Credit card debt will sneak up on you if you're not paying attention. You'll feel like you woke up one day with a mountain of credit card debt and only the faintest clue how it got there. If think back, you may realize you noticed some of the signs of credit card debt, but didn't realize they were actually signs of credit card debt. For example, did you find yourself ignoring credit card bills when they came in the mail? Or perhaps you shuffled debt from one card to another with balance transfers?

If you're doing a good job of managing your credit cards right now, make sure you can recognize the signs of credit card debt. On the other hand, if you find yourself struggling with debt, you can make a plan to get out of it. Read: 10 Signs You're Headed For Credit Card Debt

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Using your credit card to shop online can be riskier than when you use it in person. That's because it's easier for credit card thieves to create fake websites than it is to create fake stores.

When you use your credit card online, be on guard for impostor websites and other scams designed to steal your credit card information.

Read: Online Credit Card Shopping Tips

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Have you ever signed up for a free trial offer for a product, but had to use your credit card to pay for shipping? If so, you may have been a victim of the "negative option" scam where the retailer continues to charge you even after the free trial because of something in the small print.

When you sign up for these free trial offers, there's usually a statement that you must uncheck to say you don't want to join a club to continue receiving products or services in the future. The box is typically checked automatically. If you happen to pass over it and leave it checked, you'll see future charges on your credit card. In some cases, you might even sign up for multiple offers and get several charges on your credit card.

After receiving many complaints, Visa has stopped payment processing services for 100 of these retailers. They're also planning to work with the FTC and the Better Business Bureau to warn consumers about these trials.

How can you avoid such a scam? Read more...

A new service will allow you to let your friends, and the world, know everything you've purchased on your credit score. From a Washington Post article, I understand that Blippy is similar to Twitter, except it posts your credit card transactions, showing how much you spent, where you spent it, and in some cases, a detailed list of what you bought. Similar to Facebook statuses, your friends can "Like" what you purchased and even comment on your transactions.

Could Blippy encourage credit card debt? I can imagine some users would increase their spending so more transactions would show up on Blippy. They might even use the service to show off in front of their friends, saying "Look what I bought." Read more...