We’ve already talked about how credit cards can help with personal budgeting. What if you like that idea in general, but the potential for added debt concerns you? In that case prepaid credit cards might be another option to consider. Let’s talk about how prepaid credit cards can help you maintain your budget, and how prepaid credit cards have risks and drawbacks of their own.

Here is how you might use prepaid credit cards to help you get more control over your budget. But keep in mind, this assumes your prepaid credit cards can be refilled over and over again. One-time-use cards won’t work. read more..

It’s that time again! Near the beginning of every month we highlight the month’s top credit card offers. We make it easy for you to stay on top of new and changing offers so you never have to miss out on the best credit card deals.

Here are our picks for the five best credit card offers available this February: read more..

Credit cards have many benefits over a cash-based lifestyle. They offer convenience and more security for example. But sometimes we get so used to whipping out a card everywhere we go that we start to take them for granted. It’s time to gain a better appreciation of your credit cards. And to do that, I issue you a challenge — leave your credit cards at home!

Whether you can manage it for a week or only a day, give the cash-based lifestyle a try. Notice the differences between that and credit card spending by taking the card option away for a brief period. Why? Because being fully conscious of your spending behaviours is always a good thing. read more..

You know that interest rates are important when you compare credit cards. Purchase interest rates are likely one of the first features you look at when reviewing a credit card offer. We all know lower is better from the consumer perspective. But how low does an interest rate really have to go in order to make the credit card offer a good deal? In other words, how much credit card interest is too much to make us want to apply for credit cards?

There’s no magic number when it comes to credit card interest rates. Sometimes comparable offers will have very similar rates, leaving you with very little choice in the matter. But other times rates vary drastically. One card might have a very low introductory offer for example. Or two otherwise similar cards might have purchase rates with a difference of several percentage points. Here are some tips to help you determine what interest rate would be acceptable in your situation. read more..

One of the biggest benefits credit cards have over cash is the ability to easily track your purchases. You don’t have to write everything down in a cheque book when you make a purchase. You can quickly pull up a list online when it’s most convenient for you. But why is this credit card feature so important?

Here are three reasons you should track your credit card purchases regularly, and how that tracking can benefit you as a consumer. read more..