Clark despises debit cards -- or what he calls "piece of trash fake Visa and fake Mastercards." The banks love debit cards because they make huge profits on them. Most of us have had the experience of making a purchase with a debit card and being asked if we want to do it as debit or credit. If you go for credit, the merchant will pay $1.50 in processing fees. If you opt for debit, the merchant may only pay 17 or 18 cents. So the merchants are always battling with the banks over the use of these cards. Sometimes the banks will even assess you a fee when you select the debit option for a purchase. Meanwhile, the September issue of Consumer Reports' Money Adviser states that your account is 17 times more likely to be hijacked if you go the credit route versus the debit option. But the debit option has other dangers. Certain banks now allow customers to use it to cover purchases that exceed their balance. The banks are all too happy to collect interest of around 1,000 percent on overdraft charges. So ultimately, it's your responsibility to not overdraw your account. Clark advises people to deduct your debit purchase from your account ledger right after making that purchase. It may be a hassle, but it will save you in the long run.

There are a few scenarios where consumers really have to be aware about the dangers of using of debit cards. These include paying for gas at the pump, paying your hotel bill during check-out and doing a car rental. If you use a debit card in any of these situations, you have to know that the bank will put a hold on your account for an amount that exceeds the total of the bill. So though you may only get $10 of gas, the bank may hold $100 -- and if you don't have a lot in your account, you may start bouncing checks. Also, when you use a debit card to pay for something now that you'll get later, you have no recourse if the merchant goes bust or your purchase never arrives in the mail. However you can dispute the charge if you use a credit card. The only time Clark thinks it might be advisable to use a debit card is if you're someone who has been in trouble with credit cards in the past and you habitually go into debt using them. Then the benefits may outweigh the risks.