Credit Cards

Are You Ready for Another Credit Card? Six Questions to Ask Yourself

When mulling whether or not procure an additional credit card, there are several important factors to consider. After all, taking on additional credit usually means you’ll soon be accruing additional debt, which is something that should be entered into responsibly and only after you are fully aware of what you’re getting yourself into and what that might mean for your financial situation. In this post, we’ll discuss the pros...

A Perfectly Tailored Credit Card Can Mean Healthy Financial Benefits

In the market for a new credit card? Well, in the sage words of Smokey Robinson, “You better shop around.” Granted, it may seem like choosing a credit card is as easy as sifting through the endless offers you receive in the mail and simply choosing one, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In reality, different credit cards will appeal to different folks for different reasons. So...

Don’t Let Sneaky Expenses Bust Your Budget 

A detailed, well-planned budget is one of your best tools in your quest for financial responsibility and a good defense against overspending. However, even the savviest of budgeters can find themselves in tight money situations thanks to sneaky expenses that inevitably seem to crop up. Here is a list of some of the most commonly missed or forgotten budget items, and some tips on how to plan for them....

Life Without Credit Cards?

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s hard to imagine life without credit cards. Used responsibly, credit cards can help us build strong financial foundations and give us easier access to homes, transportation, job opportunities, and more. But used irresponsibly, credit cards can do damage that can take years – even decades – to reverse. For most people, the benefits of credit cards outweigh the potential drawbacks, and most of...

6 Credit Card Items You Can Negotiate

If you’ve ever struggled to pay down high-interest credit card debt, you know that it can start to feel overwhelming at times – almost as if your credit card is running the show and you’re just along for the ride. This out-of-control feeling is a little scary, and a lot discouraging. And it can be a huge barrier to improving your financial life, whether your goal is to get...

Holiday Scams and How to Avoid Them

The holidays are a time filled with fun, friends, and family gatherings. A time for shopping and gift exchanges. A time of joy, cheer, good food, and new beginnings. Unfortunately, they are also a time when scammers, thieves, and fraudsters come out of the woodwork in search of ways to steal your gifts, hard-earned money, or personal information. The good news, though, is that with a little awareness and...

The Most Popular Credit Card Scams

There’s more to being financially responsible than budgeting. Staying on top of your finances also means knowing how to keep your money and personal information safe from the prying eyes of would-be scammers and thieves. In most cases, credit card scams depend on catching you off guard; using fear and stress to convince you to hand over your money, PIN, or credit card number. The best way to avoid...

ATM Safety 15 Tips for a Safe Transaction

Here’s a fun fact about ATMs: Did you know that the patent for the first cash machine was filed in October of 1971? That’s right: The ubiquitous ATM machine became common in the U.S. in the early seventies – the very first ones were located in New York City. Since this month represents a 15 year milestone of sorts for the American cash machine, I thought this was the perfect...

Should You Apply for a Balance Transfer?

If you’re struggling to pay down high-interest credit card debt, a balance transfer can be a powerful tool. Balance transfers offer super-low (or even zero-percent) introductory interest rates, which means they help you pay your principal balance off more quickly. But that doesn’t mean that balance transfers are for everyone. Use this decision tree to figure out of a balance transfer is a good option for you. CLICK IMAGE...

7 Money Saving Tips That Can Backfire

Seems like everyone has an opinion about money – how you should spend it, how you should invest it, and how you should save it. But as someone who has made a career out of helping folks pay off debt and get their finances back on track, I can tell you that not all financial advice is created equally. In fact, a lot of commonly repeated money advice may...