Best Credit Cards
Best Credit Cards, Credit & Credit Scores
0% APR Credit Cards for the Holidays: What the CFPB Says Before You Apply
The Federal Reserve's September 2026 G.19 shows 22.15% for accounts assessed interest in Q2 2026 — the rate waiting at the end of every 0% promotional credit card offer. The CFPB's guidance establishes what the 0% label doesn't cover: fees, post-promotion APR, minimum-payment formulas, and the material difference between true 0% APR and deferred-interest structures that can charge retroactive interest on the full original balance.
Best Credit Cards, Credit & Credit Scores
How Do Credit Card Rewards Actually Work? What the CFPB Data Shows
Americans earned $47.5 billion in credit card rewards in 2024 — and paid $160 billion in credit card interest the same year. That 3.4:1 ratio is the context the CFPB's market data puts around every rewards headline. This piece explains how the interchange-fee funding model works, what cash back vs. points actually return after redemption, and what the CFPB's complaint data shows about rewards that never reach cardholders.
Best Credit Cards, Credit & Credit Scores
Best Credit Card Strategy for Holiday Shopping 2026: What the CFPB Data Shows
CFPB data shows average credit card APRs reached 25.2% for general-purpose cards and 31.3% for private-label store cards in 2024. At those rates, a 2% cash-back reward earns $20 on a $1,000 balance while interest costs $252 annually. This piece breaks down the APR vs. rewards math, the critical deferred-interest vs. true 0% APR distinction, and what the September 2026 Fed rate cut does and doesn't mean for holiday shoppers.
