Cash back credit cards: Citi vs. American Express

By Jeffrey Steele

World Series of Credit Cards - Game 2

In the wake of the excitement and action that was Game 1, we welcome you back to the Money Blue Book World Series of Credit Cards.

This time, taking the field are two of the giants in the cash-back card league, and we have every reason to believe we're about to see a hard-fought battle. So stay tuned as we bring you perennial favorite Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card taking on a formidable challenger in the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express in this battle of the cash back credit cards.

In this type of climactic battle, any number of key matchups will be pivotal in deciding today's outcome. Let's lay out a few of those important matchups, identifying where we can pick the possible victor in these head-to-head competitions for best cash back credit card.

• Annual fee. Many rewards cards charge an annual membership fee. The Citi Dividend Platinum Select Visa Card steps up to the plate with an annual fee of…zero! Next up is AmEx's Blue Cash Everyday Card. This card has a zero annual fee as well, and we have a tie game at the bottom of the first.

By Jeffrey Steele

World Series of Credit Cards - Game 1

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 2011 Money Blue Book World Series of Credit Cards! With baseball post-season in full swing (so to speak) we've decided to have a little fun ourselves and compare some of our best credit cards in seven different categories under a baseball theme. Grab some peanuts and Cracker Jack and enjoy the game!

Student credit cards

Leading off in Game 1 are two of our best student credit cards. We can genuinely say that the two rivals competing in today's game have youth on their side. This game pits the Capital One Journey Student Rewards card against the Discover Student Open Road card. Although you won't find this contest on ESPN, it's sure to be followed avidly on the nation's campuses of higher learning.

If you're a student, you probably don't have much credit history. Student credit cards are designed to make it easy for you to build your credit score without letting you get too overextended (although, of course, you can still get into trouble if you let payments slide).

Both teams deserve high marks for their star-studded lineups of top credit card features. Let's run down those lineups before the first pitch of today's game and give you a chance to grade each card's merits in this student credit card competition.

By Jennifer Rose Hale

"I can't get a credit card on my own. Will you help?"

Imagine this conversation with your boyfriend or girlfriend, child, or even a newly divorced parent. They're asking you to co-sign on a new credit card account, and you're tempted--or pressured--to help out. It might just be one more account for you, but it can make a big difference for their financial futures. What do you do?

Opening a joint credit card may seem like a good solution for a number of situations. But signing your name to joint accounts has risks. Understanding those risks can reduce the chance that you will pay for this decision, literally, in years to come.

Best case scenario

When you share a joint account with someone, you both are equally responsible for the card's balance. Every purchase made, every charge incurred: From the issuing bank's perspective, they're as much your purchases and charges as your fellow account holder's.

By Angela Spires

Five years ago, I was asked at the register at Victoria's Secret if I would like to apply for a Secret Angel's card. And as if my dreams of becoming a Secret Angel (never mind that it was for Victoria and not Charlie) weren't enough, the card came with a coupon book with over a hundred dollars in savings and other offers. Naturally, I applied.

Every six months to a year, my limit increased because I paid my bills on time. Soon, I had a $1,000 credit limit--maxed out--to an underwear store. Who needs $1,000 in underwear? I needed to be stopped.

High debt-to-credit limit ratios, paying credit cards late, and having too many credit cards can all have negative impacts on your credit score. If you're not paying attention to your spending, or you think using your credit limit to its full potential is as good as sticking to your budget, you're probably a credit card abuser. And you're not alone.

I was finally able to get control of my financial debt, and I cut up the card. So, how will you know if you are a credit card abuser?

You might be a credit card abuser if…

By Melissa Rudy

Consumers who haven't yet heard of the new, more secure "chip and PIN" credit cards are about to get an earful, as Visa prepares to push through readers for the improved chip credit card to merchants throughout the United States.

Although EMV microchip credit cards have become the norm in Europe and other parts of the world, American retailers have been slow to adopt the new payment processing systems, delaying the widespread use of these cards in the United States.

That's about to change with Visa's new initiative to encourage retailers to adopt the microchip card processing systems. According to their press release, Visa plans to offer incentives to retailers who implement the new payment systems and eliminate older ones that can only read magnetic stripe cards.

"Carrot and stick" approach

Visa is taking a "carrot and stick" approach to pushing EMV card readers on merchants...

By Maryalene LaPonsie

Alec Baldwin is so smooth, isn't he? With his charming smile, he makes you want to whip out your Capital One Venture rewards card and buy, buy, buy! But amusing commercials aside, I cringe a little at the thought of unsuspecting folks racking up thousands in debt for a plane ticket worth $500.

Rewards credit cards can be great if you know how to use them, so let's make sure you are using them right by going over the pros and cons of what's in your wallet.

The pitfalls of rewards credit cards

Let's start with the bad news: That rewards card in your pocket may be paying you some cash, but it's also likely leading you into debt.

At the end of 2010, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago completed a study on consumer habits and rewards cards. They found that, when offered a one percent cash back reward, consumers increased their credit card spending by $68 each month. Meanwhile, their payments decreased, which meant their total quarterly credit card debt increased by $115. The pay-off for the extra $115 in debt? A $25 reward.