AG Nixon put out a consumer alert this week with the rules of the road for shopping online as the holiday season approaches. The biggies: shop at secure sites, pay with a credit card, and understand that you don't have any legal rights when it comes to returning merchandise. Most stores have a return / refund policy, but there's nothing in the law that says they have to. So read their policies before you buy.

Cyber Monday is the name given to the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Can you relate to this? Back at their desks after the holiday, workers hit the Internet and start shopping in earnest. Of course, the retailers love it. One survey of companies found that 75% plan to offer sales and promotions that day.