10 Ways to Raise your Credit Score
1. Check your credit report regularly! (we recomment you to check your credit report annually)
2. Make all of your payments on time. If you are forced to miss a payment, pay it off in the flowing month. Accounts more than 60 days past due will be indicated on your credit report.
3. Don’t apply for multiple credit cards over a short period of time or your cards that you are not likely to get.
4. If you need help, contact a reliable nonprofit agency such as the ISU Financial Counseling Clinic or Consumer Credit Counseling Services.
5. If you fall behind on payments because of illness, unemployment of family issues, you can write a short explanation to the credit reporting agencies. You should also call your creditor and work out a payment schedule that you can meet.
6. If your credit is severely damaged or you have a short credit history, consider opening new accounts with lower credit limits and paying them off on time.
7. Correct any errors that might appear on your report. The credit bureau who is providing your report can show you how to do this.
8. Keep your total account balances as low as possible.
9. Don’t open new credit cards that you don’t need just to increase your available credit. This could actually lower your score.
10. Learn what your current credit score is and what appears on your credit report.
How Much Reward Earnings Can I Actually Get?
Tired of comparing credit cards and calculating the rewards earnings according to your spending? American Express, Citibank, Chase, Discover, Bank of America, and other credit card companies offer dozens of competing Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, and Discover cards. Their reward policies for cashback/rebate, frequent flyer airline miles, and points are a complex mix of tiers, limits, categories, and earning percentages.
The Credit Card Rewards Wizard (http://tools.creditcardflyers.com) tool makes all of that easy. Simply estimate how much you spend each month, press Enter, and you'll be presented with a list of recommended rewards cards with reward earnings.
How To Get The Best Credit Card Deal?
Nearly all of us use credit cards on a regular basis, and many of us could always use one more. Getting that best credit card, however, is not something that you just happen to come across, but you can get some real good deals, these days. So, before you sign-up on the next credit card application you receive in the mail, here are a few things you need to look for - otherwise you may not be getting quite the deal you thought.
In order to get that better deal on your credit card, you need to take a couple of minutes and think about on which of the following categories of items you regularly spend the most money.
1. Airfare
2. Gasoline
3. Business expenses - office, travel, etc.
4. Food, medicine, and gas
5. Other travel expenses - hotel, car rental, etc.
6. Vacations, sightseeing, etc.
7. Student
After you think about this, and choose one the closest categories that describes your primary use of the credit card, then you are ready to look at the various credit card offers, and choose your best credit card. Here are some things to look at in order to make the best choice.
Credit Rating Needed
Most of the online credit card ads will show you the level of credit that you need in order to successfully apply and get the card. Make sure that your own credit rating is good before you apply for one of the best cards. If you are applying for a business credit card, then you may need to know that the lowest rated user of that card could affect the overall business rating.
Balance Transfers
This is an especially good feature if you have any other credit card debt. It allows you to transfer your existing credit card debt, for which you may be paying high interest, and allows you to move it to the new card and pay no interest for the period of the introductory offer. Be sure to read the fine print on the potential new card because some of them will charge up to 4% of the amount transferred. Many card companies will do this for free - in order to get your business.
0% APR Interest
For the length of the introductory offer, you may have 0% APR interest on some or all of your purchases. You will also want to look at the details on this, too, since it may not apply to every purchase. The time length of the introductory offer will vary anywhere from 3 months up to 15 months. Remember that you are trying to get the best credit card deal, so do not settle for an offer that is less than what your credit rating will allow.
Later on, after you get the card, remember that the 0% APR will run out eventually. At that time you will either need to make sure that your monthly balance is paid on time, or get a new card.
Credit Card Rewards
The last feature you want to look at (which is usually highlighted the most) is the rewards that any particular card offers. If it is an airline card, then the incentive is often a large amount of air miles. If you are looking for an air miles rewards credit card, then be sure to find out not only how many free air miles they are giving at sign-up, but also discover how many miles are needed for your first free trip, too - it could be a real eye opener.
Other offers are extended to some student credit cards - they will even give some rewards to those that have good grades, and may be used to build up your credit rating, too. The highest cash back rewards on these types of cards are usually given to purchases of gas, food, and medicines.
As you look at the rewards, be sure that it will make a real difference in savings for you in the areas that you need it most. The best credit card for you is the one that meets all these criteria, and also allows you to have something to look forward to each month in the way of savings or rebates.
Credit Card Tips:
How to Stop Receiving Annoying "pre-approved" Credit Card Offers?
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by you (”Firm Offers”).
You have the right to “Opt-Out”, which prevents Consumer Credit Reporting Companies from providing your credit file information for Firm Offers. To “Opt-Out”, you can either visit OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPTOUT.
Credit Card Resources:
1. Compare Credit Cards - Select the Credit Card Category You are Interested in...
2. Credit Card Rewards Wizard - Discover the Best Credit Card Reward Deals
3. Credit Card Resources and Tools - Rewards Wizard, Account Management, Financial Service Directory, Credit Card Glossary and more
4. Credit Card Education - a wide variety of free information and advice about credit cards and credit card related topics
5. Credit Card Articles, Tips, and Advices - Blog of Credit Card Flyers
6. Apply for a Credit Card by Special Interests, by Category, and by Bank or Issuer
7. Credit Card Reviews and Ratings - Provide in-depth credit card reviews, ratings and credit card Comparison
8. Credit Card Perks & Benefits for current cardholders
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