Sarah Gage

3 weeks ago | bankrate.com | Ana Staples |Sarah Gage

You received your tax refund, and now you’re figuring out what to do with the money. It might be a significant amount of cash — how do you spend it wisely? If you have credit card debt, the answer is almost always to use your refund to pay it down. Almost. Generally, reducing your most expensive debt is the right course of action. This step can help you save on interest charges and direct this money to better things — whether it’s your investment account or vacation savings.

3 weeks ago | bankrate.com | Benet Wilson |Benét J. Wilson |Sarah Gage

Plenty of myths exist about how credit cards work. Falling victim to credit card myths could have a negative impact on your credit score. Doing your research when it comes to facts about credit cards is key to protecting your financial health. Before I started writing about credit cards in February 2018, I had all kinds of thoughts about how they worked.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Benet Wilson |Benét J. Wilson |Sarah Gage

Divorce can have a negative impact on your finances, but it’s important to protect your credit at all costs. Understand that the process of rebuilding your credit can take time and effort. Take advantage of resources that help you rebuild your credit and finances after divorce. When a couple makes the decision to divorce, it’s much more than a parting of the ways. Assets like homes and cars may need to be split, and joint debts like credit cards and loans may need to be paid off.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Benet Wilson |Benét J. Wilson |Sarah Gage

When it comes to couples and credit cards, only one party needs deep knowledge to accumulate credit card rewards. Having a secondary user work in partnership with a lead cardholder as a ‘Player Two’ can yield great results. Here at Bankrate, many of us are slightly obsessed with earning and redeeming credit card points, miles and cash back.

1 month ago | bankrate.com | Benet Wilson |Benét J. Wilson |Sarah Gage

Authorized users can hurt your credit score if they don’t treat your credit with respect. Create strict guidelines on card usage before offering to make someone an authorized user. Check your authorized users’ statements regularly to avoid nasty surprises. Say you have a family member or friend who has struggled with their credit score. They either ask or you offer to add them to one of your credit cards as an authorized user. What could possibly go wrong?