Even if you don’t normally carry a balance on your credit card, you may find that there are times when your spending levels get uncomfortable close to your credit limit. Having a well thought out budget can help keep your spending at a predictable amount each month, but there still may be times where unexpected expenses can cause you to come close to maxing out your card. Once this happens, you might consider calling your credit card company to request a credit limit increase. Before you ask for that credit limit increase, however, it’s important to understand the effects of...

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Even though the recent credit crunch has made it quite difficult for some individuals to get a new home loan, or even to refinance their existing mortgage, one area of lending remains vibrant; the credit card industry. Individuals with a relatively strong credit history will find that they have a number of different options available to them for credit cards. One choice you’ll have to make is whether to use a single credit card with a high limit for all your purchasing activity, or to spread that activity out over multiple credit card accounts. Here is some credit card advice on...

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Even if you don’t plan to use credit cards very often, there are times you’ll be glad you have them (such as when you need to rent a car or reserve a hotel room for travel). In order to ensure that this type of consumer credit is always available to you, and that you don’t pay too much for the convenience, you’ll want to have a good credit score. Furthermore, having good credit can save you many thousands of dollars when it comes time to purchasing a home. But you don’t start off with a good credit score by default....

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When two people get married they each bring different things into the new relationship. Usually there’s a mix of good things and bad things that each person carries with them, and sometimes these things can be of a financial nature. But despite the commitment and the romance, your impending marriage doesn’t happen in a financial vacuum. Your future spouse’s financial status, including their credit rating, can significantly impact your joint finances going forward. Provided that you have an understanding of what some of the consequences can be, and plan accordingly, your hard-earned financial health won’t unduly suffer. Here is some credit...

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Even if you’re in a good overall financial position, it’s still possible that you can get rejected when you apply for a new credit card. The approval process itself is something of a mystery, since the credit card companies don’t specify exactly what it takes to get approved, and why certain applications get rejected. Because having a credit card is an important part of building a positive financial profile – as well as being a significant convenience in modern life – it’s important to be aware of the possible reasons your recent credit card application was rejected. Here’s some credit...

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For individuals who are struggling under the burden of too much debt, it’s the consumer-type debt – rather than home mortgage debt – that’s quite often the culprit. More specifically, these individuals are probably saddled with a level of credit card debt that they are finding difficult to completely pay off. Even when you’re able to change your spending habits for the better, you’ll still need to pay down the credit card debt you’ve already incurred. One technique that you might consider is to take out a new loan to pay off your credit card debt. Here is some credit...

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Your credit report and credit score are of the highest importance in maintaining healthy personal finances. Nearly all decisions on whether or not to extend credit to a prospective borrower are made with detailed calculations based on information contained in your credit report. Furthermore, many employers and landlords will use an applicant’s credit report to decide their suitability for a job or apartment. Much of the information behind your credit score is available to you any time you want. In fact, federal law requires that the major credit reporting bureaus provide you with a free copy of your credit will...

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If you find yourself in a difficult financial situation, and you’ve unsuccessfully tried to work through the issues completely on your own, then you may start looking for help. Two possibilities you’re likely to hear our debt management and debt consolidation. If you’ve never heard of either one of these before, or if you’re not exactly sure what they mean, the differences between the two services can sometimes be a bit confusing. However, the two services are different enough that it’s important to know which one might be more appropriate for you, and under what circumstances. Here’s a brief...

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You probably receive offers in your mailbox each month to open a new credit card account and consolidate all of your existing card balances. Sometimes the offers are quite tempting. You’ll likely be offered a very low (or even zero percent) interest rate for six months or a year for any balances that you transfer to the new account. But there are other considerations involved. Opening up a new credit card account, and potentially canceling other accounts that you may have had for many years, is a significant decision. Here is some credit card advice and tips for deciding whether credit...

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The balance transfer deal is a common promotional tool used by credit card companies to acquire new customers. This type of promotion usually allows a new customer to open an account, transfer balances from one or more of their existing credit cards onto the new account – usually up to a certain dollar amount – and pay very low or no fees on that transferred balance for a fixed period of time. The opportunity to pay off high interest credit card debt at a lower rate can be tempting, but it isn’t necessarily something you should do. Here is some credit...

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