Where can I find helpful articles on credit cards?

Plenty of helpful articles on the topic of credit cards and their use are available online and in print. Being that we live in the Internet age, most of us will find out information on credit cards and companies via Internet searches and our favorite informational websites. That’s certainly a great place to start if you’re looking for credit card articles.

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Credit cards have become an integral part of modern life as we quickly transition away from the old payment methods of cash and personal checks. In fact, credit card usage has become so prolific that the U.S. Census Bureau projects one out of every three Americans will use at least one credit card regularly during 2012. Furthermore, the fact that the average credit card user has three cards in his wallet means there will be in excess of 1.1 billion cards used this year.

Are news outlets publishing helpful credit card articles?

News outlets are one of the greatest sources of information regarding credit cards and their usage, primarily because they are in the information business.

News outlets typically keep track of annual stats on credit card companies, changes in regulations, and other similar topics. The only thing to remember about articles from news outlets is the fact that they are in the business of selling news. Their reporting might not necessarily be as objective as government reports.

One good example of a news outlet where you can find good credit card articles is CNN Money’s personal finance section. At the time of this writing, they had one brand-new credit card article just published the same day. Browsing through the entire index of personal finance articles it was easy to see that there were dozens to choose from, all of which had been published within the previous 12 months. Other news outlets you might consider trying include BusinessWeek, Yahoo! Finance, and SmartMoney. Discovery Networks “How Stuff Works” has a great in-depth article explaining the mechanics of credit cards.

What government agencies provide helpful credit card articles?

In addition to news outlets, you can find helpful credit card articles on a variety of government websites. The websites you’re after will depend on the specific subject matter you’re looking for.

For example, the U.S. Census Bureau is responsible for publishing much of the raw data used in various credit card studies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also publishes good articles, but most of their material has to do with consumer news and other related matters. The FTC is a good source of information about regulatory changes and such.

One of the best government sites with credit card information is The Federal Reserve Board’s credit card consumer guide. On this website, you’ll find a lot of great information about how credit cards work, including what the government requires of credit card issuers, how to read your monthly bill, and how to use your credit cards responsibly. The Federal Reserve Board site is potentially the most important one the average consumer could avail himself of.

Can I find helpful credit card articles at the library?

If you don’t have Internet access or can’t find what you’re looking for online, your local public library is another source of great credit card articles. You can begin by looking in the financial section of the nonfiction books. You should be able to find several informational books detailing credit cards and their usage.

You can also scour the library’s periodicals looking for things like Fortune 500 Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes magazine. All of these types of resources should have good credit card articles.

If you would prefer to supplement your article reading with videos, your library is a good source for those as well. Keep in mind that smaller libraries with limited resources may not have extensive video collections.

On the other hand, libraries in larger metropolitan areas like New York and Chicago will most likely have extensive collections with plenty of video options to choose from. Again, you want to look for names like Forbes, Fortune 500, and so on.

Suffice it to say there is plenty of information regarding the major credit cards available from a multitude of resources. There is really no reason for consumers to apply for and use credit cards carelessly with so much information available.

Once you’ve read enough articles to know what you’re looking for, our FREE credit card chaser is an excellent way for you to compare different credit cards for your needs!