Susan Shain, Author - MoneyTips https://moneytips.com/authors/susan-shain/ Finally, money tips that make cents. Mon, 19 Dec 2022 21:09:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 Can You Pay Rent With Credit Cards? Is It Smart? https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/statements-payments/pay-rent-with-credit-cards/ Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:47:26 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=7394 Rent day. It may be your least favorite time of the month. And you may have wondered: Can I at least pay rent with a credit card – and earn credit card rewards? The answer is yes. The answer to whether it’s worth it? Well, that’s a little more complicated. The best reason to pay...

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]]> What Is a Credit Card Balance? Not Knowing Could Cost You https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/statements-payments/what-is-a-credit-card-balance/ Mon, 04 Apr 2022 15:25:20 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=7289 More than 40% of American households have credit card debt, with an average balance of $5,700. You’ve probably seen stats like that before — but may have been afraid to ask: What is a credit card balance? And why does it matter? Credit Card Balance, Explained When you use a credit card, you borrow money from the credit card issuer....

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]]> Mobile Wallets vs. Digital Wallets: What’s the Difference? https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-scores-reports/protect-your-identity/mobile-wallets-vs-digital-wallets-whats-the-difference/ Mon, 04 Apr 2022 13:58:37 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=7062 We’ve got 3D printers. Teslas. Computers that can beat humans at chess. And yet in the United States, most of us are still using chip-and-signature credit cards and cash. It’s a new decade — shouldn’t we be paying for groceries with our eyeballs by now? Yes, and we’re almost there. Mobile wallets, which are already...

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]]> The Surprising Truth About APR vs. Interest Rate for Credit Cards https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/interest-fees/apr-vs-interest-rate/ Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:59:31 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6541 When you get a new credit card, you’ll often see a range of numbers: minimum monthly payments, due dates, balance transfer fees, and something called the “annual percentage rate” (APR). You may have heard of APRs when it comes to home loans — and if you’re a veteran home buyer, you know they’re not the...

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]]> What Does FICO® Stand For? The Answer Will Help Your Finances https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-scores-reports/what-does-fico-stand-for/ Thu, 31 Mar 2022 02:27:33 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6623 So you’ve heard the word “FICO®” before. Maybe from your mom, who’s always telling you to “stay on top of your FICO® scores.” Or maybe from your prospective landlord, who wants to “check your FICO®” before he’ll let you live in his apartment. But what does FICO® stand for? And why is it so important?...

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]]> What’s a Grace Period for a Credit Card? The Secret to Never Paying Interest https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/interest-fees/whats-a-grace-period-for-a-credit-card-the-secret-to-never-paying-interest/ Thu, 31 Mar 2022 01:55:43 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6616 We’ve got a secret — a secret credit card issuers don’t want you to know about. Wanna know what it is? If you pay your bill in full each month, you won’t ever have to pay interest on purchases with most credit cards. That means you can get the perks and convenience of using a...

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]]> Can You Pay a Credit Card With a Credit Card? https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/statements-payments/can-you-pay-a-credit-card-with-a-credit-card/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 20:42:46 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6595 Your debt is stacking up, and you can’t make the minimum payments on your credit card bill. You’re running out of options…when, gleaming from the depths of your wallet, you see a different credit card. Or maybe you’re planning a big trip, and are hoping to earn the necessary points by paying for everything — including...

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]]> Can I Pay My Taxes With a Credit Card? Yes, But You Might Not Want To https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/statements-payments/can-pay-taxes-credit-card/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 19:29:01 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6565 Maybe you miscalculated your estimated taxes, and ended up with a bill you can’t afford. Or maybe you’re new to the credit card rewards game, and want to earn points for paying Uncle Sam. Either way, you’re wondering: “Can I pay my taxes with a credit card?”  The answer is yes. The answer to “Should I...

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]]> FICO® Score vs. Credit Score: What’s the Difference? https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-scores-reports/fico-score-vs-credit-score/ Wed, 30 Mar 2022 13:28:35 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6444 Without googling it, could you tell us what this means: My FICO® Score 8 from TransUnion® is 712, but my VantageScore® 3.0 from Experian™ is 820. How’d you do? If the math wasn’t mathin’ for you, that’s pretty common in the personal finance space. We learn a lot in school, but we either all ignored...

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]]> Annual Income for Credit Card Applications: Everything You Need to Know https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/applying-for-credit-card/annual-income-for-credit-card-applications-everything-you-need-to-know/ Tue, 29 Mar 2022 18:29:00 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6384 Do you remember applying for your first credit card? Didn’t it feel so official filling out all those little boxes and picturing the day that shiny new card with your name on it would show up in the mail? Yes? If you’ve applied before then you probably also remember seeing the questions about your annual...

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]]> What Is a Good APR for a Credit Card? (And Why It Matters Less Than You Think) https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/interest-fees/what-is-a-good-apr-for-a-credit-card/ Tue, 29 Mar 2022 18:21:00 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6379 When you’re in the market for a new credit card, you’ll see one term a lot: APR. But without a basis of comparison, it’s hard to know: What is a good APR for a credit card? Here’s how to tell — and why it may matter less than you think. What Is APR? APR stands...

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]]> How Does a Credit Card Work? Here’s an Easy-To-Understand Guide and Credit Card Definition https://moneytips.com/credit/credit-cards/basics/how-does-a-credit-card-work/ Tue, 29 Mar 2022 14:49:20 +0000 https://moneytips.com/?p=6204 You’ve heard your friend rave about their travel rewards card, which lets them escape to Hawaii for free each year. And you’ve heard about the money your friend saves with their cash back credit card, which earns them money back on every purchase they make. You’d like to visit Hawaii, and you’d like to get...

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