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MasterCard

Visa said Wednesday that its fiscal first-quarter profit rose 16 percent, as card use rose both in the U.S. and overseas. The San Francisco-based payments processor posted a notable 10 percent increase in U.S. credit card use. But debit card use rose just 6 percent. That's the slowest debit card growth rate in more than a year, and comes during the first three-month period that new rules were in place to limit the fees retailers pay to accept the cards.
Sometimes it pays to wait; sometimes it doesn't. Just ask the roughly 10 million cardholders who were part of the Foreign Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust class action lawsuit settlement. After a decade of legal wrangling, the settlement funds are finally being disbursed -- but a suit this large can dilute even $336 million.
Washington's efforts at financial reform keep having strange and unintended consequences. In response to a law that was meant to lower excessive debit card transaction fees on merchants, Visa and Mastercard found a way to raise the fees on a host of small businesses.
Amazon's holidays are off to a great start, but with its stock trading north of 100 times earnings, AMZN shares could be the one thing you don't want to buy from the online retailer. Instead, consider these companies that are riding on the coattails of the online shopping boom.
Americans are expected to accumulate $54 billion in credit card debt in 2011, according to a recent study. So imagine a card that you can program to control your spending -- one that actually shuts off if you blow past your monthly budget at your favorite shoe store, or sends you an alert when you eat out more than you planned.
If you've been racking up credit card rewards, summer is the perfect time to use them. In fact, a new survey suggests that more Americans plan to do just that -- cashing in their credit card rewards as a money-savvy way to enjoy everything from quick weekend getaways to extended overseas vacations -- during the summer months.
Many major companies are hoping that consumers will use their smartphones as a credit or debit card, and Google may be preparing to join in with its Android phones. But is the trend, which has grown popular in Japan, finally ready to take off in the U.S.?
Wall Street is littered with so-called hot and smart investors who flamed-out during economic downturns or market crashes. But Marketocracy says its investment management teams are different -- with stock picks that have demonstrated proven, long-term staying prowess.
During the battle over Credit CARD Act, much talk focused on what the legislation would -- and wouldn't -- do. A year after the law rolled out, what's the word now? Here's an on-the-ground look at how card issuers and consumers are adapting to the new landscape.
Credit card companies are seeking to delay enforcement of lower limits on so-called "swipe fees." If successful, the postponement will cost customers and retailers more than $1 billion a month.

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General Electric Company
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