We've all seen the "Free" credit report commercials before. Some love them, most despise them.

But whatever your opinion is of FreeCreditReport.com's advertising tactics, there's no denying how difficult it is to get the catchy jingles out of your head. It's crazy how those melodic rhymes can just find a little crevice in the mind, set up camp, and stick around for days on end.

My wife and I moved from Seattle to Thailand for work late last year. Other than preparing myself for lots of spicy food, tropical weather, and a 12-hour time difference with clients on the East Coast, I also wanted to make sure I was prepared to properly handle my credit cards while living overseas. I have always traveled internationally for work, and ever since my first trip abroad I quickly realized that credit cards were my lifeline. They could mean the difference between staying at the Hyatt, or sharing a hostel room with a talkative German named Franz. That said, over the last seven months I have learned some valuable lessons - many the hard way- about managing my credit cards internationally. Hopefully some of these experiences will be of value to you wherever you happen to call home.

Consumers rejoice! Congress swiftly passed the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act yesterday, and it's already headed to Obama for his final approval.

In fact, the President is expected to sign the bill into law by early next week, even if it does include a completely unrelated provision that allows individuals to bring concealed weapons into wildlife refuges and national parks. It's funny how our government works sometimes, isn't it? Of course, it doesn't seem like even a controversial gun proposal is enough to stop such a popular piece of legislation from getting signed into law. Chances of anything thwarting the bill's success at this point are slim to none.