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Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the Fed is committed to keeping the U.S. economy out of a recession. He did not indicate a specific percentage-point cut to interest rates to prevent housing and credit problems from dragging down the economy.

A growing number of credit unions hope to steer consumers who are strapped for cash away from payday loans by offering less-expensive options. Interest rates charged by payday loan centers can climb into the triple digits.

At least one Iraqi bank is offering credit cards, unheard of during the Saddam era, to customers. But Iraq is still very much a cash-based society

New technology meant to protect credit-card users relies on a built-in, constantly changing digital code. Innovative Card Technologies is proposing an electronic display on credit cards that would show a changing security code. Buyers would have to have the card in their possession to know the code at the time of purchase.

Executives from major U.S. banks were on the hot seat in Congress Wednesday over credit-card fees and penalties. One bank executive apologized to an aggrieved customer at the hearing. He said that in his case, the bank had simply blown it. The statements came as lawmakers in Washington heard complaints from consumers about credit-card industry practices.

Bank of America is now issuing credit cards to customers who don't have Social Security numbers. The bank acknowledges that many of the target customers are illegal immigrants, but it defends the program.

Mastercard and Visa collect billions of dollars in fees each year from the nation's retailers. Merchants have long complained about the way those fees are determined. A lawsuit accusing Mastercard and Visa of antitrust violations is expected to go to trial in Brooklyn soon.

In what is likely to be the largest computer-information breach yet reported, MasterCard says a computer hacker gained access to 40 million credit-card accounts. Many other credit card companies were affected. What should customers do?