Credit card companies sent out fewer solicitations for new customers in the first three months of the year — only about a third as many as in the first quarter of 2008.
But more of those offers required customers to pay an annual fee if they signed up — 27% versus 18% last year, according Mail [...]

Credit cards are threatening to get stingier with their reward cards after Congress cracked down on some of their most abusive fees and practices last week.
But so far this spring we’ve been seeing reward cards with more generous deals.
The Fidelity Rewards American Express card, for example, is offering a 2% cash rebate on all [...]

We like the idea of earning 2% cash back on every purchase with a Charles Schwab Invest First Visa Card.
Most cash back credit cards only return 2% of what you spend at a few types of stores, such as gas stations and grocery stores, and 1% of what you spend everywhere else.
Schwab imposes no limit [...]

Northwest Airlines’ customers who earned frequent flyer miles with US Bank’s WorldPerks Visa card have a big decision to make.
Their credit card is going away because Northwest is going away after its merger with Delta Air Lines.
WorldPerks cardholders will be receiving new FlexPerks Visa cards from US Bank over the next couple of months.
But [...]

Banks are making life miserable for millions of credit card customers by cutting credit limits and raising interest rates on their accounts.
Yet the offers for new cards and special deals on existing accounts keep showing up in our mailbox.
Fifth Third Bank says we can pay 0% interest on purchases for the next [...]

Wow. This would have to be one amazing credit card to be worth an annual fee like that.
It’s more than the $450 annual fee on some of the most expensive personal charge and credit cards from American Express, including its Platinum and Delta Reserve cards.
If you’re like us, you’ve seen the slick ads promoting Barclays [...]

You don’t need a short-term teaser rate when the real deal is this good.
Simmons First National Bank, has branches across Arkansas and one of the lowest credit card rates in the country.
You must have excellent credit to qualify for its Platinum Visa card, but if you do, you’ll pay a fixed rate of 7.25% [...]

Some readers trashed us for recommending the UPside Visa prepaid debit card to keep college students supplied with cash and avoid credit card problems.
The fees that always accompany prepaid debit cards were a big complaint, even though the UPside Visa is one of the cheapest out there.
But we’ve just got to give a big [...]

If your teen is heading off to college, here’s a good way to keep them supplied with cash and avoid credit card problems.
The UPside Prepaid Visa card is relatively cheap and allows parents to maintain some control over student spending.
Teens can only spend the amount parents load the card. There’s no way to overdraw [...]