New or recent college grads may want to brush up on how their student loan debt can influence their credit score. According to a survey conducted by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and credit scoring company VantageScore Solutions, only 58% of young adults (18-35) correctly identified the factors related to student loans that can have an impact on their scores.

Rewards points don’t expire like they used to, but there are still many ways to lose the points, miles or cash back bonus you’ve accrued on your credit card. Thanks to a competitive marketplace, credit card rewards points really don’t expire (or black out) like they used to. But there are still ways to lose the points, miles of cash back bonus you’ve accrued on your purchases. Here are the most common rewards killers.

Getting your first credit card can be tricky. You have to build a solid credit profile to be eligible for most products, but you can’t start to build this profile until you’ve been awarded a line of credit. The process of getting your first credit card can be even more complicated when you’re young.

Let's say you woke up today from unsettling dreams which you suspect, at first, were brought on by the unseasonably warm weather. But as things get clearer, that doesn't seem right. Your sheets are soaked through with sweat. You feel somehow less rested than before you went to sleep. You have a vague sense of having done something wrong, having missed something, but you can't put your finger on it. Fortunately you have not turned into a bug, nor are you under arrest.

Breaking bad financial habits -- or creating good financial habits -- is a test of self-discipline and determination that often results in failure. Instead of changing your habits to take advantage of certain financial products, it would be easier to have the financial products conform to your habits.

In late March, a payments processor called Global Payments experienced an enormous security breach, and 1.5 million credit and debit cards from Visa and MasterCard were compromised in the process. As a consumer, this must be at least a little bewildering. Your bank's name is on the card. Visa or MasterCard's logo is on it. Who the hell is Global Payments and why did they get to build the sloppy security protocols that led to my data being compromised?

Thinking about changing banks? Maybe your bank started charging a fee or shut down a nearby branch, or you've just reached the conclusion that they're not the type of people you want to lend money to for near-zero interest -- we can't blame you. What you should know, however, is that plenty of banks are offering cash rewards to lure new customers to their checking accounts. If you're already shopping around, why not sweeten the deal?

To prevent that already expensive $4 cup of coffee from becoming a $39 cup of coffee, it would behoove you to take measures to avoid putting a negative balance on your checking accounts. Because the only thing worse than being told by the cute barista that you don't have enough money for your caffeine fix is being played for a fool by your bank.

Our current tax regime could undergo substantial change in the coming years. Politicians from the fringes of both parties want to revamp how our government funds itself through taxation. While it's incredibly unlikely that anything truly significant will change, it's enough to make the more paranoid among us curious how we can protect our assets from the IRS. If you believe you see patterns where others do not, and think the man on the radio is talking directly to you, this list is for you.

With Presidents Day arriving Monday, Americans should note that some banks are closed on the federal holiday. If you have any financial chores that need to be completed, get them done before the three-day weekend.