Many people use both credit and debit cards interchangeably out of habit. The main difference between a debit and a credit card purchase is that a debit card creates a DIRECT link to your bank account and money can be taken out quickly. Generally, a debit card is fine for most things, but the following 4 purchases should be made with a credit card whenever possible:

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The holiday shopping season will be in full gear this time next week, but it's not always the shopper that needs to be wary. This week, we received a concerned email from a local consumer who had placed an ad on Craigslist to sell her furniture. Someone had inquired about her ad, but unfortunately was too busy to come by in person to pick it up and wanted instead to send a check to pay for the furniture. Sounds innocent enough right? Here is where it gets interesting...

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On April 28, 2010, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it has begun mailing out more than 34,000 checks to consumers who were identified as victims of scams using the wire transfer company MoneyGram International, Inc.

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