Credit Card Facts

Credit Card FACTS

Fast facts you need to know.

Credit limit

A credit card company set limits on how much you can charge on your card. This limit is based on your ability to handle debt.

Paying the minimum monthly payment

Bad idea. After you subtract the minimum payment from your balance, finance charges will be added to your remaining balance. These charges add up month after month. You can dig yourself into a hole real fast.

Know this too: the minimum payment is the LEAST amount you can pay to keep the card active. If you pay less, your card will be deactivated (turned off).

Grace period

If you pay your bill in full during the grace period, you won’t have to pay a finance charge on purchases for that bill. A grace period is usually about 25 days.

Late fees

If you don’t pay your bill by the due date (the date your grace period expires), you will be charged a late fee. These can be as high as $35! Get yourself organized to pay on time. Paying late is costly.

Interest rates

Remember: when you use your credit card, you’re borrowing money. So you will be charged interest whenever you don’t pay your bill in full. With a credit card, you are paying for convenience. Credit card rates can be 18% or as high as 24% depending on your credit history.

“Secured” credit cards

Some banks offer secured credit cards to people with a poor credit history or no credit history at all. Secured cards can be the best option for your first credit card. The card is “secured” with a cash balance, a savings account, for example. You cannot touch this balance, or the card will be deactivated (turned off). If you charge over your limit, the bank can take the balance from your account. Your account acts like collateral for a loan. These cards may charge higher interest rates, but they offer the convenience of using a credit card while you build a good credit history.

Your credit card is lost or stolen

You must notify your credit-card company as soon as you know your card has been stolen or used without your permission. If you do, you will be responsible for only the first $50 of unauthorized charges. These days, thieves can steal your credit card number — they don’t need the actual card. Always know where your card is, and keep all your receipts.

Debit cards do not offer the same protection as credit cards. (Some credit card companies offer debit cards with some protection.) Most debit cards work like writing a check — the money is immediately taken out of your account. If you do not report a false charge or charges within 60 days of receiving your bank statement, you could be held responsible for the false charges. Be sure you understand the details when you sign up for a debit card.

Credit reports

As you enter the adult world of work, you begin to build a credit history — a record of your borrowing and paying habits.

Advantages of Credit Cards

Credit Cards give you lots of advantages.

A safe alternative to cash

When you have your card in your wallet, you don't have to carry cash that can be lost or stolen. If your credit card is lost or stolen, you can report the missing card to the card company. The company will then stop accepting any charges on your card. What's more, you won't be charged for purchases made by someone else. If you make a purchase with a credit card and do not get what you paid for, the credit card company will help you solve your problem.

Builds a good credit history

If you use your card responsibly, you can begin to build a good credit rating for yourself. Later in life, when you need a loan, a lender will want proof that you pay your debts. A good credit card history will help you get your loan. A poor credit history will work against you. Employers look at your credit history, too.

Bails you out of emergencies

Face it: if you suddenly have to put $400 of repairs into your car, a credit card will come in real handy. Emergencies do happen.

Gives you time to pay

Depending on when you make your purchase and when your monthly bill is due, you can get extra time to save up and pay for what you just charged. If you can pay off the bill ENTIRELY, you are really making the credit card work for you.

Disadvantages of Credit Cards

The real problem with credit cards is how easy they are to use!

Way too tempting

It is so easy. It doesn't even feel like you're spending money. Do that enough times in a month, and SURPRISE! Look at that credit card balance! Where did it come from? It came from all those not-so-big purchases you made over the month –

• That pair of shoes you just couldn't pass up. $79

• The night you were dying for pizza after you'd gone rock climbing. $24

• That great sale! What did I buy? $65

• Those two new music CDs that you just couldn't live without. $29

Suddenly you're in debt. And you don't have the $197. So you pay $60, all you can afford. What happens next month? The $60 you paid the credit card company has made you short on cash this month — so you charge more, and your debt grows larger.

Carrying a balance

You may intend to always pay your bill in full and on time. The plain fact is that most of us carry a balance (owe money) from month to month. The convenience of credit can be very hard to resist.

Getting out of debt

So what's it like to be in debt? Let's say that you find the perfect winter jacket. What luck! It's marked down from $220 to $180. That's a $40 savings. You don't have the $180 right now, but you hate to pass up the sale, so you charge the jacket. You decide to pay for it over time.

Because you work only one day a week, you can't afford large monthly payments. But you can pay $15 every month and still have some money left over for other things. You faithfully pay the $15 each month, but the months seem to drag on forever. Plus, you pay late once, and you're charged a $30 late fee for missing the payment date.

Although you've bought the winter jacket in November, it takes you 16 months (that's two winters, a summer, and a spring) to pay off the purchase! At a 17.9% interest rate and with a $30 penalty fee, guess how much you paid for that "sale" jacket? $228.26. That's more than the original price! Those finance charges really add up.