consumer reports

The hunt for the perfect cash back credit card can be overwhelming. There are so many choices out there that it's hard to pick the right one that fits your lifestyle. Consumer Reports has made the search easier by doing the research for us. It recently analyzed 53 credit cards to find the best ones to suit people's needs. For those looking for a cash back credit card, these are the top picks based on a family spending $400 a month on gas, $600 on groceries, and $1,000 elsewhere:

American Express Blue Cash Preferred

• APR rate: The APR rate is zero percent for 12 months, then 17.24 percent, 20.24 percent, or 22.24 percent after that.
• Sign-up bonus: $150 bonus after spending $1,000 in first three months.
• Rewards potential: Consumer Reports estimates you can earn up to $770 in 12 months, $1,390 in 24 months, and $2,010 in 36 months
• Cash back highlights: Six percent back at US supermarkets, three percent back on gas and at department stores, 1 percent back other purchases.
• Fees: $75 annual fee.
• To note: There is a no annual fee version called the American Express Blue Cash Everyday, but it pays out lower rewards.

Fidelity Rewards American Express

• APR rate: The APR rate is 14 percent
• Sign-up bonus: None.
• Rewards potential: Consumer Reports estimates you can earn up to $480 in 12 months, $960 in 24 months, and $1,440 in 36 months
• Cash back highlights: Two percent back on all purchases.
• Fees: No annual fee.
• To note: You have to have a Fidelity IRA, brokerage account, or 529 savings plan to qualify.

Read on for another great cash back credit card option.

Consumer Reports released their annual Naughty & Nice Holiday List that judges the customer service policies of several companies. The list is based upon opinions of editors and reporters of the personal finance magazine and isn't a reflection of a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" for the companies, says the magazine. Read on for a list of naughty and nice companies followed by supporting praises and complaints.

Nice:

• Amazon: The company encourages customers to share feedback about and photos of the products. This information is shared with the retailers who will modify the products according to the feedback in order to receive Amazon's “Certified Frustration-Free” logo.
• American Express: If you buy an item and can't return it within 90 days, Amex will refund the full price up to $300 per purchase. Each account can be reimbursed up to $1,000 every year.
• Costco: Great return policy and free tech support. It also automatically extends the warranty of TVs and computers to two years after the purchase date.
• Microsoft: If you don't like your new Microsoft software or piece of hardware, you can get a refund if you return it within 45 days. The firm will also reimburse the costs of shipping for up to $7.
• REI: Great return policies — accepts returns at all times and for all reasons. You can return the item at any REI store or by mail.

Naughty:

• AirTran: Flights don't include the price of the seat. If you want to select your seat, you'll have to pay an extra $6 to $20 each way.
• American Apparel: Two different return policies for items bought in-store and online. You have 45 days to return an online purchase for a refund or credit. On the other hand, you only have 30 days to return an item bought at the store for credit.
• RadioShack: The company sometimes charges different prices for the same product.
• Southwest Airlines: You need to pay $10 to check in earlier than the standard 24 hours before departure. Consumer Reports says, "It’s another reminder that a basic ticket doesn’t buy much these days, and how price-conscious customers can get penalized if they don’t go for the upgrade."
• Verizon Wireless: The alert system for notifying customers who are reaching their monthly allotment of minutes isn't always reliable.

Who's on your list of naughty and nice companies?

If you've ever been so frustrated with a customer service rep that you hung up the phone in anger, you're not alone. According to a Consumer Reports survey, about two-thirds of consumers say that they've walked out of a store or ended a phone call before the issue was resolved because they were so frustrated with the customer service. Some of the top gripes include not being able to get a real person on the phone, dealing with a bad mannered sales rep, too many phone steps required, and having to wait on the phone for a long time. July's issue of the consumer magazine listed some of the companies and rated them as having the worst customer service:

• Walmart
• AT&T
• US Airways
• Dell
• Charter

And some of the companies with the best customer service include:

AT&T's service is so terrible, that it continually holds the spot for the worst-rated cell phone provider in a Consumer Reports poll. Out of the 58,000 people surveyed, many complained about the service's dropped calls. This might mean that it'll be hard for the network to retain users if the rumor of Verizon selling iPhones holds true. In fact, a GeekSugar quiz revealed that 59 percent of readers will be switching to Verizon as soon as the iPhone makes it way over.

I must admit, I haven't had the best experiences dealing with the customer service reps at AT&T, but now I know it's not just me. What are your gripes about your carrier?

Despite Consumer Reports’ iPhone 4 burn last week, the phone’s rep doesn’t seem to be suffering much — in fact, lots of you claim you haven't even noticed the reported issues yourselves. Which tells us that although Consumer Reports used to be the gold standard for deciding where to spend our hard-earned cash, in our social-networking-heavy world, it may not carry so much weight.

When I have a purchasing decision to make, I tend to look up reviews on Yelp and Amazon, and take them with a grain of salt. Some of my friends ask around among the experts in their social circles, and others rely on Twitter for opinions on everything from newly released movies to new smartphones.

How about you? When you have a big (or small) purchase to make, how do you research before you buy?

• SonyStyle Japan is getting these snowflake-engraved TX1 cameras — Engadget
• The Xbox Live Avatar Marketplace pet shop opens tomorrow —Kotaku
• Consumer Reports ranks Verizon as the top wireless phone carrier in the US — The New York Times
• Check out some child-friendly earphones — CNET
• A groom updates his Facebook and Twitter profiles at the altar — TechCrunch
• Microsoft launches its own Google Maps competitor — Gizmodo
• Log in for your chance to win a HP Envy Laptop — GeekSugar
• Submit your Cool Captures for your chance to win a CanvasPop print — GeekSugar