If you’re like many Americans, you’ve developed a bad habit of whipping out your credit card to pay for purchases and figuring out how to pay the bill later. This is not the right way to use credit. The good news is that with a little education, you can change the way you use your credit cards. Read on to find out what to do.
When making purchases with your credit cards you should stick to buying items that you need instead of buying those that you want. Buying luxury items with credit cards is one of the easiest ways to get into debt. If it is something that you can live without you should avoid charging it.
When it comes to credit cards, it is imperative that you read the contract and fine print. If there’s an offer for a pre-approved credit card or if a person says they can help you get a card, get all of the details beforehand. Find out what your interest rate is and the amount of you time you get to pay it. Additionally, you may wish to know about their fees and any applicable grace periods.
Watch for new cards that offer a signing-up bonus if you are looking to add a credit card to you wallet. Make sure that you understand everything that is written in fine print since many credit card companies have specific terms you need to adhere to in order to get bonuses. For instance, it could be listed in your contract that you can only receive a bonus if you spend X amount of money every period. If this is something you’re not comfortable with, you need to know before you enter a contract.
If you have credit cards be sure to check your monthly statements thoroughly for errors. Everyone makes errors, and this applies to credit card companies as well. To prevent from paying for something you did not purchase you should save your receipts through the month and then compare them to your statement.
Shop around for a card. Interest rates and terms can vary widely. There are also various types of cards. There are secured cards, cards that double as telephone calling cards, cards that let you either charge and pay later or they take out that charge from your account, and cards used only for charging catalog merchandise. Carefully look at the offers and know what you need.
Credit Cards
Be sure to limit the number of credit cards you hold. Having too many credit cards with balances can do a lot of harm to your credit. Many people think they would only be given the amount of credit that is based on their earnings, but this is not true.
If you have any credit cards that you have not used in the past six months, then it would probably be a good idea to close out those accounts. If a thief gets his hands on them, you may not notice for a while, because you are not likely to go looking at the balance to those credit cards.
There are many different kinds of credit cards that each come with their own pros and cons. Before you settle on a bank or specific credit card to use, be sure to understand all of the fine print and hidden fees related to the different credit cards you have available to you.
An important thing to remember when using credit cards is to do whatever is necessary to avoid going over your specified credit limit. By making certain that you always remain within your allowable credit, you can avoid costly fees that card issuers frequently assess and guarantee that your account always remains in good standing.
Keep the total number of credit cards you use to an absolute minimum. Carrying balances on multiple credit cards can complicate your life needlessly. Shift your debt onto the card with the lowest interest. You will be able to keep better track of your debts and pay them off faster if you stick with a single credit card.
Shop around for different credit cards. Interest rates and other terms tend to vary greatly. There are also various types of cards, such as cards that are secured which require a deposit to cover charges that are made. Make sure you know what kind of card you are signing up for, and what you’re being offered.
Look out for cash back credit cards. These types of credit cards give you cash back on every purchase that you make with the credit card. Cash back rates can range from 1% to 5%, so over the course of a year, you could actually earn a lot of cash back.
Now that you’ve read this article, you know there’s a lot more to responsible credit card use, than just abstaining from using credit altogether. Reform your credit card habits, using the tips you have just read, so that your use of credit cards can help improve your credit scores, instead of interfering with you having good credit.
