Have you been using the same credit card for many years, blissfully ignoring advertisements for new credit cards? Perhaps your current card is so great that it’s a keeper, but maybe you are ignoring its faults. The credit card industry is extremely competitive, and card issuers are constantly offering new products with new features, better… Read More

Seven financial trade associations signed a letter to Congress urging the government to enact federal data breach legislation that would cover not only financial service providers but also all other entities, such as retailers, that store customer financial data. The letter argues that existing laws do not require the same levels of responsibility of entities that… Read More

The amount of tip money people in the service industry take home relies on a remarkable number of variables, like perceived quality of the service provided, a customer’s tipping preferences, the service’s cost and the payment method. That last part — how the actual transaction happens — is having an increasingly significant impact on how… Read More

The first signs of elder financial abuse are easy to miss. Maybe there’s a new, overeager “best friend” who gives off a strange vibe. Or excessive secrecy around an online lover. Paranoia or anger when talking about money can be a tipoff, too. Don’t count on discovering sudden large withdrawals from savings or checking accounts…. Read More

Love and debt in the same sentence can sound like a paradox to anyone who hears it. But, with the reality of most people’s finances lagging in this economy, debt is just a reality. This means that you are likely to have debt, and if you do, you might as well try to love it. First,… Read More

Some federal retirees had their personal information sent to the wrong people, raising concerns about potential identity theft, WJLA in Washington, D.C., reports. A reporter from the TV station sat down with Aleena Hampton, a Department of Defense retiree, and went over documents — including the Social Security number — of a completely different retiree…. Read More

Pinki Goolsby was laid off in 2010 from her job as a purchasing agent, and worried that, at 63, her age would prevent her from ever being employed again. Her son Shane Keinz, 41, a former business owner and talented chef, was newly relocated in Florida, and looking for work. Her other son, Matt Holt,… Read More

Fake debt collection scams are on the rise, and now rank among the top complaints scammed consumers file around the country, the National Consumers League says. The consumer advocacy organization issued a special warning about the scams, which generally involve a cold call from a would-be criminal trying to intimidate the recipient into paying for… Read More

Tax ID theft has grown so quickly that it accounts for one-third of all consumer complaints about the crime, the Federal Trade Commission said Monday. And complaints about fake IRS agents trying to scam consumers grew more than 20-fold last year, the agency said. The problem is so bad that the agency created Tax Identity… Read More

I remember my first online accounts. I just wish I could find them. When I was a teenager, there was some blogging or profile site most people in my school had, and I can’t for the life of me remember what it was (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Friendster, MySpace, Xanga or LiveJournal — I… Read More