A year ago, the mail box was constantly turning up unsolicited offers from a myriad of credit card companies.
The personalized envelopes urged the householder to open the letter, just in case there was something of importance inside. Who knows, maybe there was a coupon or a gift certificate made out to the bearer.
In most cases the content was a letter of enticement, with a credit card already made out in the householder's name, just waiting to be activated by calling a toll-free number. Interest rates and services varied, but the selling point was the pre-approved notification.
More than 342 million such unsolicited offers were made to Canadians in 2008, burdening mail carriers and stuffing household garbage cans.
How quickly circumstances change.
In the first three months of this year, credit card offers in Canada have declined almost 20 per cent thanks to the recession-like conditions currently being experienced.
This reduction of credit card solicitation is described as a silver lining of the economic crisis. With job losses, a drooping stock market and disappearing retirement savings, families don't need the lure of easy credit as a means to combat lack of money in the bank.
As easy as it is to use a credit card, the bills will eventually have to be paid, topped up with interest charges and service fees and other hidden charges buried in the fine print.
Without the temptation of having these pre-approved cards appearing like clockwork, perhaps families will be able to get some of their credit card charges under control.
Removing temptations
-
Published on
May 1, 2009
- Published on July 10, 2009
-
Staff ~ The Moose Jaw Times Herald
- Rate
- Top of the page
Comments
-
- Caroline
- - September 18, 2009 at 14:30:20
Credit cards and grammar? I thought the link was wrong, but nope...the word does appear in the original post. I need more coffee!
Regarding unsolicited credit cards in the mail, no wonder the interest charges are so high. Hiring a firm to create an eye appealing document, writers, printing companies, and postal charges. What a waste. They might as well go to B.C. tear out Lord only knows how many acres of trees and just drag them to the dump...what a waste of resources and money. -
- Humberto D
- - September 18, 2009 at 14:23:07
Sorry jane but I am going with Merriam Webster on this one:
myriad
2 entries found.
1. 1myriad (noun)
2. 2myriad (adjective)
Main Entry:
1myr·i·ad Listen to the pronunciation of 1myriad
Pronunciation:
?mir-?-?d
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Greek myriad-, myrias, from myrioi countless, ten thousand
Date:
1555
1 : ten thousand 2 : a great number a myriad of ideas
usage Recent criticism of the use of myriad as a noun, both in the plural form myriads and in the phrase a myriad of, seems to reflect a mistaken belief that the word was originally and is still properly only an adjective. As the entries here show, however, the noun is in fact the older form, dating to the 16th century. The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it. -
- Babs
- - September 18, 2009 at 14:21:55
Good **** Get A Life
Jane, there are plenty of grammatical errors in the world of publishing - pick a less obscure one next time, won't you? -
- Jane
- - September 18, 2009 at 13:41:45
Never use the phrase 'a myriad . it is ALWAYS just plain old 'myriad' as the definition of the word includes the 'a' and therefore makes the added 'a' redundant. Just a pet peeve of mine that one would think a professional would know already.
-
- What?
- - September 18, 2009 at 13:17:43
Thus both there are myriad people outside and there is a myriad of people outside are correct.
U R REDUNDANT. LAY OFF
