This year's holiday shopping forecasts have consumers and merchants on guard. Not only are shoppers concerned about safe toys for kids that are free of toxins, like lead, but they also must protect themselves from credit card fraud and other deceitful scams like phony charities that spring up around the "giving season".

If you are shopping for toys I suggest going to the reputable online merchants with MA. It will give you the upper hand because of the weblinks available to verify age appropriateness of toys and seeing which recalls have been issued & honored. Many manufacturers have their recalls posted on the company website for consumers to review while the toy retailers with websites, like KBtoys and ToysRUs, have informative toy safety info along with great savings to online shoppers with online only specials and emailed coupons when consumers subscribe to newsletters.

My shopping lists are fast growing daily for our family and friends. I plan to do more than 2/3rds of our gift shopping thru the MarketAmerica.com webportal, not only because I earn commissions from the sales, but also to utilize these great online savings & features to ensure my purchase. It will also help me think about a gift so its not an impulse buy that I may regret later.

Interesting Yahoo article on Holiday Shopping & AP News Stores Tempt Holiday Shoppers

As for charity donations, my family contributes to the same ones that we always give to and are more community minded than global. My husband & I like to help those more directly by knowing it went into the hands of a person or family in need. Living here on Long Island with a few million people he gets all sorts of overnight charities walking into our auto repair business, offering stickers and membership cards to phony organizations. My hubby has to be careful to give scammers the boot.

I can also stick to our gift budget way better too with online shopping and know that my credit info is secure with Market America's pre-screen Partner Stores. Some of those merchants are lesser known so its great that MA is the middleman, so to speak, and can help consumers verify their credibility. And should any issues arise that the store can't or won't remedy then MA can step in and protect their Preferred Customer.

Perhaps the best deal for MA.com's customers is the MA Rewards points that they can earn while gift shopping. I think that many of them will be happy to get free stuff or cashback for buying their holiday gifts via the webportal. Its surely a win-win for everyone!

Shop Market America Here