If you choose wisely which purchases to make with credit. You’ll pay fewer credit card fees, save money on interest, and complete debt management and repayment easier. Here are ten things to avoid charging to your credit card.
Payments on a Mortgage
If you’ve ever asked, “Can I pay my mortgage with a credit card?” the answer is yes, but it’s not a brilliant idea, especially if you’re in a financial need and are tempted to use a credit card with a high limit.
Most mortgage firms will not accept credit card payments directly. Although some third-party organizations, such as Plastic, will assist you in paying your mortgage with your credit card, they frequently charge fees for this service, which will add to the amount you pay in bills each month. Plastic, for example, charges a 2.85% fee.
Small Pleasures
Taking out your credit card to pay for a cup of coffee or a sandwich at the deli is convenient. Based on the cash-back or rewards credit card you use for your transactions, you may also receive advantages such as free cash or airline miles. However, if you swipe your card for every tiny transaction, your credit card amount might quickly balloon, making it difficult to pay off, let alone make the minimum payment. You’ll be left thinking if those 20 lattes were worth the extra money at the end of the month.
Payday Loans
A cash advance is a short-term debt or withdrawal made using your credit card. It would help to avoid a credit card cash advance because the withdrawal may be subject to hefty fees and interest rates.
Of course, there are times when a cash advance is necessary, but only in an emergency. Also, check for credit cards with cheap cash advance rates.
Domestic Bills
Is it possible to pay bills with a credit card? Yes, you almost certainly can. Should you, however?
Your electric and water companies may provide free online bill payment with a credit card, incentivizing you to connect your card to the accounts and earn benefits. If your servicer allows you to pay your bills with a credit card via automated payments, you’ll have one less bill to remember to pay on time. However, the hazards frequently outnumber the advantages.
Medical Expenses
Putting medical bills on your credit card when you don’t have enough money is one of the worst things you can do. Medical care is costly, and paying for it with a high-interest credit card adds to the expense.
College Costs
College tuition is expensive, and depending on where you live, it may even outweigh the cost of living. Paying tuition using a credit card is attractive and handy for broke college students but resist the temptation.
You may not be able to pay off your credit card account before interest accrues unless you have a consistent paycheck. Furthermore, many institutions charge a 2 percent to 3 percent convenience fee for making the payment.
Income Taxes
Although it is possible — and legal — to pay taxes with a credit card, there is a compelling reason not to: your payment processor will almost certainly charge you a convenience fee of roughly 2% for doing so. If you choose intelligently which purchases to make with credit, you’ll pay fewer credit card fees, save on interest, and make it easier to hold and pay off debt.
You should avoid paying property taxes using a credit card as well
Automobiles
Some claim they paid for a car using a credit card and don’t regret it because they earned many points.
Another reason they may not be remorseful is that they pay their credit card account online as soon as it is due, avoiding large interest charges. Don’t use this payment method if you’re not sure you can perform the same thing.
Because your credit card balance accounts for 30% of your credit score, having an amount that is too high in proportion to your credit limit could hurt your score. If you don’t pay your credit card bills because you’ve lost control of your account balance, the same thing happens.
Any down payment
Never put a down payment on anything using a credit card, even a house or a car. It may be moot for the home because you can’t use a credit card to cover your down payment unless you get a cash advance, which isn’t a good idea either.
If the sole reason you want to use a credit card for a down payment is to take advantage of your card’s high credit limit, that could indicate that you can’t afford it.
Costs of Starting a Business
It’s not a good plan to use your credit card to pay for business expenses or finance beginning charges. A firm will often take several years to become profitable, and in the meantime, you may be paying exorbitant interest on the debt you can’t afford to repay.
Even better, see if you can raise funds via a crowdfunding website or friends and family.
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