While we're on the topic of credit cards, this story was submitted to me by one of my biggest fans.

If you ride in elevators every day, like I do for my day job in a big corporate headquarters, then you're familiar with the emergency telephone. The device is used in emergencies to call for help and presumably, rescuers might also use the phone to let those stuck that help is on the way.

Nathan Dungan, a "Family Finance Expert," happened to be in a condominium elevator a few days ago when the phone rang. After it wouldn't stop ringing, he picked up the handset out of curiosity. On the other end of the phone was a credit card telemarketer, soliciting a credit card.

Nathan wonders if the industry has become so desparate that there is a need to cold-call elevators to search for new customers, ready and willing to buy things they cannot afford and pay huge sums of money in credit card fees and interest.

You can opt out of solicitations like these, but there are no guarantees that opting out has any effect.

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