10 worst credit card mistakes
Whether you're in a financial crunch or just lack a second Ferrari, credit card offers landing in your mailbox might look like an answer to a prayer.
Don't succumb to temptation, says Cate Williams, vice president of financial literacy for Money Management International in Chicago.
"The first thing consumers need to do is walk from their mailbox to their shredder," says Williams. "A new credit card might give you that sparkling feeling for about 24 hours, but as a way to clean up your finances, borrowing money to pay back other money is not a solution."
Experts’ advice can steer you away from the top 10 credit card mistakes.
1. Getting too many Bypass the shredder and you could make one of the most common credit card blunders by collecting too many credit cards.
2. Misunderstanding introductory ratesBut, you argue, that new card will help you manage your money better because you can transfer other balances to a no-interest account. Welcome to credit card mistake No. 2: being misled by introductory rates.
"People don't look at what the rate's going to be once the teaser is over," says Daniel Wishnatsky, certified financial planner and owner of Special Kids Financial in Phoenix. "The assumption is that it's going to be a reasonable rate. But with these particular loans, it's not unusual for it to go up to 18 to 20 percent. They're surprised six months later when it expires. But if they'd done their homework, they wouldn't be."
3. Not reading the fine printThat homework is reading the offer's fine print. Not doing so is credit card blunder No. 3.
That tiny text insert is where you'll discover when the zero-percent or very blank_pagelow interest rate expires. It's also how you can find out about any blank_pagebalance transfer fees, as well as any offer limitations. In most cases, the introductory rate applies only to balance transfer amounts or new purchases for a certain period of time, says June A. Schroeder, a CFP with Liberty Financial Group Inc. in Elm Grove, Wisc., a private financial planning and advisory firm.
4. Choosing a card for the wrong reasonsYou might be tempted to ignore the fine print because the card has other attractions, such as a rebate or blank_pagerewards program. Don't, or you'll make credit card mistake No. 4: choosing a card for the wrong reasons.
"Credit card granters are not a consumer's friend. It is a business," says Dvorkin. "They don't know what's right for you. Their job is to extract as much money from you as they can. Your job is to not let that happen. People need to go through and find a card that's right for them. There's every sort of card out there -- points, cash back, donations to your college."
5. Not rate shoppingLook for the best possible interest rate. Not shopping around is credit card mistake No. 5.
It's especially important to note the rate on unsolicited offers. If you're struggling financially, you're not likely to get the most favorable rates or terms. You'll be paying higher interest rates. So comparison shop for a credit card.
6. Making minimum paymentsOK. You do need another card. You read the fine print, you completely understand the terms and you got a competitive rate. But even after choosing the perfect credit card, people still make mistakes, such as No. 6 on our list, making minimum-only payments.
CreditCards.com's calculator can show how long it will take to pay off a bill if you send only the minimum each month.
7. Paying your bill lateMaking late payments, blunder No. 7, is better than not paying at all, but not by much. Not only will you face a late-payment charge, which could be higher than your minimum payment, your tardiness will show up on your credit report, damage your FICO score and make it harder to get better terms for future loans and accounts.
Check your account statement for the due date and make sure you send your check in plenty of time. But the date alone isn't enough, says Liberty Financial's Schroeder. Some companies have cutoff times. If your check arrives on the 22nd as required, but in the afternoon mail, your payment is counted as late because your account terms called for payment by 9 a.m. that day.
If you've set up an automatic payment via your bank, make sure the time and date are taken into account, says Schroeder. And find out your bank's payment policy when the due date falls on a weekend or holiday.
8. Ignoring your monthly statementYou can avoid late payments by checking your credit card statement. Not doing so is mistake No. 8. Checking your statement will help you pay your bill promptly, as well as allow you to make sure that the charges on it are correct. "In these days of ID theft, you need to check your bills religiously," says Schroeder. And you need to do so as soon as the statement arrives. If you wait too long to dispute a charge, says Schroeder, "you're essentially accepting it."
9. Exceeding your credit limitChecking your statements also can keep you from exceeding your credit limit, mistake No. 9. "If you're near the top of your credit limit, try really hard to pay in cash for subsequent purchases or get an increased credit line," says Schroeder. "If you don't, you'll get over-the-limit charges, which are costly and look bad on your credit report."
10. Buying things you don't needCareful statement examination also could prevent the 10th credit card blunder, using plastic to purchase things you don't need."Go over your credit card bills every month and you'll be amazed at the number of items that, upon reflection, you could have done without," says Wishnatsky. "It's surprising how many purchases we make that we think are needs, but are impulse buys."