Walletpop round-up: Best credit cards

Credit cards: Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em, it seems (although some of our fellow WalletPoppers are having a lively debate about just that right now).

The bottom line is, the majority of you probably need credit cards for something. With the help of Curtis Arnold, founder of the website CardRatings.com, and Doug Miller, senior analyst at research firm Corporate Insight, we sifted through oodles of cards to ferret out the best and the worst when it comes to rates, fees, rewards and perks. As with everything, your particular financial situation may or may not make you eligible for the best possible rates, so check before signing on the dotted line. Also, things can change quickly in Credit-Card Land, especially with sweeping new legislation arriving in just over three months, so double-check all the terms here. (We'll also be updating this round-up after the new rules come into play.)

First, the best-in-show. Break out the noisemakers; these cards rise to the top when it comes to all the stuff you want.

Interest rate: Our parent company, AOL, has sung the praises of this particular card before. Remarkably, given all the upheaval in the industry in recent months, the Simmons First Visa Platinum is still our top pick when it comes to interest rates, with an APR of just 7.25%. Of course, you can go online and find 0% interest offers up the wazoo, but those are limited-time only deals. This 7.25% is the regular rate, not some promotional gimmick designed to suck you in.