With smart and proper use, credit cards can really be useful and convenient; most especially during emergency situations. But if used in the wrong manner, it can bring you a pile of debt and a huge amount of financial burden.
Here are 5 common mistakes that you should avoid when using your credit card:
Forgetting to Pay on Time
It’s understandable that when things get really hectic and busy, you may miss your credit card bill’s due date. But this mistake can result to serious consequences. However, there are a lot of ways that could help you remember your due date. Like setting an alarm on your phone or consider auto pay from your bank account.
Increasing your Credit Line
Credit card companies will always offer you a credit line increase so before accepting it, you should make sure that you will still be able to afford it. Having a high credit limit can sometimes lead to overspending which is another mistake that you should avoid.
Overspending
Just because you have a credit card doesn’t mean that you can be impulsive with your purchases. Keep in mind that you will still pay for it with your own money. Make sure that you buy things that you really need and can afford.
Not Reading your Card Report
Don’t ignore your credit card report because this is where you can see the trend of your credit score, monitor outstanding debt and even see if there is any fraud in your account.
Credit Card Cash Advance
Even though it’s very easy to borrow cash from your credit card, this transaction is very sneaky and can result to credit card debt. This is also very expensive. How? That’s because you are charged a cash advance fee and an ATM fee on top of that.
