Atlanta Bankruptcy Attorney Blog

I don't know about you, but I'm always a little sad once all the Christmas presents have been opened and family and friends have gone home. Fortunately I've discovered a way to keep the holiday spirit around after the holidays: gift cards.

I realize that gift cards are old news by now. In fact, cards are by far the most requested and received Christmas gift, according to the National Retail Federation - probably because people like the freedom to choose their own presents. But the amount of utility we get from gift cards varies wildly depending on how we use them. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, a little planning goes a long way, advise Atlanta bankruptcy attorneys.

Continue reading "How Atlanta Residents Can Stretch Gift Card Dollars This Christmas" »

With the dawning of the gift card age, gift givers thought we had finally moved past the days of fruitcakes and ugly sweaters. Because you can't go wrong with plastic, right?

Maybe you can. It turns out that much of our good intentions are still going unused. But instead of going in the trash or to the thrift store, our gifts are going to making businesses richer. Retailers call it breakage, the portion of gift cards and certificates that never get spent. And breakage is no chump change. Most retailers like to keep it on the hush-hush, but here's an idea of how much we're "donating" to stores each season. Home Depot made $37 million off gift cards last year, while Best Buy brought in $38 million, according to the NY Times.

For shoppers on an already tight budget, it's an insult.

Continue reading "Gift Cards Might Be Convenient, But They Aren't Always Cheap" »