Southwest Airlines' updated rewards card can help you travel

By Jim Sloan

Southwest Airlines and Chase Card Services are raising the bar in the increasingly crowded field of airline rewards cards with the March 1 launch of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Credit Card.

The latest incarnation of the popular carrier's credit cards switches the currency of rewards from credits and reward dollars to points, and expands the opportunities travelers have for cashing in those points.

Spending your credit card points

In addition to redeeming points for free flights to any of Southwest's 69 destinations in 35 states, card members will also be able to redeem points for international flights on more than 50 airlines flying to more than 800 destinations. You can also spend your points on rooms in more than 70,000 hotels worldwide, rental cars, cruises and gift cards at more than 45 retailers.

You can earn points by using your Southwest card to buy everyday stuff, such as dinner at participating restaurants. You earn the most points (2 per $1) when you buy Southwest tickets or patronize one of their partners in the hospitality and car rental fields, but you can also earn a point for every dollar you spend on other purchases.

Unlike previous Southwest cards, this one has no blackout dates, so every seat that's available for purchase with cash is also available for purchase with your points. Your points won't expire--provided you have "at least one qualifying earning

By Joe Taylor Jr.

Take care of your credit, and credit card companies will want to take care of you.

Banks have put together some hard-to-find credit card offers to attract consumers with high FICO scores. If you've built a strong credit history, you can earn unusually high cash back rebates, travel perks, and low interest rates on balance transfers. According to CardRatings.com, five credit cards rank highest at offering great perks to consumers with excellent credit: ...

By Richard Barrington

Overdraft protection.

The words sound almost comforting--like an extra layer of security around your checking account--or perhaps a safety net to catch any mistake you might make in your account records.

Under certain circumstances, overdraft protection can be those things, but to many bank customers, overdraft protection is an exorbitant expense that just makes overdrafts worse.

Since one of the things you'll be asked to do any time you open a checking account is whether to have overdraft protection for your account, you need to know how overdraft protection works, and whether it is likely to work for you or against you.

Overdraft protection--how it works

An overdraft occurs when you use more money than you have available in your checking account. If you have overdraft protection, the bank will temporarily make funds available to you to cover the purchase--think of this as a short-term loan. This way, you are able to complete your transaction without having a check bounce or your debit card declined.

By helping you out in this way, overdraft protection can save you from inconvenience and embarrassment. However, there is a hefty cost for this service. According to economic research firm Moebs $ervices, the average overdraft fee is currently $27.50. These fees are charged per overdraft transaction, so if you use your debit card four times while your account is overdrafted, you would incur four overdraft fees.

Trends in overdraft protection

Over the years, overdraft fees

By Peter Andrew

Long before he became a cop, Kevin was my best friend. So when he joined the police, it seemed natural that I'd often join him and his colleagues for an after-work drink. They were a great bunch, and I really enjoyed the time I spent with them. But as they told their job-related stories, I'd frequently think to myself how much I enjoyed being their friend, and how little I'd like to meet them professionally.

I don't know any IRS agents, but I suspect that the same would apply. They're probably charming people socially, but you really, really don't want to spend time with them when they're working.

Luckily, there are simple things you can do when filing your federal income tax return that can help you avoid finding out whether I'm right.

Beware of these 5 common mistakes to avoid Tax Trouble

Here are five common mistakes routinely made on taxes, and how they can be avoided:

1. You didn't double check
   

   Among the most common federal income tax filing mistakes are some that are so embarrassingly elementary that you wouldn't want to admit to them outside a confessional. So, before mailing your return, ask yourself these three questions:

   • Have I signed and dated the form?
   • Have I entered and triple-checked my social security number?
   • Have I attached Copy B of the W-2 form(s) my employer(s) sent me?
2. You got the math wrong
   

   According to the IRS, the most common mistake of all is people making basic errors in their arithmetic. You can

By Peter Andrew

Time was when it was, "In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love." Nowadays, young and old, male and female seem pretty focused on the subject year-round, although Valentine's Day may well trigger many to seek out their perfect partner through an online dating site. But at what cost?

How not to get dates

When I was on the dating scene, in the days before the web, I had a tried and tested five-step process for attracting new partners:

1. Meet friends at appropriate bar/club
2. Pick from a distance the person/people I wanted to chat with
3. Drink bladder-bursting quantities of beer in order to build up Dutch courage
4. Eventually, stagger across to the object of my desire, and slur--in a haze of foul alcohol fumes--some corny chat-up line
5. Receive a withering put-down/slap/false phone number

Yes, it was tried and tested, and it almost invariably failed.

How to get dates

If I were in the market for a new lover now, I'd save a fortune in bar tabs, and do my liver an enormous favor. Because I'd almost certainly try online dating. And why not? It sure can work: the last two weddings I've attended have both been the result of Internet encounters through matchmaking websites, and one 2010 study suggested that 17 percent of new marriages over the previous year had come about this way.

But what I would save in beer, I could easily spend on dating site fees. Because online dating can be quite expensive.

Putting a price on love

It's not

By Jim Sloan

Plan a beautiful Valentine's Day this year but with a difference Read the full article »