The offer can come innocently enough when you’re at the checkout counter at a department store: “Would you like to apply for our store credit card today? You get an automatic 20 percent discount off today’s purchase.” Immediately, your answer should be “No.” Without time to go over the written … [Read more...]

Credit card rewards can be a free way to travel and get cash back for your daily expenses. But if you’re not paying your credit card bill in full when it arrives, then you’re paying interest and those free rewards are no longer free. That’s not a surprising fact, but it’s a top one to keep in mind … [Read more...]

A common phone call that new credit cardholders get from their bank is an offer for credit card add-on products, such as protection against fraud and identity theft. Payment protection is another service offered regularly, providing a monthly payment to the cardholder’s account if they lose their … [Read more...]

Building good credit takes time, and it can be a few years before college students or graduates can have a top credit score so they can get a credit card or loans at low interest rates. A student credit card can help as a college student’s first credit card, though it does come with some … [Read more...]

The fine print at the end of a credit card offer letter can tell a consumer a lot more about how good—or bad—the offer is than the main area of the marketing letter, where flashy photos and less text are more likely to catch the eye. But the small-font text in the last pages of a credit card offer … [Read more...]

  If you’ve got a problem with credit card debt, there might be a simple solution that’s already sitting in your wallet or purse — a $20 bill. Having cash in your pocket may seem counterintuitive. If you’ve heard the phrase “burning a hole in my pocket,” then you know how enticing it can … [Read more...]