How would you feel about paying an extra $4 to the store every time you use your credit card to buy $100 worth of groceries, clothes or other merchandise? Retailers are now allowed to charge customers so-called “checkout fees” of up to 4 percent on Visa and MasterCard credit card transactions, thanks to a recent [...]

This weekend, a friend looked at me like I was crazy when she saw my to-do list taped on the wall near my desk. “Pay electric bill?” she asked incredulously, reading off the first item. “How do you seriously not have auto-pay set up for that? Are you my mom? Do you write out a [...]

When our dog, Maddie, got sick more than three years ago, it really put a strain on us — both emotionally and financially. But we did learn several important lessons about vet bills and finances. Maddie (pictured below) was a sweet, fluffy black Spaniel mix I adopted from an animal shelter in Texas when I [...]

Last week, I blogged about some of my latest credit card goals and plans for raising my credit score. The first item on my agenda was the task I thought would be easiest — getting a credit limit increase on my existing card. I have a single, no-frills, no-rewards credit card that’s 11 years old [...]

It’s easy to get so used to paying with plastic that you never carry cash. I always have my cards with me, but often lack paper currency. And lately I’ve been in many situations where it would be so nice to have a little wad of bills handy. I can just hear my mom saying [...]

Are you feeling extra credit-hungry? You’re not the only one. According to FICO’s quarterly survey of bankers, banks are expecting a rush in consumer requests for more credit in the first half of 2013. Sixty-one percent of the bankers FICO surveyed are expecting a swell in applications for new credit cards, as well as requests [...]

When it comes to plastic, do looks matter? I would have said no, until our bank started offering the option to have a personal photo put on your debit card for free. I never got around to using the service, though it would have been nice to see a photo from my last beach vacation [...]

When you’re ringing in the New Year with a glass of bubbly in hand, just about anything seems possible. But then comes the light of day and the hard part: taking action to make your New Year’s resolutions happen. It’s not surprising that most people slip back into their old habits right away. I’ve made [...]

You’ve probably already heard the sad story: Online marketplaces and comparison-shopping apps are pushing small stores out of business. In fact, according to the expert predictions in this CNBC article, consumers’ passion for bargains will soon push traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to the brink of extinction. The idea of shuttered mom-and-pop stores is the fuel behind [...]