You don’t want to get into credit card debt (or maybe you want to get out of it). You don’t want to be hit with unexpected credit card fees. You certainly don’t want to become a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft!

There’s one easy thing you can do to help you with all of those goals: create a monthly credit card to-do list. Your to-do list (or checklist) will serve as a monthly reminder to stay on top of your finances so you’re never surprised.

Here are some basic monthly tasks you should consider adding to your own credit card checklist each month. Feel free to add to it to tailor your to-do list to your own situation and credit card spending habits.

___ Check your credit report. — Checking your credit report regularly will let you see exactly what your creditors see. Not getting a good deal? Know what kind of credit risk you appear to be to banks before applying for that balance transfer card, like the Aussie MasterCard.

___ Carefully review your credit card statement. — This is even more important than a credit file when it comes to monthly monitoring. Don’t just look over your credit card statement. Scrutinize everything. Compare every charge, no matter how small, to your receipts and other transaction records. Even a tiny unauthorised charge can be a sign that your identity has been stolen or your credit card has been compromised.

___ Pay off your new balance in full. — If you’ve charged $500 this month to your credit card, pay it all off by the end of the statement period. You might be able to avoid interest payments that way if you have available interest free days.

___ Pay down longer-term credit card debt. — Paying off new charges in full is a great step, but what if you already have a lot of credit card debt? Pay off as much as possible every month — not just your minimum payments due. You’ll minimise interest payments this way and get out of debt much faster.

___ Compare credit card offers. — Even if you’re currently happy with your credit card company, it never hurts to be aware of the competition. Each month spend a little bit of time researching competing cards. While you shouldn’t apply for new cards regularly (each enquiry stays on your credit file for years), knowing what credit card offers are available will give you more negotiating power with your own credit card company if your current deal is less than stellar.

___ Review your schedule. — Keep any regular fees (like your annual fee) and things like reward points credits on a calendar. Review that schedule each month so you won’t be surprised when your annual fee shows up in your account balance and you’ll know exactly when new rewards points, such as for your NAB Qantas Platinum credit card, will be available for redemption.

A monthly credit card to-do list can help you keep your credit card records more organised, and keep you debt-free. Never worry again about a sudden fee messing up your repayment plans, and don’t find yourself stuck paying more than you should be just because you’re not aware of competitive offers. Create a monthly credit card checklist that works for you, and you can take much of the stress out of managing your credit.