The use of credit is becoming more and more frequent. It’s also getting easier and easier to acquire. Almost everyday we’re bombarded with new credit card offers. Wise use of credit is actually very beneficial, but how do you choose the right card for you among all the different options?

Your Credit Network is a website that can help you find a credit card with the features that are most important to you. The website is well laid out and very easy to navigate.

You’re able to research the many different types of credit cards that are available. You can search by specific card issuers if you’re partial to one bank or another. You’re also able to search by certain features such as rewards cards, business cards, student cards or even prepaid cards.

Once you’ve narrowed your search, compare all the specifics such as introductory rates, regular APR, annual fees, and types of rewards. You can see user ratings and they also have written reviews of the different credit cards. After you’ve found a card you like and that fits your situation, you can then go and apply directly for the card.

They also have a great resource with their credit blog. They talk about the latest credit card offers, how to use credit wisely, and other credit related topics. Overall, it’s an informative and easy to use site that focuses on the responsible use of credit.

This is a sponsored review.

I was recently contacted by someone over at InvestBlogger who said they liked this site and wanted me to check their site out. They asked politely and now I’ve linked to them.

It’s a relatively new blog that has 16 posts as of this writing. It’ll have thoughts and other information on investing discussing different companies and their products. You could gain some valuable information about companies you may not have thought of before such as Waste Management.

Go ahead and check it out and see what you think at InvestBlogger.

Charles Schwab released the news today that they are rolling out a brand new checking account. With this checking account, you earn an astonishing 4.25% annual percentage yield.

There are a few other places where you can earn a nice yield on a checking account, but they come with certain restrictions. ING Direct offers high yield checking but you have no access to paper checks. Etrade also offers high yield checking but you have to maintain a $5,000 minimum.

I don’t think that any of these are bad options, but the account from Schwab definitely makes things much easier.

The question I have, though, is whether this yield is enough to get you to switch over to a Charles Schwab account. There is always a lot of talk about what investment vehicles yield higher returns and are easiest to use, but are we that concerned about our checking accounts?

Founder and CEO Charles Schwab had this to say:

“The financial world lives off lazy money. There is inertia, and in some respects, that’s exactly why we decided we had to make this a very powerful offering.”

I’m convinced he’s pretty much right on about this. Most people aren’t really looking to change their checking account because they’re comfortable with what they have and they’re used to it.

I’d also like to talk about another aspect of this and other accounts. The yield of the account is not the only important aspect to concern yourself with. We also need to have account separation and distinction.

The point of having a high yield is to speed up the effects of compounding. This only happens when the paid interest stays in the account and contributes towards future gains. Checking accounts aren’t usually known for their increasing balances.

If you’re thinking of using an account like this to serve as both your checking and savings accounts, you’ve got to be careful. It’s far too tempting to tap your savings if you don’t have the balances separated.

Like any financial product, you’ve got to weigh your options and make decisions after careful consideration.

I just opened an ING Direct High Yield Savings Account today. Having moved across the country, I had to get different bank accounts and I wasn’t able to find a high yield savings or money market at any of the local banks.

I believe that it’s incredibly important to keep a certain amount of cash on hand. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Cash is King”. Well, it’s still true today.

When you’ve got available cash, you have options. Sometimes there’s a situation that requires immediate action, and to either cover an emergency or take advantage of a new opportunity you’ve got to have access to cash.

My eventual goal is to have the equivalent of one year’s worth of expenses in liquid savings. There’s many differing opinions on this, and you’re free to express them if you like. Having this amount in savings, however, will allow me to invest with more confidence than I’d have otherwise. If an unforeseeable problem occurs, I’ll be able to ride it out and make the best rational decision instead of making a hasty “what if I lose it” decision.

Anyway, these emergency reserves should be kept in a risk-free account. That’s what you have investment accounts for. This account at ING Direct is FDIC insured up to $100,000 and it currently yields 4.5%. There’s nothing wrong with earning as much interest as possible; just remember the purpose of the account: Emergency Reserves.

I’d highly recommend an account with ING Direct because they combine security with a decent yield. It’s also easy to access from anywhere. Check them out and open one online for yourself today.

The entertainment industry is huge and rightfully so. It seems as if we just can’t do, see, or buy enough stuff to entertain ourselves. I’m not going to go into a discourse about consumer spending here (maybe in a later post), but I don’t see why we shouldn’t spend a little less for the things we’re already doing.

This is an important point: If you’re buying something simply because it’s discounted, are you really saving money? Don’t just fall victim to slick marketing schemes. But, I digress.

First of all, I’m NOT being paid to write this post (nothing against being paid to write though).

For some time now, I’ve been a fan of StubHub.com.It’s an online ticket marketplace. You can sell tickets your not going to use, but more importantly, you can buy tickets at discounted prices for events you are thinking of attending anyway.

It doesn’t take any extra effort to purchase tickets on StubHub.comthan it does to buy through the conventional channels. In fact, I pretty much abhor having to pay the convenience charges to the likes of Ticketmaster.

The website is well designed and easy to navigate. They’ve got tickets for major cities in 43 states and Canada (sorry to the international readers) You can search by event, by genre, or by locale.

The bottom line: If you’re thinking NBA or NHL playoffs are in your future, looking forward a little early season MLB, or just have to catch Justin Timberlake, go ahead and check the site out at StubHub.com.You can even get theatre tickets if you’re into the arts.

While you’re at it, check out a little twist on the restaurant lifestyle and make a night of it.

It’s time for another Site Review. Frugal Zeitgeist is a fairly new blogger like myself and has a noticeable passion for personal finance.

There are a lot of interesting posts already ranging from views about The Depression to the Student Life.

The blog is also very real and open as evidenced by the post, Stupid Things I have done. It’s also documenting the admirable goal of having the author’s mortgage paid off in just 19 more months.

Overall it’s a very energetic and insightful blog. It’s updated frequently so there’s always something new to read and learn from. The author also links to many other personal finance posts so you’re always able to find good information.

See what you think by visiting http://frugalzeitgest.blogspot.com.

I wanted to alert everyone to a great deal that I just found out about from Restaurant.com:

Save an extra 40% on Dining Certificates! Use code HOP at checkout. Offer valid through 8-April-2007.

Now you can get even more money off from a website that already offers outstanding deals. I also want you to know that I don’t just promote this site, I actually use it. For my birthday I ended up spending $5 for a $25 gift certificate to a new Barbeque joint in downtown St. Louis. Really good food, and you can’t beat the price.

Just click on the link above or in the sidebar on the left and enjoy something new. Just remember the extra savings are only valid through April 8th this time.