Managing your credit cards can be time consuming, especially if you are in debt. There are a host of moving parts with credit cards, from the interest rate to the due date and annual fees. It can be easy to stumble and miss a payment or be tempted to take out a cash advance in a pinch.
Closing down a credit card will usually hurt your credit score, especially if you’ve had the credit card open for many years. If you no longer want to use a particular credit card, you don’t have to close it down. There are other options out there to prevent you from using the card and accumulating high balances.
Let’s explore why it’s a bad idea to close down your credit card.
It’s that time of year where everyone is talking about the goals they plan to set for the new year. There’s a lot of talk about getting to the gym more and eating less junk food
While all this is well and good there is a three-digit number that may be getting sadly ignored. Not your weight. Your credit score. While you are going to want to keep that number on the scale low you are going to want to get that credit score to gain as much as possible.
It’s no secret that the invention of credit cards completely revolutionized the shopping experience. Now the payment experience is under a revolution of its own. Services such as Apple Pay allow shoppers to save their credit information on their iPhone and use it a payment method. You’ll find that with the availability of services such as Apple Pay and the iCloud keychain, the only thing anyone needs to shop is an iPhone.
If you’re in credit card debt, you are probably all too familiar with how interest works. Any time you leave a balance on a credit card, the credit card issuer charges interest. The interest rate on credit cards can be as high as 15%, so a credit card balance of $500 can easily turn into $1,000 or even higher over time. Before you know it, the debt balance is so high that achieving debt-free status can seem hopeless.
The Discover it cashback credit card is a great choice for saving money on everyday spending because you get 1 percent back on everything you buy. It also has quarterly bonus categories that can earn cardholders up to 5 percent. If you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping yet, there’s still time this year to earn that fourth quarter bonus on Amazon and Target purchases.
Credit cards can be used for cash just like an ATM. This isn’t what credit cards are traditionally used for though. They allow consumers to buy now and pay later, so many people use them as a line of credit. You can spend as much as you would like on the card, staying within the card’s credit limit, and then must pay back the entire balance in full by a due date established by the credit card company. If you pay anything less than the full balance, interest charges will start to accrue.
Credit cards should not be viewed as a way to access cold hard cash like an ATM. The goal of a credit card is as follows: a bank issues you a line of credit (also known as the card’s credit limit) and you are allowed to use the card to finance various expenditures up to the credit limit. You must pay back all of your expenditures in full on a due date set by the credit card issuer.Â
If you want to hit the road in 2018 and make it your best travel year so far, we have some great suggestions for you. These are our favorite tips on how to maximize your credit card benefits and loyalty program perks while also earning and saving miles and points.
It’s a scary feeling when your credit card is stolen. Think about how much could go wrong. A thief now has the opportunity to charge whatever they want on your card and leave you responsible for footing the bill. It’s a thief’s dream, but a consumer’s worst nightmare.
As soon as you realize your credit card is missing, there are a few actions you should take immediately to limit your liability from any unauthorized purchases that may result from your card falling into the hands of the wrong person.
Applying for a credit card isn’t a difficult process. The major credit card issuers have online applications that can sometimes inform you within minutes if you’ve been approved for the card. But there are some factors to keep in mind when applying to ensure that your credit score doesn’t suffer unnecessarily.
What have you taught your children about credit? Even if you think you have never given them a lesson, you probably have. The way you spend your money, talk about money and live your life in general are absorbed by your little ones. Has your child ever asked you for something and you had to tell them you could not currently afford it. They might even suggest using a credit card as they have likely seen them used to buy things. Your child may be under the impression that a credit card is like free money if you haven’t explained how they work.
It seems like every few months we’re hearing about a new data breach that has compromised our personal information. The Equifax breach from a few years ago, for example, affected nearly half the United States population.
Even though we’d like to think our information is secure, vigilance is crucial. It’s important that you always have a good understanding of what’s on your credit report.
Capital One is making it easy for everyone to stay in the know with CreditWise from Capital One. This service, which is included for free with every Capital One card, you’ll be notified if there are any changes to your credit report. It’s an easy and free way to keep your credit safe.
You’ve probably heard about charge cards and credit cards. While the two terms sound similar, there are plenty of differences. Depending on your financial goals, it’s important to understand these products so you can properly decide which card to select.
Let’s explore the differences and similarities between charge cards and credit cards.
Have you ever wondered what credit card APRs are? APR stands for annual percentage rate. Understanding the mathematics behind that rate will help illustrate how dangerous and expensive credit card debt can be. It’ll also give you extra motivation to pay off your credit card balances in full every month so you don’t have to worry about interest.
One of the most cost-effective ways to pay down credit card debt is to transfer the balance to a low interest credit card, also known as a balance transfer card.
Consumers who are merely paying the minimum payment on their credit card balances are on the road to a lifetime of debt. The minimum payment is usually so low, that it keeps consumers in debt for decades.
With credit cards, consumers typically hear about rewards programs, airline miles, debt and interest charges. However, there are plenty of things you probably didn’t know about credit cards.
For example, credit cards can be completely free if you use them properly. But credit cards are never free for merchants, who must pay a fee to the credit card issuer each time a consumer swipes the card.Â
Regular airline and hotel program devaluations are becoming the norm, and recently Singapore Airlines has announced program changes without giving us a whole lot of warning. Effective December 7, 2017, many flights booked on Star Alliance partners will be changing in price and there are a few non-price related changes as well. All in all this is a pretty big deal.
Far too many consumers have credit card balances. This isn’t something to be proud of as a credit card balance is another term for having debt. Remember, when charging items on a credit card, those expenditures must be paid back in full.
Let’s explore some of the ins and outs of credit card balances, including what they are and how they can snowball into a major financial problem that affects your life for years to come.
Imagine that you’re standing at the checkout counter and the cashier informs you that your credit card has been declined. Not only is this an embarrassing situation to be in, but it can also be an inconvenience. If you don’t carry cash, you’re left scrambling for another method of payment.Â
