Credit Cards & Rewards
New card launches, reward program changes, sign-up bonuses, annual fee comparisons, cashback and travel cards, and how to use credit cards strategically.
Latest in Credit Cards & Rewards
$253 billion is what Americans paid in credit-card interest and fees last year, a record
American households carrying credit-card balances absorbed a record $253 billion in interest charges and fees last year, a sum that exceeded every prior annual total...
A bill to cap credit-card interest at 10% has stalled while the average card charges over 21%
Two companion bills that would slash credit-card interest rates by more than half have gone nowhere in Congress, even as the average rate charged by...
A new credit card now averages a 23.79% APR, near a record high
Americans opening new credit cards are staring down an average annual percentage rate of 23.79%, a figure that sits just below the highest levels ever...
$250 million from American Express will be split with cardholders and merchants over card-fee claims, with claims due July 15
Merchants and cardholders who paid fees on American Express transactions now face a July 15 deadline to file claims in a $250 million class action...
A 0% balance-transfer card can pause credit-card interest for over a year
Cardholders carrying revolving balances on high-rate credit cards can stop interest charges from growing for 15 to 21 months by transferring those balances to a...
A secured credit card with a small deposit rebuilds a damaged score fast
Consumers locked out of traditional credit cards because of low scores now have a clear, low-cost path back: a secured credit card backed by a...
Adding a trusted relative as an authorized user on a long-held credit card can quietly lift their credit score
Families looking for a low-effort way to help a young adult or credit-thin relative build a stronger credit profile have long turned to a simple...
Many credit cards quietly add a year to a product’s warranty and refund recent price drops, perks people rarely claim
Millions of credit cardholders in the United States carry cards that automatically extend a product’s manufacturer warranty by up to a year and reimburse the...
Card interest rates remain near record highs even as balances dip
Credit card APRs are hovering near record highs just as many households are finally starting to chip away at their balances. The combination signals a...
Credit card balances fell for the first time in years, dropping $25 billion to start 2026
American households paid down credit card debt by $25 billion in the first three months of 2026, snapping a streak of quarterly increases that had...
Credit card balances slipped to start the year but remain $70 billion higher than a year ago
American households entered 2026 carrying less credit card debt than they held at the close of last year, but the relief is relative. Revolving credit...
19% credit card rates aren’t dropping after the Fed’s hold this week
Cardholders carrying balances at commercial banks are stuck paying average interest rates near 19 percent after the Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady at...
36% is the rate on the most expensive credit card you can get today
Borrowers who carry a balance on the most expensive credit cards available right now face annual percentage rates that reach 36 percent. That figure sits...
0% interest for up to 21 months is what a balance-transfer card buys you to clear a balance without new charges piling on
Cardholders who open a balance-transfer card expecting a clean runway to pay off debt can walk into an expensive trap if they keep swiping for...
84% of cardholders who asked for a lower interest rate got one this year, trimming their APR about 6 points
Cardholders who call their issuer and ask for a lower interest rate are succeeding far more often than most people expect. A LendingTree survey series...
Paying your credit card in full each month means you never owe a cent of interest
Credit cardholders who settle their full statement balance every month can avoid paying any interest on purchases, a protection built into federal law and enforced...
A secured credit card rebuilds damaged credit using a refundable deposit as your limit
Consumers with poor or thin credit histories face a familiar catch: they need credit to build a score, but lenders rarely extend credit without one....
Most credit-builder cards still cap the late fee near $8, even after a court tossed the federal rule
Consumers who rely on credit-builder cards to establish or repair their credit scores are still seeing late fees near $8 on their monthly statements, even...
Federal law gives you 60 days to dispute a credit-card billing error and withhold payment on it
Credit-card holders who spot an unfamiliar charge on their statement have a narrow federal window to act: 60 calendar days from the date the issuer...
Most cardholders who simply call and ask for a lower interest rate get one — 84% succeeded this year, cutting their APR by about 6 points
Credit card holders who pick up the phone and ask their issuer for a lower interest rate succeed far more often than most people assume,...