Having a credit card can help people all over reach lifestyle goals. Having one gives an individual increased financial freedom. That said, you must be wise in your credit card choices and uses. This article contains lots of excellent consumer credit card advice.

Don’t use cards to buy something that you cannot afford. While it’s suitable to pay for an item that you can afford to pay for later, don’t buy something that’s seriously out of reach.

You may want to consider keeping a couple of credit card accounts open at any given time. This helps build up your credit, particularly if you pay your cards in full monthly. However, opening too many is a mistake and it can hurt your credit score.

A retail card should only be opened if you really use that store often. The initial credit inquiry with the credit bureaus that a retail store makes to sign you up will end up on your credit report, whether or not you end up opening an account. Too many inquiries can make your credit score go down.

Only if you regularly shop at a certain store should you think about applying for a store credit card. If a retail store puts out an inquiry to the credit bureaus to check about your qualification status for their card, it will impact your score. If you have many retail inquiries, your credit score may decrease.

Credit Card

If you want a credit score that is good, be sure that you’re able to pay credit card payments before it’s due. Paying late can rack up expensive fees, and hurt your credit score. Setting up an automatic payment schedule with your credit card company or bank can save you time and money.

Carefully read the terms. If you see ‘pre-approved’ or someone offers a card ‘on the spot’, be sure to know what you are getting into prior to making a decision. It’s important to know what your interest rate is and will be in the future. You should also ensure you have a complete understanding of any fees as well as grace periods associated with the credit card.

Be sure to check your credit card’s terms to see if it charges an annual fee to use the card. You want to make sure that you don’t pay a premium for the credit card. Depending on how exclusive the card is, a platinum or black card may carry a fee of $100 to $1000. If it is not necessary for you to have an exclusive card, avoid fees by not getting one.

Charge cards can be a great convenience and tool for building a financial history. Charge cards, when correctly used, provide many benefits. If used improperly, they can send a consumer into bankruptcy. The tips above have shown you valuable information on how you can make smarter credit decisions and enhance your life by avoiding credit problems.