In the world of personal finance, where consumers constantly are forced to make decisions about daily cash-flow and paying bills, the availability of up-to-date reliable financial information is critical.

Nearly three in four Americans report having frozen or cut back their use of credit cards in recent times. But of the more than one in four who are spending more on their cards these days, more than half report using their credit cards to help cover basic needs.

It's hard to avoid noticing some offers that would have been better left on a marketing team's whiteboard. Our panel of credit card experts found this year's five worst credit card offers, along with one account that's worthy of a second look.