credit card

Before Jay Foley inserts his bankcard into an ATM slot, he sticks his finger in first. Then, he wiggles it. "If any portion of it wiggles with my pinky, I walk away because odds are somebody has slapped a skimmer on the front," says Foley, executive director of the San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center. "That applies to any kind of payment slot you might run across, Read more...

With banks getting stingier about credit cards and home equity lines of credit, where should a consumer turn? Some might be tempted to crack open their 401(k) retirement nest eggs to find themselves some extra cash. Mix in easy access to that credit via a debit card and borrowers might think they're looking at credit nirvana. The money is there: 401(k) plan assets exceeded some $3 Read more...

The credit card habits that save you money also happen to keep your rates from rising and your credit limits from falling. Thank the big guy for small favors. The best way to protect against negative changes to your account is to "make sure you don't spend what you don't have, you don't carry a balance, you pay bills on time," says Ethan Ewing, president of Bills.com in San Read more...

More and more teens and college students have credit cards. Like the population at large, some have good deals and some don't. Credit card companies target these groups because they are a fast-growing segment of the population and they have money to spend. So it's no surprise when a high schooler or a college freshman receives piles of offers. If you're a college student, or the Read more...

Ah, the freedom of college, where you can subsist on pizza and skip your biology class without the threat of parental retribution. But being on your own has its downside, too. Suddenly, you're paying some of your own bills. You may be taking on thousands of dollars in student loans. And you have to figure out whether your new Abercrombie jeans will push you over the spending limit on your Read more...

Rewards credit cards can offer some pleasant savings that nonrewards cards can't. How much you'll make back depends on the card you choose and your spending. Before you shop, find out what kind of rewards card makes the most sense for you. Then you can start comparing cards on sites such as Bankrate, LowCards and CardRatings. As you examine different rewards cards, look for the Read more...

A new year gives you the chance to start fresh with goals and plans for the coming 12 months. It's a time to take stock of the past year. This is my eighth year writing a column that suggests steps readers can take to improve their finances in the coming year. Here's hoping you have a safe and prosperous 2008. 1. Define or refine your life goals. What do you want out of life? How are you Read more...

QUESTION: My mother died in a nursing home with just$5,000 to her name. She wanted my brother and I to have that money. Butit turns out that my mother had $7,000 in credit card debt. Does the$5,000 that remains have to be used to pay off that debt? And can thecredit card companies ask my brother and I to pay the $2,000 balancethat would remain?ANSWER: Probate laws can vary greatly fromstate to Read more...

QUESTION: I am in a lot of debt. I make$40,000 a year and have $16,000 in unsecured debt. I am slowly tryingto pay off credit cards and then close them. I tend to find myselfmaking large payments on the credit cards, but then needing to use thembecause I don't have enough cash on hand. I know I need to pay themoff, but using them again because I need them is defeating my purpose.What should I Read more...