Credit cards have the potential to be useful tools, or dangerous enemies. The best way to understand the right ways to utilize credit cards, is to amass a substantial body of knowledge about them. Use the advice in this piece liberally, and you have the ability to take control of your own financial future.
When choosing the right credit card for your needs, you need to make sure that you pay attention to the interest rates offered. If you see an introductory rate, pay close attention to how long that rate is good for. Interest rates are one of the most important things when getting a new credit card.
You should contact your creditor, if you know that you will not be able to pay your monthly bill on time. Many people do not let their credit card company know and end up paying very large fees. Some creditors will work with you, if you let them know the situation ahead of time and they may even end up waiving any late fees.
Take advantage of the fact that you can get a free credit report yearly from three separate agencies. Make sure to get all three of them, so that you can be sure there is nothing going on with your credit cards that you may have missed. There may be something reflected on one that was not on the others.
If you do not have credit and want a credit card, consider getting a co-signer. A family member or close friend with good credit can co-sign for you. They have to be willing to state they will pay what you owe if you are unable to pay it. This is one method that is effective in helping individuals to obtain their first card so that they can start building credit.
Do not use one credit card to pay off the amount owed on another until you check and see which one has the lowest rate. While this is never considered the best thing to do financially, you can occasionally do this to make sure you are not risking getting further into debt.
Never let anyone else use a credit card that is in your name. It could be your close friend, but it’s still a bad idea to give it to someone. This can lead to your friendship being ruined. Or it can result in over the limit charges should your friend charge more than you authorized.
Keep track of what you are purchasing with your card, much like you would keep a checkbook register of the checks that you write. It is far too easy to spend spend spend, and not realize just how much you have racked up over a short period of time.
Make sure your balance is manageable. If you charge more without paying off your balance, you risk getting into major debt. Interest makes your balance grow, which can make it difficult to get it caught up. Just paying your minimum due means you will be paying off the cards for many months or years, depending on your balance.
It is important to always review the charges, and credits that have posted to your credit card account. Whether you choose to verify your account activity online, by reading paper statements, or making certain that all charges and payments are reflected accurately, you can avoid costly errors or unnecessary battles with the card issuer.
Far too many people have gotten themselves into precarious financial straits, because of credit cards. The best way to avoid falling into this trap, is to have a thorough understanding of the different ways credit cards can be used in a financially responsible way. Put the tips in this article to work, and you can become a truly savvy consumer.