With so many great credit cards on the market, it’s hard to just have one. However, the more credit cards you have, the more difficult it is to keep up with the payments and balances and be sure none of the cards are dormant. Here are a few tips to help you manage multiple credit cards. Make your payments on time. Paying on time is important for keeping your accounts in good standing, minimizing fees, and maintaining a...
No one would knowingly volunteer to be a victim of fraud or identity theft. While you may do your best to keep your financial details safe, you could be unknowingly putting your identity at risk if you do any of these things. Use the same password for all your online accounts. We have dozens of online accounts for everything from email to social media to bank accounts. Unfortunately, many people get lazy and simply use the same password for...
Having your credit card stolen can send you into a panic. What if the thief maxes out your credit card before you can report the card stolen? Will your credit card issuer hold you responsible for the charges? If your credit card is ever stolen – or even just lost – don’t panic. Following a few simple steps will help you take control of your account and prevent the thief from racking up charges in your...
In a perfect world, our cash would flow smoothly from year to year with no major incidents. Unfortunately, life can’t always be perfect. Sometimes we cause our own money problems through overspending or other bad decisions. Other times, money problems are unexpected, caused by situations outside our control. Here are some of the worst money problems to have and tips for dealing with them. Not having enough money for a major expense. Emergency expenses, like a...
College students are notorious for being low on cash. For this reason, many turn to a student credit card. While there are advantages of using a credit card in college, such as building good financial habits, there are some definite risks involved. Here are three of the biggest: • Overspending. Hands down, this is the top risk associated with a student credit card. If you aren’t confident in your ability to spend in a responsible manner,...
If you’re looking for a way to earn extra money, consider turning your hobby into an income stream. Whether your goal is to generate a little extra income or turn your hobby into a full-fledged business or somewhere in between, these tips will help you make a profit from your hobby. Make sure it’s something you enjoy doing. When you choose a hobby you enjoy – rather than one you think will make money –you’re more...
Do you ever wonder what a credit card company looks at when deciding to approve or deny an application? With this knowledge in mind, you may be able to better your situation as to improve your chance of an approval. Here are several of the most important credit card approval factors: 1. Utilization. Just the same as your credit score, the amount of available credit will impact your approval odds. In short, if your current credit...
There are many benefits of using a credit card, such as the ability to conveniently make large purchases and the opportunity to collect reward points for every dollar you spend. However, you shouldn’t get into the habit of using a credit card until you fully understand the real cost of doing so. First things first, paying off your balance in full each month is the best thing you can do. With this strategy, you never have...
As you get more and more excited about renovating your kitchen, there will always be one thing lingering in your mind: the cost. Many people are under the impression that it takes tens of thousands of dollars to “do a kitchen right.” There’s no denying that you can spend this much (or more), but you don’t have to. Below, you’ll find seven easy ways to save money on the cost of a kitchen remodel: 1. Shop...
Wouldn’t it be nice if your car insurance rate remained the same, year in and year out? Unfortunately, you’ve probably come to find that this isn’t the way things work. There are some obvious reasons for a car insurance rate increase, such as an at-fault accident or receiving a moving violation. However, there are other reasons for this that fly under the radar. Consider these two points: 1. Life Changes Many drivers overlook the fact that...
