My Student Credit Card Adventure
|
And some practical advice too!
My first credit card?
I remember my college days when it seemed there was a credit card advertisement on practically every bulletin board on campus. The banks would travel to the college and set up application booths on registration day. Hundreds of students would apply for a credit card. As an enticement, we were offered freebies like T-shirts, water bottles, and key chains. So I took whatever they were handing out. You can't beat free. The next thing I knew, I had signed on the dotted line. It wasn't long before that little plastic card arrived in the mail. It was time to establish my credit history. I was off to the mall. Life was good!
Stuff happens?
I made my student credit card the solution to all my financial emergencies when I attended college. Needless to say there were plenty of them. There were tuition bills, school supplies, car repairs, and midnight pizzas to pay for. The old saying was true. "When they've got you, they've got you". That little piece of plastic bailed me out of more financial predicaments than I could count. I honestly don't know what I would have done without it. The student credit card "thing" was a pretty cool idea.
My day of reckoning?
The monthly statements arrived one after another. I had been in the habit of making the minimum payment and ignoring the bottom line. Not a good idea. All those credit card purchases left me with a pretty hefty balance. The finance charges were mind-boggling. It was time to take action. I started to allocate more of my monthly income toward my credit card bill and phased out frivolous purchases. My balance actually began to dwindle (Thank God). I developed a better understanding of what credit cards are intended to be. They're certainly not free money! Put simply, they're a convenient loan that has to be repaid.
A word to the wise?
When applying for a credit card, students need to consider the fees involved. Take a hard look at the finance charge, annual fee, and late payment fee. Shy away from cash advances if possible. Consider a low limit credit card. Do a comparison and search for competitive rates. Study your card agreement thoroughly. If you don't understand something, call customer service. Ask questions.
Set up a realistic budget and follow it closely. Avoid impulse shopping on your credit card. Try to use the card only in real emergencies. Try to pay your bill promptly and keep your finance charges to a minimum. This will help you to establish a good credit history.
You may also want to consider using a debit card. The money is deducted right out of your checking account. This way you can't spend more than you have.
Remember to approach credit cards sensibly. When used properly, they can be a real lifesaver!
Don Yacono is a Publisher and Webmaster at Credit Cards Made Easy .com
Visit his website at http://www.credit-cards-made-easy.com to view all the up to the minute credit card and financial news from around the world.
Visit now to apply online for the best low interest credit cards and payday loans.
|
|
|
Do You Want To Get A New Credit Card At A Great Rate?
1) Do your homework. Applying for and getting approved for a credit card is nothing more than legwork. Credit card contracts can sometimes contain onerous terms that might make you sorry that you signed up for the new card that you did. Read the fine print carefully. If a deal looks to good to be true, it just might be. Credit cards can be a great way to finance your purchases, but make sure it's not at such an expense that you end up paying for a long time afterward.2) Read about the APR. The APR stands for "annual percentage rate". Yes, the APR of a credit card is important no matter what people tell you. A low APR for a credit card is more critical than you think. When you ...(related: Credit)
5 Killer Steps To Avoid Credit Card Scams!
In August, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission issued their findings of a recent study, which showed that nearly 25 million adults were victims of fraud.Now, most importantly, If you are a victim of fraud, please do not feel like you did anything wrong. It happens to all of us at one point or another, as the FTC's study clearly shows. Everyone likes a magic trick, and none of us are fully capable of noticing the con-artists' slight of hand. So, if you're a victim, take a deep breath. You're normal.But, there's an old saying that goes some...(related: Credit)
Credit Suicide
Few things influence the home buying process more than your credit. I like how Clark Howard refers to the three credit repositories as, "the ...(related: Credit)
Beware Of Falling Minimum Payments
If you opened a credit card statement recently and were pleasantly surprised to find that your minimum payment due was lowered, don't be so quick to "jump for joy". What may appear as a small boost to your monthly budget is actually the rock that can weigh you down in debt for a lifetime.More and more credit card companies are moving to requiring a minimum payment of 2% of your total outstanding balance. Consumer Action, a consumer advocacy group out of San Francisco, found that the number of card companies with a 2% minimum payment reached 53%, up from 43% just a year ago.Some creditors have even gone so far as to call this a "c...(related: Credit)
Credit Cards - The Top 3 Things You Need To Know
Today there are so many different credit cards available, studentprepaid, low interest cards etc. that it has becomes a real hassle to find the right one that will suit your needs.This is the reason why we at online-creditcheck provide youwith necessary information which can help you in choosing theright credit card for you. The g...(related: Credit)
Free Credit Reports: From The 3 Major Credit Bureaus!
Get your credit report online for FREE. Many financial advisors suggest that you periodically review your credit report for inaccuracies or omissions.This could be especially important if you're considering making a major purchase, such as buying a home. Checking in advance on the accuracy of information in your credit file could speed the credit-granting process, clean credit is a must.A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the credit bureau`s to provide you with free credit reports, at your request, once every 12 months.Free Credit Reports, contain information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwi...(related: Credit)
Choosing The Best Low Interest Credit Card
With so many low interest credit cards on offer, how do you know which one to choose? Here is a brief guide for choosing your low interest credit card.The Chase Manhattan MasterCard is a great choice, for those with an excellent credit rating. It has an introductory APR of 0%, for up to six months, which is a great option if you plan on transferring your existing balances to your new account. If you currently bank at Chase Manhattan, you can earn additional rewards with this card, like a longer APR term. If you do a lot of travelling, you will like this Ma...(related: Credit)
Supercharged Secret 4, Credit Card Utopia
YOU SCRATCH MY BACK, AND I'LL BUY SOME MORE BEER!Let's just take a brief moment to recap:If you've been following along on this journey with me, learning the 5 Super-Charged secrets to Credit Card Utopia, then you now know 3 very important things:
Learn How To Improve Your Credit Score
Having a damaging credit record can hurt you in many ways. It may prohibit you from making an important purchase such as a home, car, computer or vacation. Without a healthy credit report you are severely limiting yourself from possible lenders. If you do find a lender you will undoubtedly be charge exorbitant interest rates far exceeding what recipients would receive if their credit history is in good standing. So how can you fix your credit score if you've been less than diligent with repayments to creditors? Well contrary to what many advertising scams will tell you, you can't fix your credit overnight. In most instances it takes 7 years for a payment infraction to be deleted from your credit report. If you were to file bankruptcy i...(related: Credit)
Using Credit Cards Wisely
"I think money was stolen from my card" or "I might have blocked my card in the ATM" - these are frequent problems that bank customer-support officers usually hear from agitated clients. Incorrect use of credit cards or wrong interpretat...(related: Credit)
site-map - Copyright © 2007 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved | Free Articles and Information | Credit