Gift cards have grown in popularity for many reasons. They are a convenient option for any occasion requiring a gift, and a step up from giving cash. Some receivers (or observers) may consider a gift card an impersonal gesture, but the cards are practical in that the receiver obtains something...

For many households, the amount owed on their credit cards constitutes a large and growing share of their total debt. This article uses responses to the Consumer Finance Monthly (CFM) to examine credit card debt among households of varying incomes, educational attainment, and other...

Significant regulatory changes affecting credit card terms and conditions were signed into law in May 2009, and took effect in February 2010. A number of these changes will affect lower-income consumers, ostensibly those with few options to "shop" contracts and features in ways that might not...