Archive for September 2012

By Tim Sullivan

I'm lucky. I had older siblings who made mistakes with credit cards before I was old enough to get one. As a result, I got to learn from their financial slip-ups. But since some initial hiccups in college, all of us now have control of our credit.

We sat down to dinner recently and I asked them for five credit card habits they wish they had mastered earlier. Here's what they came up with:

1. Paying your balance in full every month

This should always be your first and foremost goal with your credit card. Effective credit card users don't carry a balance from month to month ...

By Justin Boyle

School's in session, orientations are over and you're throwing out the last of your moving boxes. The realities of college life are starting to sink in. Other than the occasional supermarket circular or sheet of pizza-delivery coupons, nothing much shows up in the mailbox downstairs.

But one day an envelope arrives. It's stamped with phrases like "pre-approved" or "free rewards inside." After scanning the offer inside, you fill out the application form and send it back.

When your credit card comes, it's like a golden ticket. You pick some things out at a store, hand the card to the cashier and walk out with your items. You see something you like on the Internet, punch those magic numbers into the form and receive the confirmation page: Your item is on its way. You order pizza for some friends on your floor -- no coupons required.

In short, you have a massive amount of fun ...

By Megg Mueller

Whether you've been bitten by the travel bug or just need to travel frequently for work, it's always nice to get something in return for the spending you do on the road. One way to do that is by using the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase. This card can help you start stacking up reward points quickly and earn you rooms and flights for your travels -- all for a reasonable annual cost.

The initial perks

If you haven't previously had a Marriott Rewards you can currently earn some attractive perks for signing up, and after charging $1,000 in purchases on your new Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card in your first three months after opening the account you can get 50,000 bonus reward points. There is an introductory annual fee of $0 the first year, then $85.

By Megg Mueller

While many appreciate having a credit card with perks, others find the points, rewards and cash back that come with many cards to be more trouble than they're worth. For those folks, the Citi Simplicity Visa Card may be what they're looking for. This credit card emphasizes convenience and ease-of-use, instead of the bells and whistles that come with other cards.

What you'll get

For new card holders, you can get a 0 percent introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers for the first 18 months. You even get four months to complete the balance transfer, giving you plenty of time to clear your balance from a higher-interest card ...