The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.

Credit cards are something that people simply cannot do without. Every single person has one credit card at the most and some have five or six. When people get used to their credit cards, they sometimes fail to see how they can use it better. With multiple cards and many lines of credit they may end up going on a spending spree. Another factor that may cause them to spend recklessly is when they have some sort of incentives to do so like a rewards program. Whatever may be encouraging them, in the long run spending too much can turn out to be too expensive to deal with.

If you have a credit card or multiple cards and are dealing with heavy bills, then you may want to consider doing a balance transfer to a single card with a lower interest rate. What most people do not realize is that a balance transfer will not affect your credit scores if it is done with some care. You need to do the balance transfer such that the total new balance is just 30% of the available credit limit. It is when this number is wrong that people end up with bad scores. Credit cards can be quite useful and indispensible especially for business and large transactions. However if you are unable to deal with the monthly bills and interest rates you will have to deal with your credit scores going for a toss.

When doing a balance transfer every individual has to take care to read through the entire agreement so they know what they are getting and what they are signing up for. If there is some sort of confusion or lack of clarity then it is better to wait before doing the balance transfer. Also once you have done the balance transfer; it will take time to get processed. In the meantime, you cannot neglect to make the necessary payments on your old card. If you do it will be reported and will affect your credit scores. Another fact that most people do not see clearly is that credit cards can be expensive and should be used for only those transactions where they are a must. If you can do without your credit card, then pay it by means of debit. You need to actively work at cutting down your debt and be alert so you do not end up in a bad credit situation.

Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer(s), and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer(s). Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate information, however all information is presented without warranty. Consult a card's issuing bank for the terms & conditions.
All rates and fees, and other terms and conditions of the products mentioned in this article/post are actual as of the last update date but are subject to change. See the current products' Terms & Conditions on the issuing banks' websites.