Personal Finance

Debit cards are the most popular non-cash transaction method in the U.S., with about 5.1 billion debit cards in circulation and $1.4 trillion in debit card purchases each year. Despite this popularity factor, using a debit card is generally a bad idea compared to alternative payment methods. Here are the reasons that you should generally avoid paying with a debit card.

Reasons to Avoid Paying with a Debit Card

If you currently rely on debit cards for most of your purchases and orders, then don’t miss these major reasons why you should avoid paying with a debit card.

Legal Protections Against Fraud 

According to Nasdaq, 31.8 million American consumers’ credit cards were breached in 2014 and the number of both credit and debit card breaches is supposed to rise 34% from 2014 to 2018. Globally, fraud losses on credit, debit, and prepaid cards hit $16.31 billion in 2014.

And, number is expected to fluctuate based on the increasing shift towards EMV cards (with chips imbedded in the card to prevent counterfeiting) and new technologies to prevent identity and financial theft.

For the time being, there are laws in place to protect consumers from fraud as much as possible. Most major credit card companies offer theft protection for their cardholders, which include both zero-responsibility policies for fraudulent purchases and email or text alerts when a large purchase is made far from the cardholder’s residence.

Under federal laws, credit cardholders are not liable for more than $50 of fraudulent transactions made on their card (again, many credit card companies don’t even hold you liable for a penny).

The story is somewhat different for debit cardholders, however. Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, debit cardholders have to notify their bank within 2 days of noticing a lost or missing debit card, just to qualify for the $50 loss liability limit.

If you notify your bank within a 2-60 day window, then you won’t be liable for more than $500 in fraudulent charges on your card. Waiting longer than 60 days to report the fraud may cost you the entire amount scammed from your account. Worse still, even if you were to eventually receive a refund, you won’t have access to these funds until the claim investigation concludes.

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Lesley-Anne Scorgie is the founder of MeVest, a money school helping North Americans reach their financial potential. She’s also the bestselling author of Modern Couple’s Money Guide, Well-Heeled and Rich By Thirty. Follow her @LesleyScorgie

What causes trouble in paradise isn’t who picked up their socks or took out the trash (though those things can be annoying too). It’s money; how it’s spent, saved, invested and given.

According to Capital One, 8 in 10 couples fight about money and nearly half feel their partner’s attitude towards money is different from their own . Monetary philosophies are deeply rooted in a person’s values, thus financial compatibility is as important as personality. “Money problems” are cited as a leading cause of divorce and are rarely about money . They’re representations of issues like independence, greed, trust, respect, and commitment.

Take for example a couple where one partner is a compulsive spender and the other is a saver. The saver is bound to feel like their honey is putting the couple’s dreams for the future in jeopardy just to keep up with the latest and greatest cars, clothes, shoes, home décor and more.

Meanwhile the spender has a YOLO attitude and thinks their penny pinching partner is a cheapskate.

In this scenario financial brawls are inevitable unless the couple learns to bridge their financial gaps by understanding where their partner’s views on money came from and by working together towards common financial goals.

How To Succeed With Money As a Couple

Play As A Team

Teamwork and financial boundaries are critical when planning your future with someone. Though you may not like to deal with financial matters, it’s irresponsible to ignore them. Consider the task of checking-up on your finances like regular maintenance on your car. If you care for your vehicle, it will run smoothly and for longer than if you neglect it. You don’t want to find yourself in a bad financial position you weren’t aware you were creating.

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