Tyler Wood and business partner Jim McBride decided to hit their company's image and direction "upside the head" in February 2005. J&J General Contracting, the remodeling business they'd started nearly six months earlier with credit cards, looked like every other remodeling business in the phone book.

Prepaid debit cards began to take off in the 1990s as credit card company's realized that a significant portion of the U.S. population was not able to qualify for many of their credit cards. Even among those who did qualify a certain portion often defaulted on their outstanding balances and declared bankruptcy, which drove up losses. An early attempt to address this market need was in the form of a secured credit card, which involved having a credit line that was "collateralized" by an equal sum of money deposited with the credit card bank. During the first few years the secured card's credit line was set at 100 percent of the savings on deposit. Once a satisfactory payment history was established by the customer the bank would begin extending gradual amounts of credit beyond the savings total - sometimes up to 200 percent of the deposit. This way the bank was able to create a stable credit card customer who might not qualify otherwise and still limit their ultimate losses should the customer default.

Po Bronson, 43, has struggled to find meaning in work. He founded The Grotto, a collective workspace community for writers, filmmakers and other narrative artists in San Francisco, and fictionalized his sojourn as a bond salesman at an investment bank in his 1995 novel, "Bombardiers," a No. 1 best-seller in the U.K. In his best-selling nonfiction book, "What Should I Do With My Life?" he chronicled the aspirations of others. In his 2005 book, "Why Do I Love These People?" Bronson explored the mysterious bonds of familial love. Bronson's next book, due out in 2009, will explore the science of praise and other aspects of parenting. "Modern parents soak up ideas that we get very attached to, but are not supported by what the research scientists find is valid," says Bronson, father of two. He and his co-writer want to "correct the zeitgeist" of parenting.

Entrepreneur Seth Sternberg, 28, along Elaine Wherry and Sandy Jen, created a new product that allows users to send instant messages via the Web without a software download and had it ready to launch in 2005. But rather than seek venture capital (VC) money, Sternberg and company consciously decided to put the upfront costs on a few credit cards.

There are quite a few terms you may not be familiar with when it comes to credit cards and credit card applications. We have put together a glossary to help you better understand commonly used words, phrases, and acronyms in the credit card industry.

Following your dreams may be life-affirming, but it can also be murder on your wallet-unless you have a sound financial plan. Nick Iovacchini, now 28, had given this a lot of thought when he (along with friend and business partner Frank Cerullo) launched GameWear (http://www.wearthegame.com/) in 2003. An interesting twist sets the Hoboken, N.J.-based company apart from typical sports-apparel makers: All the items-mostly jewelry and accessories like key chains and wristbands-are made from the actual balls that are used in the respective sports. Iovacchini believes that using the exact same material that goes into, say, baseballs or footballs, makes the product feel more real and makes fans feel much closer to it.

Isn't it great having a credit card? It gives you so many advantages. You can purchase items online, make hotel and car reservations, and so many other convenient things. Despite these advantages, credit cards can create a lot of problems for some people. The way you use a credit card should be taken seriously. The following are a few tips and suggestions about credit cards that can help take some of the disadvantage out of the credit card experience:

If you are trying to choose between credit cards, take these factors into consideration before filling out an application: Interest rate Reward programs Annual fees

There are many advantages to having a credit card such as being able to purchase items online and make hotel and car reservations. The way you handle your purchases should be taken seriously. Following are a few tips and suggestions about credit cards.

everyone has a credit card. From teenagers to corporate professionals to retirees, everyone is enjoying the ease and benefit of carrying credit cards. However, before applying for a credit card, there are several factors to consider when deciding what credit card is best for you.