Have you ever wondered what you could do with all of your unused gift cards? While spending them is the easiest approach, there are two other ways growing in popularity. Those ways are to either exchange your plastic for another that has a higher likelihood of getting used or simply sell it for cash.

When it comes to trading or getting cash for your gift card the idea is really nothing new. While in the past, there may have only been a couple of places that consumers could go and look to find a good deal, today there are literally thousands of websites that are available. As the numbers of sites continue to increase, cardholders are finding that there are great deals as a result of the growing competition in the gift card market. Now consumers can find many websites that are looking to pay top dollar (60 – 90%) for unused gift cards depending on a number of factors. In many cases those factors include the available balance amount, brand name that the gift card is associated with, and the time of the year (seasonal products).

While it may seem that the gift card selling or trading market would not needed, when looking at the numbers of gift cards that go unused one can see why this market is continuing to draw interest. Reports show that on average around $73 billion is spent using gift cards each year with an estimated $6.8 billion going unused. The amount that goes unused for a prolonged period of time in many cases are either reverted back to the retailer (where it is counted as revenue) or is collected by the state where the gift card was issued.

As millions of Americans have changed their mind on credit cards during the last couple of months, thousand of cardholders have started to move beyond plastic. For this reason, what once seemed like a great idea to carry multiple cards has now turned into only needing 1 or 2 (or sometimes none) depending on your financial situation. Since this has happened, one question that could be on majority of cardholders minds is what to do with the cards that are no longer needed. While closing an account seems like the easiest and most logical thing to do, there is a strategy that many cardholders must follow in order to keep from lowering their credit score because of potential changes to the credit utilization ratio and credit history.

When looking for ways to close a credit card account with little effect on your credit score, and article entitled, "When Does It Make Sense to Cancel a Credit Card Account?"gives readers a great overview on how to do exactly just that. Within this article you will find that doing the following could make all the difference in the world.

• Paying down your current debt first
• Keeping all balances as low as possible
• Closing newer accounts before longer standing ones
   

While all of these things are probably things that you have heard in the past, they are important now more than ever as the credit cards and their interest rates that you were once use to, are long gone. Even as you may have the urge just to opt out of your any new terms or call your issuer and cancel your account, often time it may be better for you to have a plan. Taking the time to come up with ways to perform the what is listed in the article can not only save you money, it can allow you to still get great rates on other loans that you have to have in the future.

As things start to warm up all over the United States, millions of people have started to get ready for the busy travel season that lies ahead. While in many cases the travel is fun and relaxing, in others it will be quite different. As credit card theft has risen every year, this year will most likely be the same. For those that don’t check their credit card statement closely, traveling can be more of a headache once you get back home and find that unauthorized purchases have been made with your account.

According to an article entitled "Staying in a Hotel? Watch your Credit Cards", it looks like credit card thieves are eagerly targeting hotels for hopes of paying for goods at your expense. While you may think that thieves are looking for hotel patrons to simply leave a door unlocked or put a purse or wallet down; the thefts occur in a much different way. This way is not as personal and includes hacking into the hotel’s computer network. When it comes to why hotels are becoming more prone to card theft, in most cases it is because many are often poorly protected against these types of dangers.  Once a thief gets into the hotels network they can then go and collect credit card information that is stored along with any other personal information that is needed to make purchases.

So what can you do to protect yourself from thieves focusing on hotels? Unfortunately there is not much, but there is plenty you can do to make sure you have not become a victim. One of the most important things that cardholders can do is simply keep an eye on your statement shortly after traveling. While this is good to do on any occasion, it is especially a good thing to do following any traveling that may have been done.

When it comes to giving to those that are less fortunate, what is the first thing that comes to mind? In many cases it is simply giving some monetary amount to a favorite charity or organization hoping that the donation will help those in need. While in the past this method was one of the most popular choices, things are constantly changing and companies like American Express have decided to do more. Now programs like the “Member Project” are leading the way, and simply giving money to charities in much more involved.

For American Express there are many ways to help give to those in need; and believe it or not, it is not all about using your credit card to make purchases. One of those ways, which was recently announced, is by simply performing volunteer work. By volunteering at participating organizations cardholders earn up to 500 reward points for every hour, up to a total of 10,000 points. If you are not a rewards cardholder there is no need to fret, as you can still donate the points you would earn to charities instead, by going through their giving interface located at AmericanExpress.com/give.

Another great way to give to those in need is by simply giving a few minutes of your time to vote at TakePart.com/MembersProject. Here cardholders are able to vote once a week for their favorite charity or the charity that they believe needs financial support. Every quarter, five charities are chosen and each receives $200,000. While you may not find the specific charity you are looking for, you will definitely find one that well deserving of the contribution and will put it to good use.

As the newest laws set by the Federal Reserve concerning overdraft fees are scheduled to take effect July 1, 2010, many researches and experts have been waiting to see how banks would react. While in the past, banks have decided to make drastic changes to help make up for what could be a potential revenue loss (good example being credit cards), nothing major has been reported as of yet. Instead the biggest news so far has been by Bank of America, which stated they have decided to do a little something extra to help ensure that consumers don’t spend more than what is in their account.

Under the regulations set to take place in the next couple of months, banks will not be allowed to charge overdraft fees unless the customer first gives permission by opting in to the service. In Bank of America’s case instead of just stopping overdraft fees until consumer have decided to opt in; they have decided to not allow any debit card purchases to go through if there is not enough money in the user’s account. While this is directed solely toward card purchases, cardholders will have to opt in to pay a fee at the ATM for withdrawing more than their avaliable balance for ATM transactions. As for when the change in bank members’ terms will go into effect; for new accounts the date is June 19, while existing accounts have to wait until early August.

When going to and beyond what is required by law, Bank of America has been one of the few financial institutions that make public announcements on exceeding what is going to be necessary. When looking back, they also were the first one to let it be known that they were no longer going to raise interest rates on their credit cards. They also made public statements on the restructuring of their credit card statements that were simplified to give cardholders a better understanding of what was owed.

With all the changes that have happened within the last year, many Americans don’t know where to turn when it deals with their personal finances. When it comes to getting informed about your financial situation, often time it is very confusing as information you receive may not correlate with your situation or be correct at all. Instead you receive generic information that often times leave you with more questions than answers.

When looking for information designed specifically for the user, a site by the name of Quizzle.com, is giving cardholders a breath of fresh air and free tools that can help them make good financial decisions when the time arises. While there are many things that set Quizzle.com apart from other financial informative sites, one that consumers will be pleasantly surprised to know is that they can get all the information they need about their financial life all in one spot. In addition to that, consumers will find that there is no need to give personal information like social security numbers or credit card numbers in order to utilize the functions on the site. While you may think that they will ask for this information later after signing up, unlike other sites they won’t come back later asking for it in order for you access to additional features.

When it comes to cardholders, information and tools such as free credit reports and scores are now more important than ever. As credit card issuers have now placed stricter guidelines on to whom they issue cards, cardholder’s credit scores have become one of the main factors on whether or not you receive a card. In addition to that, your score also determines the interest rate, whether it is new purchases or balance transfer, that is associated with the new plastic that you receive.

While Quizzle.com does offer you free credit reports and scores, they offer consumers much more and the information can help you beyond getting the best interest rate possible on a credit card. Users of the site also have access to tools, which include a home value estimator, personal budgeting and home loan recommendations; and that is only just the beginning. For consumers that have decided to leave their plastic at home and pay with cash there is also great information on paying off debt and how to improve your credit score.

When it comes to the way that millions of consumers are paying for goods and services, there has been a major shift in the world of plastic. While at one time consumers on average carried around four credit cards, in today’s economic environment many are carrying just one. Instead people are opting to use cash and other forms of alternative payment methods such as prepaid cards, which are growing in usage month after month.

As for the potential that prepaid cards have, there is no better indication than numbers reported by one prepaid issuer for the month of February. It was reported that NetSpend, one of the largest prepaid card companies within the United States, hit a record number for the amount that cardholders deposit on prepaid plastic. That record breaking amount was around $1.04 billion, and surprisingly that number could just be the beginning of what prepaid card issuers could see moving forward into 2010.

When it comes to the amount of money loaded on re-loadable prepaid cards in one given month, the billion dollar number is an industry first; but it seems that many have expected it for some time. While prepaid cards have been around for some time now, it was not until very recently that consumers started to heavily depend on them more than their credit cards or cash. What started out as being heavily targeted toward the un-banked and underbanked has spread to the average consumer (including students). With prepaid debit cards, cardholders still get the convenience of using plastic to make purchases, without the interest rates associated with credit cards.

Since the beginning of the downturn in the economy it seems that business owners have been hit just as hard if not harder than consumers. For many they have not only seen their main form of payment disappear (collapse of Advanta), but they also have had a hard time trying to find a replacement. Just like consumers, they have had their interest rates raised and credit limits lowered without any time to prepare for ways to make up lost revenue.

However, when looking at the main difference of what businesses have to look toward moving forward, one would have to know that the recent regulations put on credit card issuers with the implementation of the CARD Act does not protect businesses. Instead businesses are left to the constant changes that plagued consumers throughout 2009 and in the beginning of 2010.

When it comes to the importance of credit cards for businesses, it would be very hard to find many that don’t use credit cards as a vital part of everyday business. While there may be a few, credit cards have become a fundamental part mainly because they are used to fund everyday cost, bridge gaps in cash flow, and in many cases they are used to help pay employees. When drastic changes occur to the terms of these cards it could very well essentially play a major part in whether the company succeeds or fails, especially for many of the smaller businesses. For larger companies, while the change in rates or limits may not effect it as much as small business it still creates a potential problem that can become one that is hard to overcome.

When it comes to your privacy, what companies do you believe rank the highest at protecting your personal information and data? While the answer will probably be different for many, there is one company that has been a consumer’s favorite for the past five years. That company is American Express and being the most trusted company in the United States is just one of the many distinctions that they have garnered.

In a post written earlier entitled "American Express Claims Happiest Cardholders", American Express was listed on a J.D. Power and Associates survey as the issuer with the happiest cardholders. While that was well before the drastic changes millions have seen with their card accounts, it now seems that consumers are ranking them among the best when it comes to another group of companies, and this time it is for privacy according to the Ponemon Institute’s annual Most Trusted Companies for Privacy Study. While the happiest cardholders’ list comprised solely of the U.S. largest issuers, this time well known companies such as IBM, Wal-mart, Hewlett Packard, and E-Bay were in the running.

Over the last two years we have hit record numbers of consumers’ personal information or data being breach or collected, and 2010 will probably be up there as new technology and payment methods are being created. For this reason identity theft and credit card fraud is defiantly something that majority if not all Americans are worried about. For any company, a person’s trust on whether or not they think that their information is safe plays a vital role. As many cardholders see American Express as a safe company to do business with, it will help them increase cardholders especially if factors such as interest rates and fees are equal.

When it comes to using your credit card there is no doubt that it is more expensive now than any other time in the past. For majority of cardholders the bulk of the increased cost is from extremely high interest rates, for others it is costing even more as new fees are constantly being added or current fees are being raised. While at the moment only interest rates are being regulated (thanks to the CARD Act); if a newly introduced proposal is accepted, some of the current fees that consumers are paying may be capped or removed altogether.

When looking at the new proposed rules, if accepted it would go into effect on the last phase of the CARD Act, which takes effect in August. Under this proposal, credit card issuers would have their fees for such things as over-limit fees and late fees be set at an amount that is more realistic to the consumer. At most, the fee would not be any higher than the value of the violation, meaning it could not be any higher than the amount that was paid late or charged over.

Other concern that would be addressed by this proposal would be the charging of an "inactivity fee", which has been a hot topic for many weeks now. While there are not many major issuers currently utilizing the fee, it has been one that experts and media alike have put under the microscope as the next major feature issuers would adopt.