By Funto Omojola, NerdWallet

It may not seem “futuristic” these days to dip or tap a credit card instead of swiping it, or to hold a cell phone over a payment terminal to cover your groceries.

But in the U.S., you only have to go back about 10 years or so — before EMV chips and contactless technology became standard on credit cards — to find a different world, where those now-commonplace features would have been perceived as unusual, confounding and potentially even unsafe.

A lot has changed in credit card tech since 2015, though the average cardholder has proved to be a quick study.

“American consumers have adapted remarkably well to these innovations,” said Seth Perlman, global head of product at i2c Inc., a global provider of banking and payment solutions. He added, however, that “the process hasn’t been without its challenges.”

Learning curves aside, many hurdles that had been widely expected never actually materialized for cardholders — and, with the benefit of hindsight, seem a little silly now.

Dipping wasn’t so hard

One notable card advancement in the U.S. over the past decade was the proliferation of EMV-enabled cards. Those initials stand for Europay, Mastercard and Visa, the companies that developed the tech. Introduced as a way to mitigate credit card fraud, EMV chip cards feature a small microprocessor that generates encrypted data and requires consumers to insert (or “dip”) their card into a card reader, rather than use the old method of swiping a card that stored data on a magnetic stripe on the back.

EMV chips had already been in wide use in other parts of the world; Europe, for instance, was already well-acquainted with the technology. But EMV didn’t really start taking hold in the U.S. until about 2015. And one big question was: “Will cardholders know what to do now at the register?” Hand-wringing commenced. Flowcharts were created.

But it turns out we took dipping in stride. As of 2022, 69% of all issued cards were EMV-enabled, and 93% of all global physical card transactions used EMV chip technology, according to data from EMVCo, which manages EMV technology.

“As merchants upgraded their point-of-sale systems and card issuers refined the technology, consumers quickly grew accustomed to the enhanced security and peace of mind that EMV provides,” Perlman said.

Nerdy Tip The adoption of EMV technology was also driven by a “liability shift,” which meant that with the advent of the technology, card issuers were no longer solely responsible for card fraud. Rather, the liability for fraudulent transactions became the responsibility of the party that didn’t support EMV — meaning, in many cases, the merchant. Hence, businesses were motivated to implement this change and replace their point-of-sale systems to protect themselves.

Going ‘chip-and-PIN-less’ became painless, mostly

During those early years of EMV use in the U.S., a common refrain was that Americans probably needed to carry a card with “chip-and-PIN” capabilities when traveling overseas. That was because of a difference in how cardholders verified their identity at the point of sale.

In the U.S., you dipped or tapped your card and then signed your name (at least sometimes). But in Europe and elsewhere, you dipped your card and then often entered a PIN. That might, for a time, have been problematic for U.S. cardholders, who typically have no PIN and thus might have been unable to verify their identity at, say, an automated train kiosk in a different country. The worry was prevalent enough that some card issuers used to prominently advertise “chip-and-PIN” as a travel card benefit.

But technology has caught up, and international acceptance of both “chip-and-signature” and chip-and-PIN cards is fairly widespread today. Even unattended terminals overseas will generally support transactions without requiring a “CVM,” or card verification method.

Relatedly, many U.S. payment terminals no longer require a signature at all.

It’s still advisable to pack an extra card when traveling internationally. But that’s more to guard against the loss or theft of your primary payment method, or as a backup in case the merchant doesn’t accept your American Express or Discover card. That’s still a thing.

Paying with your phone? Easy call

Mobile wallets, virtual card numbers, and buy now, pay later apps weren’t especially prevalent in 2015. But the use of those kinds of digital payment technologies has accelerated over the past decade, driven in part by the desire for contactless payment options during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, 92% of consumers in the U.S. report having made some type of digital payment over the past year, according to a 2024 digital payments survey by McKinsey & Co., a global management consulting firm.

That’s not to say it’s been a smooth path. Consumer adoption is one thing, but some data suggest that businesses have been slower to adjust. In a 2024 merchant services satisfaction study conducted by J.D. Power, for instance, only 57% of small businesses in the U.S. said they accept digital wallets, compared with 94% that reported accepting physical cards.

It’s also not to say consumers themselves had no initial trepidation about digital payments. Questions abounded: Can it really be safe to pay with a cell phone? Won’t I miss out on my credit card rewards when I use this method?

In truth, paying with a mobile wallet is quite secure thanks to the process of tokenization, which protects a cardholder’s real credit card number and instead sends encrypted data that’s unique to each payment.

And while at first there may have been some hiccups in terms of earning credit card rewards via a mobile wallet payment, it’s now mostly a non-issue. In fact, these days many credit cards actively incentivize the use of mobile wallets, offering bonus rewards when you choose to pay that way.

Similarly, the convenience of instant virtual credit cards (aka immediate access to your credit line) and the flexibility of buy now, pay later services have proved to be popular features for consumers.

“The push towards electronic commerce … has been something that’s been mutually beneficial for merchants, issuers and cardholders,” said Brian Riley, director of credit and risk advisory services at Javelin Strategy & Research, a financial services research firm.

Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com.

The article As Credit Card Tech Evolved, Some Would-Be Hiccups Never Happened originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By Sara Rathner, NerdWallet

Last year was dominated by a dramatic presidential election and an economy that, while strong on paper, didn’t feel that way for many Americans. Here’s what we saw in 2024 when it came to credit cards and debt:

• Interest rates began to fall, but credit card APRs are still catching up: The Federal Reserve lowered interest rates three times toward the end of 2024, but it took a few months for average credit card interest rates to follow suit and come down slightly from a record high.
• Debt and delinquencies rose, but things could be stabilizing: According to NerdWallet’s 2024 American Household Credit Card Debt study, revolving credit card debt increased just 1.5% from September 2023 to September 2024. But when you look at that same timeframe for the year prior, debt levels increased by 15%. Credit card delinquency rates rose steadily since the latter half of 2021, but they leveled off a bit between the third and fourth quarters of 2024.
• Attempts at certain industry changes stalled. The Credit Card Competition Act — first introduced in 2022, but still hotly debated in 2024 — aims to indirectly lower the credit card swipe fees merchants pay, by allowing them more choice among payment processing networks. Opponents, though, argue that any savings are unlikely to trickle down to shoppers, and they note that history suggests the plan could also negatively affect credit card rewards programs. Regardless, the legislation hasn’t meaningfully advanced in Congress. Separately, attempts by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in 2024 to cap credit card late fees stalled out when a federal judge blocked the new rule.

And just like that, we’re a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Here’s what’s coming in 2025 that could have unexpected impacts on credit cards.

1. A new presidential administration

The second Trump administration is here. While that news seems more political than financial, decisions made in Washington can affect banks, financial technology companies and, of course, consumers.

One big unknown at this point is the fate of the CFPB, as the new Department of Government Efficiency — co-led by businessmen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — takes aim at federal spending deemed to be wasteful. Musk has called for the elimination of the CFPB, which was originally created to enforce federal consumer financial laws.

But if the CFPB’s future is at risk, it’s going out with a bang. Since December alone, the CFPB has been busy:

• It issued a circular to law enforcement agencies specifying “bait-and-switch” practices with credit card rewards programs that could be in violation of federal law.
• It finalized a rule to eliminate medical debt from credit reports.
• It sued Experian, saying the credit bureau failed to properly investigate consumer disputes, which have resulted in incorrect information appearing on credit reports.

“In my view, the CFPB in the last year has done a lot of things, and all of them help consumers,” says Adam Rust, director of financial services at the Consumer Federation of America. “If there’s a deregulatory shift in Washington, all of those things are at risk.”

Potential deregulation in the banking industry, which essentially would loosen some of the rules banks must follow, could have positive and negative consequences for consumers. It could make credit easier to access for those with a wider range of credit scores, and open up possibilities for new technological advancements in the industry. But it could also limit (or eliminate) some consumer protections.

2. A post-pandemic plateau

For the many Americans who’ve attained some immunity from vaccines or past infections, COVID-19 has become just one of the litany of seasonal respiratory viruses to be aware of, but not necessarily afraid of. It seems our spending habits have mirrored the ups and downs of the past five years, too. First, we stayed home and spent less. Then, we got back out there and revenge-spent our way into higher debt levels. Now, we’re getting closer to achieving moderation.

“For 2025, we predict stability,” says Michele Raneri, vice president and head of U.S. research and consulting at TransUnion. According to TransUnion’s 2025 Consumer Credit Forecast, credit card balances and delinquency rates will still increase, but at lower rates than we saw in 2022 and 2023.

Raneri says TransUnion predicts inflation will lower to 2.26% by the end of the year, down from 2.9% in December 2024. Of course, this depends on a number of factors, including whether the Fed will adjust interest rates again in 2025.

3. A major credit card merger

Capital One announced its intention to acquire Discover in February 2024, which would make it the largest credit card issuer in the country. Capital One estimates the acquisition could be done early this year.

Capital One will still offer Discover-branded cards, but the big get for the bank is Discover’s payment network, even though it’s smaller than Visa, Mastercard and American Express. The plan is to grow the Discover payment network, perhaps making Visa and Mastercard sweat a bit. In theory, this could lead to lower interchange fees for merchants, which may lead to lower prices for consumers — but there are no guarantees there.

One detail that has frequent travelers concerned is Discover’s overseas acceptance rates, which aren’t as robust as Visa and Mastercard. If Capital One’s cards join the Discover payment network, will they lose their top-of-wallet status for anyone who travels abroad often?

You can take this off your list of things to worry about right at this moment, because the whole merger process could take years, according to Michael Hershfield, CEO and founder of Accrue Savings, a B2B payments and loyalty platform that allows its partners to create FDIC-insured digital wallets. “You have pre-existing deals with partners that are time-bound. I don’t think 2025 consumers will begin to feel some of those changes.”

4. An embrace of artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is coming for everything eventually, but even now it’s so much more than a way for college students to fast-track their next research paper (you think you’re being clever, but your professor can tell). Credit card issuers are increasingly using AI to more quickly evaluate credit card applications, prevent fraud and target consumers for marketing campaigns.

Plus, it can help you solve issues with your card without sitting on hold.

“I expect apps to continue to improve, with a current focus across the industry on AI in chatbots and search to help consumers solve problems faster,” Matt Lattman, senior vice president of card acquisition marketing at Discover, said in an email.

5. A continued love of rewards

Since 2019, median income hasn’t kept up with major expenses like housing, food and transportation. Consumers are looking for a deal, and credit card rewards programs remain a popular way to feel like you’re getting one. “Rewards have become something that’s really important to consumers, and a way to offset the cost of the things that they’re buying,” says Beth Robertson, managing director of Keynova Group, a financial services intelligence firm.

And it’s not just about redeemable points and miles — it’s also about scoring discounts. “One thing that we know is already happening — the card value proposition now is not just the rewards program,” says Jessica Duncan, assistant vice president of research and insights at Competiscan, a company that tracks and analyzes direct marketing activity. “It’s experiences, shopping deals.”

Still, the allure of cheaper travel remains strong. “People look at their rewards and they treasure them. It’s almost like a layaway plan for vacation for a lot of people,” Rust says. But he recommends you don’t cling onto your miles too tightly for too long. “It doesn’t make sense to bank them because you’re not going to earn interest on them.”

According to Duncan, travel and premium cards will continue to get revamped, which could lead to higher fees in exchange for more interesting perks. She cited multiple cards from American Express as examples of products that continue to make changes and target younger generations.

“They don’t want to be your grandfather’s business card anymore,” she said.

Sara Rathner writes for NerdWallet. Email: srathner@nerdwallet.com.

The article 5 Credit Card Trends to Watch for in 2025 originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By Anna Helhoski, NerdWallet

After the fanfare of President Donald Trump’s swearing-in ends, he’ll get to work on enacting his agenda, including several economic priorities like tariffs and tax cuts.

As Trump did in his first term, he is likely to rely on executive orders to enact some promises like his tariff plans. Strictly legislative plans, including tax cuts, will need to go through Congress, where Republicans hold a thin majority in both houses. And if the most recent government shutdown drama is any indicator, the GOP may not be in sync with each other, let alone with Trump.

Here’s what’s on Trump’s list to address the economy in his first 100 days.

Taxes, border security and energy in ‘one big, beautiful bill’

On Jan. 5, Trump wrote on Truth Social that GOP members of Congress are creating one large piece of legislation to enact some of his biggest campaign promises. “One big, beautiful bill” — as Trump called it during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt — would include several of his proposed measures related to border security, taxes and energy. Trump also told Hewitt that he’d be open to two bills.

Trump posted on Truth Social that the bill would be paid for by his proposed tariffs. But much is unclear about the potential legislation, including which of the many proposals Trump has floated would make the cut. Here are a few he made on the campaign trail:

Border security and immigration

• Begin mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, facilitated by local law enforcement and the military.
• Create immigrant detention camps.
• Hire Border Patrol agents and restricting entry of asylum-seekers.
• Appoint a border czar.
• Restart border wall construction.
• Roll back humanitarian programs that allow for legal migration and work permitting.

Taxes

• Extend or make permanent the tax cuts included in his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which are set to expire at the end of this year. That includes estate tax cuts and individual income tax cuts.
• Lower the corporate tax rate by one percentage point, which would bring it to 20%.
• On Trump’s Truth Social post regarding the bill, he also said it would include his “no tax on tips” proposal.
• Implement R&D tax credits for businesses, which allows businesses to write off 100% of expenses in their first year.

Energy policy

• Increase oil production. Presidents have the ability to influence oil production, but cannot guarantee it. He says he wants to speed up permitting for drilling and fracking.
• Eliminate the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases.
• Roll back Biden’s electric vehicle and charging station production.
• Roll back emissions policies for gas-powered vehicles.
• Institute tariffs on EV supply chain-related imports.
• End the “EV mandate” to ensure half of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. are electric.

Republicans could pass one bill — or two — using the process of budget reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority for approval. On Jan. 5, House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News that he hopes to pass the package within Trump’s first 100 days.

Tariffs

A cornerstone of Trump’s campaign is to impose new tariffs on trade partners. Initially, while campaigning, he said he wanted to place a 10% to 20% tariff on all foreign imports; add an additional 60% tariff on Chinese imports; and add 100% to 200% imports on automobiles made in Mexico. In December, Trump then said he planned to enact 25% across-the-board tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

On Jan 7, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said he would “put very serious tariffs on Mexico and Canada.” He also threatened to place high tariffs on Denmark.

On Jan. 6, the Washington Post reported that Trump may enact tariffs on all countries, but only on specific types of imports. It’s not clear which imports could be targeted. Later that day, Trump refuted the Washington Post’s story on Truth Social.

Experts speculate that Trump could enact his tariffs by declaring a national economic emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Many economists and other experts say tariffs are highly likely to increase prices in the U.S.

Raise — or get rid of — the debt ceiling

The debt ceiling is the total amount that the U.S. government is allowed to borrow in order to meet its existing legal obligations. The debt ceiling suspension was lifted on Jan. 1 and the U.S. is expected to hit the debt limit soon.

On Dec. 19, during government shutdown negotiations, Trump told NBC in a phone interview that he would be in favor of lifting or removing the debt ceiling altogether. He also indicated that he wanted Congress to address the debt ceiling in its continuing resolution to fund the government through mid-March. But there was no measure to address the debt ceiling in the bill that Congress approved.

Congress must act to suspend or increase the debt limit in order to prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debt — an event that would result in devastating economic effects.

On Jan. 7, Johnson said in a press conference that the massive GOP-supported bill would include an increase to the debt limit.

A slew of ‘Day One’ executive orders

Trump made executive orders frequently during his first term and has promised a bevy of “day one” promises including, but not limited to:

• Beginning mass deportations.
• Enacting tariffs on trade partners.
• Ending Biden’s humanitarian aid program and birthright citizenship.
• Banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs from the federal government.
• Banning trans women from women’s sports.
• Pardoning those convicted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
• Expediting permits for drilling and fracking.
• Enacting climate policy plans including ending the EV mandate.
• Directing cabinet secretaries and agencies to defeat inflation.
• Ending the war in Ukraine, although how he plans to do so is unclear.

Anna Helhoski writes for NerdWallet. Email: anna@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @AnnaHelhoski.

The article What Trump Plans for the Economy in His First 100 Days originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By Margarette Burnette, NerdWallet

If you kept money in a high-yield savings account this year, congratulations. Thanks to elevated interest rates, you probably enjoyed strong returns on those funds. And if you didn’t, don’t despair: Savings rates should remain solid through at least the beginning of 2025.

As we head into the new year, here’s a recap of what happened with savings rates in 2024, what it means for your wallet and how to prepare for whatever changes may occur in 2025.

A high-yield savings advantage

The Federal Reserve’s federal funds rate remained relatively high this year, though there were some rate decreases in the second half of 2024. The initial elevation came after a series of 2022 and 2023 rate hikes designed to combat inflation. This translated into better yields on bank accounts, particularly high-yield savings accounts. Although the national average rate for savings accounts was just 0.47% in January 2024, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., many high-yield accounts offered annual percentage yields (APYs) north of 4%.

Savers with high-yield accounts had an advantage. If you had $5,000 in a savings account that earned 4% APY, and the rate stayed at 4% throughout the year, you would have earned about $200 in interest by the end of the year. In comparison, putting $5,000 in a basic savings account with a 0.47% rate would have earned just over $20 in interest in the same timeframe. This means you would have gained roughly $180 by simply having your funds in a better account. (You can use NerdWallet’s compound interest calculator to calculate other returns.)

Some of the best rates tended to come from online savings accounts. In contrast, rates at the largest national banks remained stubbornly low, earning as little as 0.01% APY. A $5,000 account with that yield would earn only about 50 cents after one year. If you kept your funds in a low-return account, you likely missed out on a good amount of money.

Rate cuts in the second half of 2024

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index, widely seen as a measure of inflation, dipped below 3.0% in July 2024. After that milestone, the Federal Reserve shifted gears. In the second half of 2024, the federal funds rate was lowered multiple times. Lower rates support economic growth, as they generally mean lower borrowing costs for loans and credit. But a drop in rates can also mean lower yields on savings accounts.

What rate cuts mean for savers

We did see some rate dips in 2024. Today, some of the best high-yield accounts earn north of 3% instead of 4%. But rates continue to be relatively strong, and you can still earn serious returns in your savings account.

Looking ahead, the consensus among financial analysts is that the Fed will continue to cut rates in 2025 as economic conditions evolve. We don’t know the future, but it can be helpful to plan for likely scenarios. If there are further rate cuts, savings APYs may continue to slide. However, those rate decreases will likely be gradual, as they were in the second half of 2024. That means it’s still well worth your time to make use of a high-yield savings account.

If the best rates dip mildly, say to around a 3% APY, a $5,000 balance in a high-yield account would earn about $150 in interest over the year. That’s lower than the $200 earned at a 4% APY, but still a nice return compared to the paltry 50 cents you’d get with a 0.01% APY. The smart money is still with high-yield accounts.

Tips to make the most of your savings in 2025

1. Shop around for high rates. If your savings account earns less than 3% APY, look for a high-yield savings account that can provide a better return for your money.
2. Consider certificates of deposit: With rates potentially falling in the future, locking in a higher rate with a CD now might be worth considering. In addition, a CD ladder — opening CDs with varying term lengths and yields — can help balance better returns with easier access to your money.
3. Confirm federal insurance. Check with your financial institution to make sure your funds are FDIC-insured. This protects your money in the event of a bank failure, up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank.

This has been a good year for savers who capitalized on high APYs. As we move into 2025, the outlook suggests gradual rate reductions. But chances are you can still earn meaningful interest on your savings.

By keeping your funds in a high-rate savings account today, you can make sure your money will be working for you into the next year and beyond.

Margarette Burnette writes for NerdWallet. Email: mburnette@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @Margarette.

The article Savings Rates Stay Strong Despite Dips: A 2024 Recap and What’s Next for 2025 originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By Sally French, NerdWallet

Disneyland Resort will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025, hosting a multi-month celebration that includes limited-time entertainment, including an all-new nighttime spectacular, “World of Color Happiness!” held at Disney California Adventure. There will also be specialty food and beverages, collectible merchandise and new outfits for the meet-and-greet characters. The festivities kick off on May 16, 2025.

But that’s not the only big celebration happening. Here are some other highlights coming to Disneyland in 2025, sorted by date:

• Jan. 17 through Feb. 16: Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure Park.
• Jan. 21 through Feb. 13 (select nights): Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite.
• Jan. 24: Anaheim Duck Days.
• Feb. 8 and 15: Celebrate Gospel.
• Feb. 28 through April 21: Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival.
• March 4 and 6: Disneyland After Dark: 90s Nite.
• March 28 through May 11: Seasons of the Force (a Star Wars-themed festival).
• April 8 through May 6 (select nights): Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite.
• May 16: The Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration kicks off.
• June 16 and 18: Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite.
• Aug. 22 through Oct. 31: Halloween Time.
• Aug. 22 through Nov. 2: Plaza de la Familia (a celebration of Día de los Muertos).
• Nov. 14 through early 2026: The holidays begin here.

Then there are some other expansion projects with dates that aren’t firm. Much of that is concentrated at Downtown Disney, the outdoor shopping district neighboring the theme parks that doesn’t require a ticket to enter. For example, The Disney Wonderful World of Sweets shop and Parkside Market dining hall are scheduled to open sometime in early 2025.

The top Disneyland events in 2025

Here are some key upcoming Disneyland events in 2025, sorted by date:

Jan. 17 through Feb. 16: Lunar New Year

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

As it’s done in years past, Disney California Adventure Park will host Lunar New Year celebrations. You’ll find Asian-inspired food and beverages for sale, as well as a procession (basically a mini-parade) with a “Mulan” theme.

Jan. 21 through Feb. 14 (select nights): Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Disneyland After Dark is part of the theme park’s lineup of separately ticketed, themed evening events. The first in the series for 2025 is called Sweethearts’ Nite. In addition to giving attendees access to the rides with wait times that are typically shorter than usual wait times, the after-hours parties also include one-of-a-kind festivities that you’ll only experience at the party.

Sweethearts’ Nite features unique projections on the castle and other focal points, a ball where you can dance alongside Disney prince and princesses, and a royal cavalcade, which is essentially a parade.

Feb. 8 and 15: Celebrate Gospel

Over at Disneyland’s Fantasyland Theatre, two gospel concerts feature performances by popular musicians and local choirs.

Feb. 28 through April 21: Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

This annual event puts the spotlight on food with cooking demonstrations and pop-up food stalls that serve small bites. These tend to be a bit more creative and tasty than your standard theme park meal.

April 8 through May 6: Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

The next Disneyland After Dark event — this one themed to Star Wars — runs on a smattering of dates in April and May. It’s set to overlap with the aforementioned Season of the Force. Consider it a version of the daytime festival, but on Star Wars steroids.

Expect tons of Star Wars merchandise and food, plus unique entertainment such as a lightsaber instructional and the Fans of the Force Costume Cavalcade.

June 16 and 18: Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite debuted for the first time in 2023. After a successful second run in 2024, it’s coming back in 2025.

The separately ticketed, themed evening event will run during two nights of Pride month. In addition to giving attendees access to the rides with wait times that are typically shorter than usual wait times, the after-hours parties also include one-of-a-kind festivities that you’ll only experience at the party.

Aug. 22 through Oct. 31: Halloween Time

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Halloween Time is a massive event for the Disneyland resort, as almost every corner gets decked out in autumn decor. That includes a charming pumpkin festival on Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. Some attractions get Halloween-themed overlays, too. Most notably, the Haunted Mansion temporarily becomes Haunted Mansion Holiday, themed to “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

Disneyland also offers an after-hours, separately ticketed evening Halloween party called Oogie Boogie Bash. Held at Disney California Adventure Park, it’ll run on select nights in fall 2025 and offers trick-or-treating around the park.

Aug. 22 through Nov. 2: Plaza de la Familia (a celebration of Día de los Muertos)

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Running concurrently with the Halloween festivities is a celebration of Día de los Muertos. The festival recognizes Day of the Dead, which is a holiday to remember loved ones that have died. At Disneyland, there will be decorations in and round El Zócalo Park.

Over at Disney California Adventure Park, the festivities lean on the film “Coco.” That includes storytelling and singing based on the film, plus meet-and-greets with the film’s main character, Miguel.

Nov. 14 through early 2026: Holidays

The Sleeping Beauty Castle lit up with Christmas lights. (Photo by Meghan Coyle)

Not long after Halloween ends, the winter holidays at Disney begins. Details for 2025 are limited, but for Disneyland Christmas 2024, the winter holiday festivities included a lights display on It’s a Small World and Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle.

Seasonal entertainment includes “A Christmas Fantasy Parade,” “Believe … In Holiday Magic” fireworks, and a water fountain and light show called “World of Color – Season of Light.”

Disney also uses the holidays to lean into limited-time food offerings, including Mickey-shaped gingerbread. You can buy churros in a variety of seasonal flavors, including gingerbread churros, chestnut churros, chocolate sugar churros with peppermint dipping sauce, mint chip churros and sugar plum churros with marshmallow dipping sauce.

Why getting the entire Disneyland 2025 calendar upfront is such a big deal

Knowing Disneyland’s 2025 calendar makes it easier to plan and pay for your next Disneyland vacation. You’ll have time to look for deals on airfare and lodging or snag tickets for popular events before they sell out.

According to flight alerts website Going, the best airfare deals are usually found one to three months in advance for domestic flights and two to eight months in advance for international tickets. By knowing what events are happening throughout the year, Disneyland fans now have more time to subscribe to flight alerts so they can take advantage of deals within those critical booking windows.

The increased notice might also give travelers who tightly budget more time to save for a vacation — and perhaps even to apply for a travel credit card. For people who time credit card applications around vacations to take advantage of increased spending rewards or introductory offers, the previous announcement window may have been insufficient time to maximize credit card rewards.

Having a calendar for all of 2025 should make it easier to plan (and budget for) a Disneyland vacation.

Other ways to save on a Disneyland vacation

The Mickey’s Toontown area of Disneyland Park. (Photo by Sally French)

Disney is running a few ticket discount promotions, including:

• Cheap tickets for kids: Disneyland Resort in California is running a limited-time offer for kids. For visits between Jan. 7 and March 20, 2025, kids between ages 3 through 9 can nab one-day, one-park tickets for as low as $50 per child.
• Discounts for Disney+ subscribers: If you subscribe to Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, you can buy a three-day, one-park-per-day Disneyland tickets for $330, which is the standard price for just two days. That alone could make signing up for Disney+ worth it. The Disney+ ticket deal is valid for visits to Disney’s Anaheim theme parks between Nov. 18 and Dec. 27, 2024.

• SoCal resident discounts: If you live near Disneyland, you might also qualify to buy discounted theme park tickets for visits before the busy summer season starts again. Right now, Disneyland is offering three-day tickets for customers with eligible Southern California zip codes:
  • Three-day, one-park-per-day ticket for $199 ($66/day).
  • Three-day Park Hopper ticket for $289 ($96/day).
  • Three-day, one-park-per-day ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass for $295 ($98/day).
  • Three-day, Park Hopper ticket with Lightning Lane Multi Pass $385 ($128/day).

If you can’t take advantage of those ticket offers, you can still do Disneyland on a budget.

Sally French writes for NerdWallet. Email: sfrench@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @SAFmedia.

The article Disneyland 2025: The Top Disney Events and Festivals to Plan For originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By Funto Omojola, NerdWallet

Mobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a “state of credit card report” for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use digital wallets more frequently than traditional payment methods.

To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card.

OK, but let’s start with bonus rewards

From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card.

The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet.

The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use.

But again, these days it’s not just about the rewards.

Instant credit access

Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer immediate access to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet.

Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases.

Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away.

Convenience and safety

As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services.

Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer a more efficient way to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don’t use often.

They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders’ status and arrival time.

Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called tokenization when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted “token” that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible.

And again, because a mobile wallet doesn’t require you to have your physical cards present, there’s less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse.

Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com.

The article Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet Step originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By Kimberly Palmer, NerdWallet

The festivity of December is replaced all too quickly by the due dates of January, when the bills from holiday spending and travel arrive. This kind of financial hangover can make the start of the year a little less joyful, but there are ways to prevent it.

“People often go into the holiday season without a plan. They might know who they want to give gifts to, but may not put numbers to it or think of what they want to spend overall, and that’s where people get into trouble,” says Rob Wurzburg, a Chicago, Illinois-based financial advisor at Forum Financial Management, a registered investment adviser.

To counteract the tendency to overspend, financial experts recommend the following six strategies:

1. Plan early and often

Wurzburg urges people to start planning for holiday spending as soon as possible.

“The earlier you start planning, the better. Some people do a yearly budget in January,” he says.

While it’s too late for 2024, you can start planning for the 2025 holidays soon.

Setting aside money each month for the big end-of-year celebrations can reduce the risk of overspending or turning to debt, he adds.

Giving yourself a goal for the amount you want to save in time for the holiday season can help you stay on track, says Tiffany Murray, managing director at the Society for Financial Education and Professional Development, a nonprofit based in Alexandria, Virginia.

“Make sure it’s achievable and realistic within your budget,” she says.

Then, when you see an item on your list go on sale, you’ll have the money ready to make the purchase, even if it’s well before the start of the holiday shopping season.

2. Select an all-inclusive spending number

Starting with the total amount you want to spend for the holidays — perhaps based on those previous savings and inclusive of gifts, travel, meals and any other costs — makes it easier to develop a game plan, says Brian Gawthrop, a certified financial planner in Kirkland, Washington and founder of Five Cedars Financial.

“Set a total spending budget before you make the list of people,” he says. Then you can prioritize and cut back on recipients, if needed.

“Almost everyone needs to revise the gifting list,” he says, because once you write it out in full, it is often pricier than anticipated.

3. Cut costs creatively

Gawthrop suggests downsizing to more modest gifts or reducing the number of gifts per person. Often, making the gift more personal — such as framing a photo — makes it easier to spend less because it still feels special, he says. Some people might be happy with a card and handwritten note, perhaps paired with a modest charitable contribution.

“People want to express their love and how much they care for someone with a gift, and in today’s culture that can feel like a dollar amount translates to how much they care about you,” Gawthrop says.

“But I think a heartfelt card and something simple like, ‘I know you like fidgets and found this one,’ or ‘I’m glad I have you in my life,’ can show how much you mean to someone,” he says.

Gawthrop adds that recipients might be relieved to know you spent less.

“The last thing you want is to have someone open your expensive gift and then they feel awkward because it’s so expensive.”

4. Stay calm and shop online

The frenzy of sales and advertising during the holiday season, combined with the strong emotions the season evokes, can easily lead to overspending, Wurzburg says.

“Anything you can do to get yourself in a calmer state helps,” he says.

Calming techniques can include taking a break from shopping, going for a walk or reviewing your original spending plan.

Wurzburg also recommends simply staying home.

“Stick with online shopping so you don’t get sucked in,” he says.

5. Minimize high-interest debt

Using cash to buy gifts helps minimize debt, since financing purchases with credit cards or other forms of debt can be expensive, says Tim Bauer, a CFP and founder of Evergreen Financial Group in Billings, Montana.

“It sounds old-fashioned, but if you don’t have it, don’t spend it,” he says, adding that many friends and family would rather not receive a gift than know it caused financial strain.

If you need to finance essential purchases, Wurzburg recommends a low- or no-interest method such as buy now, pay later, where shoppers can spread out their purchases over installments. That often means avoiding fees and interest, as long as you make the installment payments on time.

Still, he cautions against overcommitting yourself to future installment payments. He suggests scaling back instead.

“If you don’t have the funds today, are you hampering yourself in the future by overspending at the holidays?”

6. Find a budget buddy

Connecting with a friend who is also aiming to stick to a budget this season can help keep you on track, Gawthrop says.

“Both of you can commit to sticking with your budget,” he says. You can check in with each other and even share what you’re buying.

Raising the topic with family members and encouraging everyone to stick with a budget — or the same spending limit per gift — can also help, Bauer says.

“People are scared and don’t want to talk about money, but defining how much to spend helps set expectations.”

Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer.

The article 6 Ways to Avoid a Financial Hangover originally appeared on NerdWallet.