|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
What is a Credit Card?
A credit card allows you to buy things even though you might not have the money to pay for it right away. The company that gave you the card lets you spend up to an agreed sum and then makes additional money available to you as you pay off what you've spent. You must pay at least a minimum amount by the due date, generally once every month. You will pay a finance charge or interest on any amount you do not pay by the due date. Today our entire financial system relies on credit. Credit cards can help to make your life that little bit easier- you can use it to pay for goods or services, either over the phone, online or over the counter. Credit cards can enable you to have that little extra spending power when and where you need it. In addition to paying for purchases you can also use your credit cards in order to withdraw cash from a cash machine, not only in this country but all over the world. It is increasingly difficult to operate in the modern economy without a credit card. Credit cards allow people to manage emergencies, to shop conveniently in the High Street, by telephone or over the internet and are useful when travelling abroad. With each credit card you will have a limit to the amount of money that you can spend on it. This is known as a 'credit limit'. You can withdraw money and pay for goods and services as much as you want up to your credit limit, effectively borrowing capital from your credit card provider. Every month you will receive a credit card statement that will detail both your balance (the amount of money you have either withdrawn or spent) and any interest that has accrued upon it. You can then either pay off the full amount or make the minimum payment. A credit card allows the cardholder to borrow as much money (up to their credit limit) as they like, when and where they like, without having to get permission from their bank manager. All credit cards have finance charges for not paying your balance in full each month, but you could save a lot of money by shopping around for the credit card that offers you the best terms. Shop for a card with an interest free period that gives you enough time to pay your bills on time without charging you interest. Credit cards with no interest free period start charging you fees as soon as you buy something on your credit card. A credit card is convenient for making purchases. It is also the best way to create a credit history for you, and this is necessary to do things like buy a home. It is very easy to lose control of your spending habits if you rely on credit cards too often. While they can be very useful, credit cards can also be risky. Even people who are usually good with their money get into trouble with credit cards. The problem is that people use their credit cards too often and let their debt add up. Then they can only pay back small amounts at a time. This ends up costing a lot of money in finance charges. Before applying for a credit card, you should decide why you want one, and make sure you can use it wisely. You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact: About The Author
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Student Credit Cards 101 Almost all students have and use student credit cards. Some of the students use them wisely and build for them an early credit history but others accumulate lots of debts that would have to be paid off once the student life is over. Students that have a credit card should learn how to take charge and manage their own finances as soon as possible, because the time between teen years and adulthood is very short. So, the sooner a student starts managing his own financial matters the sooner he will develop useful financial skills. Student credit cards are no longer a privilege for wealthy students but now are considered a social entitlement. How Does a Creditor Determine Whether to Grant You Credit? Credit 101 Special Credit Information for Married Couples If you are married, establish separate credit accounts. Are 0% Credit Cards Reaching Their End? Are Credit Card companies starting to feel the pinch? We all know that the Credit Card companies make their money by charging us interest on the money we borrow. With all the 0% balance transfer offers that we have seen over the last few years its no wonder these companies are concerned they aren't making any money. Many customers who take advantage of these offers move once the 0% period has expired. What You Need to Know About Interest Rates For all people shop around for the best rate, there are few who have taken the time to sit down and add it all up. After all, why would you bother? The answer is that understanding just how interest rates work can help you see how important small differences in rates and payment amounts can be. 7 Ways To Squash Identity Theft It is the scourge of our age: identity theft. Thieves learn an important part about your personal information, such as your credit card number, and they open accounts in your name and spend, spend, spend! Unfortunately, by the time you discover that you are a victim the damage is already done. Here are seven steps you can take to prevent identity theft. Finding What is on Your Credit Report A credit report is basically a file about you kept by lenders and banks. As annoying as it may be, it's still perfectly legal for them to gather all sorts of details about you. In turn, you have the right to check this file - and you should do so and inquire regularly about your credit report and your credit score, particularly when you plan a big financial change, for instance, before applying for a loan or a mortgage, you should always take time and review your credit report. This allows you not only to plan your moves accurately, but also to dispute any mistakes that might occur in the report. Preventing Credit Card Mess Credit card debts problem is extremely common today. It is usually the first sign of longer term financial troubles. How to manage your credit cards so that you will never fall into credit card mess? There are four pillars in preventing credit card debts problem. Tips for Choosing a Credit Card Company Credit Cards are essential for any consumer today. However, when choosing a new credit card company, many people do not know what to look for. It is important to have a good company because bad credit card companies can lead users into quite a bit of trouble. Whether you are a college student getting your first credit card, or someone looking to switch, choosing the company and type is very important. These few tips should help make your decision easier. Debit Card vs. Credit Card, What Are The Differences ? Ah, the "good old days". If you are a baby boomer, like me, then you probably remember how important it was to rush to the bank on payday. You had to get there before the teller lanes closed so that you could have your "cash allowance" for the week. Otherwise, if you needed cash you had to write a check, then go to the bank, and "cash" the check for real cash. What is a Credit Card? A credit card allows you to buy things even though you might not have the money to pay for it right away. The company that gave you the card lets you spend up to an agreed sum and then makes additional money available to you as you pay off what you've spent. You must pay at least a minimum amount by the due date, generally once every month. You will pay a finance charge or interest on any amount you do not pay by the due date. Warning: Todays Non Profit Credit Counselors Are Yesterdays Bill Collectors! Here's a dirty secret, today's "non profit credit counselors" are often just front organizations paid lucrative commissions by creditors to keep consumers from declaring bankruptcy! How To Protect Yourself Against Credit Card Fraud In the high tech world of today, credit card fraud is an ever increasing problem. Credit Cards: Pros and Cons Sure, there are a lot of problems with credit cards, but there are a lot of good things attached to them as well. For instance, if you have a small business, fleet credit cards can keep your books in order when you issue them to drivers of company vehicles for gas and automobile repairs. On the other hand, it's very easy to abuse department store credit cards. And it's easy to have too many credit cards open at once. Good Credit is King, When Qualifying for Mortgage Programs If you want to purchase a new home or refinance your current mortgage, be sure to check out the wide array of loan programs available. If you have less than excellent or even poor credit, you can still qualify for a loan. If you have outstanding credit, though, you are in the proverbial driver's seat, when it comes to selecting your loan program. Be sure to find a good mortgage consultant, and carefully explain exactly what you need. Here are just a couple of "outside-the-box" programs that come in handy for some people but require excellent credit ratings. Finance - Money, Money Finance is a big word for some of us. It's a little scary. Maybe you immediately go to thinking about "high finance." That's even scarier. But what is the field of finance really about? Money. Okay, so money can be a scary word, too, but it's a little more manageable because we use it more often. In fact, money management is what finance is all about. It can also mean raising the money for something or lending money to someone on credit. Credit Cards - The Basics How Lenders Operate ? And How They'll Make a Tidy Fortune from the Unknowing How To Establish Great Credit Building a good credit history is important. If you have no reported credit history, it may take time to establish your first credit account. This problem affects young people just beginning careers as well as older people who have never used credit. It also affects divorced or widowed women who shared credit accounts that were reported only in the husband's name. What Is a FICO Score and How Do I Make It Work for Me? Whether or not you receive a loan and what interest rate you get on your credit card may be determined by something called a FICO score. Named for Fair, Isaac & Co., a California-based company that developed the credit score, the FICO score is the most widely used scoring method to determine credit worthiness. Bailiffs & Council Tax - Knowing What To Do This article is about bailiffs who may call trying to collect Council Tax or Community Charge (Poll Tax) arrears. If a bailiff has contacted you to collect another sort of debt the law might be different.
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |