Credit cards may make or break you, when it comes to your personal credit. Not only can you use them to help build up a great credit score and secure your future finances. You may also find that irresponsible use can bury you in debt and ruin you. Use this article for great credit card advice.
Take advantage of the fact that you can get a free credit report yearly from three separate agencies. Make sure to get all three of them, so that you can be sure there is nothing going on with your credit cards that you may have missed. There may be something reflected on one that was not on the others.
If you are looking to open a credit card though you do not have any type of established credit, finding someone to co-sign for you can do the trick. Co-signers can be siblings, parents, close friends, or anyone with established credit. They must agree to pay the balance if you are unable to. This is a good way to get a credit card and how you could build your credit.
Keep an eye on your credit cards even if you don’t use them very often. If your identity is stolen, and you do not regularly monitor your credit card balances, you may not be aware of this. Check your balances at least once a month. If you see any unauthorized uses, report them to your card issuer immediately.
When you buy with a credit card on the Internet, keep copies of your receipt. Keep receipts until you can verify the store that sold you the item charged you the same amount that you are charged on your credit card. In the event of a discrepancy, call the credit card company and the retailer at your earliest possible convenience to dispute the charges. Having the receipt on hand will make any disputes much easier to resolve.
You need to pay more than the minimum payment each month. If you aren’t paying more than the minimum payment you will never be able to pay down your credit card debt. If you have an emergency, then you could end up using all your available credit. So, each month try to send in a little extra money in order to pay down the debt.
Look into whether a balance transfer will benefit you. Yes, balance transfers can be very tempting. The rates and deferred interest often offered by credit card companies are typically substantial. But if it is a large sum of money you are considering transferring, then the high interest rate normally tacked onto the back end of the transfer may mean that you actually pay more over time than if you had kept your balance where it was. Do the math before jumping in.
Check into all fees and charges that go along with a card for which you are thinking of applying for, not just the interest rate and APR. You may find application fees, fees for cash advances or service charges that nullify any benefits the card offers.
Keep the total number of credit cards you use to an absolute minimum. Carrying balances on multiple credit cards can complicate your life needlessly. Shift your debt onto the card with the lowest interest. You will be able to keep better track of your debts and pay them off faster if you stick with a single credit card.
Use cards that offer you a low interest rate with a balance transfer cautiously. In many cases, that rate is only available for a short period of time. When that time expires, the rate might jump to three or four times that amount. Make sure that you understand the terms and make an educated choice about choosing, and using, these cards.
Try and negotiate the interest rates of your credit card. In many cases, you may be able to successfully negotiate a lower rate with your creditor. If you’ve made your payments regularly and if you have proven that you are a good customer, they could give you a better APR.
Once you close a credit card account, be sure to check your credit report. Make sure that the account that you have closed is registered as a closed account. While checking for that, be sure to look for marks that state late payments. or high balances. That could help you pinpoint identity theft.
Even if you cannot make your minimum monthly payment on a credit card, you should pay something. No matter how modest the amount, this will tell your credit card company that you are trying to deal fairly with them. If your problems continue, you will find your company more inclined to work with you if you have been making at least some payments.
Sometimes, people get excited about certain rewards programs, and they make a hasty decision to go with that particular company. First of all, check the fine print. Second of all, make sure you know what else is out there, before you jump into a relationship with a credit card company.
If you have more than one credit card, leave one at home always. Use it perhaps for online purchases made from home, but do not take it out with you. This way, if you do wind up slipping up and running up the cards in your wallet, you still have an available credit card to use for emergencies.
As mentioned earlier in this article, credit cards can make or break you and it is up to you to make sure that you are doing all that you can to be responsible with your credit. This article provided you with some great credit card advice and hopefully, it will help you make the best decisions now and in the future.
