Banking & Credit Cards
How banks, credit cards, and payment systems work. Covers products, rates, fees, regulations, and what consumers need to know to navigate the banking system.
Latest in Banking & Credit Cards
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...
Flagstar Bank will pay breach victims about $60, or up to $25,000 with proof, if they file by August 11
Customers whose personal data was exposed in the Flagstar Bank breach can now file claims for roughly $60 each without documenting any losses, or pursue...
A surprise package with a QR code is the FTC’s newest scam — scanning it can hand over your bank logins
The Federal Trade Commission flagged a new breed of fraud that starts with a package nobody ordered. Inside sits a small item and a card...
$50 caps what a stolen debit card can cost you, but only if you report it within two days
Anyone who loses a debit card or has one stolen faces a sharp, time-sensitive choice: report it fast and cap personal losses at $50, or...
A new federal student-loan plan called RAP starts July 1, setting payments by income and family size
Federal student-loan borrowers who take out new loans on or after July 1, 2026, will face a different repayment system. The Repayment Assistance Plan, known...
No real government agency demands payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency
Every major federal law enforcement and tax agency in the United States has now issued the same blunt warning: no legitimate government office will ever...
Imposter scams stayed America’s No. 1 fraud for a ninth year, draining $3.5 billion as fake toll texts spread
American consumers lost $3.5 billion to imposter scams last year, keeping the category at the top of the Federal Trade Commission’s fraud rankings for a...
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,...
The FBI says Americans over 60 lost $352 million to AI-powered scams that clone voices to fake family emergencies
Older Americans lost $352 million to scams in which criminals used artificial intelligence to clone the voices of family members and stage fake emergencies, according...
Fidelity will pay data-breach victims $100, or up to $5,000 with proof of losses, if they file by July 27
Fidelity Investments is offering affected customers a flat $100 payment, or up to $5,000 for those who can document actual losses, following a data breach...
You can place a free one-year fraud alert on your credit file that forces lenders to verify your identity
A federal law that took effect in September 2018 replaced the old 90-day fraud alert with a free, one-year version, giving any consumer the ability...
Downgrading a card to a no-fee version keeps your credit history intact
Cardholders facing higher annual fees on premium credit cards have a simple defensive move: ask the issuer to switch the account to a no-fee product....
Circle K is paying its data-breach settlement, a flat $50 or up to $2,000 with receipts, to customers who file by September 3
Customers affected by a Circle K data breach can file for a flat $50 payment or up to $2,000 with documented expenses before a September...
Most banks waive a checking account’s monthly fee if you just ask
Checking account holders across the United States pay monthly maintenance fees that, in most cases, their banks are willing to drop. Four of the largest...
Your bank deposits are insured up to $250,000 per depositor, and you can cover more by using several banks
Anyone with more than $250,000 in a single bank account faces a straightforward risk: if that institution fails, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation covers only...
Twelve million Americans — one in four federal borrowers — are now behind or in default on student loans
Roughly 12 million federal student-loan borrowers are now behind on payments or in outright default, a figure that represents nearly one in four people carrying...
A new student-loan plan launching July 1 waives the unpaid interest that builds when your payment falls short
Federal student-loan borrowers who watch their balances grow each month, even while making on-time payments, are about to get a new option. The Repayment Assistance...
Most cardholders who simply call and ask get their interest rate lowered — yet almost no one with a 21% APR picks up the phone
Millions of Americans carry credit card balances at annual percentage rates near or above 21 percent, yet the vast majority never contact their issuer to...
You can opt out of overdraft coverage, and your bank then has to decline the charge instead of charging a fee
Consumers who carry a debit card linked to a checking account can stop their bank from charging overdraft fees on everyday purchases and ATM withdrawals...
The best online savings accounts still pay about 4% — roughly ten times the national average
Savers who keep cash in a typical bank account earn a fraction of a penny on every dollar, while a smaller group of depositors at...