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Visa 1Q Profit Rises 16% as Card Use Rises

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.

Don't Spend This Settlement Check All in One Place

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.

How a Debit Card Fee Cut Backfired on Merchants

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.

10 Companies That Owe Amazon a Big 'Thank You'

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.

Beyond Card Fees: Banks Look To Sell Your Data

New and higher debit card fees may not be enough to satiate the big banks. Financial institutions looking for revenue are now eyeing another source: Selling your debit-card transaction data to marketers. So which is worth more to you: The deals such targeted advertising will bring, or your privacy?

5 Dates to Watch This Earnings Season

It's been awfully quiet on the earnings front in recent weeks, and there's a reason: This is the time of year when accountants are nailing down the financials for the fiscal quarters that ended in September. Later this week, the conference calls will begin trickling in, and then it will be a deluge of quarterly reports until early November.

How This Credit Card Can Stop Overspending

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.

Paying Off Our Plastic Is Killing the Economy

Here's the good news: American consumers are finally starting to reduce their reliance on credit and pay off their high-interest debt -- a positive development for their financial futures. The bad news: More money in people's pockets means less overall spending in the economy, which desperately needs the cash right now. How might the tension be resolved?

Why eBay Will Never Be Great Again

Remember when eBay was cool? You'll have to think hard, because those days are long gone. The online auction site used to carry cool, quirky merchandise, as well as serving as a source of last resort for otherwise impossible-to-find items. Nowadays, it's basically being held up by PayPal, which will soon face challenges of its own.

Don't Pay for Your Nose Job with Plastic

When it comes to the out-of-pocket cost of medical procedures, several financial services companies -- not to mention health care providers themselves -- are willing to offer lines of credit. But patient beware: Plunking down your credit card to pay for any major medical expense, cosmetic or otherwise, can leave your finances with some pretty ugly scars.

How to Earn, Use Your Credit Card Rewards

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.

Will Google Turn Android Phones into Credit Cards?

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.?

Inside Wall Street: Turbo-Charged Investment Managing

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.