The warnings about prepaid cards are well-publicized — they often come with high (sometimes hidden) fees, and the cards lack uniform federal protections. But September 2012 research by the Pew Charitable Trusts finds that , for some consumers, the cards are a better deal than having a checking account. Here’s why: The spenders who are [...]

As election season kicks into high gear, scammers will be among those counting on your support. Don’t be fooled: Despite the pitches you may have been getting, President Obama will not be paying any or your electric bill, and you won’t win a trip to the tropics for participating in an election survey. The Better [...]

On Sept. 30, the biggest private agencies that collect information on how you manage credit will have to answer to a federal watchdog. Credit reporting agencies are private companies that keep files and issue reports on your current and past records on dealing with loans, payments and bankruptcies. Those reports can be used in deciding [...]

So you got a shiny new debit card or credit card in the mail — maybe your first ever. Time to take a picture and show it off to your friends online, right? No! That’s the message from a Twitter account set up to point out the dangers (and stupidity) of posting card information or [...]

Consumers can give themselves a pat on the back for learning to manage their credit card payments, according to a new report from the American Bankers Association. ABA’s Consumer Delinquency Bulletin for the first quarter of 2012 shows that the number of delinquent bank card accounts — those with payments at least 30 days overdue [...]