers better understand and manage their accounts, with the adoption of new, clearer pricing practices.
Chase is eliminating a practice, commonly used in the industry, of increasing interest rates for individual cardholders when their credit-bureau scores decline. This change is effective on March 1, 2008."

Oh, really! I was shocked....here they are cleaning house, perhaps of people like us,with low interest rate cards, before their March 1st "consumer-friendly" lending practices begin. Could we be the only ones....I really doubt it. UPDATE - I am definitely not the only one - check out the various unhappy customers at the Chase Sucks discussion board. Also, Senator Carl Levin of Michigan has launched an inquiry this month (Dec 2007) into these unfair interest rate practices. I will be writing my letter to the Senator today.

Buyer Beware, the adage says, when the actions don't match the words, integrity is certainly not there! I recommend that you stay away from Chase Visa and Chase Mastercard, because their company doesn't stand behind what they are saying.