It’s understandable that students want access to cards for convenience when they’re attending school. But which options should they choose? Debit cards tied to a bank account or student credit cards? Each has its own benefits, and each has drawbacks.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of both options, so you or the student in your life can decide which are most important. read more..

It’s one thing to deal with a mountain of credit card debt. But what happens when your debt comes from a variety of sources? Which debts are most important? Which ones should you try to pay off first? Your credit cards or your car loan, for example?

While there are no hard and fast rules that apply to everyone, here are some things to think about. read more..

It’s not uncommon to switch credit card issuers when you decide to trade your old card for a new offer. But there are also times when you might want to “trade up” a current credit card to a better credit card offer with the same issuer — such as going from a standard account to a gold card account.

If you do that, can you transfer your balance from the old card to the new one, or do you have to simply pay off the old card’s balance before you can close that account? read more..

Rewards credit cards are often appealing options for consumers, and that’s no surprise. You have a chance to earn rewards points and redeem them for anything from cash back to frequent flyer points. You get something back for spending the money you would spend anyway. But that doesn’t mean rewards cards are always a good idea.

Rewards credit cards also frequently come with a higher cost — sometimes higher interest, sometimes a higher general annual fee, or sometimes a rewards programme annual fee on top of the card’s own annual fee. In many cases you can more than make up for those costs by earning and redeeming rewards points (and being careful not to carry a balance that accumulates interest). In other cases a rewards card just won’t make sense for you. read more..

There’s a lot of talk on the Web lately about how mobile phones may replace traditional credit cards. This involves NFC (near-field communication) technology where a microchip is embedded into your phone. Then you would just wave your phone near a wireless receiver when you visit a retailer and your account information is pulled into the retailer’s system.

On one hand NFC sounds like it offers convenience. But is there another side to consider? Before you make the switch, consider some the potential benefits and concerns. read more..