Chockstone has announced that it has built industry-critical dormancy reporting into its gift and loyalty marketing platform, easing compliance worries for merchants who offer gift and loyalty marketing programs.

TowerGroup has announced a new research report titled "Lessons in Loyalty: A Look Inside the American Express Rewards Program" by Brian Riley, senior analyst in the Bank Cards practice.

Wesabe has announced that "its member-owned financial transaction database is the largest of its kind in the world, with more than $500 million in transactions. The company gave several examples of how it is putting that data to work, revealing which major banks charge its members the most in overdraft fees (Wachovia and U.S. Bank). Wesabe also reported the types of member purchases that give the most satisfaction (outdoor and camping), and showed that purchases in industries where there is the least competition, such as phone, utilities and cable, give the least satisfaction."

Jane Kim writes for the Wall St. Journal about social networking sites focused on personal finance - including Wesabe and BillMonk.

Speaking of BillMonk, they just launched the BillMonk application on the FaceBook Platform. They say "Let BillMonk help you keep track of money that you've borrowed or loaned, and eliminate the awkwardness of mixing money and friends. Use it to keep track of IOUs, and shared bills like beer, food, or utilities. Let us deal with the pain of money math and reminders, so you can concentrate on the beer and not who paid for it."

Want to learn more about the FaceBook Platform, read this excellent post by Marc Andreessen.

Blackhawk Network has announced the winners of its Hawk Awards intended to honor excellence in the gift card industry. These awards recognize quality and merit in card design, package design, promotions, marketing and an overall outstanding achievement in the gift card industry.

Financial Insights has announced the release of a new report titled "Consumers Speak About Identity Theft: Does Perception = Reality for U.S. Banks?" examining consumer perceptions of identity theft and fraud that explores how consumers are adjusting their behaviors regarding low cost self-service channels to protect themselves from the crime.

Experian Consumer Direct reports that the average credit score for U.S. consumers with no late auto payments is nearly 100 points higher than for those who have at least one late payment.

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