Blog Posts by CBS MoneyWatch.com

by Kathy Kristof for CBS MoneyWatch.com

You might think that new gift card rules have made the holiday shopping season safe for those wanting to give plastic rather than presents, but you'd be wrong. New rules limit hidden fees on "gift" cards, but if you call your plastic a "prepaid" card, none of the new rules apply.

More than 30 reloadable debit cards geared to teens are being launched in the first week of December, just in time for the holiday rush, according to the New York Times. These teen-oriented cards, like the just-cancelled Kardashian Kard, can charge outrageous fees with impunity.

How high are the fees? The Kardashian Kard broke all previous records, charging a minimum of $99 for one-year's use. But other cards have a plethora of hidden fees that can eat up the value of the plastic in no time.

Consider the pile of cards being launched by Plastic Cash International-a.k.a. MyPlash - that offers teen-centric cards emblazoned with images of rock stars, athletes,

by Carla Fried for CBS MoneyWatch.com

Former prom queens and cheerleaders looking for work might want to leave their photos off their resume and their public Facebook profile. According to a new academic study, hiring managers scanning resumes from female job applicants granted more interviews to "plain-looking" women or women who didn't include a photo with their resume, than they did for attractive women whose resume included a photo.

Here's what should really turn up the cocktail party chat a notch this weekend: The same study found the exact opposite is true for guys. Attractive men benefit from the "beauty premium."

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While there's long been a correlation between good looks and higher salaries -

by Sarah Lorge Butler for CBS MoneyWatch.com

Dear Santy Claus,

It feels awkward to bring this up, but I have an issue I need to discuss with you. You have a little PR problem. Sometimes there is too much exposure. (See: Palin, Bristol.) I'll be frank. You're everywhere!

I'm not trying to be critical, and no matter what, I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for you. I'll never forget the presents you brought me when I was growing up: a goldfish, a fancy coat, a dollhouse. But take this well-intentioned advice from a weary mom in Pennsylvania: It's time to scrub your image, get lost for a little while, and play hard to get.

Remember the 1970s? Every December my parents would stick my two siblings and me in the back of the Pontiac for an evening of Christmas shopping at the Worcester Galleria. There we'd wait in line for a chance to sit on your knee and tell you what we wanted. The visit was brief. We enjoyed it, but we didn't want to linger. We were a little scared and a

by Sarah Lorge Butler for CBS MoneyWatch.com

I asked my daughter what toys she would grab if she had to leave the house in a hurry. And though she couldn't quite cope with the hypothetical nature of the question - "Why, Mom, would we have to leave the house in a hurry? Couldn't I pack a suitcase? What if I laid everything out the night before?" - she finally decided she'd take her blankies, her diary, and a deck of cards.

-- Holiday Shopping: 14 Smartest Tips & Tricks

-- Holiday Gift Guide: Best Books for Kids

-- 10 Baby Things You Don't Need

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My 6-year-old is a luddite, but I think there's a lesson here. You don't need to spend a lot of money to make a kid happy.

I polled the parents I know for their kids' favorite toys, and put together a list of the ones that don't make noise, don't require

by Robert Pagliarini for CBS MoneyWatch.com

Want to learn how to save money on gifts this Christmas and not feel like a Scrooge? According to this year's National Retail Federation holiday survey, the average American will spend close to $700 this season on gifts, cards, decorations, and the like. This is one time when you want to be below average - way below. In fact, if you are in debt, just say no to gift buying this holiday. There is absolutely NO reason for you to go further into debt buying gifts for others. There are 13.6 million Americans who are still trying to pay off holiday debt from last year. Don't join them by digging yourself into a deeper hole.

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-- Holiday Shopping: 14 Smartest Tips & Tricks

If you are going to buy gifts this

by Marlys Harris for CBS MoneyWatch.com

In its annual report "Trouble in Toyland," the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, reminds us that hazards for kids lurk among the glittery arrays on store shelves. Although Congress strengthened consumer product safety legislation in 2008 after a series of toy recalls, PIRG's researchers still were able to identify toys that pose dangers to kids. Toys can poke and scrape and cut, but chief among the concerns of PIRG researchers this year were items containing lead, phthlates and other toxic metals restricted by the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Also, because choking is still the leading cause of toy-related deaths, they examined playthings that could pose such a threat.

-- Holiday Shopping: 14 Best Tips & Tricks

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by Farnoosh Torabi for CBS MoneyWatch.com

Plan to treat yourself this holiday season? Fifty-seven percent of shoppers will be making non-gift purchases for themselves this year, up 8 percent from 2009, according to the National Retail Federation. The average personal expenditure: $107.50.

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-- 4 Splurges That Make Sense

-- Christmas List: 6 Smart Shopping Tips

-- Steer Clear of Store Credit Cards

-- 4 Things Not to Buy at Target

Want my advice? Wait until after the holidays to gift yourself. With so many of us returning gifts after the holidays and retailers looking to unload excess inventory from 2010, the best deals are often found after Christmas and into the New Year. Here are the top 6 items -- some to be expected, some not -- that you may want to put on your post-holiday shopping list.

During the holidays, supermarkets and

by Stacey Bradford for CBS MoneyWatch.com

This holiday season I'm carving up my shopping budget a bit differently than I usually do. I'm skimping on the kids and splurging on my husband. (I'm hoping he spends a bit more on me too.) It's not that my girls are undeserving; it's just that some toys are so cheap this year that I'm embracing the opportunity to fritter away a bit less on them.

-- 10 Baby Things You Don't Need

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-- 4 Things Not to Buy at Target

-- Christmas List: 6 Smart Shopping Tips

-- 7 Things to Buy After Christmas

I started rethinking my budget after a series of retailers, including Target, Walmart and Toys"R"Us announced their Black Friday sales events for holiday gift items. After doing some research, I discovered that some of the toys I'm hoping to buy for my kids - including a Barbie Doll - will be discounted this year. As for the things that