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Top Five Credit Card Mistakes
When you’re dealing with credit cards, you’re playing with fire. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people out there who don’t realise that, and make all sorts of dangerous mistakes with their credit cards every day.
Paying Late.
If you don’t set up any kind of automatic payment, then it can be tempting to just put your credit card bill on a pile and get to it when you have time. Before you know it, a few weeks have gone by and you’re late. If you leave it to the deadline, you might find that the payment won’t get there quickly enough – it’s not a deadline for sending the money, it’s a deadline for them receiving it.
Paying late is a big mistake for an awful lot of reasons. You will almost certainly be charged a late payment fee, and your late payment will go on your credit report for everyone to see. You may also find that you lose any good rate you had, and your debt is automatically thrown onto the very worst rate the company offers.
To avoid late payment, you should always post your payment a long time before the due date (at least a week). If you’ve left it to the last minute, phone up and try to pay that way.
Being Taken in By Rewards.
It is never, ever worth getting a higher-interest card simply because it offers some kind of loyalty points, flight miles or whatever. Even if it offers a cash reward, it is unlikely to be more than you would pay in extra interest – after all, why would they give you free money? All ‘rewards’ do is pay you off with your own money to make you feel like you’re getting something for nothing. You’re not.
Collecting Cards.
Seeing some people opening their wallet or bag is a scary experience. It looks like they have about a hundred credit cards in there, some of which they haven’t used in years. They have trouble keeping track of all the different cards, balances and interest rates. Don’t be one of these people. You should limit yourself to a maximum of three cards at a time – any more starts to make you look over-committed in your credit report, and could get you turned down for a bigger loan.
Maxing Them Out.
Your limit is just that: a limit, not a minimum! Whatever you do, don’t get a card and immediately spend your whole limit. This looks very bad. It is better to spend about halfway regularly and pay it back. Wait for the company to increase your limit (which they quickly will), and then you’ll get that extra money without the stigma of having a maxed-out card.
Not Reading the Terms and Conditions.
Finally, as ever, don’t sign anything you haven’t read! I know it’s hard going and you’re busy and all, but if you can’t manage to read the terms and conditions then you shouldn’t get the card. Pay special attention to any future increases in rates, and what kind of fees you can be charged.We recommend the following credit card and debt resources. They are highly reputable and will help you in choosing the best available solution for you, as well as in finding the best credit cards around.
Credit Card Resources
CreditAxis guarantees anyone a bad credit loan or credit card approval through their directory of little-known lenders. They also offer a unique credit repair kit and a do-it-yourself bankruptcy filing kit. Their information is applicable to residents of the U.S., Canada, and the UK.
LowerMyBills is a comprehensive service that helps consumers lower all their monthly bills, all in one spot. They offer a broad range of savings opportunities, with a special focus on home loans. LowerMyBills has established itself as leader in the online comparison shopping marketplace.
Debt consolidation is one of the hottest offers online today and DebtAdvocates.cc (from Intermark Media) is the first in the industry to give consumers the choice to either consolidate or eliminate their debt - based on their financial situation.
Credit Card Debt Strategies
The strategies on this site are based on various reports and the
financial experience of respected authorities.
A Credit Card Jargon Buster
Credit cards, as part of the financial industry, use a massive array of jargon. You can't be expected to recognize all these technical terms - so here's a quick guide, in alphabetical order.
Beware the Sudden Rate Hike
There are some credit card lenders out there who are trying to scam you. They'll offer you a good interest rate, wait for you to spend a lot of money, and then suddenly jack up the interest through the roof.
Always Avoid Payment Holidays
Once you've been paying off a credit card for a while, you might be offered a 'payment holiday'. You'll get a letter, offering you a month off from paying, as 'a special present'.
They Don't Want You to Pay!
In all your dealings with credit cards, remember this one thing: they don't want you to pay. They want you to keep on paying them a little every month for the rest of your life, making them a steady profit on things you long since forgot about buying.
So You Missed a Payment ...
You can't afford to pay, the payment didn't get there in time or you just plain forgot. Sooner or later, something is bound to go wrong.
The Human Side: Debt Stress.
Credit Card debt is extremely stressful, and can have a very negative effect on your life. In this article, we'll take a look at how you can recognize debt stress, and what you can do about it.
You're not alone: Credit Card Statistics.
Do you have any idea just how common credit cards are? Let's take a look at a few statistics from the USA.
More Articles about Credit Card Debt ...
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Credit Card Debt Strategies
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