In today’s world, you’ve got to have credit in order to make larger purchases like for homes or vehicles. However, making larger purchases when you don’t have the money is a good way to create bad credit for yourself. And while it can be easy to ruin your credit, it’s hard to get your good credit back.
One option for creating good credit is to use a credit card. But with the amount of credit cards available, it can be challenging to know which one you should be using. So to help make this decision a little easier, here are three tips for picking the right credit card for you.
Take Your Time
Like I mentioned above, there are a lot of different credit card options available. You could go through a bank, credit union, or even a retail store in order to obtain a credit card. But before you jump into making a credit card decision, it’s best to take your time and weigh your options. Kimberly Palmer, a contributor to U.S. News and World Report, shares that opening and closing lines of credit after just a short period of time can damage your credit. So to avoid getting a credit card that isn’t right and then closing that to open a better line of credit, make sure you do your homework beforehand.
How You Plan To Use It
If you’ve had a credit card before, you likely know how you use the card with relation to making purchases and then paying off those purchases. But if this is your first credit card, you may not know exactly how your spending habits will affect the way you use your card. According to Time Money, those who keep a balance on their credit card from month to month should consider getting a different type of credit card from those who pay off their balance each month. Knowing how you plan to use your card and then getting one that works well with that plan will help you make the most of your credit card.
Know What You Want
Other than the ability to make purchases, credit cards have other perks to offer which could affect your decision on which one to use. Claire Tsosie, a contributor to NerdWallet.com, shares that the three most common things you can get from using a credit card are improved credit for those with poor credit, lower interest rates, or a type of reward. Depending on your lifestyle or what you’re hoping to accomplish with your credit card, the type of card you want to use will vary.
Picking the right credit card for you could make your life a whole lot easier. Use the tips mentioned above to help you find the perfect credit card for you.