Making The Most Of Your Bank Cards
Charge cards can be hugely frustrating for many people. As with most anything else, your experience with bank cards will be easier if you arm yourself with the right information first. Keep reading to find great advice for making informed decisions about your credit.
Always track all purchases you make on any bank cards. Unless you commit to a spreadsheet or notebook, it can be easy to lose track of where your money went.
Ensure you pay your payment by the due date to boost your credit score. Any and all late payments will negatively impact your credit ranking, and could lead to expensive fees. Setting up an automatic payment schedule with your credit card company or bank can save you time and money.
Don’t use passwords and pin codes on your charge cards that can easily be figured out. Using something like your initials, middle name or birth date can be a costly mistake, as all of those things may be easy for someone to decipher.
If you don’t have a secure mailbox, don’t order credit cards by mail. Credit card thieves see unlocked mailboxes as a treasure trove of credit information.
Credit Card
Never give your credit card information out over the phone. Scammers commonly use this ploy. Only allow those that you trust to have your credit card number. Never give your number to random people who call your home. No matter who the person says they are, don’t know truly know their identity.
Only keep cards on you if you use them regularly. Think about which of your many cards you use most often. Most often, these will only be cards you use for gas and other daily charges. Carry those two cards on a daily basis, and keep the rest in a safe place at home.
If you are able to do so, don’t get a card that has an annual fee. Most no annual fee bank cards are presented to people with a good credit score. An annual fee can quickly cancel out any rewards a card offers. Do your calculations. Credit card providers don’t usually advertise annual fees, instead they include them in the small print. Get your reading glasses out! Calculate whether the benefits of the card are worth the fees. As a general rule they won’t.
If you have good credit, but are paying a high annual percentage rate, contact your credit card issuer and ask them to lower it. Sometimes, they will do just that. Each time you do not pay off your balance, you will save money.
Consider closing out the accounts associated with bank cards that you don’t really use anymore. Closing accounts that are old prevents them from getting used in a fraudulent manner. Even if an account has a balance, you can still close the account. Just keep making payments until you have paid off the whole amount.
Credit Card
Do not open a credit card account if you know that you have no discipline. The temptation to over-spend when using credit is irresistible to some people. These type of people shouldn’t have a credit card. It is far too easy for them to fall risk to temptation, and then they find themselves in dire straits with credit card debt.
As mentioned earlier, it is common for individuals to feel irritated by the actions of their card issuers. However, it is a lot easier to select the correct card and enjoy it if you have the proper advice. Implement the tips in this article to help you enjoy using a credit card responsibly.