Tag Archives: cards
How to Build a Healthy Credit Score
When choosing a loan, one of the first things we check on is the interest rates. Apparently, the lowest interest rates and the best deals are only offered to those with good to excellent credit. If you have plans on obtaining a personal loan, car loan or mortgage, check your credit first to see if youll qualify for the best rates. If you have a low credit score, its a good idea to work on improving your credit first before applying for a loan. How can you build up your credit score? Here are some tips:
Remove negative information. Negative information can dramatically pull down your overall credit score. If those negative remarks are old and have already been settled, ask the credit bureau who issued your report if these remarks can be removed. Also, check for errors or incorrect charges in your report. If you found errors, call your creditor involved to clarify the issue and send a letter of dispute to your credit bureau.
Do not maximize your credit limit. See to it that youre not using more than 50% of your credit limit on all your accounts. Experts recommend using only 30%-40% of your allotted credit to reduce the risk of accumulating debts and improve your credit score at the same time. Dont close old accounts. Be careful about cancelling credit cards especially if youve had those cards for a long time. If those cards have high rates and charges, you dont have to use them often. Use them once in awhile only for small purchases to keep them from automatically closing. After swiping the card, pay off your balance completely before your scheduled due date.
Submit payments on time. Its important to submit your payments on time not only to your credit cards but to all your creditors. Pay close attention to your payment dates. As much as possible, try to submit your payments ahead of your due date to avoid delays or missed payments. Not only will this habit help build up your credit score, you can also save money by not paying the extra interest rate and late penalty charges.
Avoid submitting multiple applications to different lending companies. If you want to apply for a new credit card, choose carefully and submit your application to only one credit card company. Dont try to apply for credit cards just to get the freebies they offer. Remember, too many inquiries on your credit report sends out a negative impression to other lenders and may pull down your credit score.
Call in advance if youre going to be late. If you know that you cant submit your payment on time for this month, call your lender or credit card company right away and explain your situation. If you do so, it is most likely that your creditor would extend your due date without reporting it as late payment. If you promised your creditor that you will be paying your balance by the next month, do your best to keep your promise.
Why You Should Use A Prepaid Credit Card?
Prepaid credit cards have been growing in popularity over the past few years. But despite the ‘credit card’ name, no credit is actually involved. Heres how it work’s.
When a standard credit card is used, you pay for the convenience of being able to purchase items without saving the money up first. The issuing bank is basically lending you money , to be repayed on a regular basis. But with a prepaid credit card, there is no line of credit or loan. Instead, the user will make deposits to their bank account, and then use the credit card to withdraw that money for purchases. Why would you use a prepaid credit card if you don’t actually get any credit?
A prepaid credit card is a excellent choice if you want to be able to make purchases online without taking the risk of giving unknown merchants your credit card information and access to your credit line. Lots of people today are sensitive to online credit fraud, and this is one of several ways around it. But be aware though, many merchants that require you to make monthly payments will not accept a prepaid card for purchases.
A prepaid credit card is also an great way to provide a weekly or monthly spending allowance to a child away from home, let’s say, at college. The student has the convenience of being able to charge different items on the card, and you can easily have control over the amount that the child spends by the amount of the deposits made to the account. This will go a long way in teaching them how to manage their money.
If you have decided that a prepaid credit card is the right choice for you, there are a lot of options available that can offer you varying benefits. Perhaps you’re looking to repair or restore your credit. Could be you want a way to give your away-from-home student a monthly allowance. No matter what your reason, why not choose a prepaid credit card that allows you to earn income at the same time?
Prepaid Credit Cards That Help You Restore Your Credit
Not every financial institution that issues stored value credit cards makes reports to credit agencies about your spending history. If part of your reason for applying for a prepaid card is to repair your credit history, make sure you choose a company that does make reports. There are also a number of issuing companies that offer credit reporting as an add-on service for an additional fee.
Prepaid Credit Cards That Pay You Back
Some major financial institutions will offer you a prepaid credit card with an opportunity to make income. They offer a rebate on spending, or a referral program. If you don’t need to build your credit, and believe that your income through spending rebates and referrals will exceed the annual membership fees, then these types of cards might be a excellent choice for you.
What ever your reason for choosing a prepaid credit card, be sure that you shop around to get the best deal, and that you check out the financial institution to make certain that they are a reputable business.