"Every Breath You Take, Every Move You Make..."

Mother Jones posted a link to a piece from the Concord Monitor today and it's a harsh reminder that when it comes to credit card companies, you really aren't paranoid; they are watching you...

Here's a word to the wise: Think twice before whipping out that credit card to pay for purchases at the Salvation Army or a discount store, have tires re-treaded or even buy a late-night round of drinks. Credit card companies see those purchases, and a slew of others, as a sign of real or impending financial trouble and they'll quickly cut the credit limit, raise the interest rate or even cancel the card with no warning. Once that happens the credit score that determines who is worthy of a loan and at what rate usually plummets...

Here are a few other activities that experts say could trigger a hard look from credit card issuers.

• Using a card to bail out that no-good brother-in-law, to get a massage or to employ the services of an escort.

• Charging items at auto parts or grocery stores. Both are seen as a sign of financial distress.

• Charging items at pawn shops, drug stores and shoe repair shops. All can be a warning of someone down at the heels.

• Paying for court costs, child support or alimony with a credit card.

• Charging medical care and child care.

• Charging beer, wine or liquor.

As the Monitor points out:

In May, President Obama signed a bill that will limit some of the worst practices of credit card companies that have been raising rates with little reason and without notice and charging obscene late fees. The bill also requires that banking regulators study the practice of using information about where a person shops to assessing credit worthiness. That means credit card companies, which are already raising rates and cutting credit limits before the new law goes into effect in January, are likely to continue keep track of where and how their customers spend money until at least 2011.

Credit card companies purchase their customer's spending record from reporting companies like Equifax, which gather it by using sophisticated computer programs to "data mine" spending by individuals. The practice allows companies to develop a disturbingly complete picture of people based on not just their buying habits but also specific purchases.

So while you might feel perfectly comfortable walking around the house naked, remember that your bare ass isn't the only thing people may want to peek at.