The big cost is the emotional trauma.

If it's worth some peace of mind for some people, for $25 a year, I'm not going to tell you not to do it.

It doesn't sound like it will help very many people. And that's the bottom line.

You can complain to a small bank, but you can't always complain to a big bank. When you talk to people at a small bank, they actually have the authority to make decisions.

Gift cards are popular because you don't have to buy a gift, ... You just have to know where they like to shop.

States and consumer advocates think that gift card fees, such as deductions every month if you don't use the card, are unfair to consumers. Many states, led by California, have enacted legislation severely limiting or even banning such fees.

It is outrageous that inaccurate credit reports could damage one in four consumer's ability to buy a home, rent an apartment, obtain credit, open a bank account, or even get a job.

You don't need to spend $79 or more to monitor your credit. It's a gimmick designed to inflate the revenue at the bureaus. It's not going to prevent ID theft. It may give you a little bit of early warning. But it doesn't matter enough for you to pay that amount of money.

We've seen some slight improvement ... but we are finding too many playgrounds that are unsafe.