Keeping a watchful eye on your credit card balance is crucial so that you don’t overspend and take on credit card debt you can’t afford to pay back. But how do you check your balance? And what’s the ...

Kelly-Ann Franklin has spent more than two decades in journalism which has helped her build a wide knowledge base of business and personal finance topics. Her goal with editing is to ensure tough ...

Chidinma Iwu is a Journalist and Content Specialist who covers the intersection of culture, tech, and finance. Her articles can be found in Shondaland, Paste, The daily dot, the Daily Mail, The ...

Jaclyn was a CNET Money editor with a fondness for the sweet spot between numbers and words. Overseeing CNET's credit card coverage, she wrote and edited news, reviews and advice. She has experience ...

Discover how credit card validation codes work and protect against fraud. Learn about their placement, security role, and examples to secure online transactions.

Some of the links on this site contain offers from our partners. If you're looking for a new credit card from American Express, you may be able to find out if you're approved with only a soft credit ...

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. When you apply for a credit card, the issuer completes what is known as a hard inquiry, or hard pull, on ...

Whenever you can, switch to contactless payment methods to add an extra layer of security. Because your card stays with you, ...

When you apply for a credit card, you’ll quickly know whether you’ve been approved or rejected. If your application is ‘pending’, it means the lender needs time to review it, which may take a few days ...