Consumers need to be informed about how to take care of their financial future and understand the positives and negatives of having credit. Charge cards are a good way to build a good credit rating, but they can potentially overburden you with high-interest debt. Keep reading for great advice on the best way to use your charge cards.
It’s good credit practice to consistently maintain two or three open bank cards. Having two or three cards will help you to improve your credit rating. But, if you have over three cards open, creditors may look upon that fact unfavorably.
Never get rid of an account for a credit card prior to going over what it entails. There’s times when you close a card that can have negative affects on your next credit report. Also, try to keep the cards open that make up the majority of your credit history.
Speak with the credit card company right after you see a charge on your statement that you did not make. Taking immediate action gives you the highest probability of stopping the charges and catching the culprit. Also, by notifying the credit card company immediately, you can ensure that you aren’t in any way responsible for the charges. You can usually report fraudulent activity through a quick telephone call to your credit company.
Annual Fees
A way to make sure you are not paying too much for certain types of cards, be sure that they do not come with high annual fees. If you are the owner of a platinum card, or a black card, the annual fees can be up to $1000. Unless you have some specific need for exclusive credit cards, remember this tip and save yourself some money.
Tell the credit card company if you are facing a difficult financial situation. If you are going to miss an upcoming payment, work with your creditor to come up with a solution. This will also help prevent negative reporting to credit bureaus.
The reason a credit card company will ask you to make a minimum payment is because they want you to pay this amount over time to make the most money off of you. Therefore, you should aim to pay more than this. Don’t get stuck paying high interest.
Don’t use an easy pin for card, or you are setting yourself up for trouble. Information like birth dates or middle names make terrible passwords because they can be easily figured out.
Watch out for changes to the terms and conditions on your cards. Credit card companies have recently been making big changes to their terms, which can actually have a huge impact on your personal credit. Often, these changes are buried in a lot of legal language. Read everything to learn if there are any new fees or rate adjustments that will affect you.
Do not lend out bank cards under any circumstance. Even if the friend is a very good one and they are really in need of the card, it just isn’t a smart idea to lend yours out. If they were to charge more to your card than you agreed to, for instance, the friendship could be damaged forever.
It is not a good idea to get a credit card right when you turn of age. While many people can’t wait to own their first credit card, it is better to fully understand how the credit card industry operates before applying for every card that is available to you. Try to experience a few other things in life before jumping into the lending and borrowing arena.
Keep an eye on your credit rating. Most creditors think of 700 as the lowest number you can have while still being considered to have good credit. Make smart credit decisions so that you can get to that level, and maintain it once you get there. Keeping your score at 700 or better gives you the chance to take advantage of offers for the lowest interest rates.
As previously said, consumers tend to be alone with their finances and generally fall into very high interest rates because of the card companies! This article has covered the best methods for utilizing credit cards. It would be great if you apply what you have read to your everyday life.