Despite the new consumer protection legislation that goes into effect in just a few short weeks (i.e. the CARD Act) it’s still incumbent upon people who use plastic to know what they are getting themselves into. In other words, they need to know the skinny on credit cards, which just so happens to be the title of today’s RR book.

The Skinny on Credit Cards, How to Master the Credit Card Game is an easy-to-read and guide on using plastic wisely.  And by easy I mean stick-figure easy (literally.) You can preview a few pages on their website and check out what I mean.

This tome by Jim Randel (he has a series of them) helps teach you how to:

• Escape from credit card debt
• Improve your credit score
• Lower your interest rate (APR)
• Identify credit company tricks
• Select the right credit card
• Protect yourself against fraud
• Teach your kids about debt
• Avoid paying fees

Unlike books that give stupid advice like “don’t use credit cards” this one recognizes that credit cards are an indispensable if not unavoidable part of modern life can you can use Visa to your advantage.

So grab a copy of a simple book and don’t let the card companies play you for a simpleton.