Know the Lingo
Choosing to open a credit card account, or deciding which card to use from those that you have, can often be quite tricky. Before making a decision, it is important that you understand the terms used by credit card companies. Once you understand the different terms, you’ll have a better understanding of exactly what you are borrowing and how it will affect you.
Credit Concepts and Terms
Guidelines for Credit Card Use
- Keep your balance as low as possible.
- Avoid borrowing more than 20 percent of your gross income.
- Try to pay off your balances each month. If this is unobtainable, try to pay off as much as you can to decrease the amount of interest that you accrue.
- Use your credit card only for emergencies.
- Remember to factor your credit card purchases and repayments into your budget plan!
Sticker Shock: How much does that new laptop really cost?
When making purchases using a credit card, make certain that you are aware of the total cost you will pay over time. Calculator Web provides an online credit card calculator that can help you get a better understanding of how quickly interest can build when payments are extended and how long it will really take to pay off a purchase when making the minimum payment.
For example, suppose you need to purchase a new laptop for your first semester at UMGC. You choose a great model with a $1,500 sticker price. You don't have enough available cash, so you decide to purchase it with your credit card, which has an 18-percent interest rate and requires a minimum monthly payment of $30. Paying only the minimum per month, it will take you 7 years and 10 months to pay off your computer. The actual amount paid for your laptop will be $2,792.
Try using the calculator with your own credit purchases.
Monitoring Your Credit History
Your credit history is a running record of your past and present financial transactions—think of it like your academic transcript for your financial life. It is important that you monitor your credit history regularly as potential lenders will use your credit history to evaluate your creditworthiness.
You can obtain a copy of your credit report annually at no cost by visiting Annual Credit Report. You can request a credit report once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies:
By obtaining your credit report, you will be able to make sure the information reported on your credit history is accurate and up-to-date.
Credit Scoring
We recommend that you use the Annual Credit Report website and not a "pay-for-service" site to obtain your credit report at no cost every 12 months. If you find incorrect information on your report, you have the right to dispute the findings. You must contact the credit reporting agency directly that provided the information. Each of the major three credit bureaus offers the option to dispute a record online through their websites.
Also, remember to keep copies of anything you submit for review to the agencies. Disputes are typically reviewed in 30 days unless otherwise stated.