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Mother's Day 2011: Money Lessons from Mama

Ahhh Mother's Day. It's time to treat mom to breakfast in bed, help out in the garden, and thank her for changing your dirty diapers. It's also a great time to remember all of mom's little lessons. As you grow older, you realize that the things mom taught can now directly be used as guidance for prudent financial decisions! Yes indeed, the seeds of financial intelligence get planted in young brains early on by caring mothers.

World's Most Expensive Shot for Cinco de Mayo

Much like St. Patty's Day, Cinco de Mayo is really just another day to party it up Mexican style for most people. And what's a Cinco de Mayo party without tacos and tequila? Tacos are no doubt one of the cheaper foods in life, but if you're in the mood to wash your taco down with something only a true high roller would consume, we've got the perfect thing for you.

 

May the 4th Be With You: Best Star Wars Stuff Money Can Buy

Jedi fans will be roaming college campuses and city streets tomorrow wielding lightsabers and sporting their most authentic costumes in celebration of the unofficial Star Wars Day, May 4th.

Stemming from a play on one of the film's most popular quotes, "May the Force be with you", fans worldwide have twisted the phrase into "May the 4th be with you" and set aside this day to honor all things Star Wars. So don't be alarmed if you see people speaking weird guttural languages to each other, trying to open their car doors using the Force, or acting like their arm just got cut off in a lightsaber duel. It's all part of the fun.

For a true Star Wars fan, however, the celebration lasts longer than a single day.  You may have been embarrassed about your obsession with Jar Jar Binks action figures when you were in high school, but now that you're in college, there's no shame in letting your true colors shine through. In fact, there's nothing quite like surrounding yourself year round with the best Star Wars memorabilia student credit cards can buy.

Here are five collectibles that are sure to draw the envy of your fellow Star Wars geeks for many years to come:

1.) Yoda Backpack

Yoda Star Wars Back Pack

Most Credit Cardholders Dissatisfied With Rewards Programs

Capital One released results a few weeks ago from its very first "Rewards Barometer", a new survey to be conducted each quarter that seeks to evaluate consumers' opinions about their credit card rewards programs. What Capital One found was that the vast majority of people who use rewards credit cards, 78 percent to be exact, aren't completely satisfied with their rewards programs. Big surprise, eh?

The Misconceptions of Prepaid Cards

Let’s face it, the credit industry is complex and confusing. Hundreds of credit cards offer different ratios for miles, points, percentages of cash back, and other rewards. And now that we’ve gone through a roller coaster of a recession, getting approved for these cards may seem impossible for many of us. I work daily with clients who want and need the use of a credit card. As many of their financial situations have been pummeled, rebuilding credit is the first step they must take. One of the most common misconceptions about credit that I encounter centers around three words: prepaid credit cards.

Which Cities Suffer Most from Credit Card Debt

Still paying off your holiday debt? You're not alone. According to a recent national study, Americans across the county are still fighting the burden from their mounting credit card debt. Equifax, one of the three largest consumer credit reporting agencies in the United States, analyzed the 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan divisions to find out how areas cope with their credit card payments. With the average consumer credit card debt hovering around $4,000 dollars, there are many cities where residents' total debt accounts for over 17% of their total income. Even worse, there are tons of cities with debt well beyond the national average. Here are five cities that desperately need help for bad credit card debt.

I'm On A Boat!

I woke up laughing this morning, shaking off a rather interesting dream. My everyday life had apparently intertwined with my upcoming beach vacation and a Saturday Night Live skit. Joined by my sidekick T-Pain, I was on the biggest yacht my eyes had ever beheld. We were sailing the Pacific, wearing tuxedos, and singing about how awesome it was to be on a boat. Then, out of nowhere, the dream went sour.

Earth Day 2011-Ten Ways to Go Green and Save Money

With Earth Day 2011 upon us, the recent meteoric rise in gas prices remains a major focus.   Personally, every time I drive by a gas station my anxiety level causes me to hyperventilate and lose consciousness (thankfully my dog Buster knows to seize the wheel in such situations). In any case, with gas prices what they are these days, has there ever been a better time to live a greener lifestyle and save a little money to boot?  Here are 10 great ways to give your credit cards some rest and rediscover your eco-conscious side at the same time.

Say Cheese to Photo Credit Card Technology

The future of mobile credit card readers and NFC embedded phones is just around the corner, but in the mean time retailers can make use of their phones to perform picture perfect transactions. A new credit card iPhone app from AisleBuyer allows merchants the ability to process a payment simply by snapping a picture of the front of a credit card. This photo card capture technology uses proprietary optical character recognition (OCR) to discern the card number from the other information and background of the card.

The Pros & Cons of Using a Credit Card in Emergency Situations

A wise man once told me "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."  Or maybe that's just a popular saying? In any event, unforeseen situations can spring up at any moment, and sometimes they force you to reach for your credit card at the least opportune times. While it's impossible to predict emergency situations before they happen, at the very least you can arm yourself with knowledge of the pros and cons of using your credit card to charge your way out of life's little mishaps. Here's a run-down of a common sticky situation, and how credit cards can and cannot help.

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