When times get tough most of us clip coupons, take on second job, and lean on friends and family. Some, however, turn to crime. And in our digital age, that crime is less likely to be petty robbery and more likely to be identity theft. Reports of identity theft jumped up 50 percent in 2008, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which adds that ID theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation. The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans fall victim to some kind of identity theft every year. What can you do to prevent identity theft? And what should you do if you’re a victim? [...]

Now here’s a twist on credit card promotions: American Express is offering to pay certain cardmembers $300 (on a prepaid debit card) if they pay off their balance before April 30, 2009 and close their credit card account. To take advantage, you must enroll online by Feb. 28, 2009. [...]

I’m excited to announce a $100 giveaway from Lending Club, the peer-to-peer lending site, here at Money Under 30. One lucky winner will receive $100 deposited into their Lending Club lender account. Here’s how to enter…and win! [...]

At a time most credit card companies are cutting back on rewards, how many cards they issue, and even the kinds of cards they offer, Discover has rolled out a new travel rewards cards that should turn the heads of anybody who loves to bank credit card points for free air travel. The Discover Escape Card rewards cardmembers with unlimited double miles on every dollar spent that can be redeemed for unrestricted travel on any airline, cash, or merchandise rewards with 90 partners. [...]

It’s best to buy a car with cash—but not everybody has saved up thousands of dollars when the need for new transportation strikes. Although car shoppers have several options for financing a new or used car, including many online lenders, buyers with good credit may want to consider another option available to them—a peer-to-peer personal loan of up to $25,000 like those available from Lending Club. [...]

I am intrigued by an idea I read yesterday on the top 25 on idea-sharing site Change.org: Solve the credit crisis by empowering people to lend money. Social lending sites like Lending Club and Prosper already allow investors to directly lend money to borrowers, albeit on a very small scale. But what if banks didn’t decide whom to lend money to? What if you and I were to decide? [...]

Earlier this week, my fiancee went online to pay her Citibank credit card. She logged in and was about to make a payment when she realized that the bill was due that day. Thing is, her due date had always been more than a week later in the month. Sure enough, the next statement close date was still weeks off. And yet, this month’s due date was today. [...]

I was interested to read this Wall Street Journal article describing a boom among pawnbrokers. It’s interesting to see that as credit cards clamp down on credit lines and banks aren’t lending new money, even high net worth Americans and business owners are turning to pawn shops for short-term loans to get through rough spots. Have you used a pawn shop for a short term loan? Would you? [...]

If one of your financial resolutions is to improve your credit score, you can make a lot of progress on building a better credit score in a year’s time. The key is to commit yourself to a few simple habits, take it one day at a time, and track your progress monthly. [...]

In late 2007 I first published this post entitled the “best credit cards for young people.” I decided to update it periodically, as things continue to change dramatically in the credit card lending market. Many of the cards that were the best deals a year ago have jacked their rates—or stopped accepting new cardmembers altogether. [...]