Credit cards can save you hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dollars every year – if you use them instead of letting them use you.

Yes, they carry sky-high interest rates and, yes, they make it too easy to go into debt as you load them with impulse purchases you would never make when paying cash, but if you exercise some common sense and maturity they can save you a lot of money.

Examples? I didn’t pay for a round trip cross-Atlantic flight on Delta because of points I got from my credit card. Likewise, I earned five free nights at Sheraton Hotels and (so far) one free night at a Hilton.

These are many ways to build credit overtime…but it is important to know there are no quick fixes. Here are a few tips:

1. Get into the habit of paying utility bills on time;

2. Similarly, make monthly payments on outstanding debt obligations on a timely basis;

3. In the case of credit cards, it helps that your monthly balance is reported to the various credit agencies. Choose issuers accordingly. Also, develop the discipline of paying off monthly spending or at least pay a little more than minimum payment required;

Many people look for a microwave strategy to get their credit repaired quickly and without a lot of work. True credit repair involves work and time on the part of the individual. They continue to look for a quick fix, because our generation has evolved as such. So, people go and look for companies that can supposedly help them repair their credit.

Credit repair companies have emerged as the all-in-one stop shop for issues related to paying off debts and other bills quickly. They promise people a quick fix in regard to getting rid of negative items from their credit report, resolving credit disputes quickly and improve their credit score. Sadly, these tactics are usually nothing but fluff and then your money is gone.

It is always better to pay off your credit card bills and be debt free. Some of the main reasons is because you will save your self a lot of money in interest. The banks love for you to pay your monthly minimum because this is how they make all of there money in interest. Also you want to not have your credit card charged all the way to the max because it will have a negative affect on your credit score.

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A good credit score is key to being approved for auto loans and home loans. Good credit also generally means better interest rates and higher credit limits. If your credit score is not what you would like it to be, here are five quick ways to bring it up.

1. Pay down debts.

Installment loans, such as existing auto loans or mortgages, are not as damaging to your credit rating as credit card balances, so focus on repaying your credit card debt first. You can also try consolidating your credit card balance into your mortgage debt with a refinance, but doing that will not help as much as paying off the balances on your credit cards.

As with most crises, where we place the blame is often everywhere but where it should go. Politicizing aside, the current financial fiasco in the United States has much less to do with the greedy, little fingers caught in the proverbial cookie jar, as it has to do with an entire culture that has glutted itself on gratifying goodies that we cannot afford, yet make us feel better momentarily .

CREDIT CARDS

Paying on time, not closing out unused credit cards, and having a variety of credit have all equaled out to a good credit score for me. The magic number for a credit score is 720 if you want to get the best rates and save yourself the most money. If you’re like me, every couple of bucks here and there helps and can go a long way. People with scores of 720 and above will be offered zero introductory rates and from there competitive rates on credit cards, car loans, and mortgages. In a short time you can save hundreds and over time you can save thousands thanks to a good credit score. It took me about a year and a half to raise my credit up after making some common but fixable mistakes.

Your emergency fund should be for an EMERGENCY! Not, “I really, really want to go to this concert,” or, “I really need a diamond studded dog-collar for Tinkerbell.”

Everyone’s definition of an emergency is different. But, if you want it to be of some use to you, you need to have a strict definition of an emergency.

Your emergency fund is what you should turn to when “life happens.” It will be what you turn to rather than your credit cards.

Also, your emergency fund should put more dollars into your pocket once it has been well established. Here is how:

When it comes to credit cards there are so many choices out there it can be really confusing when trying to determine which credit card is the best choice. We are all different with different likes and different habits and credit card companies know this, and have created card fee structures that differ according to peoples habits and circumstances. While a specific card might be perfect for one person, it might not be as desirable for another, and might even hurt that person financially because there habits or circumstances are such that they are incurring fee’s that they wouldn’t be incurring had they selected a different card. In consideration of the last sentence we really need to identify these habits and circumstances, and then take an honest evaluation of ourselves to see which habits or circumstances we practice or have. At this point we will be able to better identify the credit card that makes the most sense. In adition to this we will be able to see that different use strategies are appropriate for different habits and circumstances. While there are many habits to examine there are two primary habits that need to be examined first because they the have the most impact on how we should choose, after that we will examine other habits and circumstances.

If you are shopping around for a credit card, you need to know how to properly compare credit card prices in order to get the best deal to suit your needs. Although many people shop around for credit cards, they dont compare all the necessary factors to help them find the best overall package. If you want to know how to properly compare credit card prices, then here are the steps you need to take.Before you begin to compare credit card prices, you need to know what you are looking for in a credit card. It is no good comparing prices and features without knowing which ones you want and which are the most important to you. Make a list of the features and prices that you definitely have to have, then the ones you would like if possible, and then a list of features that you can take or leave. This will help you to have priorities when comparing various card offers.One of the quickest and easiest ways to compare credit cards is online. There are many web sites that have comparison tools that will let you compare APR prices and other features from a variety of different companies. This will help you to narrow down your search to a smaller number of potential credit cards.Once you have narrowed down the credit cards using their basic features to a number of potential candidates, you need to compare these cards in detail. If possible, get hold of all the information you can regarding the fees and features of each card. You want to know their APR, annual fees, balance transfer rates, potential credit limits, application procedures, online services, penalty fees, extra benefits and so on. You can then use your list of priorities to find out which one is the best for you. If you have compared your shortlist and found two or more cards that have virtually all the same features for the same price, you need to decide which to go for. In the end there may be no real difference between them and either card will be a good choice. However, looking at the card issuers involved might help. If your choice is between one card that has more features and another that is cheaper, it is probably best to go for the cheaper card, unless the extra features are extremely important to you. In the end a cheaper deal is better than unnecessary bells and whistles.If you are having trouble deciding which is the best card for your needs, then you could always seek help from an independent financial advisor. They will be able to give you a professional opinion about your various choices, or perhaps even recommend a product that you didnt know about. If you shop around carefully and compare the cards on offer properly, you should be able to find the best package for your individual financial needs.