Americans may seen lower prices and savings at retail chains when new interchange fees go into effect

As the hot debate surrounding interchange fees begins to wind down in Congress, it looks as though retailers are poised to win a victory. As the House and Senate reached a compromise on a bill that will essentially lower interchange, or “swipe fees,” for credit and debit card transactions, consumers may be wondering how the new legislation will affect their wallets.

Once the bill is signed into law, merchants will feel some financial relief as the interchange fees – costs that the retailers must pay credit card issuers and banks for each credit or debit transaction – will decline. Read full article…

NEW YORK (AP) — IPhone users can now insure them against loss or accidents, but Consumer Reports says it isn’t worth it.

The AT&T authorized policy has a $12 monthly fee and a $199 deductible for the latest iPhone model.

Replacing a phone can be costly. Although the iPhone 4 costs $199 or $299 with a two-year contract with AT&T, customers would need to pay the full retail price of $599 or $699 to replace a phone in the middle of the contract.

Repairs aren’t cheap, either. One Apple retailer and repair shop in New York charges $149 to replace a cracked screen and $99 for a broken microphone or charging port.

But an insured owner who loses a phone after one year would have paid $144 in fees on top of the $199 deductible. T

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Unfortunately, bad credit cards are no longer the only type of credit scam out there. Even though they’re the most prominent, there are more and more people willing to take advantage of anyone in need. Part of this probably stems from our struggling economy — more people are struggling financially, and more people need credit. Part also comes from the fact that we’re an increasingly credit based society.

Regardless of the reasons, though, it’s important that you recognize the signs of bad credit cards and credit scams before you get sucked in.

Warning Signs of Credit Scams

Here are some warning signs that you’re falling victim to a credit scam.

-They advise you to use an EIN to get a new credit card.

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Credit card reward schemes can offer consumers something for nothing despite the tough financial climate, according to Confused.com.

The comparison website has found that by doing day to day shopping on a credit card, customers could earn some impressive rewards, including free flights and shopping vouchers.

Based on an average household spend of £386.30 per week on a reward credit card, and by paying off the balance in full each month, a canny credit card shopper could benefit from some of these rewards within a year.

Some cards offer air miles as a reward, while others allow you to claim shopping vouchers or cash back if you spend over a certain amount.

Joanna Garcia, head of credit cards at confused.com said: “Using a reward based credit card can be a great way to earn incentives like cash back, flights and shopping vouchers.  Our findings show that it is still possible to get something for nothing and that savvy shoppers really can be rewarded for using a credit card, with incentives that all the family can benefit from. <

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Report shows that both consumer spending and personal income increased in May

Americans may be slowly improving their financial situation, new data from the U.S. Department of Commerce suggests. According to a report released Monday, consumer spending – a key indicator of economic health – increased by 0.2 percent in May after giving a flat reading in April.

Consumer spending accounts for nearly 70 percent of the economy and is often used to determine the strength of economic recovery. Read full article…