Your successful financial management is largely based on how well you manage credit card debt. Therefore, understanding credit card mistakes to avoid is very important. Unfortunately, many credit card users are making big mistakes that are ruining their credit. Follow our credit counseling advice on what to avoid.
Knowing what credit card mistakes to avoid is crucial.
Credit Card Mistakes to Avoid
1. Paying Late
Paying on time is the most important credit scoring factor that impacts your credit score. Your payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO score. Therefore, one of the first credit card mistakes to avoid is paying your bills late. Managing credit card debt is mostly about paying them back. Therefore keeping track of your cards and making reminders to pay on time is crucial.
2. Paying Less Than the Minimum
A minimum payment by definition is the lowest payment a consumer can make on their card per month. Paying the minimum only on your credit cards are harmful in the long term. However, if you are in a situation that you are paying even less, the situation can be worse and your accounts can be charged-off.
3. Not Making Payments
If you are missing payments on more than two payment cycles, that then sends a red flag to your creditors. You will not only accrue late fees but also high-interest rates on your accounts. Other than adding too much debt, your credit will suffer too!
4. Having High Balances
How much you owe on your credit cards account for 30% of your FICO score. Therefore, maxing out your credit cards or being near there is a red light. Your utilization ratio is the amount of debt you have divided by your total available credit.
5. Not Having Enough Credit Cards
Although having a credit card is a big financial responsibility, spreading your credit utilization is also important. If you have just one or two credit cards, and you are using up most of the credit lines available on them, you may benefit from having another card.
If you are seeking help with your credit card debt elimination, schedule a free credit counseling session with us today.
