Review: Simmons First Visa Platinum credit card

By Peter Andrew

If you follow the gossip columns, you may see a lot of master-of-the-universe types from Wall Street at $5,000-a-plate charity fundraisers. But, as a group, those in the financial services sector aren't famous for their altruism, at least when it comes to business. So when banks and credit card companies come to you bearing gifts, it's usually wise to read the small print carefully.

This applies to credit card rewards as much as anything else. These are in part funded by higher interest rates. In mid-November 2012, IndexCreditCards.com's credit card rate monitor found that the average rate for a consumer non-rewards card was 15.19 percent APR. The average for a consumer rewards card was 17.45 percent. Such a spread can easily wipe out the benefits of cash back, points and miles very quickly.

That's the reason many financial advisers recommend charging to rewards plastic only those purchases you plan to pay off quickly. Everything else should be put on cheaper, non-rewards cards. Among the most affordable of these is the Simmons First Visa Platinum card, though you're only likely to lay your hands on one if you have excellent credit.

Ultra-low interest rate

Just how cheap is its standard credit card rate for purchases? Well, it's currently 7.25 percent APR variable, which is less than half that of the average for its competitors' comparable products.

By Tim Sullivan

I remember anxiously waiting in line at a rural African bank, hoping they'd exchange the travelers checks I had purchased before leaving the U.S. This was almost a decade ago on my first trip overseas, and it was an uncomfortable introduction to the art of managing money abroad.

Thankfully, my days of travelers checks and dishonest conversion rates have mostly come to an end for one reason: I travel with plastic. Compared to many payment methods, traveling with credit cards is safe, secure and inexpensive. That said, some precautions must be taken. Here's a list of four tips you'll need when heading abroad with your credit card:

1. Get a card with no foreign transaction fees

Using my rewards card while abroad to pay for hotels, car rentals, train fare, eating out and museum tickets is a great way to boost the travel points that may help fund future trips. However, you can easily cancel out those rewards by paying a 3 percent foreign transaction fee on every purchase. There are many cards with no such fees on the market, so make sure you have one in your wallet before you depart.

By Peter Andrew

Editor's note: This offer expired and is no longer available.

I just got home from the supermarket and am depressed. It's only my partner and I living in the house now, yet we spend an absolute fortune on groceries and the like. Today's shopping and a tankful of gas came to close to $400, which is way more than our friend Sarah would spend, and she has a husband and four kids to buy for. Of course, it's my own fault. I know very well that I couldn't pick out my favorite cola in a blind tasting, but insist on buying Coke. And it's the same for all those other premium brands that may or may not be better than their cheaper competitors.

Worse, I spent many years working in advertising and marketing, and have a pretty good idea of how branding works. I'm more depressed about being an idiot than I am about the $400.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express would be great for me -- and not just because I'd love the 150 Reward Dollars sign-up bonus that's currently being offered (see below). However, it is usually marketed at people like Sarah: those with big families for whom a trip to the supermarket is inevitably costly, and who are also likely to spend serious sums on gas and in department stores. That's because this particular piece of plastic offers truly exceptional cash-back rewards for those types of purchases ...

By Jennifer Gregory

I have a bad habit of losing my smartphone. My friends often call me on my land line to tell me that my cell phone is sitting on their kitchen counter or that they picked it up at the soccer field where I left it. But after recently installing a mobile payment application that's connected to my credit card, I realized that the stakes are now much higher than just missing an important phone call.

Since I am hoping that I will have a tablet under the tree this year, giving me yet another item to worry about, I began researching ways to protect the credit card information I keep on my devices. While many credit card apps include several layers of security features, there is still a risk your information could fall into the wrong hands.

Here are five ways to keep your credit card information secure on mobile devices:

1. Enable password protection

Yes, it is a pain to enter your password every time you want to send a text. But having to cancel your credit cards because of fraud is an even bigger hassle. Even if you do not have mobile processing apps on your tablet, you may have your credit card connected to Amazon.com or another website where a thief could do significant damage ...

By MoneyBlueBook

Much is said in personal finance about the cost of a daily cup of coffee. But can foregoing your morning latte really improve your financial situation?

This MoneyBlueBook.com infographic breaks down the cost of your caffeine habit -- and the potential benefit of dropping it.

Click on the image below to see the full graphic.

By Justin Boyle

Times are changing in the customer loyalty game. Although credit card reward programs still offer attractive ways to get bonuses for your spending, digital rewards companies are popping up from coast to coast, offering consumers the chance to earn special perks in exchange for shopping at their favorite businesses.

But are these programs enough to lure customers away from their rewards credit cards?

How digital rewards work

You may have seen signs of this new wave already. You go to your local coffee shop for a large dark roast with an extra shot, as usual, and there's a display urging you to sign up for a program that promises rewards for the purchases you make at the store -- and perhaps at other local retailers too ...