EconomyEinstein

Thinking of using that gift card that was given to you? You better hurry up! If you're holding a gift card from a bankrupt retailer such as the Sharper Image or Linens 'n Things, you may as well keep it as a souvenir.

Have an old debt that you thought was out of your life? Get a call out of the blue asking you to settle a debt that's old? Beware. Scavenger collector firms will oftentimes buy old debt for as little as a penny on the dollar and then try to collect. Be very careful because you could be back on the hook.

Swipe your debit card at the checkout register and there's an increasing chance that more than the purchase price and tax will be subtracted from your checking account. A fee for using the debit card also may be deducted. Debit card fees have been around a long time but they used to be pretty rare; now they're much more common.

The key to avoiding this charge is to say "credit card" when asked if you want your purchase treated as debit or credit. Here's the rest of the story [Source: bankrate.com]