Rewards cards

It's tax season, which means the annual deluge of W-2s, 1099s and other financial forms. But thousands of Citibank customers will have an extra surprise in their mailboxes: 1099 forms reporting their frequent flier miles as income.

If you've been racking up credit card rewards, summer is the perfect time to use them. And 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 --...

The average American family will spend about $825 more for gas in 2011 than it did in 2010. But for every pain there is a pill, and in this case, a partial cure for the fill-'er-up blues may be to sign up for a gas station credit card. Done the right way, it can result in hefty savings. The key: paying off the balance at the end of each month.

Airline-branded credit cards have been around for decades. While they're handy for people like frequent business travelers who can accrue a lot of miles that can be redeemed for free flights, they never had the reputation of being a great deal for those of us who don't know the fastest way between...

We recently told you about CardRatings.com's top credit card picks for 2010 in the travel, low interest and low balance transfer categories. The site just released the second half of its picks for 2010, covering the best points-rewards cards, the best cards for people with poor credit and the most...

You probably wouldn't realize it from the way credit card companies market to consumers willy-nilly, but there are big differences between the "ideal" credit card for a college grad and those marketed toward his or her grandparents. According to experts WalletPop interviewed by phone recently, you...

Well, the CARD Act has been in place for a few months now, and one of many predictions that hasn't come true (so far, at least) is that credit card companies would drop their reward programs. So you can keep on enjoying those extra perks for your expenditures, just be sure you're getting a good...

Whether you like them or not, gift cards remain an incredibly popular gift idea, which is why the new Target Mobile Gift Card program is incredibly cool. The new feature allows you to convert any Target gift card into a digital barcode that can be used from any Internet connected cell phone -- no...

Now that my children are grown up and periodically independent, I have a new set of problems. I can't seem to get control of my rewards cards. If three is the break point when it comes to offspring (three being the point when there are more of them than there are of us), then I can tell you for...

What's in My Wallet is a series of posts from WalletPop writers and editors that will help you maximize your financial self according to what you carry.Some store cards are great: You go to the grocery store and they offer you instant savings on items you're buying. Other store cards pretend to be...