When you think of fiscal responsibility, what are the words that come to mind? Many people think of stocks, bonds, or saving, but few people consider Credit Cards to be responsible. The truth is, that most successful people do use credit cards, however, they are responsible with their usage.
Make sure that you make your payments on time when you have a credit card. The extra fees are where the credit card companies get you. It is very important to make sure you pay on time to avoid those costly fees. This will also reflect positively on your credit report.
If you need to use credit cards, it is best to use one credit card with a larger balance, than 2, or 3 with lower balances. The more credit cards you own, the lower your credit score will be. Use one card, and pay the payments on time to keep your credit score healthy!
Do not make purchases with your credit card for things that you can not afford. Credit cards are for things that you purchase regularly or that fit into your budget. Making grandiose purchases with your credit card will make that item cost you a great deal more over time and will put you at risk for default.
Instead of just blindly applying for cards, hoping for approval, and letting credit card companies decide your terms for you, know what you are in for. One way to effectively do this is, to get a free copy of your credit report. This will help you know a ballpark idea of what cards you might be approved for, and what your terms might look like.
Pay off as much of your balance as you can each month. The more you owe the credit card company each month, the more you will pay in interest. If you pay even a small amount in addition to the minimum payment each month, you can save yourself a great deal of interest each year.
Remember that you must pay back what you have charged on your credit cards. This is only a loan, and in many cases, it is a high interest loan. Carefully consider your purchases prior to charging them, to be sure that you will have the money to pay them off.
Do not buy anything online with a credit card until you are certain that it is a legitimate business. Try out any telephone numbers they have listed, and if there is no address listed for the seller, treat this with suspicion.
Make sure you save your statements. Before you file them away, pay close attention to what is on them as well. If you see a charge that shouldn’t be on there, dispute the charge. All credit card companies have dispute procedures in place to assist you with fraudulent charges that may occur.
Make your credit card payments on time and in full, each and every month. Most credit card companies will charge an expensive late fee if you are even a day late. If you pay your bill 30 days late or more, creditors report this late payment to the credit bureaus.
Transferring a credit card balance from a high interest credit card to a card where the rate is less, can save you money every month. Credit card companies offer special introductory rates to attract new business to their credit cards. If you take advantage of one of these offers, make sure that you understand the amount of time that the introductory rate offer lasts.
A lot of banks no longer issue secured credit cards, but it is common to find them being offered through credit unions. If you would like to sign up for a secured credit card, you can open an account with a credit union and take advantage of whatever cards they offer.
If at all possible, pay your full account balance each and every month. Otherwise, you could spend quite a good deal on interest. If you only try to pay the minimum amount monthly, then you will find that it takes a lot longer to pay off bills because these charges add up.
Try to avoid applying for in-store credit cards because they charge much higher fees than traditional credit cards. Most merchants accept all of the major credit cards so it would be a much better idea for you to make purchases with one of those instead of applying for a card with the merchant.
Make timely payments on a monthly basis. Missing only one payment can cause your interest rate to increase. Late payments can show up on credit reports and lower a credit score. Whenever possible, sign up for automatically withdrawn payments.
If you would like to use a credit card, you must understand the ins and outs. This is because the truth is that credit cards, while useful, can also be dangerous in the wrong hands. You need to be aware of the common traps that happen with credit usage, in order to avoid them.
