If you’re dealing with credit card debt, maybe you’ve thought about debt consolidation as an option to help you manage your accounts. While debt consolidation can sound good on the surface, there are real potential problems if you go that route.

Let’s explore what debt consolidation is and why you might want to look into other options to help you get out of credit card debt: read more..

Many Australians are taking advantage of the strong dollar to enjoy European vacations. But when booking for short flights about the continent, beware of hidden airline fees.

A study of peak holiday travel fares through February 2010, conducted by a U.K. consumer group, found that services once considered normal by travellers now cost extra, including payment by credit card and checking luggage for the flight, even only a single bag. In some instances, just those two services can raise the cost of a ticket by as much as a third. read more..

Australians still aren’t rushing back to their plastic cards in droves, according to a report released today by the Reserve Bank of Australia. The total value of all credit card transactions fell by 0.3%, from $19.246 billion in September to $19.189 in October. Australians concentrated on reducing debt before rates rose, with total repayments increasing 0.2% to $19.647 billion. The figures include cash advances. read more..

You and your partner are thinking about merging your finances and using the same credit card account. Should you? There are definitely benefits to having your partner as an additional cardholder on your credit card account, but there are some risks and downsides as well. Here’s a brief look at the good and bad, to help you determine whether or not you want to add an additional cardholder to your credit card, or be listed as an additional user on someone else’s account. read more..

Speaking yesterday in Sydney, deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Ric Battellino, said that interest rates have now returned to a level that can be considered normal, as opposed to the emergency levels the central bank instituted during the financial crisis.

The speech rather knocked askew the expectations of investors, who had been wondering if the RBA would raise interest rates a fourth time in early 2010. The Australian dollar sank against the U.S. and Canadian dollars and the Japanese yen following Mr. Battellino’s speech with that change in expectations. Also affecting the exchange rate was the release of Australia’s third quarter gross domestic product, which showed the economy grew by only 0.2% in the quarter and 0.5% in the year, about half of what analysts had predicted. read more..