 | | Credit Card Management Checklist | | | | To keep yourself on track to healthier personal finances,
start here by setting due dates for your own financial to-dos. Click the button
next to each item to add it to your Yahoo! Calendar or
print out this checklist of
to-do's and check off each item as you complete it. Get ready to
face your
financial fears today!
For more information on each item, refer back to Suze Orman's article:
"Top Credit Card
Pitfalls to Avoid". | |
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| | If you have a credit card balance, first get your interest rate downTo do that you need to know your FICO score. Remember, I explained in my earlier article, "Debt-Defying Moves," that anyone who has a
credit card, or any type of loan, also has a FICO score. Your FICO score is a measure of whether you are a good credit risk
or not. If you haven't checked your FICO score in a few months, head on over to myfico.com; it'll cost you $12.95 to get your score
from one of the three major credit bureaus (you don't need all three for this exercise). Once you've done all your FICO
homework, the next part is simple: call up your credit card issuer and give 'em grief. | | | | | |
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| | Consider your new or balance-transfer cards carefullyBe sure to ask the following questions: What will the rate be after the introductory period?
What is the interest rate on any new charges I put on this card?
What is my grace period?
What's the billing method: average daily balance or two-cycle average daily balance?
How is the Minimum Payment Due calculated?
What's the annual fee? | | | | | |
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| | If you are going to transfer, check for transfer feesIf you go for the transfer, you should check with both your old and new card to see if you are going to get hit with a fee
for the transfer. It can be up to $50 or so. And once you transfer, you better make sure you pay your bill on time. Realize
that the minute you become a customer your credit card company is looking for any way it can to get your rate higher than
zero percent. | | | | | |
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