Curtis Arnold
Encyclopedia
Curtis Arnold is a nationally recognized consumer educator
and advocate
. Curtis was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon
and was raised in DeValls Bluff, Arkansas. He currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas
with his wife and six children.
. Arnold also co-authored a book on person-to-person lending
entitled The Complete Idiot's Guide to Person to Person Lending (Alpha Books
/Pengiun Group USA, April 2009), part of the The Complete Idiot's Guide to...
series of reference books. Finally, Arnold is a contributor to The Ultimiate Allowance (InnerWealth Publishing, 2008).
Arnold is often interviewed and quoted nationally regarding consumer credit issues and currently serves as the Editor in Chief and primary spokesperson for CardRatings.com.
Arnold graduated from Ouachita Baptist University
in 1992 after being awarded one of Arkansas
Governor Bill Clinton
's Governor Scholarships. He pursued graduate studies in business at the University of Texas at Dallas
.
Arkansas Business, a weekly journal, selected Arnold as a "Top 40 under 40" business leader in 2005 and named him one of 25 people that will shape Arkansas over the coming decades in 2009. According to Arkansas Business, this award recognizes "intriguing business and political leaders who bear watching."
In 2006, Arnold spoke as a panelist at a National Council of La Raza
conference. In 2007 he spoke at the "The 2007 Responsible Credit Roundtable". The latter originally founded in 2002 as the non-profit "Responsible Credit Partnership" with support from The Saint Paul Foundation. The roundtable organization describes their goal as providing a forum for credit card industry and non-profit stakeholders to devise, test and implement ways to improve communication and account practices to build value for both companies and customers. Arnold has a particular passion for educating students about credit. He speaks often on college campuses about credit issues.
Consumer education
Consumer education is the preparation of an individual through skills, concepts and understanding that are required for everyday living to achieve maximum satisfaction and utilization of his resources....
and advocate
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
. Curtis was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
and was raised in DeValls Bluff, Arkansas. He currently resides in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
with his wife and six children.
Biography
In 1998 Arnold founded the consumer financial site CardRatings.com and, in so doing, pioneered the concept of rating credit cards. CardRatings.com was acquired in 2008 by Quinstreet, Inc. (QNST), a Silicon Valley based Internet marketing firm. In 2008, Arnold published How You Can Profit from Credit Cards: Using Credit to Improve Your Financial Life and Bottom Line with FT PressFT Press
FT Press , the book publishing imprint related to the Financial Times newspaper, creates books in the areas of General Business, Finance and Investing, Sales and Marketing, Leadership, Management and Strategy, Human Resources, and Global Business. FT Press is the publishing partner for Wharton...
. Arnold also co-authored a book on person-to-person lending
Person-to-person lending
Person-to-person lending is a certain breed of financial transaction which occurs directly between individuals or "peers" without the intermediation of...
entitled The Complete Idiot's Guide to Person to Person Lending (Alpha Books
Alpha Books
Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group, is an American publisher best known for their Complete Idiot's Guides series. It began as a division of Macmillan. Pearson Education acquired Macmillan General Reference from Simon & Schuster in 1999...
/Pengiun Group USA, April 2009), part of the The Complete Idiot's Guide to...
The Complete Idiot's Guide to...
The Complete Idiot's Guides is an Alpha Books product line of how-to and other reference books that each seek to provide a basic understanding of a complex and popular topic. The term "idiot" is used as hyperbole in claiming ensured comprehension. The approach relies on explaining a topic via very...
series of reference books. Finally, Arnold is a contributor to The Ultimiate Allowance (InnerWealth Publishing, 2008).
Arnold is often interviewed and quoted nationally regarding consumer credit issues and currently serves as the Editor in Chief and primary spokesperson for CardRatings.com.
Arnold graduated from Ouachita Baptist University
Ouachita Baptist University
Ouachita Baptist University is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, which is about 65 miles southwest of Little Rock. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas...
in 1992 after being awarded one of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Governor Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's Governor Scholarships. He pursued graduate studies in business at the University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...
.
Arkansas Business, a weekly journal, selected Arnold as a "Top 40 under 40" business leader in 2005 and named him one of 25 people that will shape Arkansas over the coming decades in 2009. According to Arkansas Business, this award recognizes "intriguing business and political leaders who bear watching."
In 2006, Arnold spoke as a panelist at a National Council of La Raza
National Council of La Raza
The National Council of La Raza is a non-profit and non-partisan advocacy group in the United States, focused on improving opportunities for Hispanics. It is sometimes confused with La Raza Unida...
conference. In 2007 he spoke at the "The 2007 Responsible Credit Roundtable". The latter originally founded in 2002 as the non-profit "Responsible Credit Partnership" with support from The Saint Paul Foundation. The roundtable organization describes their goal as providing a forum for credit card industry and non-profit stakeholders to devise, test and implement ways to improve communication and account practices to build value for both companies and customers. Arnold has a particular passion for educating students about credit. He speaks often on college campuses about credit issues.
Service
Arnold contributes to a number of projects and organizations, including:- Executive Director and Founder of the Bill and Sharon Arnold Family Foundation
- Board of Trustees for Ouachita Baptist UniversityOuachita Baptist UniversityOuachita Baptist University is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, which is about 65 miles southwest of Little Rock. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas...
. - Executive Director of New Creation Dance Company
- Co-chair of the Arkansas chapter of the Jump$tart Coalition for Financial LiteracyFinancial literacyFinancial literacy is the ability to understand finance. More specifically, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions through their understanding of finances...
since 2002, which seeks to educate students about personal finance issues - Former advisory board member for "The Center for Consumer Financial Services" at Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester Institute of TechnologyThe Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
, which provides research related to student credit issues - Board member of the Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation
- Board member of Arkansas Baptist School System
- Board member of Dr. Robert Manning's "Debtor Wise Foundation"
- Program Committee member for "The HistoryMakers"- National PBS show
- Board member of ECB Capital LLC
- Board member of Compass (AR, TX, LA, MS, TN)- Personal Finance Ministry
- Serves on Strategic Planning Committee of the Little Rock ZooLittle Rock ZooThe Little Rock Zoo was founded in 1926 and is located in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States.It is presently home to more than 725 animals representing over 200 species, and covers an area of...
- Former board member of the Arkansas Festival BalletBalletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
Membership
Arnold is or has been a member of the following organizations:- "Arkansans Against Abusive Payday Lending", a coalition of Arkansans with the stated goal of combating abusive payday lending practices
- Gravity Ventures Arkansas, a member-managed angel capital fund
- Grand Prairie Civil War Roundtable
- "Society of American Business Editors and Writers, Inc. (SABEW)", a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote business journalism through education
- Toastmasters InternationalToastmasters InternationalToastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills...
where Arnold obtained Competent Toastmaster Status - Little Rock Media Fellowship