Having a credit card is of great assistance in many sticky situations. Do you need to make an emergency purchase but have no cash right at hand? This is not an issue. Just use your card. Are you trying to build your credit score? It is easy to do that with a credit card. Read this article for more credit card tips.
You know that paying your credit card bill late will incur a penalty, but you should remember that there is a penalty for running your balance over your credit limit, too. Both are usually pretty high, and both can affect your credit report. Be very careful to never spend above the limit on your credit card.
Credit Card
Read the terms of your credit card agreement carefully before you use your credit card for the first time. A lot of credit card places think of your first purchase as your agreement to their terms. It seems tedious to read all that fine print full of legal terms, but do not skip this vital task.
When you first receive your credit cards, be sure to sign them right away. People who avoid this step leave themselves open to identity theft if the cards should be stolen. Many vendors now require cashiers to verify signature matches so your card can be safe.
Never give out your credit number over the phone if you are not certain of the party you are speaking to. Scammers use this trick all the time. Only give your credit card number to businesses that you trust. Never provide this number to someone who calls you. No matter who they claim to be, you do not know who they are.
Talk to your bank about changing your interest rate if you feel it’s too high. You may need to look for a card with a better rate if your bank won’t cooperate with your request. If you find a card with better interest rates, switch credit card companies so that you can more easily meet your needs.
Do not close credit accounts. Although it could seem like a smart thing to do for improving your credit score, closing accounts could actually harm your score. The reason behind this is that you will be reducing the total mount of credit you are given while still owing the same amount. The ratio between the two will look worse as a result.
If you have more than one credit card, it is wise to pay at least one off each month. Even if you need to carry a hefty balance on your other cards, having a card that you use and pay off every month can build a stronger credit history.
Card Accounts
You should close any card accounts that are never used. If you keep them open, it is all to easy to fall victim to identity theft. You also may end up having to pay annual fees on the credit card accounts you aren’t using.
Always try to avoid charge cards that have annual fees associated with them. Most no annual fee charge cards are presented to people with a good credit score. These annual fees can end up costing you more than what you can earn through any sort of reward scheme offered by the credit card provider. Sit down and figure out the math for the long term. Most companies do not readily show annual fees; instead, they are listed in the small print of the contract. Dig out the reading glasses and take a good look at the terms. Make sure the cost and fees are not more expensive than the perks. Usually, they do not.
Bank cards have lots of uses, as you can tell from reading this article. They run the gamut from paying at a store to increasing a person’s overall credit score. Use this information to make wise credit card decisions.
Discussion about this post