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What do I want for Mother's Day? The perfect credit card Written by Jennifer Goforth Gregory April 25, 2014 During the week, my life is consumed with trying to remember the intricacies of pre-algebra, getting a healthy meal on the table that my kids will actually eat and making sure that everyone gets to their activities on time with their art supplies, flute or cleats in hand. On the weekends, it seems like I [...]

Coin: Your new best friend or a consumer nightmare? Written by Maryalene LaPonsie December 13, 2013 Between your credit cards, debit card and gift cards, your wallet might bursting at the seams. Enter Coin. The scorching hot start-up is hoping to replace your many cards with their one card. You get to keep all your current accounts, including rewards credit cards and loyalty cards, but they are all loaded on a [...]

Big Brother wants to know what you put on the credit card Written by Maryalene LaPonsie October 11, 2013 The Internet exploded earlier this year with the revelation the National Security Agency had been involved in large-scale, unwarranted surveillance of citizens nationwide. The aftermath involved the flight of informant Edward Snowden to Russia, a lockdown of NSA data and a national debate regarding whether widespread surveillance is a benign necessity to keep us safe or [...]

Put the parking tickets -- but not the poker chips -- on the credit card Written by Maryalene LaPonsie September 13, 2013 We've previously talked about how credit cards seem to be quickly approaching the point of universal acceptance. Now it seems like more cities are jumping on the bandwagon, too. A crop of news articles has sprung up outlining how cities are now accepting credit card payments for a variety of services. The stories are notable because [...]

Use your credit card without actually using your credit card Written by Maryalene LaPonsie May 10, 2013 The latest trend in credit cards may have you forgetting your cards completely. The next big thing seems to be the movement toward card-less payment methods. Rather than search your wallet for your best credit card, you may only need to scan your phone, or your fingers, to make purchases in the future. Mobile wallets - [...]

How much has credit card debt increased since 1967? We promise the number will shock you. Written by Maryalene LaPonsie February 8, 2013 Remember 1967? Green Bay won the Super Bowl; The Graduate was playing at the multiplex; and sending a letter cross country cost one shiny nickel. Well, I don't remember any of that - seeing I wasn't yet a glimmer in my parents' eyes. However, the people at InCharge Debt Solutions have been kind enough to pull together [...]

Superstorm Sandy can teach us some valuable credit card lessons. Written by Geoff Williams November 1, 2012 With everyone focused on Hurricane Sandy -- sorry, the renamed Superstorm Sandy -- it seems like a good time to do a run through a few dos and don't of using credit cards before and after a disaster. Do get some cash before seeking shelter, if there's time. True, not all disasters give you advanced warning. I [...]

Why a parking meter might be the best use of mobile technology so far Written by Geoff Williams October 10, 2012 Using your phone as your credit card is a practice that's been talked about for at least a decade. It's finally gaining some traction among pockets of consumers in recent years and months, at least judging from how the media has been covering mobile technology and credit cards. Here's a rundown of what web sites [...]

Would you buy a smartphone as thin as a credit card? Written by Geoff Williams September 26, 2012 You've seen the latest and greatest iPhone, right? It's thinner, it's lighter… it's beginning to look like a credit card! But according to a new development in lens technology, that new smartphone could soon look downright clunky. In Nano Letters, a journal published by the American Chemical Society, a study has just come out in which [...]

$688.62 on highlighters, crayons and binders? Really? Written by Geoff Williams August 29, 2012 The National Retail Federation says that the average back-to-school costs for American families will be $688.62 this year. At first, I thought that was way too high and hyped up. My daughters, eight and 10, do have a long list. My third grader -- I'm looking at her list right now -- has 23 items on [...]