For some people, a credit card reserved for emergencies means whipping out a credit card when there is a big sale on a ‘must have’ hot. A 911 situation is an emergency that requires immediate cash or credit. For example, during the week before Hurricane Katrina that practically illuminated New Orleans, there were people who needed to make immediate living arrangements with the understanding that there was a possibility of them not being able to return to their homes. Those who were fortunate enough to have family members and friends from other states to live with were blessed. Many people had emergency back up such as a second home, a summer home or they had money stashed away for a rainy day. Those who had maxed out credit cards and no where to go, were in a crisis.
A 911 credit card is not a new credit card. A 911 credit card could be any major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and etc. This is a credit card that is used once in a while and has an available balance. When a situation arises, the person has available credit so that they have enough to cover a plane, train or a bus ticket in order to travel. The person has enough money to put themselves and their family in a hotel or efficiency until they are able to return back to their homes safely.
An emergency situation could also include a student in college who has a tuition bill that is due. A credit card with an available balance comes in handy.
Another example would be a person driving in the midst of a major winter snow storm struggling to make it home due to the closing of a main highway. The person is miles away from home and has absolutely no where to go and no one to help them. The only thing that they can do is stay in a hotel for a couple of days until the storm is over. An emergency credit card comes in very handy. A person who has maxed out their credit card is stranded unless they have cash in their pockets.
A person who doesn’t have enough available credit could call their 24 hr bank to ask for an extended line of credit. The only problem with this emergency solution is that the person may have to wait between 1-24 hours to get a response. Some credit card companies, however, will issue a line of credit upon approval within 5-15 minutes. If the person is approved, they are very fortunate.
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