Personal Finance Tips.com » Credit http://www.personalfinancetips.com Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:09:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Why You Should Carry Credit Cards http://www.personalfinancetips.com/2009/05/why-you-should-carry-credit-cards/ http://www.personalfinancetips.com/2009/05/why-you-should-carry-credit-cards/#comments Wed, 06 May 2009 05:50:34 +0000 tim http://personalfinancetipz.wordpress.com/?p=10 Credit cards are a great resource… if you are able to use them responsibly.

Convenience
There are very few places that don’t take a credit card, so instead of carrying a cash with you everywhere, you can just bring a credit card.  Also you won’t be “forced” to carry change that you receive  after paying for something in cash.

Rewards
Many credit cards offers you incentives based on the amount you spend with your credit card.  Rewards vary from cash back to points that you can redeem for awards.

Security
If your credit card is stolen, you are only legally obligated to pay a maximum of $50 of the fraudulent charges but most companies will even waive this.

Track your Spending
By using your credit card, you’ll have a record of everything that you spent on your monthly credit card statement.

Credit Card Protection from Merchants
If you have a dispute with a merchant your credit card company can do a charge back and issue you a credit if they rule in your favor

Build Credit
Using a credit card will help you in building a better credit score (if you pay your bills on time).

Insurance/Purchase Protection
Depending on your credit card, they may offer purchase protection or travelers insurance.

]]> http://www.personalfinancetips.com/2009/05/why-you-should-carry-credit-cards/feed/ 1 Protect Yourself – Check Your Credit Report http://www.personalfinancetips.com/2009/03/protect-yourself-check-your-credit-report/ http://www.personalfinancetips.com/2009/03/protect-yourself-check-your-credit-report/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:34:00 +0000 tim http://personalfinancetipz.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/protect-yourself-check-your-credit-report/ Checking your credit report on a periodic basis benefits you in 2 main ways:
1. You’ll be able to see if there’s any inaccurate information on your credit report. If there are errors, you can contact the credit bureau to correct the erroneous data. By fixing reporting errors in your credit report, you’ll protect and potentially raise your credit score.
2. If someone is using your identity, you’ll be able to see any credit requests that were made with your personal information, then you can take the appropriate steps to mitigate any damages.

You can get a free credit report from the credit bureaus:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/

There are 3 reports (one from each credit bureau) that you can pull for free every 12 months. It is recommended that you pull one report every 4 months so that you’ll be actively aware of your credit activity.

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