Remember when the weather was the preferred topic of smalltalk? I used to get tired of chatting about whether a cold spell was going to break or the old “heat vs. humidity” conversation.

Now, I long for them.

That’s because the chat choice d’jour is now the economy. You can’t stand in line at the supermarket or the DMV for more than a few minutes before someone will start talking about just how lousy things are right now. A few short years ago, people seemed to take some kind of perverse satisfaction in predicting blizzards, hurricanes and droughts based on a week’s worth of weather. Today, they get that same look in their eye when confronting strangers with tales of escalating unemployment and a looming Depression.

We can play chicken and egg with this. Is the constant chit-chat about the falling economic sky persuading media outlets to focus more and more on grim economic news, or is the media’s obsession with any negative economic indicator and its horrific potential consequences feeding the conversation?

It really doesn’t matter. The result is the same. Everyone seems convinced that our economy is on death’s door and that soup lines will soon be forming in front of abandoned auto dealerships. The swollen ranks of the homeless will be stacked like cordwood in the shells of emptied shopping malls. Economic Armegeddon is upon us.

The disproportionate negativity is annoying. It might also be dangerous because it influences the way we assess real risks in our every day life.

I recently came across an interesting article about risk analysis in the IT field. It mentioned that people are prone to overestimating a risk when they’re too close to an issue. They lose the necessary objectivity to reasonably assess the likelihood of events because they’re so wrapped up in the analysis of every shred of risk-related information about a topic. When you get too close, you make poor decisions.

It’s very likely that many people are getting a little too close to the doom and gloom reports about our economy and it really makes one wonder if that’s not leading to some very poor decisionmaking. All of this chit-chat from our neighbors, co-workers and evening news anchors may be negatively influencing our personal ability to conduct reasonable risk analysis.

Before the faltering economy became a focus of attention, expert recommended that one should save about six months worth of salary as a cushion before quitting a job to start something new. That seemed like a reasonable buffer for those who wanted to flex a litte entrepreneurial muscle.

Today, if you talk about intentionally quitting your job to do create a new business, people look at you as if you’re insane. They can’t believe that anyone would give up steady work “at a time like this”. Experts recommend holding onto unrewarding jobs if they’re bearable until things get better.

How many entrepreneurs with great ideas and the potential to help energize the economy have we lost due to the fear of a cruel economic fate reserved for those willing to walk away from employment?

When the markets began to fall, people began cutting back on 401k contributions. Some even pulled their money out completely, regardless of the tax implications.

How much did they lose in the process relative to where they might be five years from now had they held things together? How much did those panic withdrawals encourage a further drop in the markets?

I won’t argue that everything is right in the world. Nor will I maintain that recent legislative actions have a strong likelihood of rejuvenating an economy in recession. However, I also won’t join in announcing the death of the U.S. economy and I certainly don’t plan to start hoarding canned goods and ammunition any time soon.

I’m just trying to dodge a constant stream of negative information and I’m working a little harder to get to the truth about our economic future. It doesn’t necessarily look rosy, but I don’t think we’ll be wearing barrels and eating dirt by July, either.

I guess you could say I’m trying to stay just far enough away from the details of your sister’s friend’s layoff and the news about how they’re cutting part-time hours at the big box store that it all doesn’t overwhelm me or my ability to assess real risks and probabilities. I don’t want to get too close because I don’t want to overreact, even though overreaciton seems to be replacing baseball as our national pastime.

That’s what I’m doing.  Oh, I’m also talking about the weather.

You know Van Helsing, right?  He’s the famed vampire hunter of books and film.  While vampires and phantoms of all sorts victimize the unsuspecting, Van Helsing is out there with a wooden stake in one hand an a mallet in the other.

Okay, my frugal-minded friends, it’s time to play Van Helsing!  You need to go on a vampire hunt.  Instead of tracking down the reflectionless bloodsuckers, however, you’re going to target a different vampiric beast.  I’m talking about vampire appliances.

Vampire appliances.  We all have them and they’re exacting a toll on all of us.  You don’t need to worry about your refrigerator sneaking into your bedroom and nibbling on your jugular.  These vampires prefer electrical energy over blood, waste and inefficiency over immortality and shape-changing.

Vampire appliances are the various gadgets in your house that continue to suck electricty even while you’re not using them.  If they’re plugged in, they’re running up your energy bill.  No single device is probably squandering a terror-inducing about of electricity, but the combined effect of your home’s vampire hoard could account for a significant part of your monthly utility bill.  It’s a scary enough proposition that the Department of Energy

recommends unplugging when possible.

Appliances with transformers are often part of the wasteful army of the undead.  Your cell phone chargers and other similar power adapters are notorious for drawing electricity even when they’re not connected to anything.  If you’ve ever walked into a darkened room, you’ve probably been greeted by the red and green eyes of other vampires.  These are appliances that stay partially on even when you’re not using them.  They suck “standby” electricity to prepare them for the moment you put them into use by tapping a remote control.  Other vampires are less obvious in their presence.  Many older electronic appliances can sip electricity all night long.

The best way to beat these monsters?  Unplug the appliances when they’re not in use.  If you don’t relish the idea of reaching behind the entertainment center and contorting your body into something worthy of the center stage at a Cirque de Soleil show, you can opt for a power strip with an “off” switch.

So, defeating the beasts doesn’t require a great deal of real effort, time or expense.  Nonetheless, it does require you to do something so we should probably make some determination of the value of playing electrical Van Helsing.  How much money will unplugging electrical devices really put back into your pocket?

That’s going to depend on two variables:  The price you’re paying for electricity and the particular appliances in your home.  Overall, it seems as though people regularly suggest you can save 5% – 7% or more on your power bill by fighting vampires.  Some people report significantly larger savings, others claim that the trimming is trivial.

That’s really only part of the story, though.  By consuming less electricity, you reduce overall demand for energy.  This, in turn, has advantages on a conservation level and on a price level.  Reduced demand results in lower prices.  Thus, your 5% savings is contributing to the possibility of an eventual rate cut for electricity.  True, one person’s actions aren’t going to change our plugged in society.   If enough people unplugged, however, it could theoretically have a price-reducing impact.

So, fighting those phantom power suckers ala Van Helsing will save you mone while reducing your environmental impact and contributing to a reduction in demand for power.  All things considered, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

You don’t need the wooden stake.  You can grab a power strip instead.  Don’t worry about draping a garlic necklace around your neck, either.  You can substitute the willingness to take an extra second to flip a switch or to pull a plug.  Going unplugged will be a hard habit to start, but once it’s in place you’ll be killing vampires like a professional  hunter.

What do polar bears, bald eagles, wolves and cash back rewards programs all have in common?  If you guessed the Discover® More(SM) Card – Wildlife Collection, you were right.  This entry in the Discover More card line allows you to choose from a variety of different animal portraits to grace the front of your card and combines that little bit of wildlife with an industry-leading cash back rewards program.

The Discover® More(SM) Card – Wildlife Collection is targeted toward those who have relatively strong credit and who are more interested in a cash back reward program than they are in accumulating frequent flier miles or pursuing some of the other credit card perks.  If you are not carrying a FICO score of at least 700, the Discover® More(SM) Card – Wildlife Collection probably is not the right card for you.  If you are, it can make an excellent choice.

When you evaluate a credit card, the first place to look is at the terms (even before you look at the animal portrait options!).  The Discover® More(SM) Card – Wildlife Collection offers exactly what you would expect from a relatively upscale card.
The APR can vary based on the applicant, but will range from a very strong 11.9% to a still acceptable 19.9%.  There is no annual fee associated with the card and you can transfer a balance to this Discover product without making interest payments for as long as a year.
Discover sweetens the pot with solid extras like significant travel insurance and automobile rental insurance.  As is the case with all of their products, they provide a very good fraud protection policy, as well.  Discover is often cited as an industry leader in both online and offline buyer protection and this card comes with all of the safety bells and whistles you could possibly need.

All of that would be reason enough to give the Discover® More(SM) Card – Wildlife Collection a thumbs-up, but the cash rewards program is what really cinches the deal.  General purchases earn 1% cash back or more.  In some cases, you can earn as much as 5%, depending on where and how much you are shopping.  Discover regularly offers special promotions and retailers will often give additional rebates to More shoppers.

Obviously, that is one strong rewards package.  Believe it or not, it gets better.  In addition to the nice payout scheme and the fair terms and conditions associated with the cash rewards policy, you can actually redeem your accumulated rebates for double their value when you purchase gift certificates from one of the many Discover partner companies.  This is a very strong opportunity to double the value of the program, as the roster of companies involved is really quite diverse and impressive.  Overall, the rewards program for this Discover credit card option really is one of the strongest on the market.

When you combine that with the already-strong core terms, this is definitely a card worth considering.   If you have are looking for a premium-quality card that’s willing to give you a great cash back offer, it’s time to start determining which animal you’d like to grace the front of your Discover® More(SM) Card – Wildlife Collection.  It is a good card whether you are excited about that baby seal or you are more interested in the deer!

The Discover® More(SM) Card – Sealife Collection is part of the overall Discover More line.  As the name suggests, it features an image of a fish and various sea flora on its front, making it aesthetically ideal for the ocean lovers in need of a credit card.

However, the presence of absence of various ocean dwellers really is not going to be the difference maker when looking at a credit card.  If the terms look right and the extras are solid, you might choose this version of the card if that is your thing.  If the terms are miserable and the only extras are extra hidden fees, you are not going to care if the card has a picture of your dear old mom on it.  A bad deal is a bad deal.

Fortunately, the Discover® More(SM) Card – Sealife Collection is not a bad deal.  In fact, it is really a very nice credit card option.  It would fall into the “premium” card category based on its terms and added benefits.

If you have a poor credit history the Discover® More(SM) Card – Sealife Collection will not your best credit card choice.  It is targeted toward those with good, established credit histories.  It appears as though it is very difficult to receive an approval unless you have a FICO score of 720 or higher, in fact.

If you do qualify, however, you will probably want to snap this card right up.  The APR is variable, ranging from 11.9% to 19.9%.  Discover allows balance transfers to the card on a nice 12-month no-interest plan.  As is usually the case with higher-end cards of this sort, the Discover® More(SM) Card – Sealife Collection does not have any annual fees.

Of course, you do get more than just a solid credit card deal.  There are some very nice extras, too.  Cardholders get travel insurance and rental car insurance.  Discover also offers a nice fraud protection plan and a secondary card number for online purchases.

Sounds good, right?  Well, if that was all the Discover® More(SM) Card – Sealife Collection had to offer, it would still be a nice choice.  The fact that it comes with a very nice cash reward, however really makes it irresistible.  It is one of the most popular aspects of this particular Discover card.

You can earn up to 5% back in cash rewards with the More card.  The rates vary based upon where you are shopping and what you are buying.  Some retailers will cook up special offers for cardholders and Discover frequently runs bonus promotions.  On top of that already impressive deal, you can actually redeem your points for double value by purchasing gift certificates from the companies with whom Discover partners.  That is a bigger bonus than you may think, too, as Discover has arranged deals with an impressive roster of companies.  Overall, it is one of the most impressive programs on the market and a very strong point in favor of this particular credit card offer.

So, if you’re looking for a solid credit card with terms that are quite fair and a very nice bonus program, you should give the Discover® More(SM) Card – Sealife Collection a great deal of consideration.  It is strongly recommended.

Show your patriotism every time you make a purchase with the Discover® More (SM) Card – American Flag.  Not only will you give the cashier an opportunity to consider the majesty of Old Glory, you will also get a shot at some really strong cash back rewards from Discover.

Let us be honest.  Even the most gung-ho American would not make his or her credit card decision on the basis of whether it carried a photo of the U.S. flag.  We are all more interested in the actual terms and bonuses than we are in the imagery.  It is nice for Discover to offer a more card with the flag design for those who like it, but it is not a deciding characteristic.

Instead, the impressive terms and powerhouse cash back program is what lead people to sign up for this particular card.  In other words, it would be a good card to have in your billboard even without the patriot iconography.

Before we dig into the details, let us establish some context.  Discover® More (SM) Card – American Flag is not a card for those who have had a tough time with credit.  This is a premium card designed for those with strong credit scores.  Those with lower FICO scores should look at other options.

If you do qualify, the rates are nice.  At the time of this piece’s writing, the APR varied between 11.99% and 19.99%.  Balance transfers to the More card are interest free for the first 12 months after transfer, too.  This is a premium card.  As such, there is no annual fee.

There are, however, several additional extras that come with the Discover® More (SM) Card – American Flag.  Cardholders receive travel insurance, auto rental insurance and a very strong set of anti-fraud protections.

Putting Betsy Ross’ creation on your credit card also qualifies you for something every red-blooded American loves more than baseball, hot dogs, cherry pies or Chevrolets–a cash back rewards program.  In addition, it is a good one.  Discover is generous with their policy and has done a good job of rounding out in a way that provides maximum value to those with a  Discover® More (SM) Card – American Flag.

You can get up to 5% in rebates on some purchases.  Generally, speaking you qualify for 1%, which is still better than most.  There are a number of retailers who offer special deals that involve additional rebates, which can make it very nice to have that Discover® More (SM) Card – American Flag in your wallet.  If you redeem for gift certificates with members of Discover’s partner network, you can get double value, too.  It is one of the best cash back programs out there.  Do not think for a second that you will not actually use that opportunity–even if you are not a gift card lover by nature, you will become one after you see the assortment of offers and realize you are getting double points by picking them up.

Whether you are prone to humming the national anthem all day long or not, the Discover® More (SM) Card – American Flag is a rock-solid card selection.  It is a serious card for people with FICOs at 720 or more with nice terms and a very generous cash back rewards program.

The Discover® More (SM) Card – Monogram has you name written all over it.  Well, actually it just has your initials on it.  But it’s still a great fit for anyone looking for a quality credit card with a strong cash back bonus plan.

The fact that the Discover® More (SM) Card – Monogram can be personalized with your initials is nice, but none of us should be making personal finance decisions based on how a piece of plastic look.  We need to be much more concerned with the terms and extra features than we are with appearances.  In the final analysis, most of us would prefer a hideously ugly credit card with awesome terms to a beautiful one that drives us slowly to the poorhouse.

Luckily, the Discover® More (SM) Card – Monogram really is a solid card.  It’s not for everyone, but if you fit the target audience you’ll undoubtedly want to slide it into your wallet.  The card is designed for people who have strong credit and want a card that offers a cash reward program.  If you’re struggling with your credit score or would prefer a different bonus structure, it won’t be your best option.  If you do fit the target audience, however, you’re going to love this card.

The interest rate varies based on the applicant.  At the time of this article’s writing, it could fall anywhere from 11.99% to 19.99%.  This isn’t a card for everyone and the fact that Discover weeds out high risk applicant for the Discover® More (SM) Card – Monogram allows them to offer a package that doesn’t contain numerous hidden feeds.  You don’t even need to pay that credit card industry standard known as the “annual fee” with this offering.  If you make a balance transfer from another card to the More card, you won’t pay interest on the transfer for twelve months.

Cardholders also receive extra benefits like travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance and a very strong fraud protection system.  Various retailers will frequently offer special discounts that More cardholders can access.

The good terms are only part of the story.  The Discover® More (SM) Card – Monogram also comes with a very strong cash back reward program.  More users can secure a 5% cash back bonus when they make purchases in categories like travel, gas, restaurants, and movies.  All other purchases qualify for as much as a 1% back back bonus.  Impressively, you can get a double bonus if you redeem your rebates with Discover Card Partners for gift certificates.  Don’t believe for a second that you couldn’t find a way to do that.  Discover has relationships with an impressive array of retailers.  Discover won’t cap rebate accumulation and the rebates don’t expire unless your account is inactive for three full years.

If you plan on using a card enough that a cash back bonus program makes sense to you, the Discover® More (SM) Card – Monogram is a perfect option.  It’s a nice strong card with a wonderful set of extras.

Plus, you can put your initials on it!

Okay, let us get the obvious part of this review out of the way right from the beginning.  The Discover® Student Card – Clear looks cool.  The whole see-through design thing is ultra-modern and looks a lot better than most of the plastic rectangles you can slide into your wallet.

Unless you are absolutely insane, however, you cannot choose a credit card based on how nice it is going to look as you hand it over to a gas station attendant.  Picking a card is about looking at the terms and benefits.  Luckily, this particular Discover credit card offering is strong in value as it is in the aesthetics.  It is a good-looking card, but it is a plain ol’ good card, too.

It is a student card.  That means it is designed for people who don’t yet have substantial credit histories but who also don’t have a history of financial mismanagement.  While card companies used to offer lower grade cards to their younger demographic, the  Discover® Student Card – Clear is a sign that might be changing.  It combines good terms with a very strong feature set.

Let us look at those terms.  The interest rate is currently set at 14.99%.  That is not the best APR in the universe of credit cards, but it is quite competitive.  It is also much lower than what many other student-oriented cards offer.  This entry in the Discover student line does not have an annual fee, meaning there is no hidden expense in setting up your account.  You get high-quality fraud protection and online management tools as a Discover® Student Card – Clear cardholder.

Discover has not been around as long as Visa and MasterCard, but these days it is hard to find places that do not take it.  It is an almost universal card, giving you tremendous purchasing power and flexibility.

Based on that information alone, it would make sense to consider applying for the card.  When you look at the rewards program Discover has put together, the value of the Discover® Student Card – Clear becomes even more apparent.

The cashback rebate plan allows you get score rebates at a level of 1% if you are spending at least $3,000 per year with your card.  Do not worry if you do not plan to use it that much, though.  You still earn rewards at a slightly lower rate if you are not using the card that much.

In addition, you can often secure a massive 5% rebate.  That is because discover rotates popular spending categories on a quarterly basis.  When you make a purchase in that category, that purchase qualifies for a whopping five percent rebate.  There are also special opportunities for “double cash back” rewards.

So, what do you get when you combine a fantastic modern look with a fair set of base terms and a powerhouse rewards program?  You get a winner.  The Discover® Student Card – Clear does a great job of putting together a fair base package and adding the kind of rewards you would expect from a higher-end or professional card.  If you are in the market for a high-quality student credit card, you should apply for the Discover® Student Card – Clear right away.

For a long time, student cards were among the worst offers the credit card companies could dream up.  They would hit their younger customers with higher interest rates, more fees and fewer extra benefits, reserving the “good stuff” for their older clientele with proven credit histories.
Fortunately, competition within has increased in that segment of the market.  Today, the major players are issuing much stronger student options than in the past.  One strong performer is the Discover® Student Card.

The Discover® Student Card gets the job done by offering perfectly reasonable core terms and complementing them with the kind of cashback rewards program you’d expect to see in a higher-end card designed for more established customers.

The basic terms for the Discover® Student Card compare favorably with most of the other cards in this niche.  They don’t charge the cardholder an annual fee.  As of the time of this article’s writing, the APR was set at 14.99%.  Discover extends a 0% interest rate for six months on new purchases.

Based on these facts alone, the Discover® Student Card warrants attention.  When you begin to look at the extra benefits, you’ll quickly realize that it really is a cut above the others.

The Discover card designed for students offers cash rebates.  If you spend more than $3,000 per year, you qualify for a full 1% cash rebate.  If your card use doesn’t reach that level, you still qualify for rebates at a lower percentage.  You can earn up to a whopping $500 per year via the rebate plan.

The plan is actually even more valuable than it appears.  That’s because Discover provides an impressive 5% cash back plan in special categories, which change every three months.  These aren’t outlandish categories, either.  Past quarters have featured travel and gasoline, restaurants and movies, and other things for which you’d really use the Discover® Student Card for anyway.  That’s like getting extra cash back for living your life the way you normally do.

Then, the Discover turns it up another notch.  If you make purchases with Discover Partners (and that includes a number of major retailers), you qualify for the 5% mark and even double value rebates when you’re buying gift cards.  With a little bit of smart shopping, one can save a small fortune thanks to this unique feature.

That rewards program comes on the top of all of the other features you’d expect from a major credit card offering.  You have full online account management capabilities, fraud protection and even a second card number set up exclusively for online purchases–a great way to enhance your online shopping security.

You’re also dealing with a well-recognized and reputable lender.  Discover is accepted virtually everywhere these days.  It’s remarkable market penetration is a direct result of the way they attract and take care of their customer base.

If you’re looking for a student card, it’s hard to beat the Discover® Student Card.  It’s anything but a watered down card for a younger demographic.  It’s the real deal, custom-tailored to meet student needs and featuring a very good rewards program.