We know … just about everyone loves gift cards. Most people have them on their wish lists, and most of us plan to give them this holiday season. And yet, not everyone’s a fan. Consumer advocate and author Clark Howard hates them so much he designed a gift certificate to give with the cash to… Read More

The recent hack attack that compromised nearly 2 million Internet passwords worldwide highlights consumer vulnerability online—and the need for users to get more sophisticated when it comes to security. Hackers stole nearly 2 million website log-in credentials from Facebook, Gmail, Twitter and other sites, according to the cybersecurity firm Trustwave. One reason for the widespread… Read More

Every year, charitable giving spikes toward the end of December as Americans celebrate the holidays and take advantage of their last opportunity to make a tax-deductible donation in the calendar year. Credit cards are typically part of this effort in one of two ways: Cardholders may use credit cards as a secure and convenient method… Read More

I recently read a disturbing article in a financial-industry publication. In it, the writer attempts to explain why so few student loans have been refinanced at a time when mortgage borrowers have had little trouble accomplishing the same. This has been the case despite education loan delinquency and default rates that are not only compromising… Read More

A Kentucky woman paid for her home in 2007 — $125,000 in cash — but she’s paying rent for that place now. After six years of failing to pay her $48 annual homeowner’s association fees and subsequent late fees, her house was foreclosed upon, according to a report from the Lexington Herald-Leader. Ingrid Boak, 75, said… Read More

While many more millennials use Facebook than Twitter, Twitter’s young user base has continued to grow, while Facebook’s market share declined a bit this year. According to a poll from the Harvard University Institute of Politics, 79% of millennials — that’s 18- to 29-year-olds — were on Facebook as of November, down from 83% in… Read More

Online shopping growth continues to defy gravity, with an estimated $1.7 billion spent on Cyber Monday last week — an 18% jump from 2012. And why not? Digital shoppers beat the crowds, never fight for parking, usually get the best prices, and often escape sales tax. But if you’re going to be online shopping this… Read More

The average student debt load is now nearly $30,000, according to a report from the Institute for College Access & Success. The report looks at the class of 2012: 71% of them had student loans and graduated with an average of $29,400 in debt. It’s the sort of news no one likes to hear but… Read More

At one point or another most have been there: trying to stretch a small paycheck around bills that only seem to get bigger. And the often-parroted strategies for making ends meet are largely the same — buy secondhand, clip coupons, wait for sales, etc. But there’s more to life than just figuring out the best way… Read More

If you’re considering buying or selling a home, you may have asked co-workers, friends and family for advice. But you might want to check with the professionals, because the rules of the real estate game are different today than they were 20 or even 10 years ago. Due to this monumental shift, there are lots of… Read More