To Her Credit Sally Herigstad is a certified public accountant and the author of “Help! I Can’t Pay My Bills: Surviving a Financial Crisis” (St. Martin’s Press, 2006). She writes “To Her Credit,” a weekly reader Q&A column about issues involving women, credit and debt, for CreditCards.com Continue reading →

About 1 million U.S. consumers a year dispute the debts that collectors hound them for, according to a new Federal Trade Commission report.

And no wonder: When collectors buy the right to collect old debt, they buy it cheaply — at an average of 4 cents on the dollar owed — and only the skimpiest details about who really owes it gets passed along. Fuller details cost extra, so debt collectors often go hunting for their debt-owing prey armed with thin files and bogus information Continue reading →

Cashing In Cathleen McCarthy is a journalist whose articles on travel, commerce and consumer topics have appeared in dozens of publications. She writes “Cashing In,” a weekly column about credit card rewards programs, for CreditCards Continue reading →

The New Frugal You Gary Foreman is a former financial planner who currently edits The Dollar Stretcher website and newsletters. He writes “New Frugal You,” a weekly Q&A column about frugal living, for CreditCards.com Ask a question.

‘New Frugal You’ archive

Dear New Frugal You,  I’m a brand new mom with a beautiful baby girl Continue reading →

The next time you’re due a rebate or refund, don’t expect to receive a paper check. An increasing number of stores and manufacturers are opting to issue prepaid debit cards instead, and some consumers aren’t happy about it.

Unlike checks, these cards cannot typically be exchanged for cash or deposited directly into the consumer’s bank — they have to be spent somewhere, which merchants love. That fondness led to about $4 Continue reading →