Easy solutions to dealing with credit cards

Credit cards allow you to spend money you do not even have, making them one of the worst debt traps ever.

10:12 20 February 2014

Credit cards can be the greatest help when you need a little boost to get you through the month. Unfortunately, people view them as a passport to frivolous spending and unnecessary trips to exotic destinations. But fear not, there are strategies that you can use to manage your credit card wisely.

 

• The first thing to being credit card savvy is to make sure that your information is safe. This means that if you do a lot of online shopping you need to make sure that the online connection is safe. There are a large number of people lurking in cyberspace waiting to get your credit card information.

 

• Secured credit cards have special fees and they report to major credit bureaus. Check what the fees are and which bureaus they report to.

 

• Use your card only when you need to. Make sure that you can pay it off quickly. Your credit card should not be used as a debit card to live off. Treat the funds as you would a loan that has a high interest rate.

 

• To get the most out of using a credit card, choose a card that provides rewards based on the amount you spend on it, like the ones that give you 2% of your spending back.

 

• Try to pay more than just the recommended minimum payment. The reason credit card companies have this minimum amount is to get you indebted for a long time so they can make the most money form you on interest rates alone.

 

• A credit card's interest can ruin your future but if you have the right card with rewards and incentives, you have a choice of what you can get from your credit card provider.