Always keep you balance under control. It can be easy to let your credit card spending run in excess of what you had planned. If you have concerns that you might do so, ask the lender to impose an easily manageable credit limit. That way you won’t spend a dime more than you can afford. The worst time to gain unmanageable balance is when interest rates are at their highest. Do that and it can seem like a lifetime before you get things back under control.

High-risk borrowers should always exercise extreme caution before entering into any financial obligation. Before even thinking about taking on any new financial obligation, consider your budget and ask yourself how much – if anything – you can afford. If you decide that you can, you should still be careful about choosing the right deal.

However, if you can get a credit card that you can manage well, the benefits are enormous. It will enable you to spread the cost of larger purchases over manageable periods of time; you can fill holes in your budget (that are so common in the run up to pay day); and build up a credit history that will enable you to get better APR on borrowings and allow you to borrow money for larger items.

An auto loan or mortgage may seem a distant dream for many Americans with poor credit histories, but everybody has to start off somewhere. Get a credit card, manage it well, and you’ll soon get to where you want.

Page 2 of 2 :: First | Last :: Prev | 1 2 | Next