3. Don’t wait until the last minute to pay your credit card bill. Being late on a payment directly affects your credit score. This score is kept by the three major credit bureaus, and is calculated by your payment history and other financial data. Your credit score is used by lenders to determine whether they should lend money to a person, and at what interest rate. Paying online is fast and easy these days. Pay on time. Photo by H Is for Home on Flickr
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5. Limit your credit cards You can keep your debt exposure down by avoiding getting too many credit cards, including department store credit cards. It’s also easier to keep track of your debt with fewer cards. Know that excessive credit inquiries over a short time frame may be a sign to creditors that you are having financial problems. Photo by Consumerist on Flickr
6. Pay what you spend each month If you can’t pay your balance in full every month, try to at least cover all of your spending on your card every month, and avoid increasing your balance. Balance creep is all too easy to do. Have a budget to pay down any unexpected charges. Photo by Maciejgruszecki on Flickr
7. Moved? Let your credit card company know your new address. Photo by Mattindy77 on Flickr
8. Co-Signer? The new credit card act that went into effect in 2010 makes it harder for college students with no credit history to get a credit card without a parent acting as cosigner. Bear in mind that your use of the card can affect your cosigner’s credit record. Photo by Schweb on Flickr