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credit card tips

Credit Cards

5 Ways To Avoid High Credit Card Charges And Fees

Although there are a lot of us who rely on our credit cards, there are more and more published articles which indicate that we probably should be taking steps to prevent ourselves from being quite so independent. For example, according to several different reports, the average credit card debt for an individual is about $15,000. That’s the price of a nice automobile.

So, what can you do to find the “happy medium” between using your cards when you need them, but not going into debt in the process? That’s a really good question and it starts with not paying lots of money in credit card charges and fees. That’s why we’re actually going to provide you with five ways that you can avoid high credit card charges and fees below:

Select the kind of cards that don’t come with annual charges and fees. One of the best ways to avoid paying annual charges and fees is to choose to kind of credit cards that don’t come with any. That’s why, before you select one, you should do thorough research on which cards have annual charges and which do not. One website that has a list of ones that don’t is Credit. Just go to the site and put “no annual fee credit cards” in the search field.

May 25, 2014

Credit Cards

Credit Card Spending Basics To Teach Your Teenagers

The problem with teaching the teens in your household to manage their finances responsibly is that you may not precisely be the best person to do so. Many adults were never taught themselves how to budget, save, and spend wisely. And this is especially true when it comes to using credit cards. But when the young adults in your home are ready to learn these important life lessons before they head out into the world on their own, it’s probably high time you learned a few yourself. And here are some basics concerning credit card spending that anyone, young or old, can benefit from, and that you should definitely pass along to your teenagers.

First and foremost, it’s important to get a credit card with the lowest possible interest rate, and this may require a little legwork. Teens generally have no credit to speak of, which leaves you in the unenviable position of co-opening an account with them so that they can build credit. But there is another way. If your teens have bank accounts, they can use their money as collateral to open secured credit cards through their banking institution. They simply provide a check for the amount of credit offered (generally a limit of about $500), which the bank will hold for a year in the event that charges are made but not paid. If your teens spend wisely and pay off their secured cards every month, they’ll get their collateral back at the end of the year (with interest) and end up with more credit card offers than they know what to do with, many with excellent interest rates.

May 23, 2014

Credit Cards

Top 5 Tips For Safe Credit Card Use Online

Online shopping has made it easy for consumers to compare products and prices from the comfort of their own home. You no longer have to drive all the way to the store only to discover that the item you’re seeking is out of stock, wasting fuel and polluting the environment in the process. But while you might appreciate the convenience offered by online shopping, you probably also have concerns about the safety of using your credit cards in cyberspace.

Identity theft is nothing new, but the combination of lax security measures and determined hackers has made for a perfect storm of mineable data. And the people willing to break into company databases in order to steal your sensitive data are not likely to have any qualms about selling it to the highest bidder or racking up charges using your credit, especially online, where no ID is required. However, you can find ways to use your credit cards in at least as safe a manner as if you were shopping in-store. Here are some guidelines to observe.

April 30, 2014

Credit Cards

Ways To Benefit From Using A Credit Card

Are credit cards really that bad? Will you go deep into debt just by using them? Well, it all depends but if you use credit cards right, then you will actually benefit from them. Many credit card users think they are just for emergencies but that is not really the case. The truth is that credit cards can be used for many different things and one of those things will really help you save money and actually come out ahead for using them. Below are some tips on how to benefit from using a credit card:

Use A Rewards Card – The best part about a rewards card is that they give you things back. For instance, you can get a rewards card that will give you a credit for every dollar you spend. These are the rewards cards that you need as they will give you a reason to spend with them. Just know that when you do use your credit card you need to quickly pay the balance off so that you can keep spending on it. One thing that many smart credit card users do is they pay with their credit card and at the end of the week they will pay that amount off. This works as long as you stick to this plan.

Another great rewards card is an Air Miles card. The best part about an Air Miles card is that they give you miles for every dollar that you spend. For people who would rather travel than have money given back to them, this is the card for you. Just know that some air miles expire after a certain amount of time.

Pay It Off – You will never be able to benefit from a credit card if you always have to worry about a balance on it. It is because of this that you need to pay off your credit card as soon as possible. My advice is to pay off your credit card in the first month before you are charged any interest but if that is not possible, then make sure you pay it off within the first 2 months. If you can’t pay off your credit card within 2 months of making the purchase, then you are spending too much and you need to stop using your credit card and find an alternative method such as using debit or paying with cash for everything.

August 21, 2013

Credit Cards

Help With Rewards Credit Cards

Welcome to 2012 everyone! How is your checking account looking with the holidays over? Mine took a hit, but all in all my traveling, gift buying, and family gatherings didn’t hurt too badly. How did I manage to get through this normally expensive time of the year? Aside from budgeting correctly my rewards credit cards helped soften the financial blow of the last month of 2011.

After reflecting on the gifts I bought, the travels I made, and the gatherings I attended here are my reward credit card recommendations for 2012!

The Approach

January 11, 2012

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