It’s getting harder and harder to get a credit card these days; card issuers only want to extend credit cards to consumers they are confident will repay the card. That said; there are still cards available to consumers with a variety of credit scores, you just need to know where to look. More

It’s no wonder so many people in credit card debt describe themselves as trapped. It often seems that the only ways out of debt are to simply stop paying or declare bankruptcy–both decisions which will create decades of legal and credit problems. More

Do you have credit cards with $0 balances that you rarely use to make purchases? If so, your credit card issuer may simply cancel your account for inactivity. And even if you don’t use the card, that could hurt you. Here’s why, and what to do to keep your credit cards open. More

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Welcome to the third Carnival of Consumer Credit. There are a lot of great posts in here to help you navigate the tight credit market, holiday shopping, and even debts from holidays past. Thanks to everybody who submitted, and have a happy and safe holiday! More

I received a question from a reader this week who is concerned about closing credit card accounts she doesn’t use and lowering her incredibly strong FICO credit score of 780. The fact is, closing many credit accounts (even if you don’t use them) probably will lower her score a little bit, but when your score’s already that high, should you worry? More

Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. announced today that the majority of the government’s $700 billion bailout plan would not go to buying up troubled mortgage-backed securities as presumed, rather to fund increased consumer and business credit including credit cards, auto loans, and student loans. More

Last week, Chase announced a newest variation of the popular Chase Freedom Credit Card. The new Chase Freedom card offers 0% on purchases for 12 months, a competitive 9.99% regular APR, 3% cash back on groceries, gas, and fast food for the first six months, plus 1% cash back on all purchases, and more. More

Welcome to the second Carnival of Consumer Credit. As we continue to deal with a tough economy and tight credit market, bloggers continue to offer insight into everything from managing our credit score and getting out of debt to finding some of the last remaining good credit card deals out there. Enjoy the great tips and advice in this week’s carnival, or learn how you can submit to future carnivals. More

Grab a Discover Card, use it for this year’s holiday shopping, and you could get an extra $160 in your pocket. Here’s how: More

Welcome to the first ever Carnival of Consumer Credit! This carnival comes at an important time, when credit is on everybody’s minds. The role credit plays in the lives of both consumers and businesses worldwide is changing. We can expect credit to be less readily available not only in the coming months, but in the coming decades. Knowing this fact, it’s more important than ever that we learn how credit works and how we can make it work for us—and not against us. More