To protect yourself and your pocketbook this holiday season, follow these tips:

Put safety first. Never leave your purse or wallet unattended.

Be careful buying gift cards. If a store goes out of business, you may not be able to recover money from unused gift cards.

Understand rain checks. Your right to a rain check does not apply if the ad says supplies are limited or seasonal merchandise only.

Check refund policies. Under Ohio law, a store must post its refund policy.

Keep your receipts. Keep receipts in case you need to make a return. Also compare receipts with charges on your credit card statements.

Read the fine print. Carefully review ads so you understand the terms and conditions before you enter the store. An ad must list any material exclusions or limitations of an offer.