Spring is meant to be a time of renewal and rejuvenation. For many people, this might include cleaning out the old attic or scrubbing the entire house from floor to ceiling. There's just something about a warm Spring day that should make us want to declutter life and move forward with a fresh start. But what about the financial clutter that has made it's way into our lives? Shouldn't it receive some attention too?

The average credit card late fee hovers around $40, which is triple what it was just a decade ago. And it's not just the 40 bucks that will hurt you each time you miss a payment deadline. Punitive increases in interest rates and negative marks on your credit reports can cost you thousands more in various fees and charges down the road.

There are several common misconceptions about what happens to an individual's credit reports after marriage. One of the most common myths is that when you are married your credit reports will merge together with your spouse's reports, which may even hurt or improve your credit scores depending upon the strength of your partner's credit history. The fact is credit reports and credit scores are tied directly to individual social security numbers.

Has your credit card's interest rate jumped from 12% to 30% in just one month? If so, you have most likely fallen victim to the dreaded Default Interest Rate.

Generally looming in the 25% to 30% range, a default rate is significantly higher than the standard interest rate and is the new percentage to which the credit card's interest rate adjusts when the terms of the credit card agreement are broken.

Are you out of work and looking for a job? Unfortunately, there may be some people out there who wish to prey on your bad fortune. Identity thieves in particular have recently ramped up activity as they seek to take advantage of our country's bad economic situation and turn it into a goldmine for themselves. So, how are they doing it?