Credit can go from good to bad to poor for a number of reasons, including missed payments, late payments, etc. On the other hand, bad credit can improve to good credit, too. But this takes a little bit of work and patience.

Certain credit cards are made for people who happen to have a less-than-perfect credit history. Often with this type of “bad credit” credit card, low credit lines are given ($250 or so) and additional fees may apply (application fees, maintenance fees, etc.). Be sure to read over any terms and conditions before applying. Be certain of any fees that you may incur before applying for or obtaining the credit card.

A big mistake that you can make applying for and/or obtaining a “bad credit” credit card is not knowing the terms and conditions of that specific card. You can save a lot of time and frustation down the road by taking a few minutes to read about and understand the product you are about to obtain. Be aware of all fees involved so that you do not get surprised by your bill.

If you are aware of and abide by the terms & conditions of the specific card, chances are that your overall experience will be much better. If you use the card responsibly and pay all of your bills on time, you can often request a credit increase down the road or upgrade to a product with fewer fees. In the end, the extra fees and low credit lines can be worth it if it helps get your overall credit back on track.

Compare credit cards for bad credit now or get more answers to common questions about credit cards in our credit card FAQ section.

Posted in Credit Cards, Personal Finance | Permalink

There are a lot of Web hosting companies out there, and specific Web hosting plans vary widely in price and features. Most Web hosting companies provide a wide range of services, from budget Web hosting to business Web hosting to dedicated Web hosting.

These factors make it difficult to sort through the abundance of information and find the Web host and hosting plan most suitable to your needs. Before you purchase Web hosting, be sure to understand the basics. Figure out which features you will defintely need and which features you don’t really need.

If you are new to Web hosting, it is recommended that you read up on the basics before purchasing a hosting plan. A good place to start is our own How to Pick the Right Web Host. You can also view our Web Hosting FAQs for more information about common hosting-related topics.

Once you have a good idea of what you’re looking for in a potential Web host, you can compare Web hosts right here. We always have a fresh list of deals from reputable hosting companies.

Posted in Web Hosting, Small Business | Permalink

You don’t have to look very hard to find all kinds of credit card offers floating around out there. However, if you look just hard enough, you can probably find a card that fits your needs more closely than you ever thought. Today, a lot of credit cards offer cardhlders the opportuity to take part in rewards programs. And there are many different types of reward programs out there - no matter where your interests lie.

Rewards credit cards give various rewards to cardholders for making purchases with the card. A cardholder earns rewards based on the dollar amount of his/her purchases with that particular credit card over a period of time.

Usually, a cardholder accumulates “points” for using the credit card for purchases over a period of time. Cardholders can then use these accumulated points to obtain specific rewards or rebates. The type of rewards that a cardholder can get with these points varies widely from credit card to credit card.

Currently, you can find rewards credit cards that give:
- Cash back rewards
- Airfare or other travel discounts
- Hotel rewards and rebates
- Automotive rebates
- Gasoline rebates
- Rewards geared toward parents
- Sports-related rewards
- And other rewards

Some rewards credit cards do come with an annual fee but it is becoming easier and easier to find rewards credit cards that carry no annual fee. Shop around. Every credit card is a bit different and promotional offers often change, so be sure to thoroughly look over the terms and conditions for each specific card before applying.

You can compare all rewards credit cards or click on the links above to view credit cards that allow cardholders to earn a specific type of reward or rebate.

You can also get answers to common questions about credit cards in our credit card FAQs or find more credit-related information in our credit resources area.

Posted in Credit Cards, Personal Finance | Permalink

The Advantages of Buying a Cell Phone Online

What are the advantages of purchasing a cell phone and/or cellular service plan online?

The first benefit comes in the form of information. You have unlimited time to read product reviews, compare prices, and research which cell phones meet your needs without the pressure of a customer service representative breathing down your neck. You can also review the differences between wireless carriers and compare various aspects of each carrier’s service offerings.

In addition, you get to choose from a broad range of wireless carriers and plans. You can start by choosing a preferred carrier (if you happen to prefer one carrier over others) and then proceed to choose which specific plan from that carrier is right for you. Or you can compare plans from all carriers and choose which plan is best, regardless of carrier. If you choose the latter route, many more options will be available to you.

Also, the best deals often reside online. By “the best” we mean the cheapest or most cost-effective. Online, you can find a number of deals that include a free cell phone with the purchase of a new wireless plan, as well as rebate offers and other incentive deals that may be harder to find offline.

It is highly recommended that you start your research process online, as that will allow you to be as informed as possible when you make your next wireless purchase. Here are some of the features that you can access on e-wisdom.com while researching a wireless purchase, upgrade or switch:

- Cell Phone Finder Tool
- Cell Phone Plan Finder Tool
- In-Depth Expert Cell Phone Reviews
- Compare Cell Phone Specs Side by Side
- Search for Deals by Wireless Carrier
- Search for Deals by Phone Manufacturer
- All Free Cell Phone Deals and Other Specials

All of the tools are there to help you make your next cell phone carrier, plan and/or phone decision a knowledgeable one. Compare the latest cellular deals now - see what is available in your area.

Posted in Cell Phones | Permalink

We’ve been working hard on updating the homepage and think you will be very happy with the new layout. e-wisdom.com has been around since 2001, and its goal has never changed: To simplify your life by presenting to you some of the best deals that are available online.

We have made it even easier to use. Whether you are looking for a new long distance carrier, ISP provider or credit card, the homepage now provides you with easier navigation. The new setup and layout makes it so easy to compare deals.

What else does e-wisdom.com offer?

- Credit Card Search and Comparison
- Loan Provider Comparisons
- Cell Phones and Plan Comparisons
- Long Distance Rate and Plan Comparisons
- Tips for Affordable International Calling
- Credit Reports and Credit Score Resources
- Internet Service Provider Search and Comparisons
- Insurance Provider Comparisons
- Web Hosting Comparisons
- Deals of the Month
- And much more

What’s most important to us is that we continue to provide you with up-to-date information, and, most importantly, great deals that will help save you money and time. We value our customers and always make it a priority to respond to your requests.

Also, make sure to check out our newest feature at the top right hand corner: the Monthy Spotlight. We will update this monthly with a timely offer that will help save you money.

Posted in Site Updates | Permalink

Smart Phone: A general term used to describe a wireless telephone set or handheld device with special computer-enabled features not previously associated with cellular phones. It integrates personal information management and cellular phone capabilities into one device so you have one device that handles everything for you.

A smart phone is considered a next-generation, multifunctional cell phone. It handles many of the same features your laptop or computer handles, but it is also a cellular phone, and is much smaller.

Instead of carrying around a wireless-enabled PDA (ex. palm pilot) and a cellular phone, the smart phone provides all of these features in one: Voice communication, text-messaging capabilities and facilitates data processing.

Many smart phones adopt the traditional 12-button cell phone keypad, plus navigation and function keys which allows for a one-hand operation. Some smart phones use a QWERTY layout, a tiny version of the standard computer keyboard. Some other smart phones, especially PDA (personal digital assistants which are handheld computers that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile over the years) phones, provide a stylus for handwriting input.

Here is a list of some of what a smartphone’s features may include:

1. Wireless email, Internet, Web browsing, and fax

2. Speakerphone function

3. Personal information management

4. LAN connectivity

5. Graffiti style data entry

6. Local & remote data transfer between phone set and computers

7. Remote control of computers

8. Remote control of home or business electronic systems

9. Text messaging capabilities

10. Photographic capabilities (Built-in camera)

11. Ability to create short video clips

12. Personal agenda/task list

13. Caller ID photo capabilities

14. Enhanced wireless capability such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and infrared and the ability to synchronize with computers.

15. A large memory

Here are some examples of smart phones:

Sony Ericsson P910
Treo by Palm
Orange SPV c500
Nokia 7610
RIM BlackBerry
T-Mobile MDA II
HP iPAQ h6315
palmOne Tungsten T5
Motorola Q PDA

The best way to search for exactly what you are looking for, or to research different smart phones is to utilize our Cell Phone Finder, which will provide you with the tools to find a cell phone that meets your specific needs.

You can also compare the latest cellular deals quickly and easily. Just enter your zip code to get started and see what is available in your area.

Posted in Cell Phones | Permalink

A billing increment is the unit of time that is used to calculate the cost of a phone call — usually one minute, 30 seconds, six (6) seconds, or 18/6 (this means your billing increments are 6 seconds with a minimum call length of 18 seconds).

Example: If a plan bills in one-minute increments and a specific phone call is 36 seconds long, the time of the call is rounded up to one minute. A plans that bills in six-second billing increments would bill that same 36-second call as a 36-second call, not a one-minute call as the previously mentioned.

Believe it or not, billing increments can make a big difference in your total monthly bill. So, you ask, which billing increment plan is the best one to use?

Long distance calling plans with smaller billing increments usually save customers money when compared to similar calling plans that have larger billing increments. For example, the latest billing increment to really make a difference in your monthly bill is what is referred to as the 6-second billing increment. The average person can expect to save, on average, an additional 10%-12% by selecting a 6-second billing increment plan over a 1-minute billing plan offering the same rates.

This is how it works:
6-second billing increments prorate your minutes so as you are paying only for the partial minute you may have used. For example, say you are located in the state of Washington and were on a plan offering 2.7 cents per minute state to state. Now let’s say you called a friend in Oregon and got their voice mail. Assume you left a message and had a 15-second connection time for that particular call. Instead of paying 2.7 cents for this call, you would only pay less than 1 cent (if the plan billed in 6-second increments). In Washington, there is currently a plan available at 2.7 cents per minute state to state but the billing increment is 60 seconds long. This is still an exceptional deal when you are talking about a 2.7 cent per minute call.

All in all, it is best to evaluate the entire plan, from the billing increments to the total cost per minute. Just make sure you take the time to read the terms and conditions of any plan. This will save you both money and time in the long run.

Compare long distance providers now and find a carrier and plan that fit your specific needs.

Posted in Long Distance | Permalink

Dedicated Web hosting is the opposite of shared Web hosting. With dedicated hosting, a server is owned by a Web hosting company but rented out and used by a single customer. With shared hosting, multiple customers purchase “space” on (and multiple sites are hosted on) a single server.

Generally speaking, Web sites in need of a lot of resources (e.g. disk space and/or data transfer) and/or Web sites that have very specific software needs may opt to rent a dedicated server. Also, customers wanting the privacy of there own server and not wanting to share the server with other, usually unknown, customers (and sites) also may choose to go with a dedicated hosting solution.

Shared Web hosting is usually sufficient for most small and medium sized businesses. However, opting to go with a dedicated server has many benefits, especially in regards to customization of features. Investing in a dedicated server is undoubtedly a wise decision for many businesses, regardless of size.

In addition, a managed hosting plan incorporates a dedicated server with technical support and maintenance services. This is a step up from standard dedicated Web hosting, where customers are responsible for all administrative and maintenance duties.

Compare Web hosts now or find answers to more commonly asked Web hosting questions in our Web Hosting FAQs.

Posted in Web Hosting, Small Business | Permalink