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Additional thought. Would if you made payments on your credit card charges more frequently? There's no rule that says you have to pay only at the end of the billing cycle. To better match your credit card purchases to your cash, make more frequent payments on your credit card account. I know that matching cash to purchases more closely is important for a lot of people.

For me personally, credit cards have established my credit score and allowed me to qualify for low rates on mortgages, home line of equity and an auto loan. Do you have a position on whether people need credit cards to function well in today's world?

One point I've seen made is that people get too enamored with the pursuit of rewards, and start to spend when they shouldn't. Certainly a risk. However, if you use the credit card for everyday transactions and pay it off regularly, then cash back or points are bonuses that you can enjoy.

Fair point. To extend that, a couple follow-ons:

1. Spend more money...with a credit card, spend less with cash or debit.
2. Spend more money...with one credit card offering rewards vs. one that doesn't.

That being said, people should know themselves and recognize if they're prone to being gamified to spend beyond what they normally would.