Why Credit Cards Are Good

Summary: For years, the conventional financial wisdom was "credit cards are bad." We were told that cutting up our credit cards was the only way to free ourselves from debt-ridden indentured servitude. People needed to "live within their means," and if credit cards were ever to be used, it should be "only in the case of an emergency."

Because credit is something that is so important, but also sometimes confusing, we are going to lay everything out for you, in simple terms. We'll also show you how to get the credit you deserve, how to make the most of your credit, and ways to improve your overall credit rating, no matter where it is now. For years, the conventional financial wisdom was "credit cards are bad." We were told that cutting up our credit cards was the only way to free ourselves from debt-ridden indentured servitude. People needed to "live within their means," and if credit cards were ever to be used, it should be "only in the case of an emergency." This conventional "wisdom" turned out to be not only untrue, but hurtful to those who listened to it. The truth is that credit cards are our friends. They are our allies in building credit. How easy do you think it is it to qualify for a home loan when you've never even had a credit card? Responsible credit card usage shows potential lenders that you're able to manage your finances. What's more, an intelligent credit card user turns the interest game on its head, and actually uses his credit cards to give himself interest-free loans. Use Your Credit Cards to Earn Money For You In order to get the most out of your credit cards you need to use them, and use them frequently. If you have two cards with $500 limits, you might want to nearly max them out each month. Set one card up to pay your recurring monthly bills (cable, cell phone, auto insurance, etc.), and use the other one for gas and grocery purchases. If you have cards with much higher limits, say $5,000 or $10,000, then maxing them out each month probably isn't a good idea, but you should use your credit cards to the fullest extent possible - and you should pay them in full every month. Say you have a $90 cable bill due on the 3rd, a $110 cell phone bill on the 12th, and $150 in auto insurance premiums due on the 15th of each month. You "pay at the pump" using your credit card on the 4th, 11th, 18th, and 26th, spending a total of $165. That's a total of $515. But here's the beauty - your credit card company sends your statement on the 1st, but doesn't require payment until the 15th. This means that the charges of $515, some of which date back to the third day of the previous month, aren't due until the 15th of the next month. Since interest is only charged on the unpaid portion of your monthly balance, this represents a month-and-a-half interest-free loan! If you have a $1,000 credit limit (or two $500 credit cards), you can continue charging on the card into the second month before ever paying for the first month's charges. What's the big deal? Well imagine you had $1,000 sitting in a money market savings account yielding 5 percent. Your money would be earning interest for you. In essence, you would be earning money each time you used your credit card. Balance Transfers - Another Way to Turn the Credit Card Game on its Head If you have a higher credit limit, credit cards can be used for the short-term financing of larger purchases. Say you had a $10,000 credit limit and you wanted to buy a new sofa for $2,500. The financing options at furniture stores are normally rip-offs, so why not finance the purchase yourself? You could have an interest-free loan for up to 45 days (maybe 60, depending on your credit card's "grace period"), during which time you could save the money to pay off the entire amount, or at least a portion. And the best thing about your mailbox being constantly flooded with credit card offers is that oftentimes you can transfer existing credit card balances to new cards with introductory interest rates of 0 percent! For example, imagine you purchased a used car for $9,000 - completely on your credit card. Conventional wisdom would say this was a terribly foolish thing to do, but you know better. You have already been offered and approved for an additional card with a $10,000 credit limit, and an introductory interest rate of 0 percent for one full year. After making one payment on your existing card's balance, you transfer $8,500 to your new card, where you can pay it off in full with 12 payments of $708 - all principal, no interest. After that, you'll own the car, debt-free. If the $708 was too much for you, you could pay less each month, of course. An even riskier, but potentially rewarding strategy would be to pay as little as possible on the new card, and then hope for another 0 percent introductory offer coming in the next year. There's nothing illegal or even unscrupulous about playing the credit card game this way - it only makes financial sense. Credit card companies exist to make money from your mistakes, but if you're a vigilant consumer, you can invert the game and make money for yourself! What's even better, if a bit strange, is that the credit card companies will find you all the more desirable. So the next time you read an article in which the financial guru tells you to tear up your credit cards, do yourself a favor and tear up the magazine instead. Sincerely, James http://www.CC-YES.com And remember, don't forget to visit our site for the best selection of cards on the Internet. No matter what your credit picture is like, we have the perfect card for you: http://www.CC-YES.com