A Personal finance blog for saving money and earning more and thus having a better life
There are a thousand credit cards available in the market. Whereas, individual carries, on average, 2 credit cards. So, how to shortlist? How you’d zero in on a few credit cards from seeming an infinite number of options? Choosing a right credit card has become one of the most important topics of personal finance. But, I haven’t written up on this earlier. Let me cover every step that one must take to pick the best credit card fitting to their need.
Having a credit card helped me establishing my credit when I first landed in the US in 2005. I started from no credit to 800+ FICO score in 7 years. Having 4 credit cards (starting with a secured credit card from BofA) and one car loan helped me reach there, along with on-time full balance payment throughout. So, credit cards help in increasing credit score.
In this article point the how you can secure a credit card to better your score. While reading this, do keep in mind that credit cards are fool’s poison. A wrong use can ruin your life. Especially if you have had problems paying credit card dues, I’d advise you not to use credit cards again. Else, continue with the article and I’d help you securing a credit card even if you now have a bad credit.
If you open any wallet, you’ll find that most people have at least one debit card and one credit card. This is how they pay for things, such as groceries, gasoline and personal items. Some people prefer one over the other; and if you’re deciding the best card for your need, you may question whether to stick with a bank debit card or take a chance with a credit card.
At the end of the day, there are no wrong or right answers. There are many reasons why some prefer credit whereas others prefer debit. about a year back I posted on same topic, whether to use a credit card or debit card? If you’re on the fence and can’t decide the best approach, it pays to consider the benefits — as well as the disadvantages — of both methods of payment.
Many view credit cards in wrong way, for them using credit cards is a sin. Credit cards encourages people buying things that are not affordable. True, the same way carrying gun is a sin. But, in reality neither is a sin. As long as you know how to use them and most importantly, how and when not to use them, you should be doing wonders. One will protect yourself from evil and the other will bring your comfort.
As I discussed in how to handle your credit cards, to make most from your credit cards, you first need to pay entire balance each month. If you don’t do that then you should not use a credit card, period! Credit cards should not be used as personal loan. There are other reasons to get personal loans. So, in order to enjoy all the good things a credit card offers, you’ll need to maximize the rewards and make the charges and fees zero.
One very often discussed topics in personal finance discussion is whether to use a credit card or debit card. Many experts and famous bloggers suggest using debit cards only. Mainly because debit cards can’t put you in debt. You may not be able to buy items that can be bought using a credit card. Here’s what I do in my situation
We are 30 something, single income family of two. We live in rented apartment, never been in debt, even saving to buy our first house without mortgage. Naturally, we know how to handle credit responsibly. Due to my upbringing in a lower middle class family in India, I know what is essential and what’s luxury, which is quiet different from what average American perception of luxury vs. need is.
Most Americans never seems to realize how much they lose over late payments for their credit cards. They will only realize when the credit card companies fights with them over their interest rates.
Personally I have been a victim of being charged high interest rates over just one late payment. My credit card company doubled my interest rates and piled huge fees on one late payment that I forgot to clear.
We get balance transfer card offers all the time. Unfortunately for those banks and fortunately for us, we do not carry any balance on our cards. We pay in full every month. For those who are already in credit card debt, this guest post from Joshua can be very helpful. Read and enjoy the post!
Have you heard of the balance transfer game? It seems to be all the buzz on several finance blogs that I follow and, rightfully so. Those who play the game and win…WIN BIG! But, those who play the game and lose…LOSE BIG! And in the game of personal finance, the difference between win and lose can be the difference between financial stability and financial hardship.
Credit card scam is a pretty broad ranging term which encompasses theft as well as fraud which are committed by a credit or any other payment mechanism that is similar to it. The definition is pretty straightforward.
If a card is used to obtain goods without the intent to pay for it or to obtain illegal funds from another account, then that is a credit card related scam. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t something that rarely happens. In fact, it is a crime that’s quite prevalent worldwide.
It’s no secret that travel rewards cards are the most-appealing credit card options available to consumers today. And why shouldn’t they be? Free miles simply for making the purchases you’re already planning on making; where else can you get a deal like that?
That said, not every travel rewards card is created equal, and not every travel rewards credit card is right for everyone. When researching and applying for a travel rewards cards, there are a few things consumers need to consider.
Credit card companies use sign-up bonuses in order to entice new customers. Depending on the credit card market, sometimes you will find much more enticing sign-up bonuses than other times. A credit card company may dangle a sign-up bonus out there to convert a bunch of new customers, and then they may pull the offer depending on market fluctuation and other factors.
For example, Chase has re-released their stellar British Airways Visa Signature Card and the huge sign-up bonus that comes along with it: 50,000 Avios points just for spending $1,000 in the first three months that you have the card. If you spend an additional $20,000 throughout the year, that gives you 100,000 Avios points which is enough for two free round trip flights to Europe from the United States.