Holiday shopping season is here, as people will soon go on gift buying sprees -- or face massive numbers of gift returns and exchanges. Have you given much thought to protecting yourself financially and from identity theft this holiday season? The Business Insider has a great post today about such personal finance pitfalls, and how to avoid them this holiday shopping season. From expensive gift cards to battling identity theft, this blog post contains an amazing list of the money traps to avoid as you go shopping this Christmas. To get the information you need to protect yourself while shopping, or as a gift recipient who needs to learn all their rights, it's worthwhile to read this post and then click on the gallery link at the bottom of this post embedded below.

This is a prime time for identity theft, credit card late fees, and all the other problems that come with massive consumer shopping. Take the time to protect yourself and your loved ones financially this holiday shopping season with the information below. Click through the gallery, and absorb all the shopping advice. It can save you a lot of financial hassle in the long run, helping you to start your new year right!