Having a credit card in your possession can be very important, as they are not inherently bad. That being said, not everyone knows how to manage their use of credit cards very well and they may require some help with credit card debt management, which is available in abundance.
The basic requirements of good credit card debt management are self control and common sense. Some things simply should never be paid for with a credit card, and understanding that is essential. Unfortunately, self control and common sense are often in short supply, so not all the help and advice you receive regarding credit card debt management will be easy to follow.
It is vital that you keep your debt, not necessarily within your means, but certainly not so far out of your means that they can’t even be seen. That would mean your debt has become uncontrollable. When common sense is applied to the process, credit can be used to let you live beyond your means in a reasonable way.
The most sound credit card debt management advice is to tell you to have a credit card and only use it when you absolutely need to and then pay off the balance every month. If that were at all popular then there would not be any credit card companies in business so obviously a lot of people need credit card debt management advice.
Keep an eye on your credit card statement every month and especially watch for your credit limit and your interest rate.
If, while checking your statement, you see that your interest rate has increased, find out why by calling the company and asking directly.
You can threaten to close your account and switch to another company if they are not able to provide you with a satisfactory explanation about your interest rate. Such firm action will usually get your interest rate lowered back to normal. Your credit limit will increase if you are able to make regular monthly payments but you consistently leave a balance on your account.
When you are issued a card, determine what your personal limit should be. You can ask them to lower it if they ever raise it higher than what you are comfortable with. Remember that, regardless of what their reasons for not wanting to do so are, this is your money and you can decide what to do with it.