Credit cards: they can either be incredibly helpful financial tools or plastic prisons, depending on how they’re used.
The right kind of credit usage—cards swiped for responsible purchases and paid back on-time—can be of real benefit to your credit reports and scores by demonstrating reliable creditworthiness. At the same time, too many cards or too much debt can do real damage to those same reports and scores.
Since virtually everyone will carry at least one credit card in their lives, knowing proven strategies for their successful use makes good sense. While everyone’s financial circumstances vary, there are still “Do’s-and-Don’ts” when it comes to applying for, using, and managing your credit cards.
There’s an old saying that ‘the things you own can end up owning you’. Never was that truer than in the case of plastic. With about 610 million credit cards currently in circulation in the U.S. alone, not everyone’s experience will be a net positive.
Thankfully, with some helpful tips from the Quizzologists, you can avoid the common mistakes so many others will learn about—the hard way.
Stay on the straight and narrow path of proper credit card use with these links from the Quizzle blog and beyond:
Buyer’s Remorse? Proven Ways to Improve Your Credit Score
Using Credit Cards to Rebuild Credit
5 Reasons Store Credit Cards Are a Bad Idea
How Many Credit Cards Should I Have?
Does Canceling My Credit Cards Boost My Credit Score?
Additional Resources:
10 places NOT to use your debit card
Dos and Don’ts Of Using Credit Cards Responsibly
Credit Improvement Basics: Credit Cards was originally featured on Quizzle Wire
Quizzle.com is the easiest way to get a complete understanding of your credit. Visit Quizzle.com to get your free credit report and score. No credit card or social security number necessary!