The holidays are here, bringing that familiar urge to spend a little extra on the people we love. It’s a good feeling…until the bills arrive.

Right now, the scammers are looking to ruin this holiday season of gifting for their own benefit. Whether online or in person, these greedy grinches are after what they can grab using tried and tested methods.

Holiday travel season is near, and peak prices already tell that story: nearly 75% of Hopper customers say that as they book travel this year, they plan to spend the same or more than what they shelled out last year.

The number crunchers over at the Federal Reserve monitor how much of the nation’s disposable income goes toward household debt payments. As it turns out, the average American is spending almost 10% of their monthly income on debt payments. (Surprised? Neither are we.)

In today’s digital landscape, sophisticated identity theft and scams are on the rise. Here are some precautions you can take to safeguard yourself and your information:

So, you’ve taken the big step of consolidating your debt…kudos to you! But now what? It’s completely normal to feel disappointed if your credit hasn’t improved as quickly as you’d like, but don’t lose hope. There are actionable steps you can take to set your credit on the right path.