Credit Card Debt – Tips For Dealing With Credit Cards

There are always plenty of articles and commentary written about rapacious lenders and banks taking advantage of the "little guy" by giving him too much credit too easily and then when most inconvenient for the borrower they hit him with higher interest rates or some other financial disadvantage. I'm not about to defend big banks but like any "addict - pusher" relationship you can't have one without the other.

Credit cards and charge cards are our most common type of short term credit. Frequently we use the terms credit card and charge card interchangeably but they are actually quite different. Keep on reading to see if you were aware of these very important distinctions.

Credit Card

A credit card is issued by a financial company and gives the holder an option to borrow funds, usually at the point of sale. What this means is that you are essentially financing your purchases at a pre-set borrowing rate determined by your credit rating or the whim of the issuer/bank.

Credit cards have higher interest rates than most consumer loans or lines of credit. Some credit cards rates are now approaching 30% and my advice to you is charge only what you can comfortably pay off each month on your credit cards in order to avoid these high interest rates and running the risk of completely destroying your credit rating if you fall behind.

Every store and gas station welcomes payment through credit cards making them one of the most popular forms of payment for consumer goods and services in the US whether the card holder can afford to make the payments or not.

One important note is credit cards differ from a debit card, with which money is automatically deducted from the bank account of the cardholder to pay for the goods or services. This is true even though many debit cards have a credit card affiliation such as Visa or Master Card.

Did you know that credit card use originated in the U.S. in the 1920s?

Early credit cards were issued by various firms (e.g., oil companies and hotel chains) for use at their outlets only. Diners' Club issued the first universal credit card, which was accepted by a variety of establishments, in 1950.

Charge Card

Charge cards such as American Express require cardholders to pay for all purchases at the end of the billing period (usually monthly). While charge cards are similar to credit cards, the major benefit offered by a charge card is that it has a much higher, often unlimited, spending limit. However, if the balance is not paid when due, cardholders can incur large penalties and do terrific damage to their credit rating.

Let's examine for a moment when we use credit or charge cards. If we are not paying for all purchases with cash or debit cards we are using some form of credit. The use of credit can be for business purposes to purchase supplies, services, or some other business necessity such as travel or entertainment. It can be for personal use such as an emergency at your home; your car breaks down on the highway, or, as is far too often the case, you use it to purchase non-critical but desirable consumer items. Starbucks comes immediately to mind. That is not to say I don't enjoy my Starbucks but cash is the best option for these types of purchases. Financing a $4 cup of coffee simply does not make good financial sense.

Clearly the road to financial problems is to finance the mundane and small items that make up our day. If you are whipping out a credit card to buy a cup of coffee, to gas your vehicle, to purchase groceries or clothing, then you are literally financing your way into a high interest debt that simply does not make sense. If you are not paying off these small purchases each month, the bill will continue to grow ever larger and that "cute" pair of jeans you bought on sale will wind up costing you a LOT more money than if you had stopped to think about whether your budget could stand that purchase and you had just paid cash instead.

So why do we make these purchases? For one thing unlike generations from the early and middle part of the 1900's we have the capability via TV, the Web, and other types of media to see what we are "missing". We are able to see the luxuries of the rich and famous all day every day.

To make matters worse with credit we can purchase some of the "good life" on credit. By overrating (or even worse, not thinking about it at the point of purchase) your ability to pay for the item or items you just financed may be greatly diminished with time and ever increasing interest rates and penalties.

Lesson to learn - don't buy on credit except in an emergency.

Instead go on a cash basis or near cash. Next, be realistic and not overly optimistic on your ability to repay debt you accumulate in order to justify a purchase. Stay tuned for the next stop on the express lane to debt.

<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /></p>

<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy">

<!-- Top iFrame --> <!-- Bottom iFrame --> [removed]// <![CDATA[ var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_INFINITE_LOOP_COUNT = 300; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_MAX_HIGHLIGHTS = 50; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_ID = "leoHighlights_top_iframe"; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_ID = "leoHighlights_bottom_iframe"; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_DIV_ID = "leoHighlights_iframe_modal_div_container"; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOTAL_COLLAPSED_WIDTH = 520; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOTAL_COLLAPSED_HEIGHT = 391; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOTAL_EXPANDED_WIDTH = 520; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOTAL_EXPANDED_HEIGHT = 665; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_POS_X = 0; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_POS_Y = 0; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_WIDTH = 520; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_HEIGHT = 294; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_POS_X = 96; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_POS_Y = 294; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_COLLAPSED_WIDTH = 425; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_COLLAPSED_HEIGHT = 97; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_EXPANDED_WIDTH = 425; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_EXPANDED_HEIGHT = 371; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_SHOW_DELAY_MS = 300; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_HIDE_DELAY_MS = 750; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_BACKGROUND_STYLE_DEFAULT = "transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%"; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_BACKGROUND_STYLE_HOVER = "rgb(245, 245, 0) none repeat scroll 0% 0%"; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_ROVER_TAG = "711-36858-13496-14"; createInlineScriptElement("var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG = false; var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG_POS = false; var _leoHighlightsPrevElem = null; /** * Checks if the passed in class exists * @param c * @return */ function _leoHighlightsClassExists(c) { return typeof(c) == "function" && typeof(c.prototype) == "object" ? true : false; } /** * Checks if the firebug console is available * @param c * @return */ function _leoHighlightsFirebugConsoleAvailable(c) { try { if(_leoHighlightsClassExists(_FirebugConsole) && window.console && console.log && (console instanceof _FirebugConsole)) { return true; } } catch(e){} return false; } /** * General method used to debug exceptions * * @param location * @param e * @return */ function _leoHighlightsReportExeception(location,e) { try { if(_leoHighlightsFirebugConsoleAvailable() ||LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG) { var logString=location+": "+e+"\n\t"+e.name+"\n\t"+ (e.number&0xFFFF;)+"\n\t"+e.description; if(_leoHighlightsFirebugConsoleAvailable()) { console.error(logString); console.trace(); } } if(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DEBUG) alert(logString); } catch(e){} } /** * This will log a string to the firebug console * * @param str * @return */ function _leoHighlightsDebugLog(str) { try { if(_leoHighlightsFirebugConsoleAvailable()) { console.log(typeof(_FirebugConsole)+" "+str); } } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsDebugLog() "+str,e); } } /** * This will get an attribute and decode it. * * @param elem * @param id * @return */ function _leoHighlightsGetAttrib(elem,id) { try { var val=elem.getAttribute(id); return decodeURI(val); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsGetAttrib()",e); } return null; } /** * Checks if this is within a frame by checking for a parent. * * @return */ function _leoHighlightsIsFrame() { try { return (window!=top) } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsIsFrame()",e); } return false; } /** * This is a dimensions object * * @param width * @param height * @return */ function LeoHighlightsDimension(width,height) { try { this.width=width; this.height=height; this.toString=function() { return ("("+this.width+","+this.height+")");}; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("new LeoHighlightsDimension()",e); } } /** * This is a Position object * * @param x * @param y * @return */ function LeoHighlightsPosition(x,y) { try { this.x=x; this.y=y; this.toString=function() { return ("("+this.x+","+this.y+")");}; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("new LeoHighlightsPosition()",e); } } var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_ADJUSTMENT = new LeoHighlightsPosition(3,3); var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_SIZE = new LeoHighlightsDimension(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_WIDTH,LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_HEIGHT); var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_HOVER_SIZE = new LeoHighlightsDimension(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_COLLAPSED_WIDTH,LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_COLLAPSED_HEIGHT); var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_CLICK_SIZE = new LeoHighlightsDimension(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_EXPANDED_WIDTH,LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_EXPANDED_HEIGHT); var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DIV_HOVER_SIZE = new LeoHighlightsDimension(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOTAL_COLLAPSED_WIDTH,LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOTAL_COLLAPSED_HEIGHT); var LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DIV_CLICK_SIZE = new LeoHighlightsDimension(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOTAL_EXPANDED_WIDTH,LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOTAL_EXPANDED_HEIGHT); /** * Sets the size of the passed in element * * @param elem * @param dim * @return */ function _leoHighlightsSetSize(elem,dim) { try { // Set the popup location elem.style.width = dim.width + "px"; if(elem.width) elem.width=dim.width; elem.style.height = dim.height + "px"; if(elem.height) elem.height=dim.height; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsSetSize()",e); } } /** * This can be used for a simple one argument callback * * @param callName * @param argName * @param argVal * @return */ function _leoHighlightsSimpleGwCallBack(callName,argName, argVal) { try { var gwObj = new Gateway(); if(argName) gwObj.addParam(argName,argVal); gwObj.callName(callName); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsSimpleGwCallBack() "+callName,e); } } /** * This gets a url argument from the current document. * * @param url * @return */ function _leoHighlightsGetUrlArg(url, name ) { name = name.replace(/[\[]/,"\\\[").replace(/[\]]/,"\\\]"); var regexS = "[\\?&]"+name+"=([^&#]*)"; var regex = new RegExp( regexS ); var results = regex.exec(url); if( results == null ) return ""; else return results[1]; } /** * This allows to redirect the top window to the passed in url * * @param url * @return */ function _leoHighlightsRedirectTop(url) { try { top.location=url; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsRedirectTop()",e); } } /** * This will find an element by Id * * @param elemId * @return */ function _leoHighlightsFindElementById(elemId,doc) { try { if(doc==null) doc=document; var elem=doc.getElementById(elemId); if(elem) return elem; /* This is the handling for IE */ if(doc.all) { elem=doc.all[elemId]; if(elem) return elem; for ( var i = (document.all.length-1); i >= 0; i--) { elem=doc.all[i]; if(elem.id==elemId) return elem; } } } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsFindElementById()",e); } return null; } /** * Get the location of one element relative to a parent reference * * @param ref * the reference element, this must be a parent of the passed in * element * @param elem * @return */ function _leoHighlightsGetLocation(ref, elem) { _leoHighlightsDebugLog("_leoHighlightsGetLocation "+elem.id); var count = 0; var location = new LeoHighlightsPosition(0,0); var walk = elem; while (walk != null && walk != ref && count < LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_INFINITE_LOOP_COUNT) { location.x += walk.offsetLeft; location.y += walk.offsetTop; walk = walk.offsetParent; count++; } _leoHighlightsDebugLog("Location is: "+elem.id+" - "+location); return location; } /** * This is used to update the position of an element as a popup * * @param IFrame * @param anchor * @return */ function _leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos(iFrame,anchor) { try { // Gets the scrolled location for x and y var scrolledPos=new LeoHighlightsPosition(0,0); if( self.pageYOffset ) { scrolledPos.x = self.pageXOffset; scrolledPos.y = self.pageYOffset; } else if( document.documentElement && document.documentElement.scrollTop ) { scrolledPos.x = document.documentElement.scrollLeft; scrolledPos.y = document.documentElement.scrollTop; } else if( document.body ) { scrolledPos.x = document.body.scrollLeft; scrolledPos.y = document.body.scrollTop; } /* Get the total dimensions to see what scroll bars might be active */ var totalDim=new LeoHighlightsDimension(0,0) if (document.all && document.documentElement && document.documentElement.clientHeight&&document;.documentElement.clientWidth) { totalDim.width = document.documentElement.scrollWidth; totalDim.height = document.documentElement.scrollHeight; } else if (document.all) { /* This is in IE */ totalDim.width = document.body.scrollWidth; totalDim.height = document.body.scrollHeight; } else { totalDim.width = document.width; totalDim.height = document.height; } // Gets the location of the available screen space var centerDim=new LeoHighlightsDimension(0,0); if(self.innerWidth && self.innerHeight ) { centerDim.width = self.innerWidth-(totalDim.height>self.innerHeight?16:0); // subtracting scroll bar offsets for firefox centerDim.height = self.innerHeight-(totalDim.width>self.innerWidth?16:0); // subtracting scroll bar offsets for firefox } else if( document.documentElement && document.documentElement.clientHeight ) { centerDim.width = document.documentElement.clientWidth; centerDim.height = document.documentElement.clientHeight; } else if( document.body ) { centerDim.width = document.body.clientWidth; centerDim.height = document.body.clientHeight; } // Get the current dimension of the popup element var iFrameDim=new LeoHighlightsDimension(iFrame.offsetWidth,iFrame.offsetHeight) if (iFrameDim.width <= 0) iFrameDim.width = iFrame.style.width.substring(0, iFrame.style.width.indexOf('px')); if (iFrameDim.height <= 0) iFrameDim.height = iFrame.style.height.substring(0, iFrame.style.height.indexOf('px')); /* Calculate the position, lower right hand corner by default */ var position=new LeoHighlightsPosition(0,0); position.x=scrolledPos.x+centerDim.width-iFrameDim.width-LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_ADJUSTMENT.x; position.y=scrolledPos.y+centerDim.height-iFrameDim.height-LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_ADJUSTMENT.y; if(anchor!=null) { //centerDim in relation to the anchor element if available var topOrBottom = false; var anchorPos=_leoHighlightsGetLocation(document.body, anchor); var anchorScreenPos = new LeoHighlightsPosition(anchorPos.x-scrolledPos.x,anchorPos.y-scrolledPos.y); var anchorDim=new LeoHighlightsDimension(anchor.offsetWidth,anchor.offsetHeight) if (anchorDim.width <= 0) anchorDim.width = anchor.style.width.substring(0, anchor.style.width.indexOf('px')); if (anchorDim.height <= 0) anchorDim.height = anchor.style.height.substring(0, anchor.style.height.indexOf('px')); // Check if the popup can be shown above or below the element if (centerDim.height - anchorDim.height - iFrameDim.height - anchorScreenPos.y > 0) { // Show below, formula above calculates space below open iFrame position.y = anchorPos.y + anchorDim.height; topOrBottom = true; } else if (anchorScreenPos.y - anchorDim.height - iFrameDim.height > 0) { // Show above, formula above calculates space above open iFrame position.y = anchorPos.y - iFrameDim.height - anchorDim.height; topOrBottom = true; } _leoHighlightsDebugLog("_leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos() - topOrBottom: "+topOrBottom); if (topOrBottom) { // We attempt top attach the window to the element position.x = anchorPos.x - iFrameDim.width / 2; if (position.x < 0) position.x = 0; else if (position.x + iFrameDim.width > scrolledPos.x + centerDim.width) position.x = scrolledPos.x + centerDim.width - iFrameDim.width; _leoHighlightsDebugLog("_leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos() - topOrBottom: "+position); } else { // Attempt to align on the right or left hand side if (centerDim.width - anchorDim.width - iFrameDim.width - anchorScreenPos.x > 0) position.x = anchorPos.x + anchorDim.width; else if (anchorScreenPos.x - anchorDim.width - iFrameDim.width > 0) position.x = anchorPos.x - anchorDim.width; else // default to below position.y = anchorPos.y + anchorDim.height; _leoHighlightsDebugLog("_leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos() - sideBottom: "+position); } } /* Make sure that we don't go passed the right hand border */ if(position.x+iFrameDim.width>centerDim.width-20) position.x=centerDim.width-(iFrameDim.width+20); // Make sure that we didn't go passed the start if(position.x<0) position.x=0; if(position.y<0) position.y=0; _leoHighlightsDebugLog("Popup info id: " +iFrame.id+" - "+anchor.id + "\nscrolled " + scrolledPos + "\ncenter/visible " + centerDim + "\nanchor (absolute) " + anchorPos + "\nanchor (screen) " + anchorScreenPos + "\nSize (anchor) " + anchorDim + "\nSize (popup) " + iFrameDim + "\nResult pos " + position); // Set the popup location iFrame.style.left = position.x + "px"; iFrame.style.top = position.y + "px"; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos()",e); } } /** * This will show the passed in element as a popup * * @param anchorId * @param size * * @return */ function _leoHighlightsShowPopup(anchorId,size) { try { var popup=new LeoHighlightsPopup(anchorId,size); popup.show(); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("_leoHighlightsShowPopup()",e); } } /** * This will transform the passed in url to a rover url * * @param url * @return */ function _leoHighlightsGetRoverUrl(url) { var rover=LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_ROVER_TAG; var roverUrl="http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/"+rover+"/4?&mpre;="+encodeURI(url); return roverUrl; } /** * Sets the size of the bottom windown part * * @param size * @return */ function _leoHighlightsSetBottomSize(size,clickId) { /* Get the elements */ var iFrameBottom=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_ID); var iFrameDiv=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_DIV_ID); /* Figure out the correct sizes */ var iFrameBottomSize=(size==1)?LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_CLICK_SIZE:LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_HOVER_SIZE; var divSize=(size==1)?LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DIV_CLICK_SIZE:LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_DIV_HOVER_SIZE; /* Refresh the iFrame's url, by removing the size arg and adding it again */ leoHighlightsUpdateUrl(iFrameBottom,size,clickId); /* Clear the hover flag, if the user shows this at full size */ _leoHighlightsPrevElem.hover=size==1?false:true; _leoHighlightsSetSize(iFrameBottom,iFrameBottomSize); _leoHighlightsSetSize(iFrameDiv,divSize); } /** * Class for a Popup * * @param anchorId * @param size * * @return */ function LeoHighlightsPopup(anchorId,size) { try { _leoHighlightsDebugLog("LeoHighlightsPopup() "); this.anchorId=anchorId; this.anchor=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(this.anchorId); this.topIframe=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_ID); this.bottomIframe=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_ID); this.iFrameDiv=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_DIV_ID); this.topIframe.src=unescape(this.anchor.getAttribute('leoHighlights_url_top'));; this.bottomIframe.src=unescape(this.anchor.getAttribute('leoHighlights_url_bottom'));; _leoHighlightsDebugLog("1) LeoHighlightsPopup() ("+this.topIframe.style.top+", "+this.topIframe.style.left+")"); _leoHighlightsDebugLog("2) LeoHighlightsPopup() ("+this.bottomIframe.style.top+", "+this.bottomIframe.style.left+")"); leoHighlightsSetSize(size); this.updatePos=function() { _leoHighlightsUpdatePopupPos(this.iFrameDiv,this.anchor)}; this.show=function() { this.updatePos(); this.iFrameDiv.style.visibility = "visible"; this.iFrameDiv.style.display = "block"; this.updatePos(); _leoHighlightsDebugLog("3) LeoHighlightsPopup() ("+this.topIframe.style.top+", "+this.topIframe.style.left+")"); _leoHighlightsDebugLog("4) LeoHighlightsPopup() ("+this.bottomIframe.style.top+", "+this.bottomIframe.style.left+")"); } this.scroll=function() { this.updatePos();}; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("new LeoHighlightsPopup()",e); } } /** * updates the url for the iFrame * * @param iFrame * @param size * @param clickId * @return */ function leoHighlightsUpdateUrl(iFrame,size,clickId,destUrl) { try { _leoHighlightsDebugLog("leoHighlightsUpdateUrl() "+destUrl); var url=iFrame.src; var idx=url.indexOf("&size;="); if(idx>=0) url=url.substring(0,idx); // size=1; _leoHighlightsDebugLog("leoHighlightsUpdateUrl() size="+size+" "+url); if(size!=null) url+=("&size;="+size); if(clickId!=null) url+=("&clickId;="+clickId); if(destUrl!=null) url+=("&url;="+destUrl); _leoHighlightsDebugLog("leoHighlightsUpdateUrl() "+url); iFrame.src=url; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsUpdateUrl()",e); } } /** * * This can be used to close an iframe * * @param id * @return */ function leoHighlightsSetSize(size,clickId) { try { /* Get the element */ var iFrameTop=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_ID); /* Figure out the correct sizes */ var iFrameTopSize=LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_SIZE; /* Refresh the iFrame's url, by removing the size arg and adding it again */ leoHighlightsUpdateUrl(iFrameTop,size,clickId); _leoHighlightsSetSize(iFrameTop,iFrameTopSize); _leoHighlightsSetBottomSize(size,clickId); /* Clear the hover flag, if the user shows this at full size */ if(size==1&&_leoHighlightsPrevElem) _leoHighlightsPrevElem.hover=false; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsSetSize()",e); } } /** * Start the popup a little bit delayed. * Somehow IE needs some time to find the element by id. * * @param anchorId * @param size * * @return */ function leoHighlightsShowPopup(anchorId,size) { try { var elem=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(anchorId); if(_leoHighlightsPrevElem&&(_leoHighlightsPrevElem!=elem)) _leoHighlightsPrevElem.shown=false; elem.shown=true; _leoHighlightsPrevElem=elem; _leoHighlightsDebugLog("leoHighlightsShowPopup() "+_leoHighlightsPrevElem); /* FF needs to find the element first */ _leoHighlightsFindElementById(anchorId); setTimeout("_leoHighlightsShowPopup(\'"+anchorId+"\',\'"+size+"\');",10); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsShowPopup()",e); } } /** * * This can be used to close an iframe * * @param id * @return */ function leoHighlightsHideElem(id) { try { /* Get the appropriate sizes */ var elem=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(id); if(elem) elem.style.visibility="hidden"; /* Clear the page for the next run through */ var iFrame=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_TOP_ID); if(iFrame) iFrame.src="about:blank"; var iFrame=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_BOTTOM_ID); if(iFrame) iFrame.src="about:blank"; if(_leoHighlightsPrevElem) { _leoHighlightsPrevElem.shown=false; _leoHighlightsPrevElem=null; } } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsHideElem()",e); } } /** * * This can be used to close an iframe. * Since the iFrame is reused the frame only gets hidden * * @return */ function leoHighlightsIFrameClose() { try { _leoHighlightsSimpleGwCallBack("LeoHighlightsHideIFrame"); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsIFrameClose()",e); } } /** * This should handle the click events * * @param anchorId * @return */ function leoHighlightsHandleClick(anchorId) { try { if(_leoHighlightsIsFrame()) return false; var anchor=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(anchorId); anchor.hover=false; if(anchor.startTimer) clearTimeout(anchor.startTimer); /* Report the click event */ leoHighlightsReportEvent("clicked", window.document.domain, _leoHighlightsGetAttrib(anchor,'leohighlights_keywords'),null, _leoHighlightsGetAttrib(anchor,'leohighlights_accept'), _leoHighlightsGetAttrib(anchor,'leohighlights_reject')); leoHighlightsShowPopup(anchorId,1); return false; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsHandleClick()",e); } } /** * This should handle the hover events * * @param anchorId * @return */ function leoHighlightsHandleHover(anchorId) { try { if(_leoHighlightsIsFrame()) return false; var anchor=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(anchorId); anchor.hover=true; /* Report the hover event */ leoHighlightsReportEvent("hovered", window.document.domain, _leoHighlightsGetAttrib(anchor,'leohighlights_keywords'),null, _leoHighlightsGetAttrib(anchor,'leohighlights_accept'), _leoHighlightsGetAttrib(anchor,'leohighlights_reject')); leoHighlightsShowPopup(anchorId,0); return false; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsHandleHover()",e); } } /** * This will handle the mouse over setup timers for the appropriate timers * * @param id * @return */ function leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver(id) { try { if(_leoHighlightsIsFrame()) return; var anchor=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(id); /* Clear the end timer if required */ if(anchor.endTimer) clearTimeout(anchor.endTimer); anchor.endTimer=null; anchor.style.background=LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_BACKGROUND_STYLE_HOVER; /* The element is already showing we are done */ if(anchor.shown) return; /* Setup the start timer if required */ anchor.startTimer=setTimeout(function(){ leoHighlightsHandleHover(anchor.id); anchor.hover=true; }, LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_SHOW_DELAY_MS); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsHandleMouseOver()",e); } } /** * This will handle the mouse over setup timers for the appropriate timers * * @param id * @return */ function leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut(id) { try { var anchor=_leoHighlightsFindElementById(id); /* Clear the start timer if required */ if(anchor.startTimer) clearTimeout(anchor.startTimer); anchor.startTimer=null; anchor.style.background=LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_BACKGROUND_STYLE_DEFAULT; if(!anchor.shown||!anchor.hover) return; /* Setup the start timer if required */ anchor.endTimer=setTimeout(function(){ leoHighlightsHideElem(LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_IFRAME_DIV_ID); anchor.shown=false; _leoHighlightsPrevElem=null; },LEO_HIGHLIGHTS_HIDE_DELAY_MS); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut()",e); } } /** * This handles the mouse movement into the currently opened window. * Just clear the close timer * * @return */ function leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOver() { try { if(_leoHighlightsPrevElem&&_leoHighlightsPrevElem.endTimer) clearTimeout(_leoHighlightsPrevElem.endTimer); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOver()",e); } } /** * This handles the mouse movement into the currently opened window. * Just clear the close timer * * @param id * @return */ function leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOut() { try { if(_leoHighlightsPrevElem) leoHighlightsHandleMouseOut(_leoHighlightsPrevElem.id); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsHandleIFrameMouseOut()",e); } } /** * This is a method is used to make the javascript within IE runnable */ var leoHighlightsRanUpdateDivs=false; function leoHighlightsUpdateDivs() { try { /* Check if this is an IE browser and if divs have been updated already */ if(document.all&&!leoHighlightsRanUpdateDivs&&!_leoHighlightsIsFrame()) { leoHighlightsRanUpdateDivs=true; // Set early to prevent running twice for(var i=0;i0) url=url.substring(0,idx); /* Append the text to the end */ url+="#"+encodeURI(txt); /* Set the iframe with the new url that contains the hash tag */ topIFrame.src=url; } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHighlightsSetExpandTxt()",e); } } /*----------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /* Methods provided to the highlight providers... */ /*----------------------------------------------------------------------*/ /** * This will set the expand text for the Top window */ function leoHL_SetExpandTxt(txt) { try { _leoHighlightsDebugLog("leoHL_SetExpandTxt() "+txt); _leoHighlightsSimpleGwCallBack("LeoHighlightsSetExpandTxt","expandTxt",txt); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHL_SetExpandTxt()",e); } } /** * This will redirect the top window to the passed in url * * @param url * @param parentId * @return */ function leoHL_RedirectTop(url,parentId) { try { try{ var domain=_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg(window.document.URL,"domain") var keywords=_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg(window.document.URL,"keywords") var vendorId=_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg(window.document.URL,"vendorId") leoHighlightsReportEvent("clickthrough", domain,keywords, vendorId); }catch(e){ _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHL_RedirectTop()",e); } _leoHighlightsRedirectTop(url); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHL_RedirectTop()",e); } } /** * This will redirect the top window to the passed in url * * @param url * @param parentId * @return */ function LeoHL_RedirectTop(url,parentId) { leoHL_RedirectTop(url,parentId); } /** * This will redirect the top window to the passed in url * * @param url * @param parentId * @return */ function leoHL_RedirectTopAd(url,parentId) { try { try{ var domain=_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg(window.document.URL,"domain") var keywords=_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg(window.document.URL,"keywords") var vendorId=_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg(window.document.URL,"vendorId") leoHighlightsReportEvent("advertisement.click", domain,keywords, vendorId); }catch(e){ _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHL_RedirectTopAd()",e); } _leoHighlightsRedirectTop(url); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHL_RedirectTopAd()",e); } } /** * This will set the size of the iframe * * @param url * @param parentId * * @return */ function leoHl_setSize(size,url) { try { /* Get the clickId */ var clickId=_leoHighlightsGetUrlArg( url,"clickId") var gwObj = new Gateway(); gwObj.addParam("size",size); if(clickId) gwObj.addParam("clickId",clickId+"_blah"); gwObj.callName("LeoHighlightsSetSize"); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHl_setSize()",e); } } /** * This will toggle the size of the window * * @return */ function leoHl_ToggleSize() { try { var gwObj = new Gateway(); gwObj.callName("LeoHighlightsToggleSize"); } catch(e) { _leoHighlightsReportExeception("leoHl_ToggleSize()",e); } } "); ]]>[removed]

About the Author:
www.creditdebtonline.com is a matchmaker in the debt settlement industry. They have paired up thousands of consumers up with debt settlement companies who are most likely to get consumers the best deal.

http://www.creditdebtonline.com

contact us for free debt advice = 8886916918

One Response

1. buy links on November 27, 2011:
   I love reading new information on just about any topic, as long as the writing is interesting. This article is interesting. I like it. Many of the points mentioned here are valid and I concur.