Lamar University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 37, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 28, 1979 Page: 4 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 23 x 16 in.View a full description of this newspaper.
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UNIVERSITY PRESS February 28,1979.4
Establishing credit
Women experience frustration, discrimination
vacruftness of those refusals was on
v •*'^'
By PATRICE STEADMON
CCRS Assistant Editor
Copy, Collegiate Consumer Reporting Service
Editor’s Note: The Collegiate Consumer
Reporting Service, University of Arizona,
is designed to help college newspapers
report consumer news of importance to
students. If you have information or ideas
concerning a specific consumer issue,
please write the CCRS at 1070 North Camp-
bell Avenue, Tucson, Ariz. 85719.
The credit cards were stacked against
Judith Hart two years ago.
A newly-divorced University of Arizona
(Tuscon) student, she discovered that
credit companies refused to consider her
seven years of handling household ac-
counts in denying her credit.
The couple’s credit was in her ex-
husband’s name only.
Master Charge told her she had ndt been
employed as a graduate teaching assistant
“long enough,” and BankAmericard said
she had "insufficient income.”
Explanations of how long would be long
enough, or how much income would be suf-
ficient were not forthcoming, Hart says.
“As an individual I was being ignored,”
Hart says. Her saving and checking ac-
counts were unblemished, and room and
board cost less than one fourth of a mon-
th’s income. “They probably feel the
reasons they gave were legitimate, but
credit is a personal thing. Their evaluation
of a credit possibility should be just as per-
sonal.
“Instead, I was a non-entity. My ex-
perience at handling credit was ignored. It
was not a fair appraisal because they
didn’t look closely enough at me.”
Hart was turned down for every one of
the seven cards she applied for;
BankAmericard alone denied her three
times. Finally, at the bank where Hart
kept her accounts, the credit officer struck
a deal with her.
“He told me that if I pledged $1,500 to
that bank for a year, I could have a Master
Charge card with a $250 credit extension.
The minimum credit extension for a
Master Charge at that time was $350, but
he said I could re-apply in a year,” Hart
recalls.
Hart says she questioned the legality of
pledging a time deposit as collateral for
revolving credit, but she took what seemed
like the only available course, angered
because she felt a male in her position
would never have needed to go through the
extra procedure.
Jean Noonan, legal counsel for the
Federal Trade Commission in
Washington, D.C., says she knows of no
federal law that forbids the practice. In
fact, she says that pledging a time deposit
“might not be such a bad way to start get-
ting credit. The worst thing that can hap-
pen to a person applying for credit is not
having a previous credit file. Frequently,
women who are married or recently divor-
ced do not.”
After getting her Master Charge, Hart
re-applied and received every credit card
she had been previously denied.
“Smaller companies sometimes give
automatic approval as a quick way of ac-
commodating customers that have
already been checked by major cards like
Master Charge,” Noonan explains.
In addition to getting her credit, the 19-
month experience has helped Hart
professionally. Now an associate lecturer
at California Polytechnic State University
at San Luis Obispo, she teaches a five-
week course on “Women and Credit.”
“I want women to be aware of what may
be the most frustrating experience that
they could ever encounter,” she says.
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act,
passed in October 1975, was of little help to
Hart. The clause enabling a wife, at her
request, to list a joint credit account in
both her and her husband’s names didn’t
become effective until 1977.
Along with expanding a wife’s credit file,
ECOA requires credit companies to send
written reasons with refusals. But the
vagueness of those refusals was one of the
largest sources of frustration to Hart.
Noonan acknowledges this loophole,
which she says the FTC is trying to close.
“ 'Insufficient credit references’—that’s
one of the most common reasons. ‘In-
sufficient’ in what way—Number? Not the
right kind? Not enough credit cards? We
get upset when they get that vague.
“But sometimes we forget that until the
ECOA was passed four years ago, no law
entitled us to know why we were turned
down on a credit application. The ECOA
doesn’t say you have to be given credit,
you know. But you have to be told why you
weren’t.’’
“Screwy factors” are often considered
by credit company scoring systems for
judging credit risks, Noonan claims. Zip
code, age and car model matter more than
occupation in some scoring systems.
Vicki Caron, a resource specialist for the
California State Commission on the Status
of Women, says that credit problems bring
the largest number of phone calls into her
office. “In spite of new credit laws, women
we still having problems,” Caron says.
Judith Hart’s case illustrates what
Caron feels is the major problem in getting
credit: stereotypes that creditors have
about women. Creditors are either
unaware that women are often primary
purchasers and money handlers in family
situations, or they ignore it, she claims.
For single women students trying to
establish credit, Caron advises starting
with a department store charge card, and
nurturing a stable bank account. When
women marry, she strongly urges that the
joint accounts they and their husbands
share list both names, either with her
hyphenated maiden name accompanying
his, or her full married name. “But not
Mrs. John Smith—no one will know that’s
you,” Caron wariis.
The most common complaint Caron
hears is that a woman tried to get credit in
her own name, but the creditor asked for
her husband to co-sign for the credit
liability. "It is legal for a creditor to
require a co-signer,” Caron said, “but it
certainly does not have to be your
husband.”
Buy one pizza,
i get the next smaller size free.
■ — uuj.h this couoon. buv anv diant. large or medium size
sSISSP®
With this coupon, buy any giant, large or r
| pizza at regular menu price and get your second pizza
of the next smaller size with equal number
of ingredients, up to three ingredients, free.
Present this coupon with guest check.
Valid thru: March 7,1979
I
I
I INN-50 ; ■
I inn
Coupon Not Valid For Gourmet Pizzas ^
1180 S. 11th 832-4546
4130 E. Lucas 898-1134
250 Dowlen 866-1488
Pizza inn..
“Wfe’ve got a feeling you’re gonna like us.o
Area students
to be honored
at LU-Orange
Fine and applied arts students from the Orange
area will be honored with a reception at 6 p.m.
Friday on the Lamar-Orange campus.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Arts, and the
Orange Area Chamber of Commerce, the reception
will be highlighted by a performance of the Cardinal
Moods singing group and an exhibition of paintings
by San Francisco artist Allie Bill Skelton.
Skelton, a 1965 LU graduate, will remain in the
area March 5-9 as an artist-in-residence in the
Lamar art department, according to Dr. Robert C.
Rogan, department head.
Clements drops teacher raise proposal
Move ‘could result in chaos’
AUSTIN, Texas (UPI)—
Gov. Bill Clements’
decision to eliminate a
proposed 5.1 percent
teacher pay raise from his
budget recommendations
proves he does not un-
derstand the problems of
education and could result
in chaos in the public
school system, a teacher
representative said Mon-
day.
Virginia Allred Stacey,
president of the Texas
State Teachers
Association, said Clements
conceded in his budget
message that inflation was
nine percent last year and
is expected to be the same
in 1979.
“Yet he eliminated the
minimal 5.1 percent annual
pay increase proposed bv
the Legislative Budget
Board, saying the teachers
already will get lower
raises under existing law,”
she said.
Stacey said the lower pay
raises are experience in-
crements already built into
the teacher salary schedule
and do not compensate for
inflation.
She said TSTA was
seeking a 9.8 percent pay
raise for teachers in fiscal
1980, and an additional 5.2
percent in 1981.
“TSTA intends to fight
with all its strength to see
that teachers, and the
education of students, do
not suffer because of the
governor’s lack of un-
derstanding,” she said.
She said Clements’
proposals to limit local
school districts’ ability to
raise local revenue and
return state funds to the
districts would effectively
put caps on both state and
local revenue sources.
5th Annual
KAPPA SIGMA
BARN DANCE
Village Creek Club
Friday, March 2
7 p.m. - midnight
Beer & Setups sold on premises
$2 per person
Lamar public invited for
a night of fun!!!
Tickets on sale at Setzer Student Center
or at gate.
Maps available
at Kappa Sigma dorm
Plummer Hall “B” Wing
Souvenir T-shirts available
mCall 838-7591 for further information
All You Need
For The Life\bu Lead.
Hot checks cause student flak
While the Collegiate Con-
sumer Reporting Service
recently reported that
some commercial banks
are making it more ex-
pensive for college studen-
ts to write checks, it is the
merchants of Oxford,
Miss., a small town serving
the University of Mississip-
pi, who are complaining
about student checking.
“We get anywhere bet-
ween $300 to $700 back in
bad checks each month,
and three-fourths of these
have been written by
university students,” a
local supermarket
manager told the Daily
Mississippian.
Students also write about
the same percentage of the
30 to 40 bad checks a Ken-
tucky Fried Chicken outlet
gets each month, its
manager said. “We call the
students and tell them and
some really get nasty.
They cuss and then hang up
on us.”
The supermarket
manager added that, “If
we don’t get a response af-
ter all our efforts, we have
to turn the matter over to
the justice of the peace.”
Judge John Holcomb is
that justice of the peace.
“I’ve got approximately
$650 to $700 worth of bad
checks in my office right
now, ranging anywhere
from two-dollar checks on
up, and roughly 60 percent
of these checks were writ-
ten by students at the
university.
This problem has really
gotten out of hand over the
last few years, and right
now, I’ve got a stack of
arrest warrants going to
students,” Holcomb said.
State law provides that
first offenders may be
fined up to $500 and six
months in jail, or both, for
writing bad checks. The
maximum penalties double
for second offenders, and
third offenders are charged
with a felony, punishable
with up to two years in the
state penitentiary.
In addition, students
may, “under certain cir-
cumstances,” be dismissed
from school if the college
judicial council finds them
guilty of writing any num-
ber of the 450 to 1,200 bad
checks the university
receives each month,
University Bursar Bob
Dowdy said.
Several students said
they felt the law dealing
with bad checks was too
harsh and should be amen-
ded to lessen the penalties
for those who have good ex-
cuses for writing the bad
checks.
“I sometimes forget to
balance my checkbook and
I’ve had a couple checks
returned to businesses in
town. I think the merchants
ought to treat us students
with a little more fairness
when they receive a retur-
ned check,” said one
unidentified student.
A second student, who
was fined $25 by Judge
Holcomb for writing a bad
check, said that she doesn’t
think students purposely
write bad checks and that
local banks don’t always
make their procedures for
handling returned checks
clear to new students.
“Many students are used
to their hometown banks
covering their bad checks.
The bank I use in town
doesn’t do this. I didn’t
know this when I deposited
money in a checking ac-
count there,” she said.
Aaron Rose Jewelers
ABC Kiddie Shop
Art Gallery
Athletic Depot
Baker Shoes
Bath Boutique
Bealls
Bolyard’s Uniform Center
Butch Hoffer’s
Casual Corner
Chess King
Craig’s
Cubicle
B. Dalton Booksellers
Dottie B’s for Dryden’s
El Chico Restaurant
The Fair
Farrell’s Ice Cream
Fashion Conspiracy
Flagg Bros.
Flower Mill
Fox-Photo Hallmark
Foxmoor Casuals
Frederick’s of Holly wood
General Cinema
General Nutrition Center
Gold Mine
Gordon’s Jewelers
Gus Mayer
Hanover Shoes
Hickory Farms
Houston Trunk Factory
898-0017
892-1085
892-9233
892-6706
892-9042
898-3892
892-5474
898-1484
892-9311
898-2725
892-9863
898-3131
892-9320
898-2923
898-2424
898-3187
898-3100
898-3352
892-3368
892-9092
892-9290
898-3342
892-9862
898-3186
898-4440
892-9014
898-3191
898-3030
898-2800
898-3009
892-4212
898-0715
J. Harris 898-3208
Jarman Shoes 898-3268
Jeans West 892-9099
Kinderfoto 898-3170
Kings Row Fireplace Shop 898-3872
Kinney’s Shoes 898-3343
Kinsel Ford 838-6611
Knife Shop 898-4749
Lerner Shops 898-3926.
Margo’s LaMode 898-3531
Mark’s T-Shirts 892-9740
McDonald’s 898-3552
Merle Norman 892-9274
Miss Bojangles 892-0815
Motherhood Maternity 892-9858
Music, Music, Music, Inc. 898-2926
Musicland 898-3543
National Shirt Shops 892-3445
Naturalizer 892-2644
Palais Royal 898-2282
Parkdale Bank 898-2171
Parkdale Snack Shop 898-3197
Piccadilly Cafeteria 892-9498
Pick Pocket 892-0702
The Ranch 892-2972
Record Town 892-3989
Russell Stover Candies 898-3626
The Rustic Room 898-0885
S & Q Clothiers 898-1965
San Jacinto Savings
Singer Company
Size 5-7-9
So-Fro Fabrics
Spencer Gifts
Stride Rite Bootery
Texas State Optical
Things Remembered
Thom McAn Shoes
Tinder Box
Toys By Roy
Turquoise Mesa
Walden Books
Walgreen’s
Walgreen’s Grill
Western Junction
Wicks ’n Sticks
Wilson’s Jewelers P Dist
Zale’s Jewelers
898-1421
898-0433
898-3008
898-3124
892-1195
892-1182
892-3677
892-2255
892-9071
898-2750
898-2511
892-7016
898-1673
898-2727
898-2797
892-9961
898-3542
.898-4000
892-0040
Joske’s
Montgomery Ward
JC Penney
9
898-2662
898-2010
898-2552
itlMHi
iTiMoniis
PARKDALE f’m mall
ROTC AWARD—Cadet Capt. Darrell Mullins (right), Baytown senior, receives the
ROTC Professional Officer Corps “Cadet of the Month” plaque from Cadet Maj.
Corey Mallet, Nederland junior. The award is chosen by Corps Commander Willard
“Pistol” Haley and is given to the POC member who has done the most outstanding
job for the corps that month. ph>t0 b* Mlke
A. \^^^liiWtlnMsriiii)iftii9r
Shop Mon. thru Sat. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sun.—Restaurants are open. Dine & Browse
Shop Over 80 Merchants. Acres of Free Parking;
Restful Seating Areas; Direct City Bus Service; Climatized;
Hwys. 69, 96, 287 (Eastex Frwy) Exit Crow Road or Sour Lake 105
>
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Shockley, Tara. Lamar University Press (Beaumont, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 37, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 28, 1979, newspaper, February 28, 1979; Beaumont, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth500184/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lamar University.