ConsumerMan with Herb Weisbaum- msnbc.com

For the first time since they became so popular, gift cards sales are expected to drop this year – anywhere from 6 to 9 percent. Not all cards are bad, but here's what to look out for. Full story

More ConsumerMan

Shady retirement seminars

Credit card 101

Stretch your holiday budget

When winning is really losing

Prepaid phone cards probed

Ask the ConsumerMan

Q&A: Credit score concern

Will programmable thermostat save me money?

Why acetone damages cars (and other answers)

How often should I change motor oil?

How long will my car last?

Will the battery in my hybrid keep going?

Automotive

Fender bender nonsense

Crash tests still need work

Get a cheap cell headset

Don't gab and drive

Think before selling gas hog

Protect your GPS unit from thieves

Sleazy auto warranty telemarketers sued

Sleazy auto warranty scam

How much has your car depreciated?

Leasing a car may only look cheaper

Summer is prime time for car thieves

Blind spots are a deadly flaw for most SUVs

Safety first when buying a car

Buying Advice

Stretch your holiday budget

Buying organics on a budget

Backyard grilling guide

Be a smart holiday shopper

Do your homework before buying

Credit Cards

Credit card 101

Debit cards dangers

Beware of debit card skimmers

Capricious credit card rates

Dark side of reward cards

Reining in credit card nonsense

Holidays are over; it's time to pay up

Why are credit card rates still out of control?

Credit card companies under attack

GAO report lifts lid on card industry

Proposed changes to credit card regulations

Are gas-rebate cards for you?

Avoid getting socked with extra fees

Customer Service

Avoid this online ticket broker

Consumers fed up with e-commerce sites

Have a gripe? Join the club!

Poor customer service? Join the club

What happened to customer service?

Customer service demise: Readers react

Financial

Just say no to gift cards

Shady retirement seminars

Aggressive debt collectors

Crackdown on payday lenders

Dissatisfaction with tax pros

Reining in credit card nonsense

Don't rush your IRS refund

Avoid the pitfalls of gift cards

Counterfeit checks an Internet menace

BBB warns students of scholarship scams

Want to be your own broker? Here's help

Is ID theft insurance worthwhile?

Food

Be skeptical of food labels

Buying organics on a budget

What does ‘organic’ really mean?

Saving some green at the supermarket

Health & Medical

Drug ads come under fire

Joining a gym? Don't get ripped off

Diet-pill pushers get pushed back

Diet pill fraud: 'Tip of the iceberg'

Are sugar substitutes bad for you?

Don't get burned by sunscreen products

Home

Don't get burned by shoddy home inspection

Getting flowers? Keep them fresh

Tips for remodeling your kitchen

How to sell your house in a cooling market

Cool housing market is buyer's opportunity

Internet

Stretch your holiday budget

No such thing as a free HDTV

Consumers fed up with e-commerce sites

Cyber-attacks get 'more aggressive'

Urban legends banned-April Fools'!

Don't get hooked this phishing season

Suit charges spyware holds users hostage

Odds & Ends

Say goodbye to robo-calls

Are you a green consumer? Take the quiz

Glut of phone directories

Don't let card numbers slip away

Become a 'defensive' consumer

Stop the catalog madness!

It's time for consumer issues to get attention

Test your consumer smarts

Be careful what you feed your pet

Why are TV commercials so loud?

The Ten Consumer Commandments

When are Social Security numbers required?

Can Uncle Sam tax your income twice?

Who can ask for your Social Security number?

Phones

Prepaid phone cards probed

ConsumerMan: Don't gab and drive

Our love-hate relationship with cell phones

Spam nuisance spreads to text messaging

Protect data on old cell phone

Do you need cell insurance?

Cell insurance companies settle

Life gets easier for junk-fax peddlers

How to stop annoying junk fax calls

Should I ditch my land-based home phone?

Safety

A victory for consumers

Fender bender nonsense

Crash tests still need work

Get a cheap cell headset

Don't gab and drive

Buy toys without worry

Toy recall mess leaves parents frustrated

Recalled toys find second life on eBay

Trouble in Toyland: Children at risk

Smoke, like a fingerprint, is unique

Be careful what you feed your pet

Carbon monoxide poisoning on the rise

Why are these toys being sold?

E. coli aftermath: Who's accountable?

FDA official: ‘Something needs to change’

E. coli outbreak points to FDA weakness

Shredders pose danger to toddlers

Scams

When winning is really losing

Prepaid phone cards probed

Debit cards dangers

Beware of debit card skimmers

Beware Web's 'scareware'

Beware of Canadian 'granny scam'

Avoid this online ticket broker

Digital converter offer a scam

No such thing as a free HDTV

Travel clubs — Deal or no deal

Sleazy extended warranty telemarketers sued

Sleazy auto warranty scam

Give to charity, but don't be a sucker

Counterfeit checks an Internet menace

Secret-shopping scam: 2 for the price of 1

BBB warns of shady foreclosure rescue firms

Spam nuisance spreads to text messaging

That e-mail from the IRS? It’s not from the IRS

BBB warns students of scholarship scams

Don't fall for this locksmith scam

Con artists targeting dog lovers

Military families the target of scam

Don't get hooked by latest phishing scam

Don't fall for debt relief scams

Don't cash that check! It's a scam

ConsumerMan: Beware of 'free' offers

'Vishing' scams use your telephone to hook you

Travel

Travel clubs — Deal or no deal

Planes will be packed this summer

'Guest-gouging' on the rise at hotels

7 tips for a smooth vacation abroad

Tips for avoiding air travel hassles

advertisement | your ad here

Consumer news

Girl’s death sparks window blind recall

Government warns about inexpensive toys

Sharp, others plead guilty to LCD price-fixing

As debt mounts, bill collector complaints surge

Customers to get more control of junk mail

10 Tips

More |

It’s not too late! Find a seasonal job

How to prepare for an impending layoff

10 Tips: Buy a scooter, save gas money

10 Tips: Starting a home-based business

10 Tips: Save with a vacation rental

Your career

More |

Your Career: Entitlements of the unemployed

Your Career: The spirit of giving at work

Struggling companies ax 401(k) match

Your Career: Be wary of that 'noncompete'

Companies prefer layoffs to pay cuts

The Answer Desk

Explaining the oil bust

Cash out my 401(K) or hang on?

The debt legacy

Time to end oil tax breaks?

A 401(k) urban legend

Personal finance

Answer Desk: Explaining the oil bust

Gift from the Post Office: lower shipping costs

Parents: Cutback kids’ college or retirement?

$672 a month gets little help from food stamps

Answer Desk: Cash out my 401(k) or hang on?

ConsumerMan

Send Herb Weisbaum an e-mail and he may answer your issue in his upcoming column on msnbc.com.

Send an e-mail | ConsumerMan home

advertisement | your ad here

RSS FEEDS ON MSNBC.COM

Add these headlines to your news reader

ConsumerMan

Learn more about RSS

10 Tips

Got your own favorite tips? Or do you have a question? Send them to MSNBC.com columnist Laura T. Coffey.

Send an e-mail | 10 Tips home

Consumer blog

Read Bob Sullivan's blog on bureaucracy, sneakiness and scams

Resource guide

Get Your 2008 Credit Score

Find a business to start

Try for Free

Search Jobs

Find Your Dream Home

$7 trades, no fee IRAs

Find your next car