Watch out for gift card expiration and fees!

Well the holidays have come and gone. If you were a good boy or girl, chances are you got a gift card from somebody for something for Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Years. Now that the dust has settled, don't forget to use those cards instead of letting their issuers get the better of you by charging you extra fees or worse yet deeming your gift card expired.

Thankfully, the fine folks at Bankrate have you covered when it comes to gift cards. They have a pretty extensive list of gift card providers and the various "catches" associated with them. They also have a great article on the pitfalls of gift cards.

The bottom line with gift cards is pretty simple. If you have a "credit card" style gift card from Am Ex, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa hurry up and use it because it is wasting away as we speak due to the fees they are charging you. Likewise, cards from malls waste away quickly with all the fees they charge. Many retailer gift cards lack fees, but some may expire so be sure to know the fine print.

Happy shopping!