Financial Empowerment 101    Previous ArticleNext Article  The
Truth About Prepaid Cards   Prepaid cards come in various
forms—including debit cards not tied to a bank account that
carry the Visa or MasterCard logos, one-time-use gift cards and
phone cards. The reloadable debit card, one of the most popular
types, requires that consumers buy the card, load the dollar
amount of their choice, then have purchases deducted from that
balance. Over the last few years a cadre of celebs, including
media mogul Russell Simmons, rapper Lil Wayne, Yankees player
Alex Rodriguez, and even financial titan Suze Orman, have jumped
into the market by sponsoring their own prepaid debit cards. In
2010, when the Kardashians promoted their fee-laden card to
unsuspecting teens, uproar grew so loud that it led the sisters
to eventually cancel their endorsement. That episode is partly
why such cards are reputed to be predatory and sketchy—a way for
the rich and famous to get over on the broke and credit-
strained.  The fact is, misinf